Byte Magazine Volume 11 Number 13 - Graphics Algorithms

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Turbo Pascal Programming

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Also recently released, Turbo GameWorksis what you think It la "Games" and"Works." Games you can play right away(like Chess, Bridge and Go-Moku), plusthe Works—which Is how computergames work. All the secrets and strategiesof game theory are there for you to learn.You can play the games "as is" or modifythem any which way you want. Source code Is included to let youdo that, and whether you want to write your own games or simplyplay the off-the-shelf games, Turbo GameWorks will give hours ofdiversion, education, and intrigue. George Koltanowski, Deanof American Chess, andformer President, UnitedStates Chess Federation,reacted to Turbo Game-Works like this:" WithTurbo GameWorks,you're on your way tobecoming a master chessplayer." And Kit Woolsey,writer, author, and twiceChampion of the Blue

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It includes a library of graphics routines forTurbo Pascal programs. Lets evenbeginning programmers create high-resolution graphics with an IBM, Hercules,'"or compatible graphics adapter. Our TurboGraphix Toolbox includes all the tools you'llever need for complex business graphics,easy windowing, and storing screen images to memory. It comescomplete with source code, ready to compile. Suggested retail:$69.95, but with a $10.00 Scratch 'n Win Rebate, only $59.95!Minimum memory: 192K

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The new Turbo Tutor can take youfrom "What's a computer?" throughcomplex data structures, assemblylanguages, trees, tips on writing longprograms in Turbo Pascal, and a highlevel of expertise. Source code for every-thing is included. New split screens allowyou to put source text in the bottom halfof the screen and run the examples in the top half. There arequizzes that ask you, show you, tell you, teach you. You get a 400-page manual-which is not as daunting as it sounds, becauseunlike many software manuals, it was not written by orangutans.Suggested retail: $39.95. Use a $10.00 Scratch 'n Win Rebate andyou're down to an unheard of $29.95! Minimum memory: 192K.

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TURBO PASCAL 3.0 Minimum memory I28K. includes 8087 and BCD lealures lor 16-bil MS-DOS and CPrM-86 systemsCP/M-80 version minimum memory 48K. 808? and BCD lealures nol available TURBO DATABASE TOOLBOX Minimummemory 12SK CP'M-80 minimum memory 4BK Requires Turbo Pascal 2 0 or later TURBO GRAPHIX TOOLBOX'Minimum memory 192K Requires PC/MS-DOS 2 0 or laler. Turbo Pascal 3 0, and I8M CGA. Hercules Monochrome Card orequivalent TURBO TUTOR 2.0 Minimum memory 192K CP/M-80 version mioimum memory 48K Requires PC/MS-DOS2 0 or laler and Turbo Pascal 3 0 TURBO EDITOR TOOLBOX' Minimum memory 192K Requires PC/MS-DOS 2 0 or lalerand Turbo Pascal 3 0 TURBO GAMEWDRKS' Minmum memory I92K Requires PC/MS-DOS 20 or laler and TurboPascal 3 0 TURBO PROLOG' Minimum memory 384K REFLEX: THE ANALYST' Minimum memory 384K. Requires IBMCGA. Hercules Monochrome Card or equivalenl Works with Inlei's AboveBoaid-PC and -AT. AST's RAMpagei and RAMpage'AT. Quadrant s Liberty-PC and -AT. Tecmar's 640 Plus, IBM's EGA and 3270/PC. AT&T s 6300 and many others REFLEXWORKSHOP' Minimum memory 384K Requires Retle* The Analysl TURBO LIGHTNING' Minimum memory 256K Twbdisk drives required Hard disk reccmmended LIGHTNING WORD WIZARD' Minimum memory 256K Requires TurboLightning Turbo Pascal 3 0 required lo edit source code SIDEKICK' Minimum memory 128K TRAVELING SIDEKICK'M.mmum memory 256K SUPERKEY' Mrnimun memory I28K "For I8M PC, AT, XT, °C|i and Irue compatibles only,running PC/MS-DOS 2 0 or later

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Turbo Lightning" Works with all your programs and checks your spelling whileyou lype\ Includes 80,000-word Random House' Concise Word Lisl and 50,000-word Random House Thesaurus. Forerunner of Turbo Lightning Library ~Lightning Word Wizard' Includes ingenious crossword solver and six other wordchallenges. If you're into programming, Lightning Word Wizard is also a developmenttoolbox and the technical reference manual lor Turbo Lightning

All Borland pioducls are registered trademarks or trademarks ol Borland Inlernalional, Inc or Boiland/Analylica, Inc. TurboLightning Library is a trademark ol Borland Internal'onal Inc AST TurboLaser, RAMpagei AT, AdvanlagePremium,SkPakPremium, 3G Pak and RAMpage! are trademarks df AST Research, Inc. Lotus 1-2-3 is a registered trademark ol LolusDevelopment Corp dBASE is a registered trademark of Ashton-Tate IBM is a registered trademark ot Inlernalional BusinessMachines Chip. Randdm House is a regislered trademark ol Random House. Inc. Hercules is a liademark ol HerculesComputer Technology CP/M is a regislered trademark nt Digital Research, Inc. Traveling SideKick is not in any wayassociated Willi Traveling Sotlware, Inc. ot Seattle, Washinglon. Copyright 1986 Borland International. BI-1075C

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Turbo Pascal wins PC World's1986 World Class PC Award for'Programming Language'!

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There's so much in there—Turbo Pascal, Turbo Tutor,®Turbo Database,'" Turbo Graphix,® Turbo GameWorks,® TurboEditor®—you can probably give someone else one or two ofthem. (Just keep the ones you don't have already and makethe rest thoughtful, realy inexpensive presents forsomeone's Turbo Pascal library.)

Give them one, maybe two kinds ofHohday Reflex action!

Adam B. Green, InfoWorld's highly re-spected columnist, says "Everyone agreesReflex is the best-looking database they'veever seen." Peter Norton of PC WEEK says,"The next generation of software hasofficiary arrived" And now, with ourbrand-new Reflex Workshop, whichincludes 22 instant ways to run yourbusiness well, you can give someoneboth programs and just aboutguarantee them a Happy well-runNew Yearl

Turbo Lightning wins the1986 World Class PC Awardfor "Most Promising Newcomer"!

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While you use SideKick, Reflex, Lotus 1-2-3® and mostpopular programs, Turbo Lightning proofreads as you wrMIf you misspell a word, Turbo Lightning will beep at youinstantly, and suggest a correction for the word you justmisspelled. Press one key, and the misspelled word isimmediately replaced by the correct word. And if you're everstuck for a word, Turbo Lightning's thesaurus is there withinstant alternatives. Perfect gift for everyone who reads andwritesl

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5. REBATE CLAIMS: Rebates are good for products purchased from September 5,1986 through March 31,1987. The S10 rebate is good for any individual Borland product and the SI 5 rebate is good for any advertised Borland software bun-dle To receive your rebate you must return your completed license agreement from the manual this game card and dated proof of purchase to: Borland International Game Card Rebate, 4585 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley, CA 95066. Uponreceipt of the license agreement game card and proof of purchase, Borland will send your check. Rebate is not valid with any other rebate or promotion offered directly from Borland.

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Standard

Turbo Pascal Programming!

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Copies Product Price Totals

_ Turbo Pascal 3.0w/8087 8, BCD

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Turbo Tutor_ Relies: The Analyst

Reflex Workshop

_ Rellex & Relies Workshop

Turbo Prolog

_ Turbo Database Toolbox

Turbo Grapbix Toolbox

_ Turbo Tutor 2.0_ Turbo Editor Toolbos

Turbo GameWorks

_ Turbo lightning

lightning Word Wizard

Turbo lightning &

Lightning Word Wizard

SideKick

Traveling SideKick

— SideKick &

Traveling SideKick

SuperKey

_ Turbo Jumbo Pack

$99.95 J_69.95 $-

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Inquiry 54 for End-Users. Inquiry 5 5 for DEALERS ONLY.

CONTENTS

84

158

FEATURES

Introduction 84

Ciarcias Circuit Cellar: Build the GT180 Color Graphics Board.

Part 2: Hardware by Steve Garcia 87

Steve provides a description of the major VLSI components and includesthe hardware schematic.

Programming Project: Using DOS Functions from Turbo Pascal

by Douglas F. Yriart 102

You may never need to write another line of assembly language code.

Programming Insight: A Program for Approximating Integrals

by David M. Smith 113

By using Aitken extrapolation, you can approximate integrals with increased precision.

Debugging Macintosh Applications by }oel West 127

The standard principles of debugging apply, but the Mac's toolbox routines present someunique problems.

Local Effects of Nuclear Weapons by }ohn R. Fanchi 143

Two programs calculate the effects of an atomic blast on your surroundings.

THEME: GRAPHICS ALGORITHMS

Introduction 158

Henon Mapping with Pascal by Gordon Hughes 161

Use iterative simulations to study the behavior of physical systems.

Abstract Mathematical Art by Kenneth E. Perry 181

The author's BASIC program explains how to find the hidden structures knownas "one-dimensional cellular automata."

The TMS34010 Graphics System Processor by Carrell R. Mlebrew Jr.. . . 193A bit-addressable graphics engine with an on-chip instruction cache.

Plotting the Mandelbrot Set by Peter B. Schroeder 207

Fractals used for modeling can create intriguing displays.

Graphing Quadric Surfaces by George Haroney 215

Some techniques that allow you to simulate 3-D graphics in color.

Free-Form Curves on Your Micro by Steve Enns 225

Implement Bezier and B-spline curves for interactive graphics.

REVIEWS

Introduction 234

Reviewer's Notebook by ]on Edwards 237

Four IBM PC AT Clones by Wayne Rash Jr. 239

Offerings from Epson, Western, and Zenith.

The Hercules Graphics Card Plus by Rich Malloy 249

An inexpensive general-purpose display card for the IBM PC.

BYTE (ISSN 0360-5280] is published monthly with one extra issue per year by McGraw-Hill Inc. Founder: lames H McGraw (1860-1948) Executive editorialcirculation, and advertising offices: One Phoenix Mill Lane. Peterborough, NH 03458. phone 16031 924-9281 Office hours Monday through Thursday8:30 AM - 4:30 PM. Friday 8:30 AM - 1:00 PM, Eastern Time. Address subscriptions to BYTE Subscriptions. P.O. Box 590. Martinsville. N| 08836. Postmaster:send address changes. USPS Form 3579. undeliverable copies, and fulfillment questions to BYTE Subscriptions, P.O. Box 596. Martinsville, N| 08836Second-class postage paid at Peterborough, NH 03458 and additional mailing offices. Postage paid at Winnipeg. Manitoba Registration number 9321.Subscriptions are S2I for one year. S38 for two years, and $55 for three years in the U.S. and its possessions In Canada and Mexico, $23 for one year.$42 for two years. $6i for three years. $69 for one year air delivery to Europe. 31.000 yen for one year air delivery to lapan. 15,600 yen for one yearsurface delivery to Japan. $37 surface delivery elsewhere. Air delivery to selected areas at additional rates upon request Single copy price is $3,50 inthe U.S. and its possessions, $4.25 in Canada and Mexico, $4.50 in Europe, and $5 elsewhere. Foreign subscriptions and sales should be remitted inU.5. funds drawn on a U.S. bank. Please allow six to eight weeks for delivery of first issue. Printed in the United States of America,

2 BYTE * DECEMBER 1986

COVER PAINTING BY ROBERT TINNEY

VOLUME 11, NUMBER 13, 1986

23 Modems by Stephen Satchell 255

An evaluation of devices from several companies and their abilityto handle impairments.

Pascal for the IBM PC by Namir Clement Shammas 265

Four compilers with various features.

STELLA by Stephen B. Robinson 277

Modeling and simulation software for the Macintosh.

Flash-Com by Brock N. Meeks 281

Electronic mail and communications software.

Review Feedback 285

Readers respond to previous reviews.

KERNEL

Introduction 288

Computing at Chaos Manor: The Final Frontier by jerry Pournelle 291

Jerry uses BIX to help plan an academy for space cadets.

According to Webster: Seasons Greetings by Bruce Webster 305

Bruce's particular focus this month is the Amiga.

Applications Only: Stocking Stuffers by Ezra Shapiro 321

A collection of programs that would make terrific gifts.

BYTE U.K.: The U-MAN Potential by Dick Pountain 329

Dick looks at a computer for scientific users and a molecular modeling system.

BEST OF BIX

Amiga 349

Atari 356

IBM PC and Compatibles . . . 362

DEPARTMENTS

Editorial:

BYTE Gets Faster 6

Microbytes 9

Letters 16

Whats New 29

Ask BYTE 52

Macintosh/Apple II 370

Apple IIGS 376

Graphics 385

Circuit Cellar Feedback 58

Book Reviews 65

Events and Clubs 81

Chaos Manor Mail 337

BOMB Results 437

Reader Service 439

ListingsFrom BIX 320

From BYTEnet.(617) 861-9764

On Disk.In Print .

see card after 320see card after 320

Address editorial correspondence to: Editor. BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough. NH 034 58. Unacceptable manuscripts will be returned ifaccompanied by sufficient postage. Not responsible for lost manuscripts or photos. Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of BYTE.

Copyright © 1986 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 with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) to photocopy any articleherein 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 CongressSt., Salem. MA 01970. Specify ISSN 0360-5280/83. SI.50. Copying done for other than personal or internal reference use without the permis-sion of McGraw-Hill Inc. is prohibited. Requests for special permission or bulk orders should be addressed to the publisher. BYTE Is availablein microform from University Microfilms International. 300 North Zeeb Rd. Dept PR. Ann Arbor. Ml 48106 or 18 Bedford Row, Dept. PR.London WCIR 4E|. England.Subscription questions or problems should be addressed to: BYTE Subscriber Service. PO. Box 328. Hancock, NH 03449

234

288

SECTION ART BY SANDRA FIL1PPUCCI

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 3

EITE

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER

Harry L. Browneditor in chief

Philip Lemmons

EIX

MANAGING EDITOR, BYTE

Frederic S. Langa

executive editor, bix

George Bond

assistant managing editor

Glenn Hartwigconsulting editors

Steve Ciarcia

lERRY POURNELLE

Ezra Shapiro

Bruce Webster

senior technical editors

/ON R. Edwards, RevieivsG. Michael Vose. ThemesGregg Williams, Featurestechnical editorsDennis AllenRichard GrehanKen SheldonGeorge A. StewartIane Morrill TazelaarTom ThompsonCharles D. WestonEva WhiteStanley Wszolaassociate technical editorsCurtis Franklin Jr., Best of BIXMargaret Cook Gurney, Book ReviewsBrenda McLaughlin, Applications Software Reviews,San Francisco

COPY EDITORS

BUD Sadler, ChiefIeff EdmondsFaith HansonNancy HayesCathy KingeryPaula NoonanWarren WilliamsonJudy Winkler

ASSISTANTS

Peggy Dunham, Office ManagerMartha HicksL. Ryan McCombsIune N. Sheldon

NEWS AND TECHNOLOGY

Gene Smarte, Bureau Chief. Costa MesaJonathan Erickson, Senior Technical Editor. San FranciscoRich Malloy, Senior Technical Editor, New YorkCindy Kiddoo, Editorial Assislanl. San FranciscoASSOCIATE NEWS EDITORSDennis Barker. MicrobytesCathryn Baskin, Wnafs NewAnne Fischer Lent. Wnal's New

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Ionathan Amsterdam, programming projects

Mark Dahmke. video, operating systems

Mark Haas, at large

Rik Jadrnicek, CAD. graphics, spreadsheets

Robert T. Kurosaka, mathematical recreations

Phil Lopiccolo, computers in medicine

Alastair I. W. Mayer, software

Alan R. Miller, languages and engineering

Dick Pountain, U.K.

Roger Powell, computers and music

Phillip Robinson, semiconductors

ART

Nancy Rice, Art Director

Joseph A. Gallagher, Assislanl Art Director

Jan Muller, Art Assislanl

Alan Easton. Drafting

PRODUCTION

David R. Anderson, Production DirectorDenise ChartrandMichael J. LonskyVirginia Reardon

typography

Sherry McCarthy. Chief TypographerLen LoretteDonna Sweeney

senior editor

David Betzassociate editors

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MICROBYTES DAILY

Dennis Barker, Coordinator, Peterborough

Gene Smarte, Bureau Chief. Costa Mesa

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Rick Cook, Phoenix

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Martha Hicks, Peterborough

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Anne Fischer Lent, Peterborough

Rich Malloy, New York

Stan Miastkowski. Peterborough

Lynne Nadeau, Peterborough

David Needle, San Francisco

Wayne Rash, Washington. DC

Lamont Wood, San Antonio

GROUP MODERATORS

David Allen, Applications

Frank Boosman, Artificial Intelligence

Leroy Casterline. Older

Marc Greenfield, Programming Languages

Jim Howard, Graphics

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Steve Krenek, Computers

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BUSINESS AND MARKETING

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TECHNOLOGY

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ADVERTISING sales

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FINANCIAL SERVICES

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publishers assistant

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m

Officers of McGraw-Hill Information Systems Company: President: Richard B. Miller. Executive Vice Presidents: FrederickP. lannott. Construction Information Group; Russell C White, Computers and Communications Information Group;J, Thomas Ryan, Marketing and International. Senior Vice Presidents: Francis A. Shinal, Controller; Robert C Violette.Manufacturing and Technology. Senior Vice Presidents and Publishers: Laurence Aitman, Electronics Week; Harry L Brown. BYTE;David 1. McGrath, Construction Publications. Group Vice President: Peter B. McCuen. Communications Information. Vice Presi-dent: Fred O. Jensen. Planning and Development.

Officers of McGraw-Hill. Inc.: Harold W. McGraw. ]r. Chairman; Joseph L. Dionne. President and Chief Executive Officer; RobertN. Landes, Executive Vice President and Secretary; Walter D. Serwatka. Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer;Shel F Asen, Senior Vice President. Manufacturing; Robert 1. Bahash, Senior Vice President, Finance and Manufacturing; RalphR. Schulz. Senior Vice President. Editorial: George R. Eisinger, Vice President, Circulation: Ralph 1. Webb, Vice President andTreasurer.BYTE. EVTi.and The Small Systems Journal are registered trademarks of McGraw-Hill Inc.

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BYTEnet: (617) 861-9764 (set modem at 8-1-N or 7-1-E; 300or I2O0 baud).

BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 390—►

HiWIRE Starts the Job that

sm^RTkVORK* ;fc

Finishes

m

Introducing HiWIRE

Wintek's smARTWORK® isused by thousands of engi-neers to design printed-circuitboards. Now Wintek intro-duces HiWIRE, an electronic-schematic program that iseasy to learn and use.

With a click of the mousebutton, you can extract sym-bols from our library of over700 common components andconnect them with wires andbuses. You can also easilymodify the library's symbols orcreate your own by combininglabels, lines, and arcs.

HiWIRE Advantages

□ Easy-to-learn mouse/menu-driven operation

□ Complete documentationand tutorial

D Extensive TTL. CMOS, micro-processor, and discrete-component libraries

□ Rubberbanding

□ Moving, copying, mirroring,and rotating of symbols

□ Text-string searching

□ Multiple display windows

□ High-quality schematicsfrom printers and plotters

□ Hierarchical-design sup-port; netlist and bill-of-materiais utilities

□ Schematic/layout crosschecking

D 800 number for free tech-nical support

System Requirements

□ IBM Personal Computer,PC XT, or PC AT with 320KRAM, parallel printer port,

2 disk drives, and DOS V2.0or laterD IBM Color/GraphicsAdapter or EGA with RGBcolor monitor

□ Microsoft Mouse

□ IBM Graphics Printer orEpson FX/MX/RX-seriesdot-matrix printer, and/or:

D Houston Instrument DMP-40,41,42, 51, 52 or Hewlett-Packard 7470, 7475, 7550,7580, 7585, 7586 plotter

High Performance at Low Cost

At $895, HiWIRE deliversquality schematics quicklyand easily. You don't needto guess whether or not HiWIREis right for you. Our money-back guarantee lets you tryit for 30 days at absolutelyno risk. Call (800) 742-6809toll free today and put HiWIREto work tomorrow.

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"HiWIRE" is a trademark, and "smARTWORK","Wintek", and the Wintek logo are registeredtrademarks of Wintek Corporation.

Europe: BIVA Terminals ltd.. England, Phone: 04862-71001, Telex: 859502/Australia: Entertainment Audio Ply. Ltd., Phone: 108) 363-0454/Brazil: Comicro Inlormatica E Tecnologra Uda., Phone: (041) 224-5616

EDITORIAL

BYTE Gets Faster

Through the years, BYTE has beenjustly criticized for its long lead time.We have now corrected this problemin four ways.

First, BYTE has purchased and in-stalled an Atex editorial and produc-tion system. Atex is the system usedby most of the major national week-lies, including BusinessWeek, Newsweek,and Time. BYTE will remain a monthlybut Atex will enable us to bring much

fresher editorial material to you thanever before.

Atex permits electronic makeup andcopy-fitting and saves countless cyclesof revision between the editorial andtypesetting departments. Our highestpriorities in applying Atex will be tocut lead time in news sections andreviews. Microbytes, What's New, andthe entire Reviews section will benefitmost as we move onto Atex.

BYTE's second effort to improve

BIX Happenings for December

The ,end of the year is becominga busy time for the BYTE Informa-tion Exchange, with a number ofspecial events and conferencesunderway or soon to begin.

Conferences concerning the Intel80386 are ongoing. Visiting ex-perts from Phoenix, AT&T, Soft-guard, Phar Lap, and other soft-ware vendors are joining the BIXregulars in the sytems softwareconference (os386), and earlyusers of 80386 systems are shar-ing their experiences in theuser386 conference.

The issue of benchmarks forgraphics boards and processors isbeing addressed with a conferenceevent in the graficpgms con-ference. Visiting experts from chipand board manufacturers, togetherwith programmers and users onBIX, are trying to reach a consen-sus on two issues: importantcriteria for graphics benchmarksand nonpreferential methods oftesting.

A new conference on softwarepublishing has begun, focusing onthe marketing, financial, and legalaspects of the computer softwarebusiness. BIX subscribers whowrite and/or publish their own soft-

ware are sharing expertise and ad-dressing questions of common in-terest in this new forum.

Conference events scheduled tobegin in December include anevent for owners and users ofHewlett-Packard computers, fromthe Integral to the HP 3000, focus-ing on successful integrated sys-tems implementations; a discus-sion of the ISO seven-layer OSIcommunications protocol, with anemphasis on its practical implica-tions for those working in micro-computer data communications; aspecial event on UNIX as a micro-computer operating system; and alook at central file servers andremote file systems in local areanetworking.

Finally, selected BYTE reviews ofhardware and software are avail-able on-line in the byte.reviewsconference on BIX. These includethe earliest possible looks atreviews to be published in BYTE aswell as special reviews selected forpublication only on BIX.

Check the system.news con-ference for exact starting dates anddetails of these events and in-formation on other upcomingspecials.

timeliness has been to reexamine ourinternal scheduling to make sure thatnone of our human processes pre-vents us from taking advantage ofAtex's speed. We have adjusted dead-lines and priorities to maximize ourgain in timeliness.

Third, we now put many of BYTE'sarticles on-line in BIX for readers whowould rather have their information inelectronic form. We can post materialabout new products in BIX on thevery day of a product announcement.We put most of our major columnson-line before they appear in BYTE.Although we have just started puttingreviews on-line in BIX, users havealready logged significant connecttime in the BYTE reviews conference.

Our fourth means of improvingtimeliness is the news service avail-able on-line in BIX. Since I havepreviously described this service, I willbe brief in describing it here. It hasthree main components now: micro-bytes, microbytes.hw, and micro-bytes.sw. The latter two sections con-sist of hardware and software productannouncements, respectively. The"microbytes" section contains news oftechnological developments as well aspreannouncement and other veryearly product news.

Our new editorial and productionsystem will let us make BYTE as time-ly as any monthly. Our on-line publica-tions make us more timely than anyweekly. But this new emphasis ontimeliness will in no way diminishBYTE's efforts to cover computers andrelated topics comprehensively and indepth. We will continue to publish ourtraditional generous selection of in-depth technical articles in our Themeand Features sections. By addingtimeliness to comprehensiveness anddepth, we hope to do a better job ofmeeting your needs.

—Phil hemmonsEditor in Chief

B YTE • DECEMBER 1986

When computers get down to business, they move up to Maxell.

Imaxell

MINI-FLOPPY DISK

Maxell was first to provideyou with a S'/i" high densityfloppy disk. Just anotherexample of how we keepyou a step ahead.

maxell

THE GOLD STANDARD

Maxell Corporation of America, 60 Oxford Drive, Moonachie, NJ 07074

smartErffi

The Communications Software

That Knows You Can't Ignore Evolution

rhe world of computing hasmuch in common with nature:Those who adapt to their en-vironment flourish. Those whocan't—go the way of the dinosaur.

If your computing environmentincludes mini computers, you canaccess them using standard terminals.But the smarter alternative is anIBM* compatible PC* and SmarTermterminal emulation software—anadvanced species of communicationssoftware.

Persoft began where most terminalemulation software companies striveto end—with exact, feature-for-feature emulation. Then Persofttook SmarTerm software to the nextstage of evolution: superiority.

SmarTerm 240, the latest in theSmarTerm series, not only providesthe ReGIS* and Tektronix* graphicscapabilities of a DEC* VT240* terminal,but adds capabilities that are onlypossible through the power of a PC.

Features like error-free data transfer(using Kermit or XMODEM protocols),on-line help screens, remappablekeyboard layouts, and programmablesoftkeys.

SmarTerm 240 is just one example ofthe most advanced line-up of DEC,Data General and Tektronix terminalemulation software in the industry.

Make the "natural selection." Ask yourlocal dealer about SmarTerm terminalemulation software. Or contact:

Persoft, Inc.

465 Science Drive

Madison, WI U.S.A. 53711

(608) 273-6000

Telex 759491

Inquiry 271

SmarTerm Terminal Emulation Software... The Natural Selection

•SmarTerm is a registered trademark of Persoft, Inc. IBM and IBM PC are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. DEC, VT and ReGIS are trademarks of Digilal EquipmentCorporation. Tektronix is a registered trademark of Tektronix, Inc. © Persoft, 1986. All rights reserved.

MICRO-BYTES

Staff-written highlights of developments in technology and the microcomputer industry.

GTE Develops High-Speed GaAs Multiplexer CombiningFour Data Channels

In an effort to achieve data communication rates of several gigabits per second, GTE Labs(Waltham, MA) is combining the high capacity of fiber optics with the high speed of galliumarsenide circuits. The research arm of GTE has designed a GaAs multiplexer that can com-bine four data channels, each with a communication rate of 1 gigabit per second, into onechannel. GTE has also recently developed a technique called MOVPE (metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy) for efficiently growing thin-film GaAs crystals.

The new devices should play an important role in future communication systems, whichwill involve high-capacity fiber-optic cables connecting houses and offices through telephoneswitching centers. Data rates on these cables could be as high as 20 gigabits per second. Inaddition to standard computer data, numerous video channels could be supported, eachwith a data rate of almost 100 megabits per second. The GaAs multiplexers will probablybe the only devices fast enough to interface houses and offices with this fiber-optic grid.

In future supercomputers, these multiplexers will also be used for high-speed fiber-optictransmissions between various boards in the computer, replacing copper wires. Because ofthe high-speed nature of the fiber-optic link, such techniques may even be used for chip-to-chip communication.

GTE said it has completed a prototype of the GaAs multiplexer and a final version shouldbe ready in less than a year.

Use of Surface-Mounted Technology Growing:Expected to Be Seen in Half of All Components Soon

If any single theme was repeated at the IEEE International Electronic Manufacturing Tech-nology Symposium, it was expressed succinctly by a speaker who said that "surface-mounted technology is going to be the way of doing business in the U.S."

Surface-mounted technology (SMT), or the attachment of electronic components and cir-cuits to the face of a circuit board instead of connecting circuitry layers and components viaholes drilled through the board, is one of the strongest trends in electronic packaging. SMToffers manufacturers two distinct advantages over conventional through-hole (TH) tech-nology: Circuits can be built on both sides of the board, and SMT is ideal for automatedassembly, thereby reducing costs and improving efficiency and quality.

Virtually every manufacturer at the symposium, including Intel, Texas Instruments, Hewlett-Packard, IBM (which uses SMT in its PC Convertible), Fujitsu, NEC, and Motorola, indicatedthat they are currently manufacturing products using high-density SMT processes. Estimatesare that 20 percent of all electronic components now being made are surface-mounted andthat within two years it will be 50 percent.

Many manufacturing engineers still express concern about some problems, particularlythose that deal with thermal expansion and inspection.

"Charge Ratio" Could Be Alternative toElectromagnetic Technology in Graphics Tablets

Summagraphics (Fairfield, CT) has developed a graphics tablet technology that uses ratios ofsensed areas to generate the coordinates of the stylus or cursor position. The companysays that because its technique uses ratios instead of absolute signal values, variationscaused by distance or dielectric constant changes between the electrode surface and thestylus don't affect tablet operation.

{continued)DECEMBER 1986 • B Y T E 9

The "charge ratio" tablet has three main elements: an electrode, or digitizing surface; ananode, or transducer (the stylus or cursor): and the processing electronics. The digitizingsurface consists of a pattern of three differently shaped electrodes: wedges, stripes, and thearea not covered by those electrodes. Summagraphics says its three-electrode approachresults in stable and accurate coordinate output over the tablet's active area and eliminatesproblems caused by environmental noise.

The 12- by 12-inch tablet is currently undergoing tests by "major OEMs" in the CAD/CAMand workstation markets, according to a spokesperson. Look for a final product next year.

Perpendicular Technique Puts 100 Megabytes on5!4-inch Disk

Maxell (Moonachie, NJ) has developed a disk it says can handle 100 megabytes of storageusing a perpendicular recording technique. The new disk provides more magnetic surfacethan conventional media by standing the magnetic particles so they're perpendicular to thesubstrate plane instead of putting them flat on the surface. The disks have a recordingdensity of 100 kilobits per inch, the company said.

The 5'/4-inch disks won't work in current drives but, according to a spokesperson for thecompany, current drives can be retrofitted to handle the 100-megabyte disks. Hitachi Ltd.has designed drives for the new disks: those drives are now in prototype form. The driveswill show up in machines next year, the spokesperson said.

Researchers Claim Working Part-Time at a VDTPoses No Threat to Pregnancy

Two researchers have concluded that pregnant women who work at VDTs less than 20hours a week don't appear to be at higher-than-normal risk of having a miscarriage. How-ever, they cautioned that more study is needed to determine if women who work at VDTsmore than 20 hours a week run a higher risk.

According to William Butler at the University of Michigan, who teamed with colleagueKelley Ann Brix to study the 817 pregnancies of 728 women, "Pregnant women whoworked 1 to 20 hours a week at VDTs had the same miscarriage rates as women who didnot work at the machines." Of 697 pregnancies among women working 1 to 20 hours aweek at a VDT, there were 145 miscarriages, which Butler and Brix said were about asmany as expected. But of the 120 pregnancies reported by a group working more than 20hours a week, 26 ended in miscarriage, "about four more" than expected.

The study was funded by the March of Dimes, which is still examining possible effects ofVDTs on birth defects. Brix said more work is needed to find out if using a VDT full-time ishazardous to pregnant women. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health isconducting a study that will focus only on full-time VDT workers.

At "32-Bit Shootout," Speakers Take Shots at DOS,Benchmarks

Besides Motorola's new 68030, NEC's new V60/V70 chips, and everyone picking on Intel's80386, three topics dominated the one-day symposium billed as "The 32-Bit Shootout": thefuture of MS-DOS in the 32-bit world, the value of benchmark results, and compilers.

From Intel's perspective, compatibility with existing 8086-famiIy software will be the driv-ing force in establishing the 386 as the leading 32-bit CPU in the microcomputer market. Asone speaker said, "Six million PCs are the lowest common denominator and software willcontinue to be written for them." Motorola's Jeff Nutt countered by stating that the in-fluence of MS-DOS will lessen and UNIX will gain prominence. However, he also said thatthe 68020 will eventually run DOS 5.0.

Of the six chip makers participating, only Motorola refused to release benchmarkstatistics. "We'll run whatever applications our customer base wants and give them theresults," Nutt explained. Manufacturers and panelists agreed that benchmarks aren't mean-ingful to the user unless they are uniform and repeatable; instead, what is really needed isa series of market-specific evaluations, and the buyer had better run those tests. Just abouteveryone agreed that "benchmarks don't lie, but liars do benchmarking." George Morrow,former chairman of Morrow Designs, concluded that "magazines that support the industryshould act as watchdogs" and do benchmarking for their readers.

(continued)

10 BYTE • DECEMBER 19

We invented

the modem that

makes fewer demands

onyourPC.

The Ven-Tel Half Card™ modem. All the power and speed of ourregular modems, but with some major advantages for people whodemand versatility from their PC.

Regular modems plug into one of yourcomputer's full-size slots. Just like expan-sion boards—color boards, graphics cardsand memory expanders.

The Ven-Tel HalfCard modem is different.It plugs into a short slot,freeing up a long slot soyour PC can handle an addi-tional function. And whileother modems have about300 components, ours has 70.So it not only demandsless space from your computer-it also demands less powerand generates less heat. Your PCstays cool and stress-free.

Competitively priced, the Half Card modem is avail-able in both 1200 baud and 2400 baud speeds. And it'sbacked by Ven-Tel's free five-year warranty. No othermajor manufacturer even comes close.

If you make a lot of demands on your PC...demand the less-demanding modem: The Ven-TelPC Modem Half Card.

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Panelists agreed that compiler portability is more important in the micro market, whilecompiler performance is more important in the workstation and minicomputer markets.

Hardness Tester Helps Build Better Integrated Circuits

Electrical engineers know that the thin-film, multilayered structures that make up integratedcircuits are subject to high degrees of failure, particularly at interconnection points. Re-searchers at Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA) are using new techniques to understand whyrelatively straightforward interconnections that appear to be solid when made, inexplicablybreak later on. One technique devised by William Nix, a professor at the Stanford School ofEngineering, uses a new submicron hardness tester (nicknamed the "nano indenter') todetermine the hardness of thin-film material by indenting the metal to a minimum depth of500 angstroms.

"The nano indenter allows us for the first time to probe mechanically on a very smallscale," Nix explained. The degree of hardness as determined by the indentation is thencompared to the known microstructure of the material being studied, which helps deter-mine why the material might fail.

Hewlett-Packard Defends Its Choice of DDL

After taking its licks at the Seybold Desktop Publishing Seminar for picking Imagen's DDLas a document-description language, Hewlett-Packard held its own symposium on desktoppublishing and defended its choice. Apparently the company was still smarting somewhatfrom Steve Jobs's comment at the Seybold seminar that HP must have been "brain-damaged" when it decided to support DDL instead of Adobe Systems' PostScript. In hertalk, Ian Bell of HP's Peripherals Group (Boise, ID) specifically compared DDL to PostScriptand Interpress, a document language from Xerox. HP chose DDL over PostScript, she said,because DDL supports both binary and ASCII representation (PostScript supports onlyASCII, she said), intelligent scaling of bit-map characters (PostScript does not), compositeobjects (again, she said, PostScript does not), full object caching (PostScript supports fontobject caching only), and document layout (PostScript does not). Interpress, she pointedout, supports only limited programmability, binary representation, font-only object caching,and limited document layout. She also said Interpress doesn't support intelligent scaling ofbit-map characters and composite objects.

NANOBYTES

VLSI Technology (San Jose, CA) brought out a series of 1.5-micron CMOS gate arrays basedon its Continuous Gate technology. Arrays in the VGT100 series contain from 10,000 to50,000 usable gates. The series gives designers a choice between gate array or cell-basedimplementations. . . . The IEEE has formed a group to address the work of the PersonalComputer Extended Technology Standards Committee, which has released a technicalspec for its proposal for a 16-bit PC AT-compatible bus with a 32-bit bus extension. Accord-ing to Gary Lyons of the IEEE's microprocessor standards committee, the society's involve-ment with PCET will lead to an AT-compatible bus specification that's officially recognizedby the IEEE. The final document could be used by manufacturers basing systems on 32-bitprocessors, including Motorola's 680x0 series, National Semiconductor's 32xxx series, andIntel's 80386.... Symbolics Inc. (Concord, MA) is selling the source code for its NewFlavors object-oriented programming system, written in Symbolics Common LISP. Full sourcecode on a DOS-compatible disk costs $25; documentation costs $50. . . . Corvus SystemsInc. (San Jose, CA) has acquired the laser printer technology developed by BDS ComputerCorp. (Mountain View, CA).... OEM Marketing (Canoga Park, CA) is selling a device thatmonitors a computer's temperature. Heat Alarm bleats a high-pitched warning when thetemperature hits 123 degrees. It costs $49.95 and, according to the company, it's easily in-stalled between the speaker and the motherboard. The firm's next product? The Cool Card.

TECHNOLOGY NEWS WANTED. The news staff at BYTE is always interested in hearing about newtechnological and scientific developments that might have an impact on microcomputers and the people whouse them. We also want to keep track of innovative uses of that technology. If you know of advances or proj-ects that involve research relevant to microcomputing and want to share that information, please contact us.Call the Microbytes staff at (603) 924-9281, send mail on BIX to Microbytes, or write to us at OnePhoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough. NH 03458.

12 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

INTRODUCING THE A * STAR II

We're having a party! It's a goingaway party. And, it's for IBM. But,shhhhh! Don't tell them. We want itto be a surprise!

Why a party? Well, it's becausewe've been told that more than a fewof IBM's customers have been "goingaway" ever since we introduced ourA*Star™ PC/AT compatible micro-computer. Now that we've announcedour new A*Star II, we figure a lotmore of their customers will be goingaway. That's because the A*Star IIis the only "network ready" PC/ATcompatible that can operate at 6, 8,10 and 12 MHz. And because it'savailable in a super selection ofmodels starting at only $995!

The A*Star II is not just anotherclone, it's better...much better! Notonly is it faster and more powerful

than IBM's model, it's also incredibly lessexpensive. Better yet, the A*Star IIis built and backed by Wells American -a company that's been making micro-computers longer than IBM. (We betthat surprises even you!) Plus, theA*Star II is serviced nationwide by RCACorporation - one of the world's largestand most respected consumer electron-ics firms. And if that's not enough,every unit includes free schematicsand a money back guarantee!

If you'd like to be a part of ourIBM going away party, clip andreturn the coupon or call us at thenumber below. But don't tell IBM! Ifthey find out how many of their cus-tomers are going away, they mightjust go away themselves! Of course,that would be okay with us. Wenever really invited them anyway!

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Inquiry 381 DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE

PRINCETON. The

And much more:

Full EGA and CGA support. Princeton EGA monitorsbring you 64 brilliant colors and bright sharp images inenhanced graphics mode, with 640 x 350 resolution.Your EGA software never looked better. Plus our HX-12Eand HX-9E automatically switch from EGA to CGA mode,when needed.

Compatibility. Princeton monitors are 100% compatiblewith leading personal computers like IBM®, Compaq®, andmore. No matter what system you have, there's a Princetonmonitor that's right for you.

Quality Image. A .28mm dot pitch (the finest dot pitch ofall leading EGA displays), bright colors, and sharpresolution give Princeton monitors a quality image thatcannot be beat.

Easy Viewing and Ergonomic Design. Princetonmonitors are designed Tor easy use, too. You get easyviewing with the HX-12E's black matrix tube and etched

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Reliability. Princeton monitors are designed andmanufactured to meet your most demanding needs. Onlythe finest components are used. The result: dependableperformance day in and day out.

Value. No other monitor gives you more for the money thanPrinceton. Compare for yourself. Feature for feature there'snot a better value around.

Availability. Princeton monitors are as easy to get yourhands on as they are easy to use. You can find them atcomputer stores around the world.

Reputation. More and more, people are making PrincetonGraphic Systems their number one choice in personalcomputer displays. Because people know Princeton deliversthe ultimate in compatibility, reliability, and performance.

IBM is a trademark of International Business Machine, Inc. Compaq is a trademark ot Compaq Computer Corp.Wall Street Journal is a registered trademark of Dow Jones, Inc.

14 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

best dot pitchEGA monitors.

For the no-compromise enhanced graphics monitors, look for thePriceton Graphic Systems name. Princeton delivers everything youneed in a quality EGA display, from crisp, clear, full EGA support tonigged reliability. When you choose Princeton you choose thebest.

HX-9L The first IBM compatible 9" high reso-lution color monitor to support EGA. Has a.28mm dot pitch black matrix tube and etchednonglare screen for sharp, crisp displays andfeatures a built-in tilt/swivel stand andgreen/amber switch.

HX-12E. The first IBM compatible highresolution color monitor to support EGA with a.28mm dot pitch. The HX-12E builds on theaward winning features of the HX-12 andfeatures 640 x 360 resolution for sharp, crisptext and colorful graphics.

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With every purchase of an HX-12E Monitor between November 1 andJanuary 31,1987. To receive a free monitor stand, simply send us yourcompleted warranty card with your original invoice (no photocopiesaccepted) by February 15,1987. All requests will be filled within 6-8weeks after receipt.

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Inquiry 280

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DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE

LETTERS

Computer-based Courses

The following institutions have respondedto our September editorial with informa-tion on their courses via computer:

Polytechnic Institute of New YorkDept. of Humanities & Communications333 Jay St.Brooklyn. NY 11201

Mary Washington College

Office of Graduate and Extended Studies

1301 College Ave.

Fredericksburg, VA 22401-53 58

University of Cincinnati

Dept. of Chemical & Nuclear Engineering

Mail Location #171

Cincinnati, OH 45221

Thomas A. Edison State College

101 West State St.

CN 545

Trenton, NJ 0862 5

Connected Education Inc.

92 Van Cortlandt Park South, #6F

Bronx, NY 10463

Nova University

Information Sciences

Center for Computer-Based Learning

3301 College Ave.

Fort Lauderdale. FL 33314

Correction

1 wish to point out an error in yourSeptember editorial, which urges the useof computer conferencing as a mediumfor educational instruction and collegecredits. When mentioning the E1ES con-ferencing system, you give credit to thecorrect person (Murray Turoff), but to thewrong school. E1ES was in fact developedat New }ersey Institute of Technology, notin New York as you claimed.

Mark SavastanoBloomfield, NJ

Sort Run Times

In every generation there is someone whohas trisected the angle with compass andstraightedge, squared the circle, repealedthe second law of thermodynamics, orwritten a sort with run time linear in thenumber of records. Alas, they are alwaysmistaken! The letter from John W. Ward(September, page 373) is in this category

and illustrates the danger of generalizingfrom a single datum.

Mr. Ward claims to have found a sortthat runs in O(h) time. In fact, the sort hepresents runs in 0(nls), that is, 0(hVh ),considerably worse than the 0[n log n)that the better sorts offer.

The timing for Mr. Ward's algorithm hasa component that is 0[n) and l/O-bound,and a second component that is 0(m'-5)and CPU-bound. Since his memory wastoo small to handle more than 90,000records, his timing was dominated by theslow disk drives he was using. Had he triedthe same algorithm with 9,000,000records, the CPU time would have beenmore noticeable. Had he tried it with semi-conductor auxiliary memory instead ofdisks, that is, with "RAM disks," the I/Otime would have been less noticeable. Ineither case, his error would have beenobvious.

The description of algorithm timing as0(/(k)) is only meaningful when n is allowedto grow arbitrarily large. In Mr. Ward's case,he restricted the evaluation to the smallmemory of his DEC PDP-11/73.

Whether Mr. Ward meant O(h) or o(h)„ hisexample fails to justify his claim that "Iknow it's theoretically impossible, but itcan sometimes be done in practice." Infact, what he did is theoretically possible,trivial, and irrelevant to the real world. Ina "Mom and Pop" grocery store, 90,000records may be a large file. In a world ofmultinational corporations, 9.000.000records is ridiculously small.

Seymour J. MetzAnnandale, VA

CD-ROM SoftwareDevelopment

Editor's note: Hein ten Bosch of Kluwer TechnicalPublishing in Deventer, The Netherlands, calledto say he had spotted a bug in our May article"CD-ROM Software Development." Says he, "Theauthor compares the number of bytes but forgetsto calculate inner sectors," so that the final countsrepresented in table 2 (page 184) are off. AuthorBill Zoellick's response:

The reader is correct; table 2 is in error.I do not understand what the readermeans by "inner sectors," but he is rightabout my not adding up the maximums

in the table. The figures in the columnsfor two levels and three levels are in factthe number of records just at that level,rather than in the whole tree. An entirethree-level tree, of course, containsrecords at the first and second levels aswell as those at the third level. So weneed to accumulate the records as wemove from left to right, resulting in thefollowing, corrected table:

Block

One

Two

Three

size

level

levels

levels

2K

64

4.224

274,624

4K

128

16,640

2,146,688

8K

256

66,048

16,974,592

I am sorry about this error and ampleased that someone read the articleclosely enough to notice it. I also noticethat we left out the "K" in the field thatshould read "Block size = 2K" in table 2.Bill ZoellickStillwater, OK

Fooling the System

Structural analysis programs developed ina mainframe environment frequently usea large array that is partitioned for variouspurposes. Appropriate subelements arethen passed to subroutines. The Microsoftrequirement that dimensions of an arraybe fixed can create problems when theseprograms are converted for use on amicrocomputer. At first glance, the tech-nique proposed in "Structural Analysis"by Robert W. lohnson and Fernando G.Loygorri for "Fooling the |operating|System" (July, page 210) appears to pro-vide a useful technique to alleviate someof these problems. However, there are

(continued)

LETTERS POLICY: To be considered for publica-tion, a letter must be typed double-spaced on oneside of the paper and must include your name andaddress. Comments and ideas should be expressed asclearly and concisely as possible. Listings and tablesmay be printed along with a letter if they are shortand legible.

Because BYTE receives hundreds of letters eachmonth, not all of them can be published. Utters willnot be returned to authors. Generally, it takes fourmonths from the time BYTE receives a letter untilit is published.

16 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

If You Just Look At The Screen,^bureMissinglhe Picture

AST-3G Phs~andAST-3G I/O"

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All the graphics and memory of the AST-3G Plus,combined with a Serial Port, Parallel Port,ClockCalendar, and availableGame Port.

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EGA, CGA, Hercules graphics

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with an optional parallel port.Or, pick the AST-3G I/O (formerly knownas AST-3G Pak) and get the parallel portand all the graphics capability of theAST-3G Plus, as well as a serial port andclock/calendar with battery back-up.You can also order an optionalgame port. Both the AST-3G Plusand AST-3G I/O give you 256Kb ofon-board video memorySo whether you need more:jjg powerful graphics, or powerfulf graphics and more, AST has an

EGA solution.More, An AST Tradition. AST pio-neered compatible multifunctionexpansion boards. For more power.Now we're doing the same with graphicdisplay adapters.

And all AST products are built withfront-line components, then burned-inand tested. Again and again. For morereliability

Get The Whole Picture. Find out moreabout unleashing the graphics power ofyour PC, XT, or AT by visiting your localdealer, calling our Product InformationCenter at 714/863-1480, or mailing thecoupon below to AST Research, 2121 AltonAvenue, Irvine, California 92714-4992.

AST-3G Plus and AST-3G I/O trademarks of ASTResearch, Inc. IBM and ATregistered trademarksof International Business Machines. Herculestrademark of Hercules Graphic Products, Inc.Copyright © 1986 AST Research, Inc. All rightsreserved.

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A Hero For Our Time

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STATE OF THE ART: This elegant language incorporates the best features of Pascal. In addition, itincludes standard extensions for real-time programming, the module concept, improved syntax and facili-ties for multiprocessing and low-level machine access. Modula-2 is suitable for programming entirecomputer systems, from high-level machine independent application programs to machine-specific soft-ware such as device drivers.

COMPLETE: Pecan includes the Power System, a complete, integrated development environment, alongwith every Modula-2 compiler. You get a text editor, file handling utilities, library, print and file transferutilities, in every package. And a wide variety of additional integrated program development aids areavailable. These include the languages ucsd Pascal, FORTRAN-77, BASIC and Assembler, so you canconstruct your application using modules written in your choice of languages.

POWERFUL: The Power System utilizes a system of fast on-screen menus so you need not learncumbersome command structures. The sophisticated compiler/editor interface permits you to automati-cally correct errors as they are detected or log errors for unattended compilation. The editor itself supportsediting of multiple files, dynamic function keys and virtual memory editing.

A standard set of utility modules form an integral part of Pecan's Modula-2 implementation. These powerfulmodules provide facilities for input and output, random access files, disk directory operations, console I/O,storage management, program execution and process scheduling. A utility library contains modules formathematical functions, decimal arithmetic, strings and data conversion. And the language itself supportsopaque types, procedure variables, a transparent WORD type, an address function and interrupt-drivenmultitasking.

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LETTERS

important qualifications that shouldhave been mentioned.

First, many mainframe programs will mixdouble-precision numbers, integers, andcharacters in the same array. If so, the pro-grammer must assure that no scalarcrosses a segment boundary. Otherwise,incorrect results are likely when that itemis passed to a subroutine (since only onesegment and offset will be associated withthat item when it is passed).

In addition, the proposed approachrelies on the fact that the array spans morethan one segment to create code thatdeals with both segment and offset. How-ever, a subelement of a large array passedto a subroutine often does not itself spanmore than one segment. The fact thatproper code for an actual argument isgenerated in the calling routine does notassure that proper code is generated inthe called routine for the formal argument.Consequently, the formal argumentshould be explicitly declared as SLARGEor $HUGE to assure that both segmentand offset are used within the subroutine.(The SLARGE metacommand could beapplied to all code in a program.)

Finally, and most importantly, the mem-ory model was changed for version 3.3 ofthe Microsoft FORTRAN compiler andlinker. At run time, common blocks andlarge variables are now loaded below seg-ments such as the stack and heap. Wecompiled and linked a short program, firstusing MS-FORTRAN 3.2 and then MS-FORTRAN 3.31. The result: Memory or-ganization is substantially changed and anumber of segments now occur above thecommon blocks. Using the recommended"tricks" will now result in "clobbering" theprogram unmercifully.

Ten years ago the prevalent viewseemed to be that good programmingmeant getting the most out of a specificmachine. That notion is outdated becauseit ignores issues such as code mainte-nance, portability, and assurance that theresults are accurate. In our view, a "verysloppy approach" is writing code usingshortcuts that significantly increase theprobability of incorrect results, as op-posed to writing code that "will not useall the memory available in computers thathave plenty of it."

This is not strictly a philosophical exer-cise. Recognize that the standard of carerequired of a programmer or an engineerusing an analysis program is still develop-ing. Many lawyers would argue that "strictliability" is appropriate for areas, such asstructural analysis, that are "inherentlydangerous." In other words, if analysisresults are incorrect because of some

[continued)

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Inquiry 18

Corporate Headquarters: 3501 Sunflower, BO. Box 25059, Santa Ana, CA 92799 ©Alpha Microsystems 1986. AU rights reserved. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines. Videotrax is a registered trademark of Alpha Microsystems.

Inquiry 266

Finally, software iyou don't have tobe richto own.

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Software in the public interest.

obscure bug, and the incorrect resultscause damage, the responsible program-mer and/or engineer may be liable for thatdamage, regardless of the care taken toensure accuracy. If there is any questionabout the degree of care, the case will beeven stronger.

Kenneth S. Herring

Vicki R. Harding

Rockville, MD

The authors' reply:

We fail to see how it is possible to "mixdouble-precision numbers, integers, andcharacters in the same array" in FOR-TRAN 77. Perhaps the writers meant tosay "in the same common block," inwhich case Microsoft FORTRAN'S inabili-ty to cope with segment boundaries isalready well documented in the manuals.Anybody using MS-FORTRAN should beaware of it by now.

We also fail to see why a subroutineshould have code to handle common-block variables that is different from theequivalent main program code when thecompiler has the explicit definition of thecommon block in both cases. Of course,there could be an error in the compileritself, but our experience tells us that thisis not the case. Furthermore, since thearticle was written we have finished thegraphics module for the 3-D models and,as before, memory expansion gave us notrouble.

Now, if a subarray is passed and itcrosses a segment boundary, then youhave a problem, but again, it is a moregeneral problem not due to the memoryexpansion method presented in the ar-ticle.

We found that the declaration ofSLARGE for big arrays was not as goodas using common blocks because it hadthe nasty side effect of including the en-tire array in the .EXE file! As a result, theprogram submitted by the writers com-piles into an executable file 260K byteslong, instead of 20K.

After MS-FORTRAN 3.3 was releasedwe became aware of the memory modelchange, but it was too late. As you canimagine, we cannot predict what Micro-soft will do next. If they want to maketheir FORTRAN more C-like. it is theirprivilege, but because of this and otherproblems we stay clear of the latestreleases and just use the 3.2 version, aswas stated in our article.

As for the philosophical argumentsabout what should and should not bedone, we are not after anybody's "GoodProgramming Seal of Approval, " but wetry to get the job done instead. Andwhen there is only one way of accom-

plishing a task with the available tools,the "programming style" is a moot pointanyway.

Regarding maintenance, it is our opin-ion that it would be much more complexto maintain, update, and keep track ofmultiple versions of the programs for dif-ferent computer memory sizes. Portabili-ty is a nonissue for us, as we arededicated to designing software for theIBM PC family.

From the writers' comments about re-liability, it seems that they think wedreamt up the memory expansionmechanism one afternoon, then imple-mented it hastily and never tested it.Nothing could be further from reality.

We know that the mechanism workswell because we have used it extensive-ly in different types of models with totalsuccess. Of course, it is always possibleto make errors, so the results shouldalways be checked out, not only in thecase of tricky code but also with run-of-the-mill programs.

Their letter implies that if only standardmethods are used, then different com-pilers may be employed with no fear ofincorrect results. We wish such a naivenotion would hold true. In the real worldyou must thoroughly check out programsevery time any change is made to yourcode, or when a different compiler or adifferent computer is used. The existenceof nonstandard techniques neither in-creases nor decreases this responsibility.

As for the legal ramifications of per-forming any activity in the U.S., we arepainfully aware of the Russian roulettegame we play every day and we try tomaximize our chances.

That is why our Microsafe programsgenerate a complete model forcebalance to help in proving the validity ofa solution, rather than relying on thephilosophy that if the steps are correct,the results must be correct too.

Not many other Finite ElementAnalysis programs conduct a forcebalance at all nodes as a second, in-dependent method to ensure the validi-ty of the solution. We believe that suchan approach is much better than blindfaith in the correctness of code justbecause it follows simplistic rules andtrusts compilers explicitly. After all, com-pilers are not perfect either, especiallyMS-FORTRAN.

The use of software, as well as the restof the activities conducted by engineers,requires the use of checks and balances,together with methods that are soundand proven by experience, to provide adefense that reasonable and appropriate

[continued)

20 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

The Most Powerful LANFits on a Disk.

Network Rawer. You knew that someday there wouldbe a powerful LAN that didn't need old-technology networkboards. It would be fast, easy to install, and run 99% of PC-DOS software. It would be expandable provide remoteaccess, password-protection, and enable you to use Inex-pensive terminals as workstations in a PC-DOS environment.

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A Software-Driven LAN Powerful Enough To Use RS-232Ports for Network Communications. In development forover three years, LANLink™ represents the next generation oflocal area networks. All of the logic which has traditionallyresided on network boards is onLANLink's Satellite andServer Diskettes.

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R-LAN™ (Remote-LAN) gives users the ability to interactwith a LANLink™ network in real time via modem. Plus, IfMultiLink Advanced™ is run on a Satellite inexpensivedumb terminals can be used to access network disks, files,and programs.

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99% of PC-DOS Applications Run In a Totally-Transparent Network Environment. If you know DOS, youalready know how to use LANLink™ COPY transfers filesamong users, and a 2-drive PC Satellite boots 1-2-3 from theServer's hard disk with the entry c:lotus. Each satellite'saccess can be limited to specific disks, printers, and sub-directories. A wide variety of software Including Lotus 1-2-3,dBASE III. and WordStar 2000 is fully compatible. LANLink™has a collision-free data transfer rate which exceeds115,000 BPS.

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LETTERS

care was used in the design process. Itis not a justification to allow bad solutionsto be used because of the "It's not myfault' philosophy.

Robert W. Johnson

Fernando G. Loygorri

Microstress Corp.

Seattle, WA

Easy C

The company I work for was in a situationvery similar to what Pete Orlin and John

Heath described ("Easy C," May): convert-ing to C from other languages with no ex-perience in C. We also used the #definemacro features of C to make a version ofEasy C. I was very relieved to read the Mayarticle and learn that we were not alonein the world. Having worked in the mean-time with two C "expert" consultants, I wasnot surprised at the letter from John A.Rupley in the September issue (page 22).1 can understand Mr. Rupley's dislike ofEasy C; beauty is in the eye of the

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beholder. But some of his other com-ments are, well, staggering.

Mr. Rupley's first objection relates tocommunication by accepted rules of style.There is certainly a great deal of merit inwriting books and magazine articles in acommonly accepted standard form of C.Articles written for law magazines needto be written in legalese, medical journalshave their own style, and so on. I find ithard to believe, however, that learninglocal variations of C will freeze the brainand make programmers illiterate. I don'thave any trouble converting an article inany FORTRAN/ALGOLrStyle language tostandard C, and Easy C to standard C isno exception.

There is a comment in the letter thatasks ". . .should not the ANSI Standardiza-tion Committee, rather than individual dis-senters, be enjoined to wrestle with theproblem [of confusing operator charac-ters]?" Is that a joke? Or should I make acomment about how that hooligan Galileoshould leave the motion of heavenlybodies to the experts? Naw, he can't beserious.

Mr. Rupley's "moral" of hiding one's lightunder a barrel (preferably with the barrelin the dumpster out back) is puzzling.What is the point of suppressing newideas and innovation? Whether the ideais good or bad is beside the point in thecase of the Easy C article. You are not be-ing asked to like Easy C; you are not be-ing asked to use it. If you encounter it andfind it intolerable then by all meansremove the irritation, but please, no morecalls for the Thought Police.

If you work in an environment that re-quires programmers to move from onelanguage to another rather frequently,there are advantages to having the sourcecode as similar as is practical and Easy Cis worth looking at. I am not trying to belit-tle Mr. Rupley's opinion. If I were forcedto work only with C all day long, year afteryear, I would think Easy C is a waste oftime. I have just gotten very tired in thelast year of "experts" telling me that Godspeaks in The One True G

Neal S. PendletonSan Dimas, CA

The September BYTE contained a letterfrom John A. Rupley that was quite critical,to the point of being sarcastic, of "EasyC" by Pete Orlin and John Heath. Heclaimed that Easy C would lead to C il-literacy and that it masks the clarity andbeauty of C programs. As a consequence,he asserts, an ANSI Standardization Com-mittee is the proper forum for consider-ing "new species" and that individual

(continued)

22 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 139

AMAZING

Ten Good Reasons to Buyan Amazing Things™ Model"A" Series™ Modem

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Connect your personal computer to any other personalcomputer in your office or in the world.

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Inquiry 186

LETTERS

dissenters should keep such "mutants" tothemselves.

Personally, I take issue with virtuallyevery point Mr. Rupley made. First, he sug-gested that Orlin and Heath have made"changes in an established language."Exactly how they changed it evades me,since they followed not only the rules butalso the intent of the #define construction(see Kernighan and Ritchie, page 12) pre-cisely! Moreover, they have conformed tothe C convention of writing symbolicnames in uppercase (Ibid., page 13)—apractice Mr. Rupley condemns in a cleverlywritten, intentionally confusing paragraphin which he transformed all punctuationto uppercase words. (For those of you whohave heard it, there is a close and very in-teresting parallel between that paragraphand Victor Borge's comic monologue,"Phonetic Punctuation." I see little parallel,however, between that paragraph andOrlin and Heath's work.) Why would anANSI committee want to become involvedin someone's following the rules, except,perhaps, to applaud it? Perhaps Mr.Rupley's complaints should really bepointed at Kernighan and Ritchie, not Orlinand Heath!

I think Mr. Rupley's real concern is that,if Easy C is used, it alters the appearanceof C source code from its pristine state,which he seems to prefer. From my per-spective, the alteration is for the better,too, for the Easy C coding example infigure 6 of Orlin and Heath's article is (Mr.Rupley's claim to the contrary) much morereadable than its straight C equivalent infigure 5. It even incorporates Kernighanand Ritchie's own suggestion on improv-ing the appearance of C code (Ibid., page87)! Is this an alteration of the language?I think not. If it is, then vive la mutant!

The truth is that all languages are livingthings, the use of which changes with time.I abhor the inclusion of the word "ain't"in the English language, but it is certainlyfound in my dictionary. George BernardShaw correctly claimed that "Americanshaven't spoken English for years!" In thissense, 1 can understand Mr. Rupley's ob-jection, but 1 hope we see a lot of Easy CD. Martin HarrellSeverna Park, MD

Calculating CRCs

I don't have a 6809 reference manualhandy and Greg Morse ("Programming

Project: Calculating CRCs by Bits andBytes," September) did not include anylistings of his byte-wise CRC generator, but86 cycles seems too high. When I imple-mented it a couple of years ago, theoperation was about 8 instructions: twoI-byte table lookups and two XORs (noshifting at all). The contents of the two2 56-byte tables depended on the poly-nomial, but I used a macro assembler togenerate them from a couple of formulalines. The algorithm in Modula-2 is/* Variable declarations, just so you can seewhat is involved... 7

VAR T0T7, R0R7, R8R15, D0D7: BYTE;Tablei, Table2: ARRAY BYTE OF BYTE;

/* Temporary T0-T7: XOR of Data and highbyte of R 7

T0T7 := R8R15 / D0D7;

/* Index into Table 1 and XOR to low byte ofR to form new high byte 7

R8R15 := R0R7/Tablei [T0T7];

/* Index into Table 2 for new low byte 7

R0R7 := Table2 [T0T7];

Tom PittmanManhattan, KS ■

NMStfEIC

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24 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 392

LANGUAGES THAT ARE CAUSING THE BIGGEST

PROGRAMMING BACKLOG IN HISTORY AREALSO

EATING NICE BIG HOLES IN OUR POCKETS.

Whether it's BASIC, COBOL,Pascal, "C", or a data base manager,you're being held back.

Held back because the languagehas frustrating limitations, and theprogramming environment isn'tintuitive enough to keep track ofwhat you're working on.

In the real world, there's pres-sure to do more impressive work, inless time, and for more clients.

We've been given some incrediblypowerful hardware in recent times,but the languages aren't a whole lotbetter than they were 20 years ago.

So, whatever language you havechosen, by now you feel its out toget you — because it is.

Sure, no language is perfect, butyou have to wonder, "Am I gettingall I deserve?"

And, like money, you'll neverhave enough.

Pretty dismal, huh?

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Distributed on 7 diskettes,CLARION consists of over 200,000lines of code, taking 3+ years tohone to "world-class" performance

With CLARION you canwrite, compile, run and debug ;complex applications in aNew York afternoon.

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It gives you the power andspeed to create screens, windowsand reports of such richness andclarity you would never attemptthem with any other language.

Because you would have towrite the code.

With CLARION you simplydesign the screens using ourSCREENER utility and thenCLARION writes the source codeAND compiles it for you in seconds

Likewise, you can useREPORTER to create reports.

Remember, only CLARION canrecompile and display a screen orreport layout for modification.

And with no time wasted.

All the power and facilities youneed to write great programs, fasterthan you ever dreameaof.

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You've coveted those nifty pop-uphelp windows some major applica-tions feature. But you can't affordthe time and energy it takes towrite them into your programs.That's the way it used to be.So we fixed that, too.CLARION'S HELPER is aninteractive utility that let's youdesign the most effective pop-uphelp screens that you can imagine.And they're "context sensitive,meaning you can have help forevery field in your application.

Unlike the other microlanguages, CLARION providesdeclarations, procedures, and

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A file may have as many keys asit needs. Each key may be com-posed of any fields in any order.And key files are updated when-ever the value of the key changes.

Like SCREENER and RE-PORTER, CLARION'S FILER utilityalso has a piece of the CLARIONCOMPILER. To create a new file, youname the Source Module. Then youname the Statement Label of a filestructure within it.

FILER will also automaticallyrebuild existing files to match achanged file structure. It creates anew record for every existing rec-ord, copying the existing fields andinitializing new ones.

junds pretty complicated, huh?Not with CLARION'S docu-mentation and on-line helpscreens. If you are currentlycompetent in BASIC, Pascalor "C" you can be writingCLARION applications in aday In two days you won'tbelieve the eloquence of yourCLARION programs.Okay, now for the best part ofall. You can say it in CLARIONfor $295.00—plus shipping andhandling. All you need is an IBM® PC, XT,AT or true compatible, with 320 KB ofmemory, a hard disk drive, and a parallel port.And we'll allow a full 30 day evaluationperiod. If you're not satisfied withCLARION, simply return it in itsoriginal condition for a full refund.If you're not quite ready to takeadvantage of this no-riskopportunity, ask for our detailed 16page color brochure. It vividlyillustrates the elegance ofCLARION. Consider it a preview ofprogramming in the fast lane.Either way, the 800 call's a freebie.

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IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. CLARION™ is a trademark of Barrington Systems; Inc. ©1986 Barrington Systems

Inquiry 46

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 25

PORTABLES:

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WHAT'S NEW

NEC IntroducesFast IBM-compatiblePortable

NEC Home Electronicshas released the Multi-Speed, its first IBM-compatible laptop computer.The computer has a 16-bitNEC V30 (8088-compatible)microprocessor running ateither of two clock speeds:4.77 MHz or 9.54 MHz.

The MuitiSpeed featurestwo 3i/2-inch 720K-byte flop-py disk drives, a detachableLCD screen, and a built-inkeyboard with a separatenumeric keypad. The com-puter's memory is com-posed of 640K bytes ofRAM and 512K of ROM. In-cluded in the ROM are anumber of desktop utilityprograms with windowingcapabilities.

The MuitiSpeed also in-cludes a parallel port, serialport, and RGB display con-nector. The 80-character by2 5-line LCD uses high-contrast "super-twisted pair"technology and features aresolution of 640 by 200pixels. Battery life is said tobe 6 to 10 hours.

The 11-pound laptop com-puter, which supports MS-DOS 3.2, has a retail priceof $1995. Options includean internal 300/1200-bpsHayes-compatible modem,two external 5!4-inch floppydisk drives, and a PC-compatible file transferpackage. For more informa-tion, contact NEC HomeElectronics (U.S.A.) Inc.,Computer Products Division,12 55 Michael Dr., WoodDale, 1L 60191, (312)860-9500.Inquiry 550.

NEC's MuitiSpeed runs at All and 9.54 MHz.

Hand-PrintedCharacter Recognition

Incorporate your ownhand-printed charactersinto your applications withHandprints, a program thatincludes C and assemblylanguage callable routinesfor character entry and rec-ognition. The routines takeup about 12K bytes of RAM,according to Skylight Soft-ware, the manufacturer.

Handprints runs on IBMPCs and compatibles andcosts $1200. ContactSkylight Software Inc., 2Charles St., Bedford, MA01730, (617) 275-2999.Inquiry 551.

Convergent's S/50Workstation

Convergent Technologiesintroduced several68000-based workstations,including the S/50, a 68010machine that has an op-

tional IBM PC XT-compatible coprocessor.

The S/50, which has abase price of $5500. sup-ports five users underAT&T's UNIX System Vrelease 5.2. Its systemboard, which operates at10 MHz, is available with 1or 2 megabytes of RAM,and its memory manage-ment system supports de-mand paging with 4 mega-bytes of virtual addressspace. Also included on themain processor board is a300/1200-bps modem andcircuitry to control two datalines and a voice line. Twotip/ring line jacks and onetelephone jack are standard,as well as one RS-232Cserial port and one parallelport. The board providescontrollers for the machine's514-inch floppy disk andhard disks, available incapacities from 24 to 85megabytes.

An additional 2 megabytesof RAM, for a system totalof 4 megabytes, can beadded via the expansion

slots. The three availableslots can accommodate avariety of options, includinga coprocessor board ($1000)that runs standard IBM PCXT software, a two-portRS-232C board, a combina-tion RS-232C board with 1megabyte of RAM. anEthernet interface, and acontroller for an external!4-inch streaming tape drive.

The S/50 workstationcomes with a keyboard,mouse, and 12-inch diagonalmonitor that displays 80columns by 29 rows and of-fers a resolution of 720 by348 pixels. The system'ssoftware costs $795, whichincludes UNIX and thefirm's WGS/Office software,an integrated package thatprovides access to UNIX-based applications. Thepackage includes a wordprocessor, spreadsheet,calendar, and electronic mailsystem.

Among the other worksta-tions in the series are the68020-based S/120 andS/220, which support 12 and22 users, respectively, at12.5 MHz; the S/320 andS/640, which handle 32 and64 users; and the S/1280,which can support up to128 users at 8.8-MIPS per-formance levels. ContactConvergent Technologies,2700 North First St., SanJose, CA 95150, (408)434-2848.Inquiry 552.

Accounting onthe Atari ST

The PayDay payroll pro-gram for the Atari ST isthe first in a set of account-

[continued]

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 29

WHAT'S NEW

ing software announced byCrystal Software. Accordingto Crystal, the program canhandle a $21 million payrollwith up to 25 5 employeesand is capable of printingmonthly, quarterly, or yearlytax information. You canalso print W-2 tax forms,employee lists, personnel in-formation, mailing labels,and continuous checks.

A configuration utilityenables you to adapt theprogram according to yourstate's tax and small-busi-ness laws. The program ismenu-driven and offerscontext-sensitive help.

PayDay sells for $69.95and runs on the Atari 520STand 1040ST with at leastone 360K floppy disk drive.For more information, con-tact Crystal Software, P.O.Box 803, Merlin, OR 97532,(503) 479-9516.Inquiry 553.

Motorola DevelopsSuccessor to 68020

Motorola's Micropro-cessor Group an-nounced the MC68030, a32-bit processor that thecompany claims is twice asfast as the 68020 and isfully code-compatible withits existing 16-/3 2-bit chips.

The chip, about %-inchsquare, uses 300,000 tran-sistors. According toMotorola, the 68030 is thefirst single-chip micropro-cessor to use the "Harvard-style" parallel architectureincorporated in some main-frames and supercomputers.The company claims thenew device is the first 32-bitmicroprocessor to have on-chip instruction and datacaches. The chip supports asynchronous bus interfacewith two-clock-cycle accessand an asynchronous inter-face with one-clock-cycleburst access.

At the same time, the firmannounced the MC68882, a32-bit floating-point co-processor. This chip features

VCN Concorde 1.01 offers graphics and an image database.

eight floating-point dataregisters, a 67-bit arithmeticunit, a 67-bit barrel shifter,and 46 instructions. Thecompany says the new co-processor conforms to the1EEE-754 standard for binaryfloating-point math.

Sampling and productionfor both chips are scheduledto begin in 1987. Finalprices were not yet set atpress time; the companyestimates the chips will cost$150 to $200 in lots of5000. For more information,contact Motorola Inc., Micro-processor Products Group,P.O. Box 52073, Phoenix, AZ85072, (512) 440-2839 (inAustin, TX).Inquiry 554.

Business Graphicswith Image Database

VCN Concorde version1.01 offers businessgraphics, freehand painting,slide show and animationcapabilities, and text gen-eration. The package in-cludes 16 fonts, 15 of whichare proportionally spaced.Also included is ImageDatabase, which containsover 2000 bit-mapped pic-tures. VCN Concorde workswith word-processing and

graphics packages, as wellas spreadsheets.

The program runs on IBMPCs and compatibles. Youneed at least 384K bytes ofRAM to run the program inmedium resolution and640K for high resolution.VCN Concorde sells for$695. For more information,contact Visual Communica-tions Network Inc., 238 MainSt., Cambridge, MA 02142,(617) 497-4000.Inquiry 555.

Software Libraryfor Series 151Image Processor

I TEX 151 is a subroutinelibrary of over 200 image-processing and graphicsroutines designed for usewith Imaging Technology'sSeries 151 Image Processor.The program includesboard-level access and con-trol routines, look-up tableoperations, image filteringand convolutions, graphics,image geometry, and sta-tistical analysis.

The program is distributedas object code for MS-DOSsystems and costs $995.Contact Imaging TechnologyInc., 600 West CummingsPark, Woburn, MA 01801,(617) 938-8444.Inquiry 556.

Paradise EGA Chip HasHigher Resolution

Paradise Systems hasdeveloped a single-chipEnhanced Graphics Adaptercompatible with IBM's EGAthat provides an extendedEGA mode when used withcontinuous frequency moni-tors, like NEC's MultiSync.The chip, called the PEGA2, offers a resolution of 640by 480 pixels, in contrast tothe maximum 640 by 350resolution provided by IBM'sEGA.

The 84-pin chip enablesEGA software to run onstandard monochrome andcolor monitors and en-hanced monitors. It also per-mits EGA software to beemulated on monitors with640 by 480 resolution (thesame as that supported bythe IBM Professional Graph-ics Controller) or 640 by400 resolution (compatiblewith the AT&T PC 6300). Thechip also supports the IBMCGA, MDA, and Herculesmonochrome graphicsstandards.

The firm will provide soft-ware developers with driversfor Microsoft Windows.GEM, and a variety of ap-plications programs, in-cluding CAD, graphics, anddesktop publishingpackages.

Production quantities areslated to be available thisyear; the price is set at $5 5each in OEM quantities. Formore information, contactParadise Systems Inc., 217East Grand Ave., South SanFrancisco, CA 94080, (415)588-6000.Inquiry 557.

IBM Adds RAM,Storage to RT PC

IBM has introduced a newdesktop model of its32-bit RISC-based RT PC.called the RT PC 6151

[continued)

30 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Orchid's TurboEGA

The world's fastest EGA

TurboEGA

EGA

Introducing the only Enhanced Graphics Adapterwith PCturbo speed.

The experts agree: the EGA is thebreathtaking new graphics standard,but the sophisticated software writtenfor it places a big burden on the PC'sprocessing speed. Beautiful graphics,crisp text, but too slow.

Everyone else rushed their EGAs tothe market, but Orchid Technologytook the time to do it right. Orchid'sTurboEGA™, from the inventors of PCTurboProcessing, packs a high-speedTurbo and an EGA into one slot, forthe world's fastest EGA.

Graphics with Speed

TurboEGA makes IBM PCs andXTs run faster than an AT. It bringsdazzling speed to sluggish graphicsprograms. All types of software runraster, so you finish more quickly.Transparent to the user, you won'tknow it's there until you see its speed.

We are so confident that our TurboEGAis the ultimate graphics card that wedecided to give away a free copyof Microsoft's Windows™ with eachTurboEGA*. Even Microsoftrecommends that you run Windowson an AT. Now Orchid's TurboEGAgives you AT speed so XT users canuse this number one windowingsoftware at the speed they demand.

The Complete Solution

Only Orchid puts this muchperformance into one slot and comesfully loaded with 256K of RAM, sothere's no hidden cost. TurboEGAis the complete graphics solution.

Pick up the phone and find outhow you can have the EGA thecompetition wishes they had: Orchid'sTurboEGA, the world's fastest.

If you have an AT or a system with 80286 speed,ask about the Orchid EGA™—four graphic-card compatibility in one slot.

Features:

• Powered by 7.2MHz 80286

• Optional 5 or 8MHz 80287

• 256K of on-board RAM

• Four graphics modes: EGA,CGA, MDA, Hercules

• Supports the long list ofEGA software:

Microsoft Windows &Word

Lotus 1-2-3 & SymphonyTopviewFrameworkChart-MasterAutoCADPC Paint Plusand more...

TurboEGA, Orchid EGA, and PCturbo and trademarks of Orchid Technology. Microsoft Windows is a trademark of theMicrosoft Corporation. All other product names are trademarks of their manufacturers. CGA screen by PC Paint Plus.

Inquiry 427 for End-Users. Inquiry 428 for DEALERS ONLY.

47790 Westinghouse Dr.Fremont, CA 94536415/490-8586Tlx: 709289

ORCHID

The Innovative Leaders

* Offer good on TurboEGA whilesupplies last. Please allow twoweeks for delivery.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE

WHAT'S NEW

model 15. Priced at $10,050.the unit comes with 2 mega-bytes of internal memoryand a disk capacity of 70megabytes. The firm also in-troduced a 4-megabytememory expansion card($4300) that can bring theRT's memory to a total of 8megabytes, double the com-puter's previous maximum.IBM said it will release arevised version of the RT'sUNIX-based operatingsystem next year. AIX 2.1will handle 16 users concur-rently (double the capacityof the original version) andprovide the RT with SystemsNetwork Architecture capa-bilities. Also sometime nextyear, IBM will bring out anSCSI adapter card ($1080), aSystem/370 host interfaceadapter ($1795), and a plug-in board called the Ad-vanced Floating-Point Ac-celerator ($1995) that thecompany claims will nearlytriple the speed of floating-point calculations. For moreinformation, contact IBMCorp., Information SystemsGroup. 900 King St., RyeBrook, NY 10573.Inquiry 558.

PresentationCharts and Graphson the IBM PC

With Stella BusinessGraphics, you can pro-duce graphs and charts bysupplying data and labelsthrough the Stella DataSpreadsheet. Stella alsoworks with your spread-sheet, word-processing, andnumerical database pro-grams to create graphicpresentations. Stella offersyou a choice of 12 graphicformats, and you can importdata from ASCII or DIF filesto create pie, donut, area,column, deviation, bar, pic-tograph, and text charts.

Stella Business Graphicscosts $199 and runs on IBM

Stella Business Graphics for IBM PCs and compatibles.

PCs, XTs, ATs, or compati-bles with 320K bytes ofRAM and an EnhancedGraphics Adapter, ColorGraphics Adapter, or aHercules-compatible graph-ics board. Stella Systemsrecommends using a harddisk drive. The programworks with dot-matrix andlaser printers, plotters, andfilm recorders.

For more information, con-tact Stella Systems Inc.,10430 South De Anza Blvd..Cupertino, CA 95014, (408)2 57-6644.Inquiry 559.

Chip Replaces Sevenin PC AT

Chips and Technologiesintroduced an IBM PCAT-compatible chip thatreplaces seven VLSI chipson the AT system board.The 82C206 IntegratedPeripheral Controller (IPC)performs the functions oftwo 8237 DMA controllers,two 8259 interrupt con-trollers, an 8254 timer/counter, a 146818 real-timeclock, and a 74LS612memory mapper.

The 84-pin CMOS chipconsumes one-tenth thepower of and operates 60percent faster (8-MHz versus5-MHz DMA clock) than the

seven chips it replaces, thecompany claims. The IPC isdesigned to be used withthe firm's AT-compatibleCS8220 CHIPSet, five chipson a board that replace 63logic devices on the ATboard; the current CHIPSetsystem board has a socketto accept the 82C206. TheCHIPSet board is about halfthe size of the AT board,operates 2 5 percent faster(10 MHz versus 8 MHz), andconsumes one-third thepower (15 W versus 42 W).

Chips and Technologieswill sell the DK8220development kit for the82C206; it includes datasheets, schematics, and anevaluation board to be usedin design environments. TheDK8220 board has a diag-nostic LED display, testpoints, programmable waitstates, AT BIOS, and socketsfor expansion.

The 82C206 costs $49each in quantities of 100;the CHIPSet remains $51each in the same quantities.The development kits are$1495 each. For more infor-mation, contact Chips andTechnologies, 521 Cotton-wood Dr., Milpitas. CA95035, (408) 434-0600.Inquiry 560.

32-bit Floating-PointProcessing for PCs

Data Translation's MACHSeries for the IBM PC,XT, and AT is designed toprovide floating-pointcapabilities for the com-pany's data-acquisition andimage-processing boards.The series includes theDT7010 Floating-Point ArrayProcessor, a plug-in boardbased on Advanced MicroDevices' Am2932 5. The chipincorporates a 32-bitfloating-point ALU andmultiplier with a 32-bit datapath. The $4995 board, thecompany reports, performsfloating-point operations ina single clock cycle at a rateof 6.5 MFLOPS, using theIEEE-754 standard. Theboard's microcode memory(2K by 56 bits) providesstorage for microcodedroutines that can be calledfrom the accompanying soft-ware and for user-writtenmicrocoded routines. Itsdata memory (8K by 32 bits)is mapped into the hostcomputer's memory space.The series' software con-sists of three modules. TheVector Subroutine Library,which is priced at $1495, in-corporates 115 subroutinesthat can be called fromuser-written programs in Cor FORTRAN. The Micro-code Assembler, designedfor developing microcodedalgorithms, provides accessto the individual systems onthe processor board andlets you write routines forspecific applications. TheSimulator enables you towrite, run, and analyzecustom-written microcodedroutines without using aDT7010 board. The Assem-bler and Simulator sell for$1495; all three programscost $2495 when purchasedtogether. Contact Data Trans-lation Inc., 100 Locke Dr.,Marlborough, MA 01752,(617) 481-3700.Inquiry 561.

[continued}

32 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

RAM-Resident Program Users...

IT'S EASY TO WIN

WHEN YOU BUY

THE REFEREE

With Referee,you makethe rules.

If you use desktop

organizers, spell

checkers, keyboard

enhancers or other

RAM-resident programs,

you may have already discovered

the horror of "RAM Cram.'

RAM Cram occurs when memory;resident programs competewith each other (and withapplications programs) forcontrol of your keyboard orother computer resources.It's a fierce competition that cancause your computer to lock upcompletely. Then you pay thepenalty—in lost time and lost data.

Referee, by Persoft, is a new type ofsoftware that puts you in total control ofyour RAM-resident programs.

And that puts Referee in a league all itsown. You can create your own RAMTeams™ for specific applications programs.Team Superkey™ and Sidekick™ with Lotus1-2-3™. Or call in Prokey™ and bench theothers when you switch to dBASE

Load all the programs you need at thebeginning of your workday. Referee auto-matically activates and deactivates the onesyou need according to your set of rules.Instantly. Invisibly. You can also use Refereeto unload programs from memory—eventhose with no unload option of their own.

Referee's Sideline™ menu enables

you to control RAM-resident

programs from within an

applications program!

It's ideal for integrated pack-ages like Symphony™. Youcan use a keyboardenhancer with thespreadsheet module.Or deactivate it, enter theword processing moduleand activate your favorite spellchecker. It's easy. And you never haveto back all the way out of the program!

Referee puts an end to RAM-residentprogram conflicts. At $69.95, it solves avery big problem for a very small price.

It's easier to win with the Referee on

your side. For more information, and for the

dealer nearest you, contact: Persoft, Inc.,

465 Science Drive, Madison, Wl 53711,

(608) 273-6000—Telex 759491.

persafr

© Copyright 1986 Persoft. Inc All rights reserved

Referee. Sideline, and RAM Teams are trademarks of Persofl. Inc.

Sidekick and Superkey are registered trademarks o( Borland International. Inc.

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

Prokey is a trademark of RoseSoft Inc

dBASE III is a registered trademark of Ashton-Tale.

Inquiry 272

DECEMBER I986 • BYTE 33

WHAT'S NEW

Perspective in 3-D

Three D Graphics an-nounced a three-dimen-sional business graphics pro-gram. Perspective enablesyou to choose from 33three-dimensional and 16two-dimensional prepro-grammed graph types. Youcan customize the graph bymodifying the viewing angle,picture size and placement,primary and backgroundshades and patterns, andtitle designs. Also includedare a data manager and alabel manager.

Perspective runs on IBMPCs and compatibles with amedium- or high-resolutiondisplay, a graphics card, amonochrome graphics con-troller, and MS-DOS or PC-DOS 2,0 or higher. The pro-gram costs $295. For infor-mation, contact Three DGraphics, 860 Via de la Paz,Pacific Palisades, CA 90272,(213) 459-7949.Inquiry 562.

Slide MakerBased on PC

General Parametrics,manufacturer of presen-tation graphics products in-cluding VideoShow, hascome out with a filmrecorder that connects to anIBM PC or compatible forthe production of 35mmslides. Slides produced withthe device can use up to1000 colors with 2048 by2048 resolution.

The PhotoMetric 200 PCsystem includes a desktopbox containing a 35mmcamera, an interface boardthat's inserted in the com-puter, and menu-driven soft-ware. Images produced withany PC graphics program(Lotus 1-2-3, ChartMaster,Microsoft Chart, HarvardPresentation Graphics, Free-lance, Picturelt, and so forth)can be previewed in full

The PhotoMetric 200 PC, a slide-making system.

color and at high resolutionbefore the slide is made. Noadjustments need to bemade before the slide isproduced; the unit incor-porates automatic exposurecalibration, which adjustsbrightness and exposuretimes.

The 200 PC contains anon-board 8086 microproces-sor and 1 megabyte ofRAM. The high resolutionand large number of avail-able colors are generated byvideo circuitry, calledMacroVision, developed byGeneral Parametrics. Thesystem, which includes thefilm recorder, board, 35mmcamera, and software, has aretail price of $5995. Formore information, contactGeneral Parametrics Corp.,1250 Ninth St., Berkeley, CA94710, (415) 524-3950.Inquiry 563.

PC Clock CardShares Slot

The SideClock, designedfor IBM PCs, XTs, andcompatibles, is able to sharean expansion slot with anyother expansion card.Measuring about 1 inch by4 inches, the card has a rec-tangular hole in its centerand is horizontally mounted

on any of the expansionslots in the computer'smotherboard. A second ex-pansion card can be in-serted through the Side-Clock's center hole into thesame slot.

The SideClock costs$59.95 and includes clock/calendar functions, a 5-yearlithium battery, and controlsoftware. For more informa-tion, contact InnoventionsInc., 1669 South Voss, Suite880, Houston, TX 77057,(713) 728-0938.Inquiry 564.

Stereo Sound forApple's IIGS

MDIdeas' SuperSonicboard enables theApple IIGS to producestereo sound. The board in-corporates high-speedanalog demultiplexing cir-cuitry to separate audio intotwo separate channels. Itsfourth-order digital filtersallow only selected frequen-cies to pass through, and itsbuffer amplifiers isolate theaudio for clean line-leveloutput.

The board comes with two0.5-watt amplifiers that candrive 8-ohm speakers andhas an edge connector forfuture enhancements, suchas a sound digitizer. You canalso select power outputlevels for speakers or head-phones. According to thecompany, the SuperSonic

supports Apple's routinesfor the HGS's Ensoniq soundchip and is compatible withsoftware that can addressthe chip, like Electronic Arts'Music Construction Set.

Suggested retail price is$59.95. For more informa-tion, contact MDIdeas Inc.,1111 Triton Dr., Suite 205,Foster City CA 94404, (415)573-0580.Inquiry 565.

Tektronix 4115Graphics TerminalEmulator

TGRAF-15 emulates aTektronix 4115 graphicsterminal. It enables you torun minicomputer and main-frame graphics programsusing your personal com-puter as a terminal.TGRAF-15 can displayimages of up to 1280- by1024-bit resolution with 256colors out of a palette of upto 16 million colors.

The program supports ap-plications that require 32-bitcoordinates, which enablesyou to store detailedgraphics data and examineit by zooming in on thescreen image. There arefunctions for generatingcircles, arcs, rectangles,points, vectors, and filledpanels. You can use the ex-tended graphics input mode,which includes user-defin-able and multiple cursors.You can also establish up to64 graphics windows, pro-viding multiple views of acomplex graphical model.

TGRAF-15 runs on IBMPCs, XTs. ATs, and com-patibles. It costs $1995. Formore information, contactGrafpoint, 4340 StevensCreek Blvd., San lose, CA95129-1102, (408) 249-7951.

Inquiry 566.

{continued)

34 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

YOU ARE ABOUT TO BE SEDUCEDBY POWER AND MONEY.

Admit it. You're intriguedwith the idea of C programming.You may be working in BASIC,Pascal or Assembler now Butyou're drawn to the power, por-tability and flexibility of C. And ifmoney is what motivates you,imagine having it all for just $75with Mark Williams Let's C."

EVERYTHING YOU COULDASK FOR IN A C COMPILER.

Let's C is no mere tiainingtool. It's a complete, high quality Ccompiler. With the speed and codedensity to run your programs fastand lean. It won't get you side-tracked on some quirky aberration of C; Let's C supportsthe complete Kemighan & Ritchie C language-to theletter. And it comes from the family of Mark WilliamsC compilers, the name chosen by DEC, Intel, Wang andthousands of professional programmers.

POWERFUL UTILITIES ARE A REAL BONUS

Let's C doesn't stop with being a high performanceC compiler. It includes utilities you'd expect to pay extrafor-like a linker and assembler plus the MicroEMACS fullscreen editor with source code included. Having thesource code not only allows you to customize the editor, itoffers a close up, fully commented view of C programmingat its best.

REVIEWERS ARE SOLD ON LET'S C, TOO.

"Let's C is an inexpensive, high-quality program-ming package.. .with all the tools you will need to

Features

• For the IBM-PC andCompatibles

• Fast compact code plusregister variables

• Full Kemighan & Ritchie Cand extensions

• Full UNIX compatibility andcomplete libraries

• Small memory model

• Many powerful utilities includ-ing linker, assembler, archiver,cc one-step compiling, egrep,pr, tail, wc

• MicroEMACS full screeneditor with source

• Supported by dozens of thirdparty libraries

• Upgradeable to C Program-ming System for large scaleapplications development

• Not copy protected

Let's C Benchmark Done on an

IBM-PC/XT no 8087.

Program: Floating Point

from BYTE, August, 1983.Exec Time in SecondsLet's C 134

MS 4.0 147

MARK WILLIAMS LET'S C

$75

60 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

create applications."

-William G. Wong, BYTE, August 1986.

"Let's C is a thoroughly professional Cenvironment loaded with tools and pro-gramming utilities... another fine MarkWilliams product."-Christopher Skelly, COMPUTERLANGUAGE, February 1986

"The performance anddocumentation of the $75)\ Let's C compiler rival those of

\

—y

C compilers for the PC currentlybeing sold for $500...highly recommended..."-Marty Franz, PC TECHJOURNAL, August 1986

ADD THE csd DEBUGGER AND CUTDEVELOPMENT TIME IN HALF.

Invest another $75 and you've gotMark Williams revolutionary source leveldebugger, csd lets you bypass clunkyassembler and actually debug in C.That's a big help when you're learningC and indispensable when you'reprogramming, csd combines theinteractive advantages of an inter-preter with the speed of a compiler,slicing development time in half. This is how Byte Maga-zine summed it up: "csd is close to the ideal debuggingenvironment." William G. Wong, BYTE, August 1986

ARE YOU STILL RESISTING?

If there's any doubt that now's the time to get yourhands on the power of C, consider Mark Williams 60-daymoney back guarantee. You can't lose. But with Let's Cand csd, imagine what you could gain.

Ask for Let's C and csd at your software dealer's, inthe software department of your favorite bookstore,through the Express Program at over 5500 Tandy storesor order now by calling 1-800-MWC-1700.*

"In Illinois call 312472-6659

Mark

Williams

Company

1430 West Wrightwood, Chicago, Illinois 60614

e 1986. Mark Williams Company

Let's C is a registered trademark of the Mark Williams Company

UNIX is a trademark of Bell Labs.

Inquiry 212

MARK WILLIAMS LET'S C. ONLY *75.

WHAT'S NEW

SYSTEMS

Wyse AnnouncesXT Compatible

Wyse Technology hasadded the WYSEpc+,an IBM PC XT compatible,to its line of PC-compatiblecomputers. The WYSEpc+ isbased on the Intel 8088-1, adual-speed processor thatruns at 4.77 or 9.54 MHz,selectable from the key-board. The computer in-cludes a built-in displayadapter on the motherboardthat supports Herculesmonochrome as well as IBMmonochrome and colorgraphics adapter modes, 16shades of gray, and theability to display 132columns by 44 lines.

Three models are avail-able. The 1400-01 is a singlefloppy disk drive systemwith 2 56K bytes of RAM for$1265; the 1400-02 comeswith two floppy disk drivesand 640K for $1445; andthe 1400-20 includes asingle 360K floppy diskdrive, a 20-megabyte harddisk, and 640K for $1995.

All three systems areequipped with two serialports, one parallel port, areal-time clock with batterybackup, two available XT-compatible slots, and a stan-dard AT-style keyboard orthe enhanced version withfunction keys across the toprow. All come with MS-DOS3.1. Contact Wyse Technol-ogy, 3571 North First St.,San Jose, CA 95134, (408)433-1000.Inquiry 567.

SB180FX Single-Board Computer

The SB180FX, a follow-upto the 8-bit SB 180single-board computer, isavailable from Micromint.The new version, like thefirst is based on a HitachiHD64180 processor runningat 6.144 MHz; the new ver-sion's processor, though, can

The WYSEpc+, a dual-speed PC XT-compatible computer.

be upgraded to run at9.216 MHz or 12.288 MHz.The company reports thatthe SB180FX is software-and hardware-compatiblewith the SB 180 (seeSeptember 1985 BYTE, Ciar-cia's Circuit Cellar), with theexception of additional con-nectors that support extrafeatures.

With a base price of $409,the SB180FX is equippedwith 2 56K bytes of on-boarddynamic RAM and can ac-commodate 512K bytes(compared to the 256K inthe SB180). The memory canbe expanded to 4 mega-bytes. The system also hasan 8K, 16K, or 32K EPROMsocket with an 8K ROMmonitor. In addition to twoserial ports and one parallelprinter port, the SB180FXhas a 4-bit memory exten-sion address and 82 55 PI Awith 24 bits of parallel I/O.The board's SMC 9266 diskcontroller supports fourfloppy disk drives, and itsNCR 53C80 SCSI controllercan handle a 32-megabytehard disk. Thirty-two portsfrom a total of 2 56 areavailable on a 40-pin

header, and the system cansupport 64 additional ports.

With software, theSB180FX sells for $499.Contact The Micromint Inc.,25 Terrace Dr., Vernon, CT06066, (800) 635-3355; inConnecticut, (203) 871-6170.Inquiry 568.

ITT's XTRA/286

ITT's Information SystemsDivision announced anIBM PC AT compatible,called the XTRA/286 Ad-vanced Technology Worksta-tion (ATW), that comes witha display adapter compati-ble with IBM's EnhancedGraphics Adapter, ColorGraphics Adapter, andMonochrome DisplayAdapter, as well as the Her-cules Graphics Card. Themachine features a 10-MHz,one-wait-state 80286 pro-cessor (which can beswitched from the keyboardto run at 6 MHz) and 640Kbytes of memory. The ATWincludes eight full-length ex-pansion slots (six 16-bit andtwo 8-bit), plus five half-height drive slots. A serialand parallel port, clock/

calendar, and detachablekeyboard are standard.

The base model, with a1.2-megabyte floppy diskdrive and the multimodegraphics adapter, costs$2499. A model with a30-megabyte hard disk costs$4299. Contact ITT Informa-tion Systems, 23 50 QumeDr., San Jose, CA 95131.(408) 945-8950.Inquiry 569.

Portable

AT Compatible

AMQ Computer is sellinga portable computerthat's compatible with theIBM PC AT. Called the AMQ286 Model II, the computerruns on an 8- or 10-MHz80286 and supports fourgraphics modes.

About the same size asthe Compaq Portable II, the$5995 computer isequipped with a 1.2-megabyte floppy disk drive,a 40-megabyte hard diskdrive, and an AT-style key-board. It comes with 1megabyte of RAM that canbe expanded to 4.1 mega-bytes on the motherboard.Three full-size expansionslots are available, and abuilt-in 9-inch dual-modemonitor is standard. Displaymodes supported includeIBM monochrome, color,and enhanced graphics andHercules monochromegraphics. An interface forexternal RGB, EGA, andmonochrome monitors isstandard; a composite-videoport is optional.

Other standard features in-clude a serial and parallelport, a real-time clock, asocket for an 80287 mathcoprocessor, and a 160-wattpower supply. Contact AMQComputer Corp.. 655 NorthPastoria Ave., Sunnyvale, CA94086, (408) 720-8055.Inquiry 570.

{continued)

36 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

MARK WILLIAMS C.

AN ENLIGHTENING DEVELOPMENT

FOR ATARI ST USERS.

If you've tried your hand atdeveloping applications on the AtariST, you know the problem. Pro-gramming tools aren't only hard tocome by, they're hard to use. Onemight even say primitive. But nowfor some enlightening news: youcan have all the power, portabilityand versatility of the C languagefrom a leader in professional C pro-gramming tools, Mark Williams.

BRING YOURPROGRAMMING UP TO SPEED.

The Mark Williams C compiler ~~vQ.,

produces fast, dense code and supports the £>complete Kemighan & Ritchie industry stan-dard C. You'll have access to GEM's AES and VDIlibraries for programs using graphics, icons and theAtari mouse. And Mark Williams C lets you takeadvantage of the full 16 megabytes in Atari's 68000microprocessor.

STREAMLINE DEVELOPMENT WITH POWER UTILITIES.

Mark Williams C is loaded with everything you'llneed for professional development. Bring the powerof the UNIX environment to your Atari ST with our

I*

Features

C compiler

• Complete Kernighan &Ritchie C plus extensions

• Up to eight register variables

• Full access to AES and VDIlibraries for programs usinggraphics, icons and mouse

• Complete UNIX-compatiblelibraries allow easy portabilityto and from UNIX developmentenvironment.

• Over 300 Atari-specificroutines

• One-step compiling, linkingwith cc command

• English error messages

• Lint-like error checking

Microshell Command Processor,

powerful UNIX style shell includes

1/0 redirection, pipes, command

substitutions

MicroEMACS Full Screen Editor

with commented source code

included

Make Program Building Discipline

Complete symbolic debugger

with single-step, breakpoints and

stack traceback

Assembler, linker and archiver

Powerful Utilities Package: egrep,

sort, diff, cmp, pr, tail, uniq, wc

and more

Over 600 pages of documentation

including 120 sample C programs

Not copy protected

MARK WILLIAMS C FOR THE ATARI ST

$179 95

60 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

Microshell Command Processorincluding pipes, I/O redirection andmore. Edit your program with thehighly acclaimed MicroEMACS fullscreen editor. Accelerate and simplifycompiling with make which findsand recompiles only those modulesaffected by your changes. Then,when you're ready for debugging,call on our db Symbolic Debuggerwith single step, breakpoint andstack traceback functions. Over 40commands, including a linker andassembler, provide a total developmentpackage for your Atari ST.

DEPEND ON A NAME WITHA HISTORY OF PERFORMANCE.

Mark Williams C for the Atari ST is part of our growingline of C compilers. A line that includes the C compilerchosen by DEC, Intel, Wang and thousands of profes-sional programmers. Now our Atari C compiler isearning its own reputation:

"Finally a great C compiler that exploits the powerof the ST"-Sigmund Hartmann, President, AtariSoftware Group

"The all-around best choice for serious softwaredevelopment on the ST"-Douglas Weir of ANALOGCOMPUTING

GET WHAT YOUR ATARI ST HAS BEEN WAITING FOR.

Mark Williams C is just what your Atari ST wasmade for: powerful, professionalprogramming. So now that youcan have Mark Williams C for just$179.95, what are you waiting for?

Ask your Atari dealer aboutMark Williams C or order today bycalling 1-800-MWC-1700.*

•In Illinois call: 312-472-6659

Mark

Williams

Company

1430 West Wrightwood, Chicago, Illinois60614

© 1986, Mark Williams CompanyUNIX is a trademark of Bell Labs.

Inquiry 213

WHAT'S NEW

PERIPHERALS

Okidata sLaserline 6

Okidata has announcedits first laser printer,the Laserline 6, that prints 6pages per minute and fea-tures several plug-inmodules, one of whichenables up to three users toshare a single printer.

Fifteen fonts are residentin the Laserline, and addi-tional fonts are available oncartridges. The printer isequipped with a 128K-bytepage-image buffer; an op-tional 384K expansion car-tridge provides extramemory for loading addi-tional fonts and macro com-mands. The company offersthree plug-in personalitymodules. The basic moduleprovides one port and com-patibility with the Hewlett-Packard LaserJet, and theadvanced module offers oneport and compatibility withthe HP LaserJet Plus. Thethird module, also compati-ble with the HP LaserJetPlus, provides three ports.The advanced and multiusermodules have extendedgraphics, downloadablefonts, and forms overlaycapabilities. All threemodules come with a paral-lel or serial interface.

Suggested retail price forthe printer is $1995, plus$200 for the basic plug-inmodule. The advancedmodule sells for $400, andthe multiuser costs $600.The memory expansionboard costs $399; additionalfont cartridges are $149each. For more information,contact Okidata, 532Fellowship Rd., Mt. Laurel,NJ 08054, (609) 235-2600.Inquiry 571.

Back Up DataAutomatically

The ARC 9000, a60-megabyte streamingtape drive, operates con-tinuously and automatically

to back up data as it's writ-ten to disk. Designed towork with IBM PCs, XTs, ATs,and compatibles, the unitprovides a mirror image ofall files and stamps eachwith the time and date. Filescan be restored by time,date, filename, and directory,and by the entire disk. Theunit also provides a real-time clock/calendar, a 128K-byte print spooler, battery-operated RAM, and diag-nostic routines.

The drive, which sells for$2600, comes with softwareand a half-slot adapterboard with an SCSI interfaceand processor. An optionalhalf-height hard disk that fitsin the unit offers an added10 to 80 megabytes ofstorage, For more informa-tion, contact Digital StorageSystems Inc., 12 34 ShermanDr., Longmont, CO 80501,(303) 651-6312.Inquiry 572.

Analyze IEEE-488Bus Signals

The GBA 1500, anIEEE-488 bus analyzer,enables computers or ter-minals with an RS-232C portto capture and display up to16,384 bus transactions. Theunit can acquire, store, anddisplay each byte as it'stransmitted and then storethe data for analysis. It cansingle-step the bus and dis-play the data in IEEE-488mnemonics and in hexadeci-mal format. The unit displaysthe status of control linesand the current location ofits buffer pointer as well.The GBA 1500 sells for$795. For more information,contact Connecticut micro-Computer Inc., 568 DanburyRd., New Milford, CT 06776,(203) 354-9395.Inquiry 573.

Microsoft AddsMenus to Mouse

Microsoft has addedextra capabilities to itsmouse, including menu sup-port for Lotus 1-2-3, Display-Write 3, and MultiMate. Inaddition, the MicrosoftMouse version 6.0 isbundled with MicrosoftPaintbrush and Show Part-ner, a presentation graphicspackage.

A serial version of themouse sells for $195; a busversion, $175; and an InPortversion, $12 5. A program-mer's reference kit forwriting custom menus costs$25. Contact MicrosoftCorp., 16011 Northeast 36thWay, Box 97017, Redmond,WA 98073-9717, (206)882-8080.Inquiry 574.

High-Speed Printersfrom Epson, C. Itoh

Epson's LQ-2500, a24-pin dot-matrixprinter, prints draft-qualitytext at 324 characters persecond and near-letter-quality text at 108 cps witha density of 12 charactersper inch. At 10 charactersper inch, the printer's speedis 270 cps in draft modeand 90 cps in near-letter-quality mode.

The $1595 printer has anLCD panel on the front forentering and storing printersetup commands. You canstore four combinations ofcommand sets and changethem at any time.

The 136-column printercomes with serial andparallel interfaces and an8K-byte buffer. Five type-faces are standard. Theprinter is compatible withsoftware that works with theEpson LQ-800, LQ-1000, andLQ-1500. Contact EpsonAmerica Inc., 2 780 LomitaBlvd., Torrance, CA 90505,

(800) 421-5426; in California,(213) 539-9140.Inquiry 575.

CItoh's ProWriter C-715• Reliant, a 24-pin dot-matrix printer, prints at 300cps in draft mode and 100cps in near-letter-qualitymode. The Reliant also of-fers seven-color printing andcredit-card-size plug-in per-sonality cards.

The printer, which sells for$1295, comes with a serialand parallel interface and a32K-byte buffer. The plug-incards, which cost $49.95each, emulate the EpsonLQ-1000, IBM Proprinter XL,Toshiba P351, and Diablo630 printers; the Epson cardis standard. The printer alsoprovides a hex-dump modefor debugging that printshexadecimal and ASCII char-acters of each byte theprinter receives. ContactC. Itoh Digital Products Inc.,19750 South Vermont Ave.,Suite 220, Torrance, CA90502, (213) 327-2110.Inquiry 576.

lest Dynamic RAMs

Adynamic RAM testerfrom Bugtrap Instru-mentation is capable oftesting a variety of dynamicRAMs, including 16K, 64K,128K, 256K, 1 megabit, andothers. The unit tests theDRAM using data patternsloaded into and read fromall cells. Access time can beselected from a range of100 to 300 nanoseconds; arefresh test is also available.The unit can test a DRAMwith a single test sequenceor a series of test cycles foridentifying intermittent orthermal failures. The Model8000 Dynamic RAM Testersells for $1495. ContactBugtrap Instrumentation,1209 Alderwood Ave.,Sunnyvale, CA 94089, (408)734-1118.Inquiry 577.

(continued)

38 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 243 for End-Users.Inquiry 244 for DEALERS ONLY.

Clipper is the fastest dBase III anddBase III Plus™ compiler available.Nothing else comes close. Whenperformance counts, experts relyon Clipper for more speed, morepower, and more creative freedom.You can, too. Call for details.

• Clipper compiled programsrun 2 to 20 times faster.

• No royalties...no runtime fees.

• Source code security.

• User defined functions.

• Arrays.

• Simple menu commands.

• Context sensitive help can beincluded with programs,

• More fields; more memoryvariables.

• Call C and Assembly programs.

• Complete debugging facilities.

• Multiple file relationships.

•IBM PC, XT, AT, 3270compatible™.

• Multi-user capability.

m

^ft^sCSSff^L'iJS

V •:-!•• . » Jl "SP • '

fl

CLIPPER. THE dBASE COMPILER.

A WINNING PERFORMANCE EVERY TIME.

Nantucket™

Nantucket Corporation

5995 South Sepulveda Boulevard

Culver City, California 90230

(213) 390-7923

Outside California call toll-free:

1-800-251-8438

dBase, dBase 111, and dBase III Plus are trademarks

of Ashton-Tate, Inc.

IBM PC, XT, AT, and 3270 are trademarks

of International Business Machines Corporation.

Clipper and Nantucket arc trademarks

LOOK FOR CLIPPER"

Autu

mn

IT MAKES NETWORKING EASY.

Lotus HAL Lets You Do More With

(And Get More From)

1-2-3 Than Ever Before.

Lotus HAL™ is a memory resident compan-ion product for Lotus 1-2-3* that enhancesthe full range of 1 -2-3 's capabilities—andadds new ones.

It increases 1-2-3's power and flexibility,so you can work more efficiently and becomemore productive than ever before.

Benefits For All1-2-3 Users

Lotus HAL works by giving you easieraccess to all of 1-2-3's numerous capabilities.And it's extremely useful for 1-2-3 users ofall levels.

Ifyou'renewto 1-2-3, Lotus HAL will letyou use it with greater confidence and speed.

If you're familiar with 1-2-3, Lotus HAL willmake it easier for you to access additionalpower and capabilities.

And if you 're an advanced 1-2-3 user,Lotus HAL will show you new features andfunctions that will add extra flexibility to thepower of 1-2-3 you've already tapped.

How does Lotus HAL do all this—for all users?

EasierCommands

Lotus HAL makes executing 1 -2-3 procedureseven easier than before. Because it acceptsphrases like' 'total sales,''' 'graph Jan to Mar,''or "copy this to A10,'' etc. In fact, Lotus HAL'svocabulary includes English words andphrases. So you can customize a commanddictionary of your own—with the words andoperations you're most used to and mostcomfortable using.

Since Lotus HAL makes 1-2-3 more access-ible for all users, you '11 learn more—in lesstime—about all the capabilities of 1-2-3.

For instance, if you're presently using onlythe spreadsheet, Lotus HAL will show youhow to create graphs and do database func-tions—far more simply than ever before.

Time-Saving Shortcuts,-Tb-Create Macros

Easy-

With Lotus HAL, you'll take shortcuts andaccomplish multi-step tasks quickly andeasily. So you'll greatly reduce errors—andsave time.

And, with a simple' 'undo" command,Lotus HAL even lets you recover from errorsyou've already made. So if you're a noviceuser, you'll learn faster and with greaterconfidence. And if you're an experienceduser, you can experiment more freely and do" what if s" —without fear of having a mistakedestroy hours of work.

Lotus HAL also makes developing macrossimpler than ever—so simple, in fact, thateven novice users can create 1-2-3 macroswith Lotus HAL. And no matter how familiarwith 1-2-3 you are, you'll benefit from beingable to write and test macros to make surethey do what you had in mind.

New Power

Lotus HAL will let you take 1-2-3 as far asyou need. And if you've been taking it faralready, Lotus HAL offers you new commandsthat will further enhance your productivity.

For example, Lotus HAL lets you replaceitems anywhere in the worksheet (evenwithin formulas), and create a dynamic linkbetween cells in multiple worksheets. It alsolets you audit your worksheet—so you canfind mistakes without having to review theentire sheet "manually''

Best of all, while Lotus HAL greatlyenhances 1-2-3's commands, it doesn'tchange either 1-2-3 or the worksheet. It'salways available, but it never gets in yourway. And you can share data as freely whenyou're using Lotus HAL as you did when youwere using 1-2-3 alone.

In fact, you can do everything you've everdone with 1-2-3 even better... plus a greatdeal more.

And since Lotus HAL is part of the 1-2-3system—and the Lotus family—you get anunparalleled commitment to customer serv-ice and support that will keep you upand running.

© 1986 Lotus Development Corporation.

Lotus and 1-2-3 are registered trademarks of Lotus Development Corpora-tion. LotusHALand 1-2-3 Companion are trademarksofLotus Develop-ment Corporation.

Lotus HAL is distinguished from HAL which is a trademark of Qantel for itsHotel and Leisure software.

System Requirements.

Lotus HAL recjuires 1-2-3 Release 1A Release 2 or Release 2.01 for personalcomputers from IBM: COMPAQ, ant] AT&T, plus 1-2-3 Certified Compati-bles; DOS 2.0or higher. Please refer to your 1 -2-3 package or 1-2-3documentation for appropriate hardware configurations and DOSrequirements or consult.vour dealer.

Lotus HAL resides in memory with 1-2-3 and operates with it; a minimumsystem configuration of 512K is required.

'Lotus HAL does not operate with 1 -2-3 for the IBM PCjr (ROM version),IBM PC Convertilile or Release 1A for the IBM 3270PC.

f ff<Zm*»

Try Lotus HAL

Without Obligation

For 30 Days.

For a limited time f when you purchaseLotus HAL for only $150, you'll get a 30 daymoney back guarantee from Lotus.

It's an unconditional guarantee that willallow you to put Lotus HAL through its paceson your own work—and see how it can makeyou more productive.

If, for any reason at all, you're not satisfiedwith the performance of Lotus HAL, simplysend your Lotus HAL package back to Lotus.We' 11 send you a full refund. No questionsasked.

It's a totally risk-free way to try one of themost remarkable productivity tools availabletoday for 1-2-3 users.

But order today. Because there are twomillion 1-2-3 users who are going to be asimpressed with Lotus HAL as you are. Andquantities are limited.

lb get Lotus HAL, visit your local autho-rized Lotus dealer, or just complete the cou-pon below, enclose it with your check, moneyorder or credit card information and mail it tothe address provided.

Or, for even faster service, order Lotus HAL(ProductNo. YD-1377), by calling Lotus, toll

free,at 1-800-345-1043.

Lotus HAL

A1-2-3 Companion™ that makes 1-2-3 amorepowerful and accessible productivity tool.

Complete and return to: Lotus DevelopmentCorporation, 90 Annex, Atlanta, Georgia,30390-0370 or call 1-800-345-1043.

□ Yes.-I'd like to try Lotus HAL for 30 dayswithout obligation. (YD-1377)

□ Please send more information aboutLotus HAL. (YD-1385)

Send me unit(s)ofHAL@$150each

Sales Tax**

Total

□ I've enclosed my check or money order madepayable to: Lotus Development Corporation.

Please charge my: □ VISA □ MasterCard

C o.l I I I I I I I I 1 I I I I I I I

Expiration Date —

Signature

Name

Company

Address

City State Zip

Telephone [_

JL

•Offer expires February 28,1987.

"Residents of the following states apply applicable sales tax: CA.DE,

FL,GA,MA1MD,M],MN,MO,N.],NY,OH,TX,VA1WA.OffergoodinU.S. A. and Canada only. In Canada make payment by credit card orInternational Postal Money Order. CODs and purchase orders will notbe accepted.

WHAT'S NEW

A D D - I N S

PC ConvertibleModem

Megahertz has intro-duced a Hayes-com-patible modem for use withthe IBM PC Convertible.Built to the same physicalspecifications as IBM'smodem, the EasyTalk 1200operates at 300/1200 bps. Itcomes with two phone jackconnectors and features alow power requirement (2 50milliwatts when operating)as well as a utility that canturn the modem off to pre-vent draining the computer'sbattery.

The modem is capable offull- and half-duplex com-munication, has auto-answerand auto-dial capabilities,supports rotary and pulsedialing, and is compatiblewith Bell 103 and 212A andCCITT V.22 standards. With-out software, the modemsells for $400; with a full-function communicationsprogram, the cost is $450.For more information, con-tact Megahertz Corp., 2681Parleys Way, Suite 2-102, SaltLake City, UT 84109, (800)338-8726; in Utah, (801)485-8857.Inquiry 578.

Up to 54 Megabyteson a 3 Vi-inchHard Disk

Rodime announced theRO 3000 Series of V/i-inch hard disk drives thatprovide 45.4 or 54.5megabytes (unformatted) ofstorage capacity. The drivesuse a voice-coil actuator andoffer an average access timeof 28 milliseconds. Theirpower consumption is 11watts.

The company says that thedrives can be used withmost controllers and multi-ple drives can be daisy-chained from a single con-troller. The single-unit OEMprice for the 4 5-megabyte

drive is $895; for the5 5-megabyte drive, $995.Contact Rodime, 901 BrokenSound Parkway NW, BocaRaton, FL 3 3431, (305)994-6200.Inquiry 579.

Extra Memoryfor Apple IIGS

Orange Micro's RamPak4GS memory board forthe Apple IIGS provides512K bytes of RAM that canbe expanded to 4 mega-bytes in 2 56K-byte in-crements. The board'smemory is automaticallyconfigured, and its diag-nostics utility can detectRAM problems.

Also bundled with theboard are utilities for RAMcaching and dynamic alloca-tion of memory. With 512Kbytes of RAM, the boardcosts $259. For more infor-mation, contact OrangeMicro Inc., 1400 NorthLakeview Ave., Anaheim, CA92807, (714) 779-2772.Inquiry 580.

Two memory boards forthe Apple IIGS areavailable from AppliedEngineering. The GS-RAMoffers up to 1.5 megabyteson one card; an optionalpiggyback card, expandableto 2 megabytes, brings thetotal to 3.5 megabytes. TheGS-RAM Plus card can beexpanded to 6 megabytes.With an optional piggybackboard, a total of 8 mega-bytes is available.

The GS-RAM with 2 56Kbytes of RAM is priced at$169; with 512K, $219; with1 megabyte, $299; and with1.5 megabytes, $379. With 1megabyte of RAM, the GS-RAM Plus costs $599, Formore information, contactApplied Engineering, P.O.Box 798, Carrollton, TX75006, (214) 241-6060.Inquiry 581.

AST's RamStakPIus boardprovides up to 1 mega-byte of memory for theApple IIGS. The board plugsinto the IIGS's extendedmemory slot and uses thecomputer's built-in RAM diskcapability. The board costs$129. For more information,contact AST Research Inc.,2121 Alton Ave., Irvine, CA92714, (714) 553-0340.Inquiry 582.

Hi-Res GraphicsController

Modgraph has an-nounced the Prismhigh-resolution graphics con-troller. The board offers aresolution of 1024 by 780pixels with a choice of 16colors from a palette of4096, It supports 16 graylevels for monochromegraphics.

The board's NEC 7220chip provides primitives forlines, arcs, circles, and rec-tangles, as well as hardwarezoom and pan functions. Itfeatures a drawing speed of1 million pixels per secondand dual-ported 4-megabitmemory. An RS-232C port isstandard, as is an RS-343ARGB video output that'sjumper selectable for avariety of displays.

The Prism (Model 3152)sells for $1695. ContactModgraph Inc., 56 WinthropSt., Concord, MA 01742,(617) 371-2000.Inquiry 583.

Plug-in Adapterfor Serial Printers

The Missing Link, aserial adapter board,enables you to connectserial printers to an IBM PCor compatible without usinga serial port. The board oc-cupies a short slot in thecomputer and is addressedas a parallel printer (LPT1,LPT2, or LPT3). Because the

computer addresses theboard as a printer device,there's no need for modecommands for initializingCOM1 or COM2 and re-directing printer output. Theadapter will work with anysoftware, the company says,and any RS-232C printerusing the XON/XOFF orETX/ACK protocols.

The $189.95 board con-nects to the printer with anexisting printer cable or amodem cable. It has a stan-dard RS-232C connector; ac-cording to the company, nopin swapping is necessary.Contact Henson ScientificInc., 870 Seventh Ave, 27thFloor, New York, NY 10019,(212) 245-4180,Inquiry 584.

Memory forLaser Printers

The JLaser Plus from TallTree Systems combines2 megabytes of RAM withan interface to laser printersbased on a Canon engineand the Canon IX-12 scan-ner. The company says theboard triples the speed atwhich a page is scanned,can increase printing speedby as much as 50 times, andprovides a full-page resolu-tion of 300 dots per inch.Available in versions forthe IBM PC XT and AT, theunit stores images inmemory that conforms tothe Lotus/Intel/Microsoftstandard. The memory canfunction as conventionalmemory, expanded memoryextended memory in ATs, oras a RAM disk or printspooler. The XT and AT ver-sions are priced at $599and $699, respectively. Con-tact Tall Tree Systems, 1120San Antonio Rd„ Palo Alto,CA 94303, (415) 964-1980.Inquiry 585.

(continued)

42 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Pi

resentations! Newsletters!Flyers! Signs! Overhead foils!Invitations! Menus! Logos!Announcements! Banners! Layouts!

When you need a good-looking visualquickly, you need FONTASY—superbtypefaces, drawing, and pictures in oneeasy-to-use package.

FONTASY gives you a "what-you-see-is-what-you-get" picture, as you type anddraw on the graphics screen of your IBM-PC.You can create a page at a time, see a mini-picture of it, print it, and save it on disk. Pagesize is limited only by memory, not by screensize.

Highlights

Proportional space, justify, kern, boldface,re-position, magnify and shrink, black/whitereversal, rotate, mirror image, lines, rec-tangles, ovals, draw, fill-in, undo (and un-undo), on-line help, 200-page book, and easycontrol from keyboard or mouse.

Fonts, fonts, and more fonts! We haveover 275 Add-On typefaces in our growinglibrary. Each disk of about 10 fonts costs$24.95 and we will be happy to send you freeprint samples on request.

Picture Library! Each of the six FONTASYART FOLDERS™ contains about 100 large(full-screen), high-quality add-on picturesand costs $29.95 per disk. Please see backissues of this magazine for examples, or ask usfor free print samples. ,nquiry 284

See What You Can Do

With

Fontasy printed all of these,

Includes 28 Fonts& 60 small pictures

Equipment Needed

IBM-PC, XT, AT, or true compatible (Compaq, etc.) with

IBM or Hercules graphics adapter and graphics monitor.

256K memory needed for partial pages, 448-640K

recommended for full pages on most printers.

Mouse optional. MS-DOS 2.10 or above.

FONTASY supports: IBM Graphics Printer,

Proprlnter; Epson FX, JX, LX, MX, RX, and

LQ; C.Itoh 8510,1550,1570, Prowrlter-Jr;

H-P LaserJet, LaserJet-Plus, ThinkJet; Microllne

92-293 (native or IBM-compatible); Gemini

10X, 15X; Radio Shack DMP 105-430, 2100;

Toshiba 351,1340-1351; Star; and most

IBM / Epson-compatible printers.

Money-Back Guarantee

FONTASY is not copy-protected and has a30-day money-back guarantee. If you ordernow, we will include 28 fonts (a $50 value) atno extra charge. So, call today.

(818) 765-4444

PRUi

7248 BellaireAve., Box 560No. Hollywood, CA 91603-0560

Name

Address

FONTASY $69.95

Tax

Shipping

Total

. Company _. Telephone.

City, State, ZIP .

Visa/MC

Computer.

. Exp. Date .

, Memory .

. Printer .

Terms; M/C, Visa, checks. Please add $3.00 shipping and handling in U.S. orCanada, $15.00 overseas, $2.00 for C.O.D., and sales tax in Calif.

WHAT'S NEW

SOFTWARE

PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES AND AIDS

Help Screen Utility

Create context-sensitiveon-line help screenswith SoftScreen/Help. Ascreen processor enablesyou to draw help screenswithout programming; ascreen linker ties the helpscreens together so thatusers can select additionalhelp topics at run time; anda run-time manager enablesyou to integrate the helpsystem with the applicationprogram.

SoftScreen/Help runs onIBM PCs and compatibleswith MS-DOS or PC-DOS 2.0or higher. The program sellsfor $195. For more informa-tion, contact Dialectic Sys-tems. 1930 East MarltonPike, Cherry Hill, N) 08003-2148, (609) 424-0140.Inquiry 586.

Researcher's ExpertSystem

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNis an expert system thatdetermines the statisticalrequirements of projects andsuggests the most appropri-

SoftScreen/Help, a utility {or creating help screens.

ate of 13 experimentaldesigns.

The program costs $295and is written in TurboPascal. It runs on IBM PCs,XTs, ATs, and compatibleswith 256K bytes of RAMand MS-DOS or PC-DOS 2.1or higher. For more informa-tion, contact Statistical Pro-grams, 9941 Rowlett, Suite6, Houston, TX 77075, (713)947-1551.Inquiry 587.

C++ forMS-DOS Systems

Lifeboat Associates intro-duced Advantage C++,a software development toolthat enables you to designyour own data types usingobject-oriented programmingmethods. Versions of Advan-tage C++ are available foruse with Lattice andMicrosoft C compilers andcost $495.

For more information, con-tact Lifeboat Associates Inc,55 South Broadway, Tarry-town, NY 10591, (914)332-1875.Inquiry 588.

Windows Libraryfor C

DataWindows, a windowand data-entry libraryfor C programmers, was an-nounced by Greenleaf Soft-ware. It offers overlaid win-dows with screen manage-ment, program simplicity,transaction-oriented dataentry, and device indepen-dence. According to Green-leaf, you can write to anywindow whether it is show-ing on the screen or not.DataWindows supports manypopular C compilers andsells for $22 5. The sourcecode is also available forDataWindows in C orassembly language andcosts an additional $225.Contact Greenleaf Soft-ware, 1411 LeMay Dr., Suite101, Carrollton, TX 75007,(214) 631-0811.Inquiry 589.

SOFTWARE • SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING

Graphics andMathematical Toolbox

Math Toolbox enablesyou to use graphicsand mathematical tools forengineering and scientificapplications on your IBMPC XT. or AT. Matrix opera-tions, complex arithmetic,and vector operations incartesian, polar, cylindrical,and spherical coordinatesare included. You can alsocreate two-dimensionalscreen and printer graphicsand histograms of numericaldata. And you can storecustom-plotting parameters

in template files.

Math Toolbox costs $249and requires 2 56K bytes ofRAM, one 360K floppy diskdrive, a Color GraphicsAdapter, and PC-DOS orMS-DOS 2.0 or higher. Formore information, contactAlpha Applied Research,23 55 McLean Blvd., Eugene,OR 97405, (503) 485-6841.Inquiry 590.

Site Planning

and Landscape Design

LANDCADD is a set ofthree programs thatmake use of AutoCAD 2.18and 2.5 for producing site

plans, cost estimates, and ir-rigation designs.

The program includes alibrary of symbols and siteamenities and lets you viewyour plans in three dimen-sions, from any viewpoint.Each drawing is linked to adatabase that estimatescosts at each phase ofdesign. A zoom featureenables you to view anypart of the drawing in detail,and you can input changesthrough a mouse or digi-tizer. Hard copy is outputthrough a pen plotter.

The three programs in-clude Site Planning andLandscape Design ($595),Cost Estimating ($395), andIrrigation Design ($395). Youcan purchase the threepackages as a whole for$1095. To run LANDCADDyou need an MS-DOS sys-tem with 640K bytes ofRAM, a math coprocessor, ahard disk drive, a digitizingtablet, and a high-resolutiongraphics adapter andmonitor.

For more information, con-tact LANDCADD Inc., 10418East Tanglewood Rd., Frank-town, CO 80116, (303)688-8160.Inquiry 591.

44 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Give Your Business

A Merry Christmas

and Have a

Happy New Year!

-j /~v q I—J will be a very good.Lv/O / year when youstreamline your business withDac-Easy Accounting. Now isthe perfect time to give yourbusiness the gift it deservesand start the New Year rightDon't put off any longer theadvantages of computerizedaccounting. At $69.95, Dac-Easy Accounting is a superbvalue even Scrooge would love.

WeVe combined seven full-featured accounting modules ina single package includingGeneral Ledger, AccountsPayable, Accounts Receivable,Inventor)', Purchasing, Billingand Forecasting. This is thesoftware diat the readers of PCWorld have voted as then-favorite accounting package inthe 1986 World Class Awards.Dac-Easy Accounting receivedmore than five times as manyvotes as die second placefinisher BPI — costingthousands of dollars more.

VALUE

Price plus tremendousperformance means value, anddie experts agree. InfoWorldhas recognized Dac-EasyAccounting as 1985's "BESTSOFTWARE VALUE."

No other accounting packagecan match die explosiveconsumer base or dieunanimous acclaim fromindustry experts. Dac-EasyAccounting is die perfectchoice for 5'our first accountingsystem or for upgrading from asingle module system. Eitherway compare, and you will joinover 150,000 people who areahead)' having a happyNew Year!

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give you what you need to knowto manage cash-flow, turninventory and increase profits.Dac-Easy Accountings sevenmodules work togedierperfectly. Enter data once andit's posted to die odier modulesautomatically. Most modifiescan also be used stand-alone.

No matter what type ofbusiness you have, Dac-EasyAccounting can make 1987 abetter year. It offers die rareability to handle eidier serviceor product-oriented companieswithout sacrificing features.

Dac-Easy Payroll for 1987 ishere just in time to help you geta handle on the new tax laws.Dac-Easy Payroll is die fastestselling payroll package on themarket It not only processesyour payroll, but helps you with

personnel functions as well.Dac-Easy Payroll automaticallycalculates payroll taxes for all50 states, prints checks, W-2's,and allows you to review yourdepartmental payroll taxeshundreds of different ways.Priced at only $49.95, it isanother example of the price/performance value of dieDac-Easy Series.

Find out for yourself whyDac-Easy Accounting is thefastest selling accounting pack-age in history. Call us today!

Minimum hardware requirements

All Dac-Easy products run on IBM orother compatibles. 256K memory, twodisk drives, MS-DOS, PC-DOS 2.0 orlater, 132-column printer in compressedmode, color or monochrome monitor.

MS-DOS is a trademark of MlcroSoftCorp. IBM and PC-DOS 2.0 areregistered trademarks of InternationalBusiness Machines Corp.

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Mail to:

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4801 Spring Valley Rd.Bldg. 110-BDallas, TX 75244

YCS, please rush methe following Dacproducts:

Product

Qty Price Total

Dac-Easy Bonus Pack _ 149.95

Dac-Easy Accounting — 69.95

Dac-Easy Payroll — 4995

Dac Accounting Tutor — 19.95

Dac Payroll Tutor _ 19.95

Add Shipping Charge 7.50

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After 12/31/86 Add Sales Tax (7V4)

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30 Day Money-Back GuaranteeDac Software offers an uncondi-tional guarantee on all Dac-Easyproducts (less shipping charges).There is a $10 restocking fee Ifthe disk seal is broken. Thisguarantee is available on allproducts bought directly fromDac Software.

#830

Inquiry 98

WHAT'S NEW

SOFTWARE • SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING

Printed CircuitBoard Design

Tango-PCB is a $495 IBMPC program that en-bles you to design printedcircuit boards up to 32 by19 inches. Expanding andcontracting the layout allowsyou to place componentsprecisely. Five zoom levelsare available from 1.6 by0.95 inches, expandable tothe full 32- by 19-inch work-space capacity.

You have a choice of ninegrid sizes for placement ofcomponent shapes such asDB-25 connectors and edgeconnectors with odd spac-ings. It also offers an eight-layer capability, includingpower and ground planes,plus text and componentoverlay. You can createprecise microstrip designswith an area-fill command. Alibrary of common com-ponents is supplied, andyou can add to it by creat-ing your own entries for

Tango-PCB, a program for designing printed circuit boards.

specialized components. Inthe Enhanced GraphicsAdapter 640- by 3 50-pixelmode, 16 colors are sup-ported. Four colors are sup-ported in the Color GraphicsAdapter 320 by 200 mode.The program runs on IBMPCs and compatibles with2 56K bytes of RAM and MS-

DOS or PC-DOS 2.0 orhigher. A CGA or EGA withan RGB monitor is alsorequired.

Contact Accel TechnologiesInc., 7358 Trade St., SanDiego, CA 92121, (800)433-7801; in California, (800)433-7802 or (619) 695-2000.Inquiry 592.

Computer-aidedTesting

A computer-aided testprogram that calibrates,measures, and manages vec-tor network analyzer datawas announced by EEsof.ANACAT has a built-in data-base, DOS interface, full-

screen editor, and colorgraphics capability.

The database stores andmanipulates data retrievedfrom the network analyzer,and you can use it to storeany number of S-parametermeasurements, according toEEsof. The databasemanager enables you to

ANACAT handles network analyzer data.

create, delete, and revisetest data, and you can pre-sent the data in graphs andtables. The database filesare also compatible withspreadsheet and databaseprograms.

ANACAT runs on IBM PCs,XTs. ATs, and compatiblesand is priced between$5000 and $7500. For moreinformation, contact EEsofInc., 31194 La Baya Dr.,Westlake Village, CA 91362,(818) 991-7530.Inquiry 593.

Graphicsand Statistics

You can use EngineeringTbol Kit to record nu-merical engineering dataand translate it into graphicforms and statistical analysisreports. You can generatescatter plots, trend charts,and histograms. The pro-

gram includes a polynomial-regression routine forgraphics and statistics forfirst- to fifth-order poly-nomials.

Engineering Tbol Kit runson IBM PCs, XTs, ATs, andcompatibles and requires agraphics card and two flop-py disk drives or a hard diskdrive. The IBM version sellsfor $129. A version for theApple II family sells for $59,and the 512K Macintosh andthe Macintosh Plus versionsells for $99.

For more information, con-tact Sof-Ware Tools, P.O. Box8751, Boise, ID 83707, (208)343-1437.Inquiry 594.

Design Tool forElectrical and ControlEngineers

Using control theory,SASP aids in theanalysis of feedback controlsystems for circuit design,digital filter design, servodesign, and aerospace auto-pilot design.

SASP, which stands forStability Analysis andSimulation Program, runs onIBM PCs and compatibleswith 512K bytes of RAM(640K for high resolution),MS-DOS or PC-DOS 3.1 orhigher, a hard disk drive, amath coprocessor, and agraphics board. The pro-gram works in S-plane, Z-plane, and W-plane plotsand can convert transferfunctions from one form toanother. It enables you todraw a variety of plots, andyou can enter transfer func-tions in polynomial orpole/zero format.

SASP sells for $750. Formore information, contactLewis Engineering Software,21722 Roscoe Blvd., #24,Canoga Park, CA 91304.(818) 883-2786.Inquiry 595.

{continued)

46 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Btrieve.

% Multi-user versions

for LANs and Xenix.When your applications need tonetwork, Btrieve's multi-user versionsconnect you to the industry's mostpopular LANs: IBM PC Network,Novell Advanced Netware, orany DOS 3 network. Btrieve is alsoavailable for Xenix and multitaskingoperating systems such as MultiLinkAdvanced, Microsoft Windowsand IBM Topvieiv.

Help is justa phone callaway. Needtechnical support?You've got it!Btrieve usersreceive 30 days ofunlimited phonesupport at nocharge. This"Direct Connect"policy is renewablefor a full year atlow cost. And trySoftCraft's freebulletin board fortechnical tips,seven days a week.

Thorough documentation,

easy implementation. Getting

started with Btrieve is easy: the

manual is packed with step-by-step

instructions and examples of every

Btrieve function in BASIC, Pascal,

COBOL and C.

TheProgrammer's

Choice.

Whether you're a programmingpro or just beginning, there'sone thing to remember when devel-oping applications: Btrieve.

The Btrieve file manager is analternative to all those DBMSs thatpromise ease of use—but deliversomething far different. Like languagesthat take weeks to master. Performancethat fizzles instead of sizzles. Pro-grams that won't network. Of courseyou can write applications withthese "revolutionary" packages. Butsomeday you'll wish you hadn't.

If you know a programminglanguage, you already have what ittakes to build better applications. Allyou need is Btrieve.

Btrieve is the programmer's choicefor file management. But you don'thave to be a professional programmerto use it. With Btrieve loaded in yourPC, your programs can use simplesubroutine calls to retrieve, store andUpdate records.

Btrieve has built-in security featuresand the ability to handle four billionbyte files. And there are no royaltieson Btrieve applications.

SoftCraft

P.O. Box 9802 #917

Austin, Texas 78766

(512) 346-8380 Telex 358 200

Suggested retail prices: Btriei'e, $245; multi-userBtrieve, $595; Xtrieve, $245; multi-user Xtrieve,$595 (for report generation, add $145 single-user and$545 multi-user). Available from SoftCraft andselected distributors. Requires PC-DOS or MS-DOS 2.X,3.X, Xenix. Btrieve is a registered trademark andXtrieve is a trademark of SoftCraft Inc.

Inquiry 325

t&W.

is

B-tree based for highperformance. Performanceis all-important, especially asyour database grows. That'swhy Btrieve implements the b-treefile structure—the most efficientdata access method known. WithBtrieve your applications run fast.

Database queries, report•writing. Add Xtrieve™ to yourBtrieve applications for a fully-relational DBMS. Xtrieve's menu-driven interface lets you look upinformation easily—withoutprogramming. Add our reportwriter option to produce customreports and forms.

&4NGUAfim

Interfaces to C,

BASIC, Pascal,

COBOL. Don't waste time

learning a proprietary

language! With Btrieve

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programming the right

way. Over 15 language

interfaces

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Fault tolerant.

Btrieve insuresagainst databasedisasters. Two levelsof fault toleranceguarantee data integ-rity during accidentsor power failures-no extra program-ming required.

Pascal

JU£U

WHAT'S NEW

SOFTWARE • BUSINESS AND OTHER

Desktop Publishingon the Mac

LetraPage and The LaserQuill are Macintoshdesktop publishing pro-grams with word-processingcapabilities.

LetraPage features a tool-box with 12 mouse-drivenicons that enable you toedit text and create pagelayouts on screen. Automatichyphenation, line and depthjustification, and a library of137 kerned letter pairs areoffered. You can import filesfrom other Macintosh pro-grams to LetraPage. Docu-ments created can be up to1024 pages in length in 20page sizes, with as many as48 columns.

LetraPage sells for $599.For more information, con-tact Letraset USA, 40 Eisen-hower Dr., Paramus, NJ07653. (201) 845-6100.Inquiry 596.

The Laser Quill offersseven levels of super-scripts and subscripts,headers and footers, win-dowing, and search andreplace capability. You canoutput documents to digitaltypesetting computers thatsupport PostScript or to theImagewriter, LaserWriter, orother printers.

The Laser Quill enablesyou to create documents ofup to 698 pages. The pro-gram sells for $199. Formore information, contactFirebird Licensees Inc., 71North Franklin Turnpike,Waldwick, NJ 07463. (201)444-5700.Inquiry 597.

Communicationsfor the 128

A terminal softwarepackage for the Com-modore 128 was announcedby Abacus. SpeedTerm 128performs VT52 terminalemulation and works with

most of the low-costmodems for the 128, ac-cording to Abacus.

SpeedTerm costs $39.95and includes more than 30commands. The programsupports the XMODEM andPunter file transfer protocolsand manages a 45K-bytecapture buffer. For more in-formation, contact AbacusSoftware, P.O. Box 7211,Grand Rapids, Ml 49510,(616) 241-5510.Inquiry 598.

Screen Reading forthe Visually Impaired

Computer Aids intro-duced Screen-TalkPro, a program that usesmacros to add audio capa-bility to your applicationsprograms. To run the pro-gram you need an IBM PCor compatible with at least128K bytes of RAM and avoice synthesizer.

Screen-Talk Pro comes withProKey for macro process-ing. Other features includethe ability to recognizemonochrome and colorvideo attributes and a Findcommand that locates videoattributes and other stringsof characters on the screen.The program also lets youreview text by word, letter,or screen, or you can createup to 10 windows for review.

Screen-Talk Pro costs $395.For more information, con-tact Computer Aids Corp.,124 West Washington, LowerArcade, Fort Wayne, IN

46802, (800) 647-82 55.Inquiry 599.

Thinking Cap Outlineson a Commodore

You can create outlinesfor reports, speeches,resumes, or memos withThinking Cap. The programsells for $49.95 and handlesup to seven levels of infor-mation, with 16 subtopicswithin each level. Onceyou've established the levels,you can enter details ran-domly under the appropri-ate headings, and the pro-gram creates the numberingformat for an outline up tosix pages long. You have achoice of formats, includingroman numerals, prose,technical, or numeric. Youcan also use underlining orboldface. The program hastemplates for five outlines.

Thinking Cap runs on aCommodore 64 or 128 witha printer. For more informa-tion, contact Br0derbundSoftware Inc., 17 Paul Dr.,San Rafael, CA 94903-2101,(415) 479-1700.Inquiry 600.

PC-to-VAXCommunications

Polygon announced poly-STAR, PC-to-VAX com-munication software. Theprogram emulates DigitalEquipment Corp.'s text ter-minals. It has seamless filetransfer capabilities, pop-up

WHERE DO NEW PRODUCT ITEMS COME FROM?The new products listed in this section of BYTE are chosen from the thousandsof press releases, letters, and telephone calls we receive each month frommanufacturers, distributors, designers, and readers. The basic criteria for selectionfor publication are: (a) does a product match our readers' interests'? and (b)is it new or is it simply a reintroduction of an old item? Because of the volumeof submissions we must sort through every month, the items we publish arebased on vendors' statements and are not individually verified. 1/ you wantyour product to be considered for publication (at no charge), send full infor-mation about it, including its price and an address and telephone numberwhere a reader can get further information, to New Products Editor. BYTE,One Phoenix Mill lane, Peterborough, NH 03458.

window menus, hot-keyswitching, internationalkeyboard support, andenhanced remote-controlfeatures. The program sup-ports modems and has auser-programmable com-munication language. Thephone book feature enablesyou to automatically dial,connect, and log on.

The program runs on IBMPCs, XTs, ATs, and com-patibles with at least 512Kbytes of RAM and PC-DOSor MS-DOS 2.0 or higher.Poly-STAR prices start at$200. For more information,contact Polygon AssociatesInc., 1024 ExecutiveParkway, St. Louis, MO63141, (314) 576-7709.Inquiry 601.

Term Paper Writer

Personal Choice Softwareannounced Term PaperWriter. The program includesThe Notetaker, The Outliner,The Writer, and The Foot-noter and BibliographyCompiler.

The Notetaker is an elec-tronic card file that enablesyou to collect informationby source and by topic. TheOutliner lets you organizelists of ideas into topicalgroups or a formal outline.The Writer is a word pro-cessor that includes margin-setting, line-spacing, andpage-break functions. It alsoallows you to specify stylessuch as boldface, underlin-ing, and centering. The Foot-noter and Bibliography Com-piler will insert footnotes onappropriate pages and com-pile information for thebibliography from The Note-taker.

Term Paper Writer runs onIBM PCs and Apple lis andsells for $59.95. For moreinformation, contact Per-sonal Choice Software, P.O.Box 7286, Mountain View,CA 94039, (415) 960-0410.Inquiry 602.

48 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

A Computer Work of Art.. .the Advanced 286;

Everything You Ever Wanted inan IBM AT Compatible System,Including Price.

The Advanced 286 offers all the features

of the IBM PC/AT® at a fraction of the

cost. The Advanced 286 is available for $1395

Add S85.00 for MS-DOS® 3.2 andS95.00 for GW Basic®.

All systems are FCC Class B/UL approved

and come with Phoenix BIOS assuring youof far reaching compatibility.

Features:

. 6/8 MHz Software Switchable

• 640K upgraddable to 1 MBon board • Floppy DiskController. 1.2 MB FloppyDisk • Patented easy mountmechanism for installing diskdrives and streamer tapes

• On board real time clock

• Runs all major software writtenfor IBM PC/AT • Phoenix BIOS

Options:

. Up to 4 MB RAM • 20 to 40 MBHard Disk . 360K Floppy Disk Drive. AT Hard Disk Controller. RLLHard Disk Controller • 3-1/2"Floppy Disk • Streamer Tape

A Computer Work of Art. ''Sunrise"... an original computergraphic masterpiece created by the eminent David Em.

CALL NOW

FOR

DEALER

PRICING

Testimonials:

"If compatibility, aesthetic design andprice are key considerations in yourcomputer selection decision, you will bedelighted with the Advanced 286 ..."— Steve Zelencik, Vice PresidentAdvanced Micro Devices

"We have evaluated over 35 clones andcompatibles and the Advanced 286proved superior to all units tested includ-ing the IBM AT product. The easy mountdisk drive design and providing easyaccess to three half height devicesmakes upgrading a snap ..."— Jim Lizzio, PresidentConcept Development Corp.

Everything You Ever Wanted

in AT Compatible Boards

Including Price.

. 2 MB Multi I/O Card w/Serial(optional 2nd serial) Parallel.

game ports/OK3 MB Ram Card/

I/O Card w/serial,parallel (optional2nd serial)

3179.00

S 89.00

EGA/256K

(Half-Card) $249.00

. EGAMonitor ... $499.00

. EGA Mouse $119.00

. Color/Mono-chrome Graphics

^4^Med286J

Card

.$169.00

»TI*2L

Since 1976. ..

ACP

INTERNATIONAL, INC.

1310 E. Edinger Street, Santa Ana, CA 92705(714)558-8813 (800)854-8230

• IBM PC/AT Is a registered trademark of International Business Machines. Inc. ®GW Basic Isa registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation®®MS-DOS 3.2 is d registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation • The Advanced 286 is a registerea trademark cf ACP International. Inc

Inquiry 10 for End-Users. Inquiry II for DEALERS ONLY.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 49

rrs coming janua

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ASK BYTE

Conducted by Steve CiarciaFrom Typewriter to Printer

Dear Steve:

I have an Olivetti TES 401 ElectronicTypewriter that 1 would like to convert in-to a printer. Do you know of a companythat has the plans or parts that will allowthe typewriter to interface with a com-puter's serial or parallel port? Also, theTES 401 has an 8080 microprocessor init and the motherboard has an unusededge connector. I have been unable to ac-quire a circuit diagram or pin-out informa-tion for the typewriter. Do you know of asource for these?

Larry PaivaColleyville, TX

In the early days of personal com-puters—a mere ten years or so ago—there were many conversion kits and in-structions being sold for a large numberof popular typewriters. Today, I see anoccasional conversion kit for IBM Selec-trics offered, but little else.

1 have been unable to locate a sourcefor schematics or a conversion kit for theOlivetti TES 401 typewriter. Many com-panies deliberately restrict distributionof parts and circuit diagrams.

Try writing letters to the editors of elec-tronics magazines such as Modern Elec-tronics. The publication of such lettersmight yield productive responses anduseful information. Some magazines,such as Electronics Test, have regular col-umns specifically for the publication ofrequests for circuit diagrams and tech-nical manuals. These magazines, unfor-tunately, are not usually "general circula-tion" publications, so the best source forthem might be the electronics depart-ment at a nearby college or university.You might also try a classified ad inmagazines such as Computer Shopper.

While it is possible to convert someelectric typewriters for use as printers,they aren't usually designed for the kindof high-volume, high-speed work that acomputer generates. Some typewritersare unlikely to endure such usage for along period of time. If your applicationinvolves heavy usage, you should con-sider getting either a typewriter/printerdesigned for such purposes or a letter-quality or daisy-wheel printer. At the

prices currently advertised, that ap-proach might be less expensive than at-tempting to convert your Olivetti.—Steve

Floppy Jumpers

Dear Steve:

A friend and 1 are putting together IBMPC XT clones using Teac 55BV floppydrives. I know how to set up the drive-select lines and the resistor pack on theTeacs, but the rest of the jumpers are amystery to me. Do you have any sugges-tions for the proper setup of thesejumpers?

Edwin J. MullicanGulfport, MS

The jumpers you mention are relatedto maintenance and format functions andare preset at the factory to accommodatenormal applications such as yours.

if you would like to order a servicemanual describing these jumpers, alongwith other use and maintenance informa-tion, you can contact Teac Corporationof America at 7733 Telegraph Rd.,Montebello, CA 90640, (213) 726-0303.They will give you price and ordering in-formation. I find it to be a good practiceto have the maintenance manuals for anydrives I own, if only for the replacementparts and servicing information.—Steve

Managing WordStarThrough Subdirectories

Dear Steve.

After spending far too much timesearching the directory of my hard disk,I finally sat down and arranged the filesinto subdirectories. Word processing is notthe most important task I do, so I copiedWordStar (version 2.1) onto a third-leveldirectory. Unfortunately, now I cannot runthe program. Is there a way 1 can runWordStar within a subdirectory?

Cindy SheltonGreat Falls, MT

The early versions of WordStar werenot designed to handle directory namesas part of the filename, nor search sub-directories for overlays. There are, how-ever, two or three ways you should beable to run the program from a sub-directory.

The simplest is to use the CD (changedirectory) command to the WordStarsubdirectory to make it the default. Youshould then be able to run the programand save your files in that subdirectory.The obvious problem with this is that youdon't have the freedom to put your word-processing files in other subdirectories.

Alternatively you could save your fileson a floppy disk in drive A or B.

Another way is to copy the WordStarprogram and overlay files into a RAMdisk (say, drive D), switch the C drivedefault to the directory where you wantto save your files, and then switch to theD drive (RAM disk) and load WordStar.This way you can either configure Word-Star to look on the C drive for files orsimply change the logged drive to C afterthe program loads.

A final method is to change to theWordStar directory (using CD) and tem-porarily save your data files to RAM diskwhile editing. This is the fastest possibleway to run WordStar but entails some riskof losing your work due to power failureor forgetting to copy your work off theRAM disk before shutting off the com-puter. I recommend that you use a batchfile to do the directory switching, load theprogram, and copy the files back to thedesignated directory when you exitWordStar. For example, assume you havea directory \ word with a subdirectory\ WS containing the WordStar programfiles and a batch file named WST.BAT. You

(continued)

IN ASK BYTE. Steve Ciarcia answers questions onany area of microcomputing. The most representativequestions received each month will be answered andpublished. Do you have a nagging problem'? Sendyour inquiry to

Ask BYTE

do Steve Ciarcia

P.O. Box 582

Glastonbury, CT 06033Due to the high volume of inquiries, personal repliescannot be given. All letters and photographs becomethe property of Steve Ciarcia and cannot be returned.Be sure to include "Ask BYTE" in the address.

The Asfe BYTE staff includes manager HarvWerner and researchers Eric Albert. Bill Curlew. KenDavidson, ]eannette Dojan, ]on Elson. Roger lames.Frank Kuechmann, Dave Lundberg. Edward Nisley.Dick Sawyer, Andy Siska, and Robert Stek.

52 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

COPYRIGHT © 1986 STEVEN A. CIARCIA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

MICROSOFT LANGUAGES NEWSLETTER Vol. 1, No. 12

News about the Microsoft Language Family

Debugging with Two Monitors Simultaneously Using the Microsoft® CodeView™ Debugger.

The Microsoft CodeView, the revolutionary window-oriented symbolic debugger in Microsoft CCompiler Version 4.0, is a powerful tool. One of its numerous capabilities is the versatile way itenables programmers to view their code's output on the default monitor and video adapter whiledebugging on another monitor and video adapter.This is especially helpful for graphical applications.For example, if you have both a Color Graphics Adapter (CGA) and a Monochrome Adapter in thesame system, you might want to set up the CGA as the default adapter. You could then debug agraphics program with the graphics display appearing on the graphics monitor and the debuggingdisplay appearing on the monochrome monitor. This feature is evoked by typing:CV/2 program name

If you only have one graphic adapter and monitor in your system, you may use the screenswapping (/S) or flipping (/F) options to view your output while debugging with CodeView.

Finding Null Pointer Assignments with Microsoft CodeView.

When a value is assigned to an uninitialized pointer in C, the Microsoft C runtime code displays:error 2001: Null pointer assignment

This is because it is impossible to tell at runtime that such an operation has occurred (the runtime

routine " nullcheck( )" checks the first 54 bytes of the data segment to see if they have been

changed when the program terminates). With Microsoft CodeView, this problem can be easilydiscovered. Debug your program with Microsoft CodeView and execute the program up to "main( )"to set the DS register to the programs data segment. Now set a tracepoint on the first byte ofthe data segment using the command "TPB 0" (the pull-down menu can also be used). Nowexecute the program using the "go" command. When the program attempts to use an uninitializedpointer, thus writing to location 0, Microsoft CodeView will halt execution of the program justafter the offending instruction. This operation can be made even faster using debugging hardwarecompatible with the Microsoft CodeView debugger.

Debugging Assembly Language Programs with Microsoft CodeView.

Microsoft CodeView has special features for the assembly language programmer. The radix commandallows the user to set the default input and output radix so that assembly language programmerscan use hex numbers just like the popular Microsoft SYMDEB debugger and DEBUG. To switchto hex simply type:nl6

In addition, the assembly and register displays allow viewing of code at the machine level. Ifyou're debugging Microsoft C code, the assembly display will also show local symbols in thedisassembly listing, so'MOV SI, [BP-4]" might be displayed as "MOV i, [count]!' A unique backward-scroll mechanism allows you to quickly scroll backward through disassembled code.

For more information on the products and featuresdiscussed in the Newsletter,write to: Microsoft Languages Newsletter16011NE 36th Way, Box 97017, Redmond, WA 98073-9717.Or phone:

(800) 426-9400. In Washington State and Alaska,call (206) 882-8088. In Canada, call (416) 673-7638.

Microsoft, is a registered trademark and CodeVi

iew is a era

idemarlc of Microsoft Corporation.

Latest DOS Versions:

Microsoft C Compiler

4.00

Microsoft COBOL

2.10

Microsoft FORTRAN

3.31

Microsoft Macro Assembler 4-00

Microsoft Pascal

3.31

Microsoft QuickBASIC

2.00

Look for the Microsoft Languages Newsletter every month in this publication.

ASK BYTE

also need a path to that directory in theCONFIG.SYS file, for example, path=c:

\ word \ ws. Assume also that you havesome subdirectories set up in \ word forsaving word-processing files, and thatone of these subdirectories is called

\myword. The batch file would looksomething like

cd \ word \ ws

ws

copy d:*.* c.%1

Now, to start word processing from anyplace in the system with the intent of sav-ing the files in the C: \ myword directory,simply enter the command WST\ word \ myword. DOS will find the batchfile and execute the first two commands.When WordStar loads, it takes controlwhile it is running. Change the loggeddrive to D and do your work.

When you exit to DOS, it will resumeexecution of the WST batch file and copyall files from D: to C: \ word \ myword.—Steve

Changing Channels

Dear Steve:I have a microcomputer that uses an RF

modulator with either channel 3 or chan-nel 4 output. Are you aware of any cir-cuitry or commercial unit that can convertchannel 3 (or 4) into channel 7 (or a higherVHF channel)?

Although my problem sounds unique (ithas something to do with a foreign TVsystem), I think the circuit could help peo-ple whose RF modulator has only chan-nel 3 output and who receive annoying TVbroadcast interference.

Fahfu HoWappingers Falls, NY

The only RF modulation modules 1have seen on the market are the typethat provide VHF channels 3 and 4selectable outputs. 1 have not seen adja-cent channel interference when themodulator was properly installed with anantenna switch. The output signal levelfrom the modulator is usually higher thanthe signal received by the television setfrom a broadcast station when no anten-na is connected; the RF modulator'ssignal wins out.

If you are receiving interference froman adjacent VHF broadcast station, Iwould suggest shielding your modulator

and antenna switch in a metal enclosurethat is grounded to the television chassisor a common electrical ground point. Insome instances, changing the position ofthe television receiver will eliminate in-terference problems.

If you want to experiment with themodulator, you have to raise the carrierfrequency in the modulator to that ofchannel 7. Channel 2 has a video fre-quency of 55.25 MHz, Channel 3 is at61.25 MHz, but channel 7 is at 175.25MHz. You must modify the oscillator-tuned circuit to achieve the higher fre-quency. Without proper test equipment,this would be a trial-and-error procedure.Also, recognize that the device must beFCC-approved to minimize spurious ra-diation—Steve

A Talented ControllerBoard?

Dear Steve:

I am the proud owner of a PercomRFD-40S1 disk drive for use with Atari400/800 computers. 1 have heard rumorsthat the controller board in the drive cansupport 5!4-inch double-sided double-

[contmued)

FORTRAN PROGRAMMERS

Looking for the right PC FORTRAN language system? If you're serious

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Editor's Choice

- PC Magazine

54 B YTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 184

i Eastman Kodak Company, 1986

_ . .. .^ '

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It used to take up to $15,

and a video technician to

protect real-time PC images.

Now anybody can do it

m fWo minutes for $12701

i.

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The DATASHOW System Is used with anIBM PC or 100% compatible computer.

•Price shown Is Kodak's suggestedprice only. Actual selling price is deter-mined by dealer.

Eastman KodakCompanyMotion Picture and'Audiovisual Products Division

Inquiry 119

IMMEDIATE DELIVERY

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' 8/6 MHZ, 8MHZ CPU Chip U

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With 20MB Seagate 65MS 1/2 Ht $355

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' Software* Short Card' 0-576K Memory' Supports 64K/256K DRAMMade in U.S.A

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* Game port

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flltlutimiimvgliiiiiiiiimiiu. -,rtmiimiiiiniiit t

M

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56 BYTE- DECEMBER 1986

FAST HARD DISK FOR PC/XT AND COMPATIBLE

Upgrade Your PC/XTPower Your XT

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n 20MB Hard Disk Subsystem Seagate 4026d 30MB Hard Disk Subsystem Seagate 4038n 40MB Hard Disk Subsystem Seagate (available now)

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72MB (23 ms) $1195

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Made in U.S.A. - FCC class'B'approval

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8087 Math Co-processor (option)Dimension: 17.5 x 19 x 6.1640K Memory 765K Standard

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■mm

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$15

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' IBM AT Bus Extended Card

$30

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(good for test & debug)

Communications BIT-COM

• AT HD/Floppy Controller

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ORDER ilY MAIL: Check or Money Order, California add 6.5% Sales Tax

ORDER BY PHONE: C.O.D.. Cashier Check, Visa, MasterCard, American Express (3% Extra) or Approwd Company P.O..TERMS: Due to our Ixiw Prices, all sales are final. All prices are subject lo changes and quantity may he limited. We reserve [he Right to SubstituteEquivalent Items. Unauthorized RetumsaresubjecttolO%RestockingFee. CallforRMANtrmberforReturnsandRepairs. 'All Prices are subject tochange without notice.

IBM, Hercules, Bitcomc, Xenix, are Trade Marks of the Respective Companies. Limited Warranty. 1 Year parts and 6 months Labor

Inquiry 69

See page 351.

ASK BYTE

density drives. 8-inch drives, and even ahard disk with some modifications. How-ever, 1 have been unable to obtain adefinitive answer from anyone that it cansupport all those drives. Could you tell meif the rumors are true, and if so, whatmodifications would be necessary?

Stephen ArmstrongNorfolk, VA

While I am not specifically familiar withthe controller board for the Percom drive

you speak of. it is unlikely that the boardwould support both hard drives and flop-pies. Controllers for hard disk drives arequite different in design from controllersof floppy drives.

Using a double-sided drive dependsnot only on the floppy controller chipused but also on the software (DOS). Itis likely that the board could support8-inch drives as well, but again, itdepends on what the designers chose toput on the card in the first place. If they

LatticeWorks

SCREEN DESIGN AID (SDA) ISNOW AVAILABLE FOR RPG IIPROGRAMMERS

The Lattice Screen Design Aid(SDA) utility helps Lattice RPG IIprogrammers create and modifydisplay screen formats during thedevelopment and testing of applica-tion programs. Instead of coding Sand D specifications for the SFGR,SDA allows you to build displaysdirectly on your PC. When the dis-plays on the screen are as you wantthem, SDA creates the SFGR sourcefile, the screen format file for theRPG program and the skeleton RPGprogram for the WORKSTN file;and it can optionally print out asource listing. This product nowjoins Lattice Sort/Merge (LSM™) andSource Entry Utility (SEU) in sup-porting the Lattice RPG II compiler.$350.00

LATTICE ANNOUNCES NEWSCIENTIFIC SUBROUTINEPACKAGE

SSP/PC is a library of mathe-matical subroutines essential toscientific, engineering and statisti-cal computations. Comprised ofmore than 145 subroutines callablefrom FORTRAN, Pascal, BASIC andC, SSP/PC is as extensive as similarpackages generally used on main-frame computers. The routines arevery fast and extremely accurate

Lattice

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Code Sifter is a software develop-ment tool that enables programmersto write faster executing software.It produces CPU usage statisticsthat indicate which code sectionsare the heavy CPU users. Using thisinformation you can concentrateyour optimization efforts on theareas that are really the bottlenecksand ignore the routines that arelight CPU users.

A major advantage of Code Sifterover other products of this type isthat it does not require that the userhave knowledge of the machinearchitecture or assembly language.Link map listings are optional. Inmost cases Code Sifter can set upthe ranges and repeatedly sub-divide them automatically, freeingthe programmer from a lot ofdrudgery. $119.95

did have such expansion in mind at thetime of design, it might be an easy mat-ter to expand the system as you indicate.Such modifications are often dis-tributed through users groups. A direc-tory of users groups that I have lists thefollowing entry-Tidewater Atari Users' Croupdo Buck Maddrey5245 Shenstone CircleVirginia Beach, VA 23455

Perhaps someone associated with thisgroup near you can provide informationon your system.— Steve

CIRCUIT CELLARFEEDBACK

Speech-Recognition System

Dear Steve:

1 am a member of a group of studentsdesigning a speech-recognition system fora class project. We intend for the systemto eventually control a mobile robot thatrecognizes commands such as "stop,""forward," "right," etc. We have decidedto restrict the system to speaker-depen-dent, discrete-utterance recognition. Weplan to use an 8085 as the host processor.

Having seen your Lis'ner 1000 projectin the November 1984 BYTE, we decidedto use General Instrument's SP1000 as thefront end of the recognition system. Weare now searching for literature to explainthe software needed for such a system andwe are hoping you can recommend somebooks or articles.

Stephen LeeClemson, SC

The problem in searching for refer-ences on speech recognition is not infinding articles but in finding the onesthat apply to your specific needs. Thereare hundreds of magazine articles thatconcern speech recognition. However,many are about specific hardwaredevices or dedicated systems.

/ have listed a few books and articlesthat may have information you will finduseful. Some of these items will havebibliographies that can lead to moresources of information.

BOOKS:

Verbal Control with Microcomputers byMike Rigsby (TAB Books, 1982).

Digital Pattern Recognition edited byK. S. Fu (Springer-Verlag. 1980).

Trends in Speech Recognition by W.

[continued)

58 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 185

—PIC—

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Inquiry 78

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 59

Inquiry 310

SSL

3£V

ASK BYTE

AttenUon all FX80, FX100, JX, RX, & MX owners:

You already own half ofa great printer

Dealerinquirieswelcome.

Now for $79.95 you can ownthe rest. You see, today's new dotmatrix printers offer a lot more.

Like an NLQ mode that makestheir letters print almost as sharpas a daisy wheel. And font switch-ing at the touch of a button in over160 styles. But now, a Dots-Perfect

NowOnl

upgrade kit will make your printerwork like the new models in min-utes— at a fraction of their cost.

And FX, JX and MX models willprint the IBM character set, too.

So, call now and use your Visa,MasterCard, or AmerEx. Don'treplace your printer, upgrade it!

e

Sample ofletter withDots-Perfect

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EPSON is a trademark orEPSON America. Inc.

Lea (Prentice-Hall, 1980).

Automatic Speech Analysis and Recog-nition edited by Jean-Paul Haton, (KluwerAcademic, 1982).

MAGAZINE ARTICLES:

"Speech Recognition for a PersonalComputer System" by James R. Boddie,BYTE, July 1977.

"Give an Ear to Your Computer" by BillGeorgiou, BYTE, June 1978.

"How Computers Recognize Speech"by Maryann P. Walsh and Josef Bernard,Computers and Electronics, July 1984.

"The Many Sounds of Voice Digitiza-tion" by Jacques Saint-Remi, Data Com-munications, January 1984.

"Exploring Practical Speech I/O" byTom Brighton and Sharon Cooke, Mini-Micro Systems, May 1982.—Steve

8-bit Buggy

Dear Steve:

Back in the December 1979 CircuitCellar you gave an introduction to elec-trically alterable ROMs and mentionedplans of putting a small computer in yourcar. While some of the latest productionsports cars have computers, these sensorsand computer components are not easi-ly obtained by hobbyists.

Some of my friends and 1 have built rac-ing buggies using somewhat standardframe, block, and transmission parts. Mostof them do not even have simple gaugesfor speed, tach, oil pressure, etc. (We don'trace these cars, we build them for ap-pearance and enter them in various con-tests.) Our latest frame is somewhat moreradical than most, and we intend to makethe rest of the car match.

1 need information on what is availablefor electronically monitoring the differentaspects of a car's operation. Originally, 1intended to use a single microprocessormodule—say, a 6502 with peripheral inter-face adapter, ROM, and scratchpad RAM.Is it feasible to have the 6502 measureRPM, MPH, fuel level, and others? Orwould it be better to have dedicated cir-cuits do the counting and have the resultsavailable to the 6502? I also want to usea simple keypad to make requests to thecontroller for specific results or to activatevarious accessories. I would like to displaythe output on seven-segment LEDs andpossibly LED bar graphs. Perhaps 1 couldalso add a speech synthesizer.

James DumesnilPort Arthur, TX

It is definitely feasible to use a micro-processor such as a 6502 to monitor such

(continued)

60 B YTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry

The faster you moveThe sooner you'll succeed

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12-month, TRW Nationwide ServiceWarranty on the Multitech 900.

Feel free to write for independentthird party evaluation and furtherinformation.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Multitech 9008

CPU 80386. 6/10 MHzswitchable socket for80287 Math CoprocessorRAM 512 KB expandable to1MB- 1FO0, 1.2MB.MS-DOS 3.2

Multitech 900E[Enhanced}

As 900B plus 1WDD.30MB or AOMB-AOmsAlso available:Plus 700.

We re going to work for you.

Multitech Electronics Inc., 1012 Stewart Drive, Sunnyvale,CA 94086. Tel: [408J-773-8400. Fax: [408J-749-8032

it! I

-Crrl

Call (800]-538-1542, toll-free for the name of the dealer nearest you.

tt/Multitech

Inquiry 241

DECEMBER I986 -BYTE 6I

HARMONY COMPUTERS

S.i'.W CONEY ISLAND AVE

.. (Bel, Avcs I & U) BKLYN NY \\;?:\

800-VIDEO84 or 800-441-1144 or 718-627-1000

*«&.

Commodore 128

PANASONIC 1091

Mm^

$259.95

$206.95

STAR NX-

IBMPC(256K)

^^>>"

$214.00

$799.00

"PRINTER SPECIALS"

Brother HR 15X1 269Brother 1509 359Brother HR 35 (Comrex C4)

Epson FX 85

345

Okidata 193 Plus

494

Star SD 10

289

Epson 286

459

Okidata 292 w/INTFC

468

Slar SD 15

386

Epson EX800

469

Okidata 293 w/INTFC

599

Star SR 10

419

Comrex 420 IBM 849

Epson LQ2500

1029

Panasonic KXP 1091

207

Star SR 15

539

IBM Proprinter

359

Panasonic KXP 1092

289

SR 10, SR 15 Sheetleed

49

Citizen 120D 169

IBM Proprinter XL

519

Panasonic KXP 3131

234

Star SB 10

369

Citizen MSP 10 269

NEC 3550

719

Panasonic KXP 3151

369

Star NB 15-

949

Citi2en MSP 15 369

NEC 8850

1039

Panasonic KXP 1592

389

Silver Reed Exp 550

279

Citizen MSP 20 319

NECP6

449

Panasonic KXP 1595

529

Silver Reed Exp 800

619

Citizen MSP 25 459

NEC P7

619

Star NX-10

214

Toshiba 341 E

634

Citizen Premier 35 409

Okidata 182

209

Star SG-10C

189

Toshiba 351

949

Epson LX80 (Homewriter 10) 169

Okidata 93

2S9

Star LV 1210

169

Toshiba 321

429

Epson 1X86 219

Okidata 192

284

Star SG 15

331

Epson LQ800 509

Okidata 192 +

329

Epson LQ 1000 699

IBM

8EAQATE

MODEMS

MONTTORS

AT Unenhanced 2349

Hard Drives

Hayes 1200

354

Amdek 300 Green

113

AT Enhanced IBM 20 Meg. 3499

20 Meg. No Controller

329

Hayes 1200B w/Smartcom

328

Amdek 300 Amber

119

AT Enhanced IBM 30 Meg. 3999IBM PC 256K 799

10 Meg. w/coniroller20 Meg. w/controller

369409

No SmartcomHayes 300

298124

310 AmberColor 600

139374

IBM PC XT#268 286

30 Meg. w/controller

479

Hayes 2400

559

Color 722

454

IBM PC XT 286# 1399

30 Meg. AT

639

Hayes 2400B w/Smartcom

499

Princeton HX12

394

6 MHZ, 640K,

40 Meg. AT

760

Hayes 2400B No Smartcom

459

Princeton HX12E

469

1.2 MB, 20 MB 2899

Tandom 20 M*g.

Micromodem 2E

125

Princeton Max 12E

140

PC XT Turbo Clone 8rnhz 359

Hani Card

429

Promethias 1200

249

SR12

529

IBM Monitor 219

ATARI

Promethias 1200

149

Scan Doubler

159

AST Six Pack 384K 189

130 XE

119

Hayes Smartcom 2APPLE

2E Enhanced W/128K

Drive

Apple DriveMac 512KMac PlusImago writer 2

79

NEC MultisyncGoldstar RGB Color

COMMODORE

549

AST Advantage 128K 329Hercules Color Card 139

65 XE

Atari 801 Printer

89145

65915922912991679449

299

Hercules Monochrome Card 179

1050 Drive

119

Commodore 128

258

Quad EGA+ 319

Atan Writer +

37

1571 Drive

229

Video 7 EGA+ 289

Atari Modem 301

59

1670 Modem

159

STB EGA + 259

Comrex Printer

99

Commodore 64C

174

Multifunction Card 109

520 ST Color System520 STB8W System

759

1541 Disk Drive C

179

IBM Disk Dnve 104

629

COMPAQ

1802 Monitor

174

8087 Chip 112

Portable 256K 2-360K

1902A Monitor

274

80287 Chip 174

AT*T

Compaq Drives

1499

MSP 1000 Printer

228

Everex EGA+ 229

256K 2-360K

1480

Portable 256K 1-360K

Star SG10C

189

Everex Graphics Edge 214

640K 1-360K 1-20MB

1899

1-20MB Hard SeagateDeskpro640K 1-360K

1899

Kaypro PC 256K2 - Drives Monitor

Everex Edge 219

Seagate Hard Drive

1849

1275

Everex Graphics Pacer 189

1-20MB Hard Seagate

1999

Joyslick for IBM 29

Leading Edge Model 0 256K2 Dr. Monitor $1109

Leading Edge Model D 30MBw/monitor $1595

Commodore Amiga 256K, DOS

Mouse, Amiga color monitor

$1095

OUU-lt

1-1 l**Hh

ASK BYTE

Items reflect 4% cash or check discount. For your protection we check for stolen credit cards.

m.e. visa welcome. Personal checks cause 4 week delay. Shipping & Handling charge extra.

AM StfM Rrari - Pric* and avaiaMKy subject to chang* without notice.

How to tacklea 300 page monster.

Turn your PC into a typesetter.

If you're writing a long, serious document on your IBM PC, youwant it to look professional. You want MicroTgX. Designed espe-cially for desktop publishers who require heavy duty typesetting,MicroTgX is based on the TgX standard, with tens of thousandsof users worldwide. It easily handles documents from^smaller than 30 pages to 5000 pages or more.No other PC typesetting software gives you asmany advanced capabilities as MicroTgX.So if you want typesetting softwarethat's as serious as you are about yourwriting, get MicroTj?X. Call toll free800-2552550 to order or for moreinformation.* Order with a 60-daymoney back guarantee.

MicroTEX

from Addison-Wesley

Serious typesetting for serious desktop publishers.

"Dealers, call our Dealer Hot Line: 800-447-2226(In MA, 800-446-3399), ext. 2643.

variables as RPM, MPH, fuel level, etc. Abrief discussion of shaft encoding tomeasure speed can be found in Don Lan-caster's "Hardware Hacker'' column inthe September 1985 issue of ModernElectronics. Several good books are avail-able that contain information pertinentto your project. They contain discussionsof various types of sensors and trans-ducers. Two of these books are

Analog Electronics for MicrocomputerSystems by Coldsbrough, Lund, andRayner (Howard W. Sams & Co., 1983).

Microprocessors for Measurement andControl by David M. Auslander and PaulSagues (Osborne/McCraw-Hill, 1981).

Manufacturers such as NationalSemiconductor and Analog Devices haveextensive manuals and applicationsliterature for various converters, sensors,and display devices. You could use theNational 74C917 seven-segment displaydriver to drive a six-digit display. Youcould display eight digits if you use theIntersil ICM7218 universal LED driver IC.Omega Engineering (Box 4047, Stam-ford, CT 06907) publishes several hand-books on measurement and control thatcontain data and information you wouldfind useful.

Finally, several Circuit Cellar projectsare relevant to your application. Amongthem:

' 'Build a Keyboard Function Decoder,"July 1978.

"Build a Low-Cost, Remote Data-EntryTerminal,'' September 1980.

"Analog Interfacing in the Real World,"January 1982.

"Build a Third-Generation PhoneticSpeech Synthesizer," March 1984.-Steve

Outgrowing the Model 100

Dear Steve,

I am a neophyte computer owner, test-ing the waters with a Radio Shack Model100 laptop computer. I bought it with 32Kfor well under $300, It has worked well,it is certainly cost-effective, and I am hav-ing fun figuring out how things work.

But 32K isn't enough. "Upgrades for theTRS-80 Model 100" by Terry Kepner in theDecember 1985 BYTE tells me 1 can buyan expansion memory bank that gives me96K bytes for $42 5. I'm afraid that's toomuch for my budget.

Any suggestions on making a low-costRAM module that leaves the Model 100'sROM and expansion sockets vacant?

Steven F. Trotter

Bel Air, MD

{continued)

62 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 4

It had to happen.

After years of building high-quality, lowcost terminals and monitors to Americanspecs, Samsung has gone Americanall the way.

We've established a stateside groupto handle your needs. SamsungElectron Devices.

Besides providing liaison with Korea,we have an American designteam on staff. So you canget terminals and monitorsdesigned right to yourspecs. With ease. Becausethere's always somebodyon your side of the Pacificto talk to.

What's more, we can deliver 12" and 14" terminals thatemulate America's most popular models. Plus we offer avariety of monitors, including color, in several cabinetstyles, that also emulate America's most popularmodels. (In many cases, they already are the mostpopular models in the states.)

Our perfected manufacturing techniques keep the costsdown. And our automated, robotic assembly lines turnout everything from CRTs to terminals to computers that

meet U.S. standards, no problem. No inscrutable

delivery delays, either.

In short, we have what it takes to do businessyour way. The American Way.

Join up with Uncle Samsung.Call 213/404-1835.It's a great way to serveyour company.

0%

€JC SAMSUNG

M0 Electron Devices

Inquiry 314 for End-Users.Inquiry 315 for DEALERS ONLY.

SUNG

SEOUL HEAD OFFICE

TEL: (02) 755-2333 (511-513)TELEX: K22596FAX: (02) 756-9111

TOKYO OFFICE

TEL: (03) 581-5804, 581-9521/4TELEX: 2228009 SANSEIFAX: (03) 581-4835

LONDON OFFICE

TEL: (01) 831-6951/5TELEX: 264606 STARS LGFAX: (01) 430-0096

8 YEARS OF

GUARANTEED

QUALITY & SERVICE

ASK BYTE

The TRS-80 Model 100 laptop com-puter is a very versatile unit. It does,however, have some limitations in itshardware and software—one of them be-ing the difficulty you encounter when youtry to add RAM to the system.

The 80C85 microprocessor is designedto address 64K bytes of memory. TheModel 100 uses 32K of ROM for its oper-ating system, BASIC, and other software.This leaves only 32K of room availablefor RAM. The device mentioned in theDecember BYTE uses the technique ofbank switching to control the additionalRAM. You cannot, however, have a pro-gram larger than 32K, since a programcannot cross a bank boundary.

The high cost involved in this methodis due not only to the cost of the memorychips but to address decoding and sup-port ICs. It seems, therefore, that your ap-plications will be quite limited with thismachine. Depending on your needs, youmight want to consider a larger portablewith bigger RAM capacities.—Steve

Perfboard

Dear Steve:

I have been looking for a large prototyp-ing board. I had given up hope of findingsuch a board until I read your article"Build an Audio-and-Video Multiplexer" inthe February BYTE. In it. you depictedwhat appeared to be an 8- by 16-inch pro-totyping board. Where can 1 get such aboard?

Thomas J. MillerSt. Louis, MO

One source for prototyping boards(called perfboards) in the size range yourequire is

Jameco Electronics1355 Shoreway Rd.Belmont, CA 94002(415) 592-8097

jameco's catalog number 169P84WEisa sheet of Yl6-inch epoxy-glass perf-board that is 8'A by 17 inches in size.—Steve ■

i venn warrhntv, 30 dhv moncv bock guarantcc

Micro Design Internotionol, Inc.

6985 University Boulevard, LUinterPark, Florida 32792

Over the years I have presented many dif-ferent projects in BYTE. I know many of youhave built them and are making use of themin many ways.

I am interested in hearing from any of youtelling me what you've done with these projectsor how you may have been influenced by thebasic ideas. Write me at Circuit Cellar feed-back, P.O. Box 582, Glastonbury, CT 06033,and fill me in on your applications. All lettersand photographs become the property of SteveCiarcia and cannot be returned.

BOOK REVIEWS

PROJECTIVE GEOMETRYAND ITS APPLICATIONSTO COMPUTER GRAPHICSMichael A. Penna andRichard R. PattersonPrentice-Hall

Englewood Cliffs, NJ: 1986403 pages, $41

PROGRAMMINGPRINCIPLES INCOMPUTER GRAPHICSLeendert AmmeraalJohn Wiley & SonsNew York: 1986168 pages, $19.95

A MODEL

IMPLEMENTATION OF

STANDARD PASCAL

Jim Welsh and Atholl Hay

Prentice-Hall

Englewood Cliffs, NJ: 1986

483 pages, $49.95

PROJECTIVE GEOMETRYAND ITS APPLICATIONSTO COMPUTERGRAPHICS

Reviewed byJohn D. Unger

Imagine writing graphics programs that can show athree-dimensional perspective drawing of a specific ob-ject, or designing programs that let you zoom in on a cir-cuit board layout to see progressively finer details. Projec-tive Geometry and Its Applications to Computer Graphics byMichael A. Penna and Richard R. Patterson explains howto manipulate such graphical concepts and teaches thefundamental principles of projective geometry. The bookwill be most useful to experienced programmers whoneed to write sophisticated graphics applications that usetwo- or three-dimensional perspective and projections.Penna and Patterson's book is not for those not mathe-matically inclined. It is a math/analytic geometry book, andas such, the prerequisites for using it include analyticgeometry and calculus, a computer background, and

familiarity with matrix nota-tion and simple matrixoperations.

Focus on Dimension

Projective Geometry and Us Ap-plications to Computer Graphicsis liberally sprinkled withhelpful examples and illus-trations. Chapters are divid-ed into sections, each withits own set of exercises. Itwould be more convenientfor a nonclassroom situa-tion if the book also con-tained an answer sectionfor at least some of the ex-ercises. Most of the book isdevoted to teaching themathematics of projectivegeometry: only 145 of thebook's 400 pages deal withapplying the mathematicalprinciples to computergraphics.

The first of two chaptersdevoted to computer graph-ics gives an overview of howprojective geometry is ap-plied to writing computergraphics applications andcenters on a two-dimen-sional graphics program.The second chapter covers the more complex subjects ofthree-dimensional graphics, perspective views, hidden-linetechniques, rotational graphics, and the like.

These two chapters also introduce several key conceptsconcerning how to transform an object's coordinate systemto the natural coordinate space of the graphics device. Agood example involves mapping the x,y coordinates of anoffice building's floor plan onto the row and column coor-dinates of your screen. The authors pay special attentionto coping with computer-related problems that arise in dis-playing two-dimensional graphics. The finite size of the pix-els on a screen and their aspect ratio must be taken intoconsideration, as must their relationship to the actualscreen size in inches. Because the size of a display area

{continued)

ILLUSTRATED BY TAMAR HABER-SCHA1M

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 65

ARTEKAOA

TAKE THE NEXT SUP

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BOOK REVIEWS

Ada's powerful features make it the programming language of choice fortoday's complex software. Artek Ada is the most advanced Ada compiler for PCs.

Artek Ada is a new approach to personal computing. Ourfast and efficient Ada compiler runs on a vanilla PC, XT orAT with 384 Kb RAM, giving you unprecedented power andease of use. But don't take our words for it. Take Artek Adaout for a test drive yourself. Order a Demo diskette today!

Artek Ada is an extensive, totally upwards-compatibleimplementation of the 1983 ANSI Ada military standard. Itcompiles amazingly fast and includes an Ada ProgrammingSupport Environment to greatly enhance productivity. In theAPSE we have integrated the compiler with a powerful editorand a high-level debugger.

True to Artek's PC heritage the compiler is not copy-protected, and the complete source code for the Ada library isincluded free of charge.

We are now working on a new, validated version of ArtekAda, expected to be available in the first half of 1987. Youwill be able to trade in your compiler at full price, if youdecide to upgrade.

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For orders or information call toll-free 1-800-PC-ARTEK,in New Jersey or outside the continental U.S.A. call201-867-2900, or write to our address.

A free brochure is available on request. Our Demo kit, including the realcompiler with a 40-line maximum program length costs S 29.95, includingp&p anywhere in the world. The compiler costs S 495.00. VISA, MC andAMEX accepted. In New Jersey add 6% sales tax. Outside the U.S.A. add$20.00. Please pay with credit card or a bank draft, payable in U.S. Dollars,drawn on a U.S. bank.

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on a CRT is difficult to measure accurately, the authorsrecommend drawing squares on the screen while varyingthe value of the aspect ratio until the best possible resultsare obtained. They also point out that the aspect ratio ofthe plotter or printer used with a given microcomputer fre-quently differs from that calculated for the CRT.

A Simulation

The chapter on three-dimensional graphics includes an in-triguing section on writing a program that simulates anenhanced attitude indicator or artificial horizon indicatorfor an aircraft. It produces an image similar to that seenon programs like Flight Simulator, but the ground is shownsimply as a gridded network of lines without any topo-graphic or cultural features. This program is rather com-plex and uses sophisticated projection techniques. It lookslike it would be fun to attempt to write this program fora microcomputer, though quite a challenge as well.

The programs and program fragments in these twochapters are written in pseudocode, which keeps the bookfrom being software- or hardware-specific but prevents thereader from having source code that could simply becopied and then run on a computer. The pseudocode sam-ple programs give Projective Geometry a much broader au-dience than programs written for a specific computer orlanguage would. However, readers have to know somethingabout pseudocode and how to translate this generic lan-guage into their favorite source code. The authors indicatethat the programs in the book have been implemented onvarious mini- and microcomputers using Pascal, FORTRAN,and BASIC.

APPLICATIONS

The authors wrote their programs with the assumption thatthe reader has some sort of graphics library. This libraryshould contain certain primitive graphics functions or pro-cedures. These can be nothing more complex than thegraphics available with the GW-BASIC interpreter, which letsyou use commands such as MODE, LINE, PRINT, WINDOW,VIEW, and PSET. The book's role is to combine these com-mands with some matrix operations to produce a programthat applies the principles of projective geometry.

I implemented a simple version of the authors' Graph2Dprogram for my AT&T PC 6300 using a C compiler andsome graphics library functions I wrote. The only procedurein the program that I couldn't duplicate was one to writecharacter strings on the screen at different scales androtated at various angles to the horizontal. This simple yetpowerful program lets you view any part of a two-dimen-sional picture at an arbitrary scale and translated or rotatedany amount. It is the type of program that has applicationsfor floor plans of buildings, electronic micro circuits, ormaps.

Unfortunately, the book does not discuss the details ofhow to write specific graphics procedures, such as the best(fastest) way to draw a line between two points. Thepseudocode examples simply call a function such as Draw-LineFrom(U0,V0)To(U1,V1). It is up to the user to figure out

{continued)

Lotus1-2-3

$319

Paradox

s469

dBase IIIPlus

$389

FrameWorkII

$389

MultimateAdvantage

$279

WordPerfect 4.1

$209

Software

GraphicsCHARTMASTER

$219

Network ApplicationsDBASE III LAN PAK

$599

DisDlav BoardsHERCULES GRAPHICS

MonitorsAMDEK310A

$159

DIAGRAPH

$309

KMAN2

$899

CARD

$199

AMDEK 600/722 $429/539 |

DIAGRAM MASTER

$199

MULTIMATE

$639

HERCULES COLOR

NEC MULTISYNC

$619

Word ProcessingFANCY FONTFINAL WORD IIMICROSOFT

WORD 3.0MULTIMATEMULTIMATE

ADVANTAGEOFFICE WRITER/

SPELLERPFS: WRITESAMNAWORDMITHINK TANKTURBO LIGHTNINGVOLKSWRITER 3VOLKSWRITER

SCIENTIFICWORD PERFECT4.1WORDSTAR 2000WORDSTAR 2000 +WORDSTAR PRO

$139$219

ENERGRAPHICS2.0

$299

MULTIMATE

CARD

$159

PRINCETON HX-12

$449

FREELANCE

$209

ADVANTAGE

$749

PARADISE MODULAR

PRINCETON MAX-12E

$179

GEM DRAW

$149

OPEN SYSTEMS

$459

GRAPHICS

$259

PRINCETON SR-12

$499

$279$249

GRAPHWRITER

RBASE 5000

$799

QUADRAMEGA +

$369

PRINCETON HX-12E

$539

COMBO

$309

REVELATION

$999

SIGMA COLOR 400

$449

PRINCETON HX-9

$529

IN-A-VISION

$259

SAMNAWORDMI

$799

STB EGA PLUS

$299

TAXAN 122 AMBER

$159

$279

MAPMASTER

$239

WORD PERFECT SERVER $309

TECMAR EGA

TAXAN 630/640 $469/539 |

MS CHART

$189

WORD PERFECT

MASTER

$299

$239$ 89$279

$109$ 65$159

PC DRAW

$209

STATION

$ 75

TSENG ULTRA PAK

$429

Networks

PC PAINTBRUSH

$ 99

TSENG EVA-CM M

$379

AST PC NET

SCall

PFS: GRAPH

$ 89

Languages/Utilities

TSENG EVA 480

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NOVELL

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PICTURE PERFECT

SIGNMASTER

WINDOWS/DRAW

$245$149$119

C86C COMPILERCOPYWRITEFASTBACKLATTICE C

$319$ 45$ 89$259

Emulation BoardsAST 5211-11 +

S649

ORCHID PC NET

Printers/PlottersBROTHER

SCall

$259$209$249$289$259$199

MICROSOFT C

AST 5251-12

$499

TWINWRITER

$ 939

Project Management

COMPILER

$289

AST BSC

$489

DATA PRODUCTS

SCall

HARVARD TOTALPROJECT MANAGER

$279

MS BASIC COMPILERMS FORTRAN

$249$229

AST SNAIRMA

$599$725

DIABLO 635EPSON FX-85

$1149S 399

MICROSOFT PROJECT

$249

NORTON UTILITIES

$ 59

SMART ALEC 5251

$699

EPSON FX-286

$ 579

PROJECT SCHEDULER

QUICKBASIC

$ 69

EPSON LQ-B00

$ 589

XYWRITE HI

NETWORK

$339

TURBO PASCAL

$ 69

Modems

AST REACH 1200

EPSON LQ-1000

$ 769

SUPERPROJECT +

$269

TURBO PROLOG

$ 69

$359

HP 7475A

$ Call

TIMELINE 2.0

$239

XENIX

SCall

HAYES 1200

$389

NEC 3550

$ 799

Database Systems

ZERO DISK

$ 70

HAYES 1200B

$349

OKI DATA 192

$ 379

CLIPPER

$359

HAYES 2400

$579

OKIDATA, 193

S 519

CONDOR III

$339

Communications/

Desktop Environments

HAYES 2400B

$549

OKI DATA 292

$ 539

DBASE III PLUS

$389

Productivity Tools

DESQVIEW

$69

TRANSNET1000

$279

OKIDATA 293

$ 689

KMAN2

$339

CARBON COPY

$ 129

GEM DESKTOP

$39

VENTEL 1200

TOSHIBA P321

S 499

PARADOX

$469

CROSSTALK

$ 99

MS WINDOWS

$69

HALF CARD

$369

TOSHIBA P341

$ 829

PFS: FILE/ REPORT

$169

PROKEY

$ 85

SIDEKICK

$49

VENTEL 1200 PLUS

$299

TOSHIBA P351

$1069

Q&A

$249

RELAY GOLD

$149

WATSON

$339

QUICKCODE IIIQUICKREPORT

$159$159

REMOTESMARTERM

$ 109SCall

Hardware *

Input DevicesKEYTRONICS 5151

$169

R BASE SYSTEM VREFLEX

S359$ 89

SMARTCOM IISUPERKEY

$ 99$ 55

•lultifunction BoardsAST ADVANTAGE

Mass Storage/BackupIOMEGA 10+10

KEYTRONICS5153MICROSOFT MOUSE

$299$129

REVELATION

$499

(128K)

$349

WflNTFC

$1999

PC MOUSE W

StatisticsSPSS/PC +STATGRAPHICSSTATPAC GOLD-

WALONICKSYSTAT—NEW

$699$449

AST 6 PAK PLUS (64K)

$169

IOMEGA 20 + 20

PAINT +

$139

AST I/O MINI

$139

W/INTFC

S25S9

Accessories

Spreadsheets/

AST MP MINI

$199

IRWIN 120D20MB

CURTIS SURGE

Integrated Packages

$399$499

AST PREMIUM PAK(512K) $359

TBU

$ 599

PROTECTORS

SCall

ENABLE

$349

AST RAMPAGE PC

$249

IRWIN 145AT 40MB

DATASHIELD BACKUP

FRAMEV.'ORKII

$389

AST RAM PAG EAT

$459

TBU

$ 699

POWER

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JAVELIN

$419

AST SHORTRAM (OK)

$159

MOUNTAIN DRIVECARC

'

DATASHIELD SURGE

LOTUS 1-2-3

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Accounting

INTEL ABOVEBOARD

20MB

$ 719

PROTECTORS

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MULTIPLAN

$135

BPI

$309

PS AT

$399

PLUS HARDCARD10MB

$ 569

GILTRONIX

OPEN ACCESS II

$299

GREAT PLAINS

$479

JRAM AT-3 (OK)

$239

PLUS HARDCARD 20MB

$ 719

SWITCHES

SCall

SMART SYSTEM

$439

IUS EASYBUSINESS

$309

JRAM 3 (OK)

$179

PRIAM 42MB AT

$949

MASTERPIECE PLUS

$135

SPREADSHEET

ONE WRITE PLUS

$159

ORCHID CONQUEST (OK) $279

SYSGEN SMART IMAGE

MICROFAZER INLINE

AUDITOR

$ 99

OPEN SYSTEMS

$409

ORCHID ECCEL (OK!

$399

20MB (INT)

$ 625

BUFFERS

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' SUPERCALC 4

$289

"REAL WORLD

$399

PC TURBO 286 (1MB)

$799

TALLGRASS

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256K RAM SET

$ 39 I

SYMPHONY

$449

STAR ACCOUNTING

PC TINY TURBO 286

$459

TECMAR QIC-60AT TBU

8087 MATH CHIP

$119 I

, TWIN

$ 79

PARTNER II

$529

QUADBOARD (64K)

$139

(INT)

$1199

80287 MATH CHIP

$189

] -CALL FOR SHIPPING COSTS

NECMultisync

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Inquiry 48

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how best to write or implement this function using his orher particular software and hardware.

Crisp Style

Given the textbook nature of Projective Geometry, Penna andPatterson have adopted a lucid and fairly easy-to-readwriting style. Make no bones about it, though, the bookuses a quantitative approach to the subject; there is verylittle descriptive material. The organization of the book isstraightforward and logical. First the math is presented andthen the applications with examples. Fortunately for com-puter types, the two chapters on computer graphics appli-cations are among the easiest to read. There is about asmuch jargon as you might expect from a math-orientedtextbook; you won't be coddled.

}ohn D. Unger (P.O. Box 95, Hamilton, VA 22068) is a geophysicistfor the U.S. government who uses computers to help study the geologicstructure in earthquake-prone regions of the eastern U.S.

PROGRAMMING PRINCIPLESIN COMPUTER GRAPHICS

Reviewed by Steve Cunningham

Of his book Programming Principles in Computer Graphics,Leendert Ammeraal states that "for anyone whoteaches computer graphics, at least some parts of thebook will be useful." I'll go beyond that. The book isamong the best starting points I've seen for people whoneed to learn computer graphics, be they students,teachers, or programmers. This slim volume offers a con-cise, concrete introduction to graphics that prepares theway for additional graphics work. It assumes only that youhave previous programming experience.

GENERAL APPROACH WORKS

Some books cover a lot of material but skimp on thedetails. This one, however, picks its topics carefully anddescribes each one fully. What Ammeraal covers is linegraphics, and he does so in a very thorough, device-inde-pendent fashion. All the topics he discusses have com-plete program listings. His vehicle is C, which could wellbe the best modern graphics language. Though he usesUNIX C and some of his programs are filters that pre-process scene data for later graphic programs to use, hisprograms are readily adaptable to other systems or evenother languages. The reader needs to provide only themost elementary move and draw routines to make the pro-grams work on essentially any system and provide out-put to a wide variety of devices. I have written my owngraphics package, and I was able to adapt programs readi-ly, even in a raster graphics environment.

The approach of this text is far superior to that of mostmicrocomputer graphics books. By treating the topic ina device-independent way, Ammeraal covers a great dealof material very clearly. Most graphics books, on the otherhand, tend to spend so much time discussing machine-

(continued)

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BOOK REVIEWS

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dependent questions that good general questions areslighted. Moreover, the general approach can be imple-mented easily on any computer.

Graphics Topics Discussed

Ammeraal starts with two-dimensional graphics and coverstransformations, windowing and clipping, recursive draw-ing, and B-spline curves—all in 30 pages. He conveys moreuseful information here than most books do in twice thespace. He then goes on to three-dimensional topics, in-cluding geometry, decomposing polygons into triangles,perspective drawing, backface removal, a hidden-linealgorithm, and some applications. He includes all themathematics required for his techniques, but readers willneed some background in math and trigonometry.

The book has two special technical features. First, it in-troduces the viewing transformation, the fundamental partof 3-D viewing, by locating the eye point in spherical coor-dinates. This makes the transformation's matrix muchclearer than the conventional Cartesian approach but isalmost never done in standard texts. Second, the technicalcenterpiece of the book is its hidden-line algorithm. Thisis a difficult problem—more difficult than the hidden-surface problem—and its solution is carefully and fullydeveloped. The algorithm is a special case of the classicalRoberts algorithm, so it is not as unique as the authorfeels. However, it works well, is of reasonable length soits source code can be fully included in the book, and isused to produce some very nice illustrations. For a moretechnical discussion, see David F. Rogers's ProceduralElements for Computer Graphics (McGraw-Hill, 1985).

Provides Basic Tools

As good as it is, Programming Principles in Computer Graphicsis far from a complete source of graphics information. Itmakes no attempt to cover such topics as raster graphics,surfaces, color, lighting models, fractals, or ray tracing.After working through Ammeraal's book, you will have thetools you need to go on to these areas and work throughmore advanced texts such as lames D. Foley and Andriesvan Dam's Fundamentals of Interactive Computer Graphics(Addison-Wesley, 1982) or D Donald Hearn and M. PaulineBaker's Computer Graphics (Prentice-Hall, 1986).

Steve Cunningham teaches computer science at California State Univer-sity, Stanislaus [Computer Science Department, Turlock, CA 95380).He is chairman of ACM-SIGGRAPH's Education Committee andthe author of SIGGRAPH's Computer Graphics EducationDirectory.

A MODEL IMPLEMENTATIONOF STANDARD PASCAL

Reviewed by Paul E. Hoffman

A Model Implementation of Standard Pascal by Jim Welsh andAtholl Hay has many goals: to put the source codefor a complete implementation of ISO Standard Pascal into

(continued)

70 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 3 3

F.sfK-.wdft .' ■ -:.: J.:- : ■

PANASONIC PRINTERS.THEY'RE GENERATING A LOT OF

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PC WEEK-JUNE 17, 1986

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71

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BOOK REVIEWS

the public domain, to show good Pascal programmingstyle by example, to explain how to implement a completep-code system efficiently and coherently, and to detail theconsiderations needed to implement a robust compiler.The book is quite successful in these goals. Because itis highly technical, it will be of little interest to beginningPascal programmers. However, if you are a mid- to high-level Pascal programmer or you are interested in how com-pilers are constructed, you will probably find this bookfascinating.

Three Substantive Programs

The book presents three complete and lengthy programs.The first and longest program is the Pascal compiler. Acomplete implementation of ISO Standard Pascal (ISO#7185), it takes up about 70 percent of the book. The com-piler produces object programs in p-code.

The second program is the P-machine that interprets thep-code from the compiler and executes it on the targetmachine. The P-machine is designed to run on almost anycomputer and has no CPU-specific instructions in it. TheP-machine program has an interesting feature: If a p-codeprogram terminates abnormally, the P-machine saves a filewith run-time information. This is processed by the "post-mortem generator."

This third program reads the "corpse" file that is left bythe P-machine and gives the programmer valuable infor-mation on exactly what went wrong in the program. Itanalyzes the state of the "dead" program by comparingits values to those of the files generated by the p-codecompiler.

A Sound Structure

A Model Implementation of Standard Pascal consists of a bit offront matter and these three heavily commented pro-grams. All of the text that you would normally find in abook is program comments here. This novel approach hasforced the authors to present their material in the sameorder as it appears in the programs. Of course, this meansthat the programs must be very well structured or thebook wouldn't make much sense. Fortunately, the pro-grams are put together very well and the book is quitereadable.

The chapters consist of the functional parts of the pro-grams. For example, the chapters in the postmortem gen-erator section include an overview, global definitions, diag-nostic file-reader procedures, error message output pro-cedures, a symbolic variable lister, and a driver program.Each chapter begins with a discussion of the code andan explanation of some of the variables used by the func-tions and procedures in the chapter.

In addition to the chapter opening, each routine andfunction in the programs is commented in two ways. Mostprogram units are prefaced with the kind of material youwould expect in a book. This consists of a few paragraphsexplaining the purpose of the unit, its input and output,and notes on implementation. Some statements in the rou-tines and functions are also commented. The variable

(continued)

74 B YTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 273

Technical & OtherInfo. (602) 246-2222

Call for programsnot listed

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DECEMBER I986 -BYTE 75

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■ 1.2M High Capacity Floppy Drive

• AT HCD/FOC Controller

■ Mono or Color Graphic Adapter

■ Monitor

■ Assembled and Fully Tested

SAMSUNGMONITORS

■ MD-1252G Amber or Green $79

12" Monochrome Monitor TTL. Swivel Base. 720 x 350Dot Resolution. 80 character x 25 Rows

■ CD-1464W RGB $269

16 color 640 x 200 Dot Resolution. 80 Character x 25Rows

■ CD-1452M EGA-Hi Resolution RGB CALL

640x350 Dot Resolution

KEYBOARDS

■ K-139 AT/XT Keyboard $75

Large Return Key, 12 Function Key, Enhanced Keyboard

• K-136 AT/XT Keyboard : $65

Software Switchable. Large Return Key

• K-135 XT Keyboard $70

Features Separate Num. & Cursor Pads/LED Cap Lock &Num. Lock w/Large Relurn

MODEMS

Hayes Compatible

■ Smarteam External 1200 S165

■ Lynkers External 1200 $110

■ Discovery External 2400 $299

• Easy DATA Internal 1200 1119

POWER SUPPLY

■ P-150 Switching Power Supply $65

• P-200W Switching Power Supply $99

■ Mini Power Center 540

CHASSIS

■ C-600 XT Case Slide Oft/Open top $29

• C-600-A XT Case AT. Jr style. XT size $39

• C-700 AT Case $99

DRIVES

BOARDS

360K Teac 1/2 Disk Drive $90

360K Fujitsu 1/2 Drive $85

1.2M High Capacity AT Drive $135

20 MB Seagate Hard Disk $3D0

20 MB Seagate Hard Disk w/Westem Digital $399

30 MB Seagate Hard Disk CALL

ADD-ONPC/XT

• MGB-101

• MGB-102

• MGB-103•MGB-103-1■MGB-104■MGB-105

• MGB-105-1■MGB-106

■ MGB-106-1

■ MGB-107

• MGB-108

■ MGB-109■MGB-110-MGB-111•MGB-112•MGB-113•MGB-128■MGB-129■MGB-131

■ MGB-132

• MGB-133

PC/AT

•MGB-201•MGB-202■MGB-205•MGB-205-1■MGB-208

■ MGB-210■MGB-23!

■ MGB-109-1•MGB-135

XT Mother Board $105

Multifunction Card $78

Monochrome Graphic $65

Monographic Printer $75

Color Graphic $55

Floppy Disk Card 1 port $29

Floppy Disk Card 2 port $38

RS 232 Card 1 port $25

RS 232 Card 2 port $30

Game I/O Card $20

XT512K RAM Card $44

XT Parallel Printer Card $21

6220 XT HD S FD Controller... .$125XT Color Graphic Printer Card .$66

Monochrome Card $50

XT 640K RAM Card $46

XT 640K Turbo Board $130

Clock Card $29

XT I/O Plus Card $49

XT Mulb l/D $79

6210 XT HDC $105

$575$179$82$119. $109AT HDC/FDC Cdnlroller w Cable .$225

AT I/O Card $80

AT/XT Parallel Serial $55

EGA Card $285

AT Moiher Board Bios

AT 3M Multi Card .'

AT 1.2 M Floppy Disk CardAT I.2M 360K ControllerAT 2.5M RAM Card

CABLES

8510 Computer To Printer

6 ft S7 1011 $7.50

15(1 $8

8511 RS 232 Serial Cable DB25 l/l6 II $7

8512 Computer To Printer Centronic36 pin c/c

611 $8.50 1011 $9.50

25 pin c/c

611 $7.50 1011 $8.50

8513 RS 232 Serial 0B25 m/1

611 $7 1011 $8

8514 RS232 Serial DB25 m/m611 $7

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611 $4.50 1011 $5.50

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8524 Gender Changer DB25 m/m $4

8525 Gender Changer DB25 l/t $4

4 Ways Switch Box-Serial $35

4 Ways Switch Box-Parallel $37

A/B Swilch-Serial $25

A/B Switch-Parallel $25

Power Outlet Strip UL $9.99

Monitor Cable $7.50

ACCESSORIES

DX-45 Diskette Box $7

DX-100 Diskette Box $8

Bar Code Reader $300

Keyboard Cover COM $4.50

Keyboard Cover IBM $3.75

Keyboard Drawer (Wood) $35

256K RAM Chip $3.00

64K RAM Chip $1.25

2nd Serial Port Kil $17.99

MAGITRONIC TECHNOLOGY INC.

9-02 43 Road, Long Island City, NY 11101

ORDERS ONLY: 1-800-227-5454

NY & West Coast Information: 718-706-7670

PLEASE CALL FOR QUANTITY PRICES

Orders Can Be Shipped from West Coast

All Orders are Shipped UPS COD Cash. Certitied Check cr Money Order Within 24 Hours.IBM* PC/XT and Hayes are registered trademarks of their respective companies.

BOOK REVIEWS

names throughout the book are very well chosen and helpto document the program in sections that are uncom-mented.

One stumbling block in A Model \mplementation of StandardPascal is that there is no bookwide index. Each programhas a fairly complete index of procedures and functions,but there is no easy way to find where a general topic iscovered unless it is mentioned in the table of contents.This makes the book much less useful for the person whowants to find out how small parts of the implementationwork. Fortunately, it shouldn't get in the way of mostreaders.

The Pascal code throughout the book is formatted beau-tifully. The indentation is flawless even on multistatementlines. In addition, the authors have used the acceptedPascal character formatting throughout, so that all Pascalkeywords are in bold, and variable and constant nameshave initial capitals. A nice touch added by the authorsis that all string constants are displayed in a monospacedtypewriter font.

An Admirable Job

Writing a compiler is never an easy task. The authors havedone an admirable job not only of making the code cor-rect but also of making it easy to follow in the book. Thisis achieved by organizing the compiler in such a fashionas to hide minor details until after the larger picture isexplained.

For example, the first few chapters deal with globaldefinitions and the source input and output. This is fol-lowed by a chapter on object code generation, whichcovers the structure of the p-code file in great detail. Thesyntactical analysis is covered after this. The authorsassume that you already know the rules for writing Pascalprograms since these are shown only by following thesource code and are not discussed in the comments.

Welsh and Hay don't bother detailing most of the basicconcepts that they discuss. Instead, they show how a par-ticular data structure is set up or how a certain procedureconverts its arguments. It seems to me that one of themost educational parts of the book is the authors' useof complex data structures to hold the program state andcontents of variables.

Although the authors' assumptions of the reader'sprevious knowledge may seem cavalier, it leaves themmore room to discuss the important issue: how to writea compiler well. They do this in a subtle and effective way.Rather than giving "rules" for good compiler construction,they simply show how they did it for ISO Standard Pascal.They let you make your own judgments on how to do itfor other languages. Although the book does not addressany other languages, the data structures and parsing pro-cedures are appropriate for other programming languagessuch as BASIC or Ada.

The authors have a few intrinsic features of ISO Stan-dard Pascal working in their favor. It is easier to imple-ment a p-code compiler than a machine language com-piler. Also, the highly structured nature of Pascal makes

[continued)

76 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 209

ARC — the No-Problem Computer Company

Compatibility — The most compatible machines on the market.

Reliability — Ask about ARC. Our reputation in the industry is built on it.

Performance — We introudced the first turbo machine in 1984, and haven't stopped since!

The ARC 286 Turbo

Fully IBM AT™ compatible, theARC 286 turbo has been reviewed byInfoWorld and by PC Magazine.

InfoWorld, May 12, 1986: "TheARC 286 Turbo ... topped the list ...• scoredbetter than the IBM PC AT, the Tandy 3000,Zenith Data Systems Z-200, and EpsonEquity III."

If you use a 286 based machine,ARC is your company. Our compatibilitywith IBM™ is the best in the industry. Youcan use all of your software, expansioncards, network systems. Our chassis looksgreat, yet is built to stand up to abuse. The200 watt power supply will support thelargest drives and peripherals you might wantto add.

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But don't take our 286 for itself alone. When you buy ARC products, you get a wholecompany behind you—warranty, service, and our Technical Support Hot Line—the kind of supportyou need, and the kind you expect from "The No-Problem Computer Company".

The ARC 3278 PC

Full function 3278 terminal. Coaxconnector attaches to your IBM or compatible327x cluster controller. File transfersoftware that is the fastest in the industry isalso available at a low per-mainframe charge.Beats IRMA™, P.J.™, PCOX™ and IBM™.

System comes complete with 640KRAM, 4.77 / 8 MHz turbo mode, Hercules™compatible monochrome graphics, ambermonitor, and one 360KB floppy disk drive.

All ARC systems include full oneyear manufacturer's warranty. Independentservice contracts by TRW and 3M areavailable optionally.

Let us introduce you to the complete line of ARC Turbo products — including the ARC Turbo,Jet Turbo, Model 10, and The World computer. For a complete catalog of ARC products, including alist of ARC Authorized Dealers, please write: ARC Consumer Services, 1101 Monterey Pass Road,Monterey Park, CA 91754.

For a list of ARC Authorized Dealers, please write: ARC Consumer Services,

1101 Monterey Pass Road, Monterey Park, CA 91754.If you are interested in volume purchases, please call an ARC Major Accounts

representative at (213)264-6531.If your are interested in becoming an ARC Authorized Dealer, please call

ARC Dealer Relations at (800) 654-6151.

American Research Corporation

1101 Monterey Pass Road, Monterey Park, CA 91754 In California: (213) 265-0835. Technical Support: (213) 265-2861

Inquiry 29 for End-Users. Inquiry 30 for DEALERS ONLY.

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 77

Inquiry 403

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BOOK REVIEWS

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it easier to determine when the programmer has messedup a program by forming an incorrect structure.

Coverage

The book covers a great deal of ground in less than 500pages. It shows how a compiler and P-machine are con-structed and how to write a large and well-structuredPascal program. Although the authors do not belabor thepoint, any compiler should be well structured in order toassure the programmer that it is complete and correct.

The learn-by-example method has its shortcomings. Forinstance, the authors do not spend much time discussingthe connection between the p-code generator and the P-machine. Readers may want to refer to sections of the P-machine program while reading about the compiler inorder to understand why a certain construct is used. Thisis also true in the section on files used by the postmortemgenerator. Unfortunately, without an index, this task is noteasy.

Since most compilers generate machine or assembly lan-guage, books on compiler writing rarely cover p-code indepth. The chapters on the P-machine are a very goodintroduction on how to implement P-machines while re-maining CPU-independent. The authors cover the con-struction of the P-machine that has to handle memorymanagement, multiple-precision math and strings, filemanipulation, and error recovery. The memory-manage-ment scheme shown in the book is a good model for anycompiler, not only p-code generators.

The chapters on the postmortem generator suffer fromlack of explanation of the purpose of many of the pro-,cedures. This is unfortunate since very few books evenmention methods for handling aborted exits and symbolicdebugging of aborted programs. Still, the authors' clearcoding style lets you follow the code for the program fairlyeasily and determine what data the program is workingwith and what the output will look like.

Another weakness is the authors' assumption that thebook is being read from beginning to end. Since the bookis organized like the program, various details rely on factsestablished earlier in the book. There were many placeswhere the book would have been clearer if the authorshad reminded the reader about the range of values forcertain variables or the purpose of certain procedures thatwere covered hundreds of pages earlier.

Overall

As a program and as a guide, A Model Implementation of Stan-dard Pascal makes a very interesting book. The clear struc-ture of the program makes the book understandable andenjoyable. The book goes further to show how a compilerand P-machine are implemented. Many of the often-over-looked aspects of compiler design are covered here in away that makes them seem natural. This volume will makea good addition to many programmers' libraries. ■

Paul E. Hoffman (2000 Center St.. Suite 1024, Berkeley. CA94704) writes and edits books. He is the editor of Text In Com-puters, a new scholarly journal.

78 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 348

I

The C for Microcomputers

PC-DOS, MS-DOS, CP/M-86, Macintosh, Amiga, Apple II, CP/M-80, Radio Shack,Commodore, XENIX, ROM, and Cross Development systems

MS-DOS, PC-DOS, CP/M-86, XENIX,8086/80x86 ROM

Manx Aztec C86

"A compiler that has many strengths... quite valuablefor serious work"

Computer Language review, February 1985

Great Code: Manx Aztec C86 generates fast executingcompact code. The benchmark results below are from astudy conducted by Manx. The Dhrystone benchmark(CACM 10/84 27:10 pl018) measures performance for asystems software instruction mix. The results are with-out register variables. With register variables, Manx,Microsoft, and Mark Williams run proportionately faster,Lattice and Computer Innovations show no improve-ment.

Execution

Code

Compile/

Time

Size

Link Time

Dhrystone Benchmark

Manx Aztec C86 3.3 34 sees

5,760

93 sees

Microsoft C 3.0 34 sees

7,146

119 sees

Optimized C86 2.20J 53 sees

11,009

172 sees

Mark Williams 2.0 56 sees

12,980

113 sees

Lattice 2.14 89 sees

20,404

117 sees

Great Features: Manx Aztec C86 is bundled with a powerful

array of well documented productivity tools, library routines

and features.

Optimized C compiler Symbolic Debugger

AS86 Macro Assembler LN86 Overlay Linker

80186/80286 Support Librarian

8087/80287 Sensing Lib Profiler

Extensive UNIX Library DOS, Screen, & Graphics Lib

Large Memory Model Intel Object Option

Z(vi) Source Editor -c CP/M-86 Library -c

ROM Support Package-c INTEL HEX Utility -c

Library Source Code -c Mixed memory models -c

MAKE, DIFF, and GREP -c Source Debugger -c

One year of updates -c CP/M-86 Library -c

Manx offers two commercial development systems,Aztec C86-c and Aztec C86-d. Items marked -c arespecial features of the Aztec C86-c system.

Aztec C86-C Commercial System $499

Aztec C86-d Developer's System $299

Aztec C86-p Personal System $199

Aztec C86-a Apprentice System $49

All systems are upgradable by paying the differencein price plus $10.

Third Party Software: There are a number of high qual-ity support packages for Manx Aztec C86 for screenmanagement, graphics, database management, and soft-ware development.

C-tree $395 Greenleaf $185

PHACT $250 PC-lint $98

HALO $250 Amber Windows $59

PRE-C $395 Windows for C $195

WindScreen $149 FirsTime $295

SunScreen $99 C Util Lib $185

PANEL $295 Plink-86 $395

MACINTOSH, AMIGA, XENIX,CP/M-68K, 68k ROM

Manx Aztec C68k

"Library handling is very flexible... documentation isexcellent... the shell a pleasure to work in ... blowsaway the competition for pure compile speed... an ex-cellent effort."

Computer Language review, April 1985

Aztec C68k is the most widely used commercial C com-piler for the Macintosh. Its quality, performance, andcompleteness place Manx Aztec C68k in a position be-yond comparison. It is available in several upgradableversions.

Optimized C Creates Clickable Applications

Macro Assembler Mouse Enhanced SHELLOverlay Linker Easy Access to Mac Toolbox

Resource Compiler UNIX Library FunctionsDebuggers Terminal Emulator (Source)

Librarian Clear Detailed Documentation

Source Editor C-Stuff Library

MacRam Disk -c UniTools (vi,make,diff,grep) -c

Library Source -c One Year of Updates -c

Items marked -c are available only in the Manx AztecC86-C system. Other features are in both the Aztec C86-dand Aztec C86-C systems.

Aztec C68k-c Commercial System $499

Aztec C68d-d Developer's System $299

Aztec C68k-p Personal System $199

C-tree database (source) $399

AMIGA, CP/M-68k, 68k UNIX call

Apple n, Commodore,65xx, 65C02 ROM

Manx Aztec C65

"The AZTEC C system is one of the finest softwarepackages 1 have seen"

NIBBLE review, July 1984

A vast amount of business, consumer, and educationalsoftware is implemented in Manx Aztec C65. The qualityand comprehensiveness of this system is competitivewith 16 bit C systems. The system includes a full optim-ized C compiler, 6502 assembler, linkage editor, UNIXlibrary, screen and graphics libraries, shell, and muchmore The Apple II version runs under DOS 3.3, andProDOS, Cross versions are available.

The Aztec C65-C/128 Commodore system runs underthe C128 CP/M environment and generates programs forthe C64, C128, and CP/M environments. Call for pricesand availability of Apprentice, Personal and Developerversions for the Commodore 64 and 128 machines.

Aztec C65-C ProDOS & DOS 3.3 $399Aztec C65-d Apple DOS 3.3 $199

Aztec C65-p Apple Personal system $99Aztec C65-a for learning C $49

Aztec C65-C/128 C64, C128, CP/M $399

Distribution of Manx Aztec C

In the USA, Manx Software Systems is the sole and ex-clusive distributor of Aztec C. Any telephone or mailorder sales other than through Manx are unauthorized.

Manx Cross Development Systems

Cross developed programs are edited, compiled, assembled, and linked on one machine (the HOST) and transferred to another machine (the TARGET) for execution.This method is useful where the target machine is sloweror more limited than the HOST, Manx cross compilersare used heavily to develop software for business,consumer, scientific, industrial, research, and education'al applications.

HOSTS: VAX UNIX ($3000), PDP-11 UNIX ($2000), MSDOS ($750), CP/M ($750), MACINTOSH ($750)CP/M-68k ($750), XENIX ($750).

TARGETS: MS-DOS, CP/M-86, Macintosh, CP/M-68k,CP/M-80, TRS-80 3 & 4, Apple II, Commodore C64,8086/80x86 ROM, 68xxx ROM, 8080/8085/Z80 ROM,65xx ROM.

The first TARGET is included in the price of the HOSTsystem. Additional TARGETS are $300 to $500 (nonVAX) or $1000 (VAX).

Call Manx for information on cross development to the68000, 65816, Amiga, C128, CP/M-68K, VRTX, andothers.

CP/M, Radio Shack,8080/8085/Z80 ROMManx Aztec CII

"I've had a lot of experience with different C compilers,but the Aztec CS0 Compiler and Professional Develop-ment System is the best I've seen."

80-Micro, December, 1984, John B. Harrell III

Aztec C H-c (CP/M & ROM) $349

Aztec C n-d (CP/M) $199

C-tree database (source) $399

Aztec C80-C (TRS-80 3 & 4) $299

Aztec C80-d (TRS-80 3 & 4) $199

How lb Become an Aztec C User

To become an Aztec C user call 1-800-221-0440 or call1-800-832-9273 (800-TEC WARE). In NJ or outside theUSA call 201-530-7997. Orders can also be telexed to4995812.

Payment can be by check, COD, American Express,VISA, Master Card, or Net 30 to qualified customers.

Orders can also be mailed to Manx Software Systems,Box 55, Shrewsbury, NJ 07701.

How To Get More Information

To get more information on Manx Aztec C and relatedproducts, call 1-800-221-0440, or 201-530-7997, or writeto Manx Software Systems.

30 Day Guarantee

Any Manx Aztec C development system can be return-ed within 30 days for a refund if it fails to meet yourneeds. The only restrictions are that the original pur-chase must be directly from Manx, shipped within theUSA, and the package must be in resalable condition.Returned items must be received by Manx within 30days. A small restocking fee may be required.

Discounts

There are special discounts available to professors,students, and consultants. A discount is also available ona "trade in" basis for users of competing systems. Call forinformation.

Inquiry 210

L&IOsIik His

To order or for information call:

800-221-0440

NC, CP/M TM DRI. AMIGA. C64, C128 TM COMMODORE I

[lis j

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That's right! Now up to eight PCs, word processors,CAD systems, or whatever can share two printersautomatically.

In addition to eight serial input ports, thePSU-81B gives you two output ports—one serial,one parallel—that can operate simultaneously.

"Vbu also get lots of other convenient features,including a pause button, clear button, memory test,TOF, and qf course, a 256K dynamically allo-cated buffer.

So for under $800, make your laser printer eighttimes more cost effective.

80 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Check into our new PSU-81B, and other low-costautomatic printer sharing units, from the leadersin data communications technology.

Call or write WTI today for a complete catalog.In California, call (714) 979-0363. Telex 467741.

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Inquiry 386 for End-Users. Inquiry 387 for DEALERS ONLY.I

EVENTS AND CLUBS

December 1986

Events

Second International Conference onArtificial Intelligence. Marseilles,France. Viviane Bernadac Institut Interna-tional de Robotique et d'Intelligence Ar-tificielle de Marseille, 2 rue Henri-Barbusse, 13241 Marseille cedex 1, Francetel: 91.91.36.72, telex: 440 860.December 2-5

Electronic Messaging '86: The Era ofInterconnection Begins, Washington, DCElectronic Mail Association, 1919 Penn-sylvania Ave. NW, Suite 300, Washington,DC 20006, (202) 293-7808. December 3-4

Seventh Annual Computer Law In-stitute, Chicago, IL. Law & Business, 855Valley Rd., Clifton, NJ 07013, (800)223-0231; in New Jersey, (201) 472-7400.December 4-5

Fifth South Jersey Micro Show, Parsip-pany, NJ. Ken Gordon Productions Inc., P.O.Box 13, Franklin Park, NJ 08823, (800)631-0062: in New Jersey, (201) 297-2526.December 7

Micro Computer Fair, Oak Lawn, IL.Thomas J. Zarecki. T.J. Enterprises, P.O. Box2 55, Chicago Ridge, IL 60415, (312)839-2611. December 7

Computer Graphic Arts 86/87, NewYork, NY. Pratt Center for ComputerGraphics in Design, 9 Skyline Dr..Hawthorne, NY 10532, (914) 592-1155.December 7-10

1986 Fall Industrial Engineering Con-ference, Boston, MA. Registrar, Instituteof Industrial Engineers, 25 TechnologyPark/Atlanta, Norcross, GA 30092, (404)449-0460. December 7-10

1986 ASME Winter Annual Meeting:Electronic Packaging-A Multidis-ciplinary Challenge, Anaheim, CA.American Society of Mechanical Engi-neers, 345 East 47th St., New York, NY10017, (212) 705-7053. December 7-12

Digital Electronics and IntegratedCircuits for Non-Electrical Engineers,Washington, DC. Continuing EngineeringEducation, The George WashingtonUniversity. Washington, DC 20052, (800)424-9773; in DC, (202) 676-6106; inCanada, (800) 535-4567.December 8-11

National Data Communications Sym-posium on Local Area Networks andMicro-Mainframe Links, Washington,DC. Digital Consulting Associates Inc., 6Windsor St., Andover. MA 01810, (617)470-3870. December 8-U

Arizona Electronics Exposition Con-ference Program, Phoenix, AZ. MG Ex-positions Group, 1050 CommonwealthAve., Boston, MA 02215, (800) 223-7126;in Massachusetts, (617) 232-5470.December 9-11

Optical Information Systems '86,

Arlington, VA. Conference ManagementCorp., 200 Connecticut Ave., Norwalk, CT06854, (203) 852-0500. December 9-11

International OEM Design '86 andIMEX '86, New York, NY. Penton Exposi-tions, Suite 900, 122 East 42nd St.. NewYork, NY 10168, (800) 634-4639; in NewYork, (212) 867-9191. December 9-11

Hi Tech Update '86: Smart Buildings.

Ottawa, Ontario. Conference Coll Inc., 1138Sherman Dr., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2C2M4, (613) 224-1741. December 10-11

Second Annual Interface in Japan Con-ference and Exposition, Tokyo, Japan.The Interface Group Inc., 300 First Ave,Needham, MA 02194, (617) 449-6600.December 11-13

Tenth Boston Area Micro Show, Box-borough, MA. Ken Gordon ProductionsInc., P.O. Box 13, Franklin Park, NJ 08823,(800) 631-0062; in New Jersey, (201)297-2526. December 14

DEXPO East 86. New York, NY. Expo-consul International Inc., 3 IndependenceWay Princeton, NJ 08540, (609) 987-9400.December 17-19

Microcomputer Graphics Show andConference, New York, NY. ExpoconsulInternational Inc., 3 Independence Way,Princeton. NJ 08540, (609) 987-9400.December 17-19

1/ you send notice of your organization's publicactivities at least four months in advance, wewill publish them as space permits. Please sendthem to BYTE (Events and Clubs). OnePhoenix Mill lane, Peterborough, NH 03458.

Clubs

Metro Tandy Computer Users Group(TRS-80), George Mueden, 310 West 106thSt.-15D, New York, NY 10025, (212)222-8751.

North Seattle Amiga Users' Group,17050 2nd Ave. NW. Seattle, WA 98177,(206) 546-3482. Special emphasis on AIand astronomy.

Kern Independent PC User Group, P.O.Box 2780, Bakersfield, CA 93303.

Object Oriented Programming Society(OOPS), Box 3 516, Phoenix, AZ 85030.

Commodore Computer Club, P.O. Box23396, Vancouver, B.C.. Canada V7B 1W1,(604) 738-3311.

Association of Small Computer Users(ASCU). P.O. Box 14151. Atlanta. GA30324. (404) 321-5400.

Aloha Computer Club of Hawaii, P.O.Box 4470, Honolulu, HI 96813.

QNX Users Group, c/o DA Systems, Inc.,1503 East Campbell Ave., Campbell, CA95008, Anna Lange, (408) 559-7434 orDave Merchant, (205) 688-2827.

CompuLink User Group, 67 WoodbridgeRd., Guildford. Surrey GUI 4RD, U.K.

Eugene PCir Club. 1011 Valley River Way,Suite 220, Eugene, OR 97401.

New York Timex/Sinclair Enthusiasts(NYTSE), Stoney McMurray. Editor, 473Westminster Rd.. Brooklyn, NY 11218-6307, (718) 469-5948.

Gateway CP/M Users Group, P.O. Box37022, St. Louis. MO 63141-1522. (314)569-4399 or 991-4399.

A-PeelingAds. Apple II users magazine.PD Software. P.O. Box 132 56-A, Houston,TX 77219.

The MacHonor Bulletin, CE Software.801 73rd St.. Des Moines, IA 50312-1051,(515) 224-1995.

Jayray's Connection BBS and TheBoard newsletter, Ray Anderson, 3309Rose Lane, Falls Church, VA 22042-4012. ■

DECEMBER 1986 • B Y T E 81

Before you consider the new

Hercules Graphics Card Plus,

consider the technology behind it.

A short while ago, Hercules™ intro-duced a product that will forever changethe way information is displayed on a PC.

The product is called the HerculesGraphics Card Plus.

We gave it that name because itgives you the same hi-resolution textand 720x348 graphics that made theoriginal Hercules Graphics Cardfamous.

Plus it gives you RamFont."

RamFont is a radical new hardwaremode that combines the speed of textmode with the flexibility of graphics mode.

And opens up a whole new world forsoftware.

The worldaccording to RamFont.

In the old days (before the GraphicsCard Plus), programs like Lotus® 1-2-3*Symphony" Framework" and Microsoft"Word had to use graphics mode to dis-play multiple fonts and variable textsizes, or to mix text with graphics.

But graphics mode is a whole lotslower than text mode. Up to eighttimes slower.

Enter RamFont.

TMD81114-I3IS*, 8536 M03

The heart of the Graphics Card Plus: the V112microchip, Hercules' next generation video processorthat makes the RamFord mode possible.

It lets all the programs we just men-tioned (and plenty more in the future) doall the things we just described, all onone screen.

At precisely thesame speed as textmode.

How RamFontworks.Like text mode, RamFont uses a 16-bitword to represent acharacter on thedisplay.

Unlike text mode,however, the 48KRamFont mode usesa 12-bit character code instead of an8-bit code.

Which allows you to choose from anastonishing 3072 different characters.

While setting the size of your screencells from eight to nine pixels wide and

a—"«-»^

48K RamFont

4K RamFont

BFFFF

48K-Stores 3072 characters

4K-Stores 256 characters

B0000

I6K

Text Buffer

I6K

Text Buffer

The new RamFont mode displays 3072 programmablecharacters at the speed of text mode, or replaces thestandard character set with one of your choice in UKRamFont mode.

Another Hercules innovation: tlienew LPTU2. It's a parallel printerport on a chip.

from four to 16 scan lines tall.

To help you design your own Ram-Font characters and symbols, we've

included a font editorcalled FontMan."

Along with a set of25 sample fonts to startyour library.

And since the 4KRamFont mode canaccept 8-bit charactercodes, running yourtext mode softwarewith your favorite fontis as simple as loadingit into RAM.

Just for the record,RamFont supports the standard charac-ter attributes of reverse, high-intensity,blink and underline.

Plus two new RamFont attributes:boldface and strike-through.

What price success?While we're on the subject of technologi-cal breakthroughs, let's not forget thesuggested retail price.Think of it. You geteverything the originalcard gave you.Plus RamFont.Plus FontMan.Plus a parallel printer port that youcan now disable if there's a conflict withanother port in your system.

AH for just $299—about half theprice of the original Graphics Card.

If you haven't gone into shock, call1-800-532-0600 ext. 212 (in Canada call1-800-323-0601 ext. 212) for the name ofan Authorized Hercules Dealer near youand we'll rush you our free info kit.

Hercules:

Wre strong on graphics.

Address: 2550 Ninth Street, Berkeley, California 94710 Ph: 415 540-6000Telex: 754063

Trademarks/Owners: Lotus, 1-2-3, Symphony/Lotus; Framework/Ashton-Tate; Microsoft/Microsoft; Hercules, RamFont, FontMan/Hercules

Inquiry 156 for End-Users. Inquiry 157 for DEALERS ONLY.

$

299.

Suggested retail price.

84 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

BYTE

Features

Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar: IN THE CIRCUIT CELLAR this month, Steve Ciarcia continues with his GT180

Build the GT180 project, which is designed to provide Professional Graphics Adapter-like

Color Graphics Board, resolution on the SB 180 single-board computer. In this second of three parts,

I*Stew a"rifllARDWARE 87 Steve focuses on tne hardware. He gives a description of the major VLSI com-

y eve maa ponents and also includes the hardware schematic of the GT180 itself. While

Programming Project: presented as an SB 180 XBUS peripheral device, the GT180 can also be used

Using DOS Functions . ., „ . ,,, r. ^ ,. ...

from Turbo Pascal m many other Ported graphics applications.

by Douglas F. Yriart 102 'n "Using DOS Functions from Turbo Pascal," our Programming Project for

Programming Insight- December, Douglas F. Yriart explains how to call on operating system func-

A Program t-'ons from programs written in Turbo Pascal running under PC-DOS or MS-

for Approximating Integrals DOS. You may never need to write another line of assembly language code.

by David M. Smith 113 David M. Smith's "A Program for Approximating Integrals," this month's Pro-

Debugging Macintosh Applications gramming Insight, explores Aitken extrapolation. By using this technique, you

by ]oel West 127 can approximate integrals with a minimum of function evaluations.

Local Effects of Nuclear Weapons Next, Joel West looks at the trips and traps you're liable to encounter in

by ]ohn R. Fanchi 143 "Debugging Macintosh Applications." Having wrangled with the Mac himself

i^^__________ as well as having gleaned advice from commercial developers, West has

developed a checklist on how to get an application up and running on theMacintosh.

This month's features end on a sobering note. "Local Effects of NuclearWeapons" by John R. Fanchi presents two BASIC programs: One lets you deter-mine the immediate thermal, percussive, and radiative effects of nucleardetonations on yourself and your immediate surroundings; the other examineslonger-term effects, including fallout distribution.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 85

12MHz SPEED...

... plus A MEGABYTE FOR DOS!

THEY ALL NEED NUMBER SMASHER/ECM

TM

Turn your PC or XT into the machine it should havebeen! The 12 MHz Number Smasher/ECM is the fastestacceleratoron the market. It is also the most powerful, provid-ing a true megabyte for DOS!

To break the 640K DOS barrier MicroWay designed aMemory Management Unit (MMU) that is tailored to DOSplus a 2000 byte resident driver- MegaDOS™. MicroWaycalls this breakthrough Extended Conventional Memory.When you type CH KDSK with the board installed, your sys-tem will report 1,036,288 bytes total memory and 1,010,016bytes free! Any conventional DOS program can utilize a fullmegabyte for data or code without changing a byte.

Downloading a mainframe application? ECM memoryruns with any program that uses DOS for screen servicesincluding RM and MS FORTRAN and MS and LATTICE C!This means you have an additional 384 K available for over-sized applications. Programs which write directly to thescreen require a simple patch to adhere to the new standard.MicroWay has already developed patches for the Lotus,WORDSTAR and AUTOCAD screen drivers. Release 1A of1-2-3 jumps from 535,516 to 916,444 bytes available andruns faster than Release 2 for most worksheets.

Micro

Way

Number Smasher/ECM is 100% compatible with allhardware and software including EMSand EGA boards. Thecompatibility is a result of control: its speed is switch, key-board or software selectable from 4.77 MHz to 12.0 MHz.Applications which have not been upgraded to ECM can stillbe run by setting DOS to 640K or 704K and using thememory above DOS for I/O enhancers.

Number Smasher/ECM runs floating point bound pro-grams fasterthan an AT or any other80286 based machine.In fact, Number Smasher's 12 MHz 8087 runs a factor ofthree faster than the standard 80287 on the AT, delivering upto 125 kflops. Software is included for RAM Disk, printspooler, and disk caching, which speeds upfloppy and harddisks by a factor of 2 to 10!

Number Smasher/ECM is the most cost effective pro-ductivity tool you can buy. The base board which runs at9.54 MHz comes with 512K and costs only $599! The com-plete system which includes a motherboard accelerator, onemegabyte of memory and a 12 MHz8087 is just $1199. Calltoday to discuss your particular configuration. Remember:"The advantage of buying from MicroWay is outstanding per-sonal service." (PC Magazine, 6/10/86 - p. 162)

See our product ad on page 191.

The World Leader in 8087 Support

86 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

P.O. Box 79, Kingston, Mass. 02364 USA (617) 746-7341Tempo House, London, U.K. call 01-223-7662

Number Smasher, ECM and MegaDOS are trademarks of MicroWay, Inc. MicroWay is a registered trademark of MicroWay, Inc.

Inquiry 234

CIARCIAS CIRCUIT CELLAR

BUILD THE GT180COLOR GRAPHICS BOARD

PART 2: HARDWARE

by Steve Ciarcia

A description of the components andthe hardware schematic

Last month I introducedmy new ProfessionalGraphics Adapter (PGA)-like GT180 graphicsadapter for the SB 180 andSB180FX computers anddiscussed the basics ofCRT controllers. This month I'll continuewith a description of the major VLSI com-ponents. I'll also include the hardwareschematic of the GT180 itself. Whilepresented as an SB 180 XBUS peripheraldevice, the GT180's combination of high-level integrated circuitry, parallel port inter-facing, and Borland International's GraphixToolbox standard software facilitates its usein many other "ported" graphics applica-tions (see photo 1).

Few Chips Are Used

The key to the GT180's design is a recentlyannounced CMOS VLSI graphics processor,the Hitachi HD63484 ACRTC (advanced CRTcontroller), and two companion chips:HD63485 GMIC (graphic memory interfacecontroller) and HD63486 GVAC (graphicvideo attributes controller). These are sup-plemented by a highly integrated CMOSpalette D/A converter—the BrooktreeBT450.

The block diagram in figure 1 shows thatthese chips, in combination with a 512K-byte frame buffer (sixteen 64 K by 4-bit

dynamic RAM chips), need little extra sup-port to achieve an entire graphics drawingand display subsystem. The 512K-byteframe buffer can hold three or four screensas well as a library of graphics objects likewindows, fonts, and icons. A standard shiftregister allows input from an IBM PC-com-patible keyboard. Finally, a few TTL chipsand a PAL (programmable array logic) gen-erate the control signals to interface theACRTC, keyboard shift register, and paletteD/A converter to the SB180's XBUS. TheGT180 can directly connect to a number ofstandard CRTs-both TTL and analog-likethe Princeton Graphics SR-12 and SR-12P.

The HD63484 ACRTC

The ACRTC, an incredibly powerful CMOSchip containing more than 100,000 tran-sistors, needs to perform a number of tasks.First, it must generate the CRT timingsignals, including HSYNC and VSYNC Next,it must perform display-control tasks likescanning the frame buffer while keepingtrack of cursors, split screens, and windows.Finally, it must assist the application pro-

(conOmed)Steve Ciarcia (pronounced "see-ARE-see-ah") is anelectronics engineer and computer consultant with ex-perience in process control, digital design, nuclear in-strumentation, and product development. The authorof several books on electronics, he can be reached atP.O. Box 582, Glastonbury, CT 06033.

COPYRIGHT © 1986 STEVEN A. CIARCIA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 87

CIRCUIT CELLAR

grammer by providing built-in draw-ing algorithms and commands. TheACRTC integrates all these functionson a single device.

Examining the ACRTC block dia-gram (see figure 2) reveals that it con-

tains three separate microprocessors(16-bit CPUs)-one CPU for each ofthe primary tasks: CRT timing genera-tion, display control, and drawing. TheACRTC contains more than 200 bytesof command and control registers

Photo I: The GT180 graphics adapter. The various connectors along the right-handside are (from top to bottom): a DB-9 connector for analog RGB output,another DB-9 connector for RGBI TTL output, and a DIN connector for an IBMPC-compatible keyboard.

j:

DOTCK-

ACRTC

MAO- FA0-MA18 FA7

~_J

FRAME BUFFER

A0-A7

DATA

RAS. CAS. 0E, WE

SCKE. SLD, ADRA-ADRC. DSPCYC

*— DATA-

MRD, MCYC

r~

PftTA

I

FD0-FD31 -i

00-D7

GVAC X 2

1

VOUT

HSYNC.VSYNC

VIDEO CIRCUIT

Figure 1: A block diagram of the GT180.

used in conjunction with 38 high-leveldrawing commands (see figure 3). Theregisters and commands will be ex-plained and put to good use in nextmonth's software description.

GMIC AND GVAC

It is possible to use the ACRTC byitself in a graphics design. However,for a design exploiting all the ACRTCfeatures, the amount of TTL supportlogic required is large. Furthermore,due to the complexity and high speedrequired of the support logic, such acircuit would be difficult to design anddebug.

For example, during a drawing oper-ation, the ACRTC treats the frame buf-fer as a simple linear sequence of16-bit words, just like a regular 16-bitCPU. However, during a display re-fresh, the frame buffer needs to read64 bits at one time to keep up withthe high speed requirements of a fastCRT. Thus, the frame buffer's address-decode and data-buffer circuits mustbe dynamically reconfigured for 16-and 64-bit operations. On the display-controller side, ACRTC features (likewindows, horizontal smooth scroll,and zooming) require circuits to in-teract with and control the 64-bit high-speed video shift registers.

To help the designer eliminate muchof the TTL support logic and lessenthe design complexity, I have used theHD63485 GMIC and HD63486 GVACsupport ICs. The GMIC manages themultiplexed addressing of the framebuffer's DRAMs and generates the re-quired control signals like RAS, CAS,and WE. Each GVAC includes two16-bit shifters, so two GVACs providea 64-bit shift register. The GVACs alsomap ACRTC 16-bit drawing accessesto the 64-bit frame-buffer bus. TheGMIC and GVAC are manufacturedusing a special process called Hi-BiCMOS, which combines the speedand drive of bipolar (64 megahertz,IOL=24 milliamperes) with the lowpower operation of MOS (less than 1watt).

This subsystem (ACRTC, GMIC,GVAC, and frame buffer) can directlyinterface to a digital RGBI (red-green-blue-intensity) monitor. The additionof the BT450 palette D/A converterallows the connection of an analog

88 BYTE- DECEMBER 1986

CIRCUIT CELLAR

CRT for finer color selection. In thepast, the designer would have to builda palette D/A converter by combininga static RAM palette with threeseparate video D/A converters—a dif-ficult and expensive task. Now, theBT450 combines the 16- by 12-bitpalette RAM and three separate 4-bit30-MHz to 70-MHz D/A converters.

Watch for the availability of newpalette D/A converter chips like theBT450 to cause a trend to analogdisplays, even for low-cost computers.

The GT180 Hardware

The GT180 board consists of anumber of distinct sections: thegraphics display and control section

(the ACRTC, GM1C, and GVACs), moni-tor interface (the palette D/A converterand TTL buffers), SB180 XBUS inter-face circuitry, and the IBM PC key-board adapter. The complete GT180schematic is shown in figure 4.

The interface between the ACRTCPC keyboard register, palette D/A con-

(conlinued)

dreq -«-

DACK

DONE ■*-

RES

_L

IRQ ••-

DO-15

cs ■

RS-R/W-

DTACK ■*-

DMA

CONTROL

UNIT

INTERRUPT

CONTROL

UNIT

MPUINTERFACE

REGISTER ADDRESS

DATA

DRAWINGPROCESSOR

20 DRAWINGJL ADDRESS

-0

16 DRAWINGDATA

DRAW ENABLE

DISPLAYPROCESSOR

20 DISPLAYA ADDRESS

-J-

5 RASTERA ADDRESS

CCUD

TIMINGPROCESSOR

DISP

MCLK

CRT

INTERFACE

TF1F

VCC VSS

•DRAW• MRD

MA16/RA0-

VMA19/

RA3

-LPSTB

-f »-CUDl-2

•VSYNC-EXSYNC■ D1SP1-2

■MCYC

-AS

-2CLK

Figure 2: A block diagram of the ACRTC chip.

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 89

CIRCUIT CELLAR

(a)

IN/OUT <

646362

6160

595857565554535251504948474645444342414039383736353433

IN

LPSTB INZlDlSPl~JdTSP2IDMADODMAD1ZJMA02"JMAD3ZJMAD4

CHR3 MRP3 DRAW3AS"JMCYCZJVssD2CLK

=)Vcc

ZJMAD5

7JMAD6

-JMAD7

7JMAD8

DMA09

3MAD10

3MAD11

7JMAD12

31MAD13

3MAD14

3MAD15

~JMA16/RA0^

7JMA17/RA1

ZIMA18/RA2

3 MA19/RA3

DRA4

OUT

IN/OUT

OUT

>IN/OUT

>OUT

(b)

TYPE

MNEMONIC

FUNCTION

REGISTER-

ORG

SET ORIGIN POINT

ACCESS

RPR.WPR

READ/WRITE PARAMETER REGISTERS

COMMANDS

RPTN.WPTN

READ/WRITE PATTERN RAM

DATA-

DRD.DWT.DMOD

DMA READ/WRITE/MODIFY

TRANSFER

RD.WT.MOD

READ/WRITE/MODIFY

COMMANDS

CLR

CLEAR

CPY.SCPY

COPY

AMOVE.RMOVE

MOVE

ALINE. RLINE

LINE

ARCT.RRCT

RECTANGLE

APLL.RPLL

POLYLINE

APLG, RPLG

POLYGON

GRAPHIC-

CRCL

CIRCLE

DRAWING

ELPS

ELLIPSE

COMMANDS

AARC. RARC

ARC

AEARC.REARC

ELLIPSE ARC

AFRCT.RFRCT

FILLED RECTANGLE

PAINT

PAINT

DOT

DOT

PTN

PATTERN

AGCPY, RGCPY

GRAPHIC COPY

Figure 3: (a) A pin-out diagram of the ACRTC; (b) the ACRTC's command list.

verier, and the SB 180 (or SB180FX)XBUS expansion bus requires some"glue" logic. Fortunately, a PAL is easi-ly used for a major portion of this cir-cuitry. Besides decoding port ad-dresses for the ACRTC, D/A converter,and keyboard port, the PAL invertsthe polarity of the R/W signal duringdirect memory access. This is requiredbecause the 64180 includes theDMAC (DMA controller) on-chip. Theinterface between the SB 180 and theACRTC provides a number of options,including status polling, interrupts,and DMA. Some or all of these tech-niques can be used, depending onthe requirements of your application.I have provided the IBM PC-com-patible keyboard port to permit evolu-tion of the GT180. If an applicationdoesn't need the ASCII terminal nor-mally connected to the SB 180 (all ref-erences to the SB 180 include featuresthat are also incorporated in the newSB180FX), the PC keyboard and col-or display can be used as the mainconsole. The SB180's RS-232 portpreviously used for the terminal con-nection could be used for anotherpurpose, like a mouse, plotter, ordigitizing tablet.

Graphics Display andControl

The heart of the GT180 board lies inthe four-chip set consisting of theACRTC, GMIC, and two GVACs.Because the GMIC and GVACs weredesigned around the ACRTC, intercon-nection is simple. The four chips sharea common 16-bit data bus with threeadditional data lines going betweenthe ACRTC and GMIC. The GMIC con-trols RAM addressing via eight ad-dress lines, four write-enable lines, anoutput-enable line, and RAS (row ad-dress strobe) and CAS (column ad-dress strobe). The GVACs control alldata access to the RAM and extractassorted attribute information fromthe data lines.

Monitor Interface

The GT180 supports both digital andanalog RGB monitors. The digital-monitor interface simply consists ofthe red, green, blue, and intensity out-puts of the GVACs plus HSYNC andVSYNC from the ACRTC buffered

90 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

CIRCUIT CELLAR

through a 74S241 (IC10). lumper JP3allows selectable inversion of both theHSYNC and VSYNC signals. If thejumpers are installed, IC1 inverts thesignals.

The analog RGB section is a bitmore involved. The RGBI signals com-ing from the GVACs are fed into thepalette D/A converter (IC6). Thesesignals are used to reference the col-or look-up table, which provides thecolor information to the D/A con-verters. The RGB outputs of IC6 arecapable of driving the monitor direct-ly with 75-ohm termination (Rl, R2,and R3). The SYNC signal is made upof HSYNC combined with VSYNC viaan exclusive-NOR operation and buf-fered through IC10. Finally, the MODEsignal controls whether the PrincetonSR-12P monitor runs in 400-line or480-line mode. You should removeJP2 for 480-line operation.

Noise is a critical factor to considerin the design of video circuitry. Tominimize the noise imposed on thepalette D/A converter through thepower supply, ferrite beads are usedto isolate power for 1C6 from the restof the board. The beads filter out anyhigh-frequency noise created else-where on the board that could resultin garbage in the final picture.

Interface Circuitry

The GT180 is designed to be pluggedinto the 40-pin XBUS on either anSB 180 or the SB180FX. The SB 180doesn't provide any output buffers, soline loading is an important con-sideration when producing a periph-eral (the 180 XBUS is buffered). TheGT180 uses the data, address, andbus-control lines in numerous placeson the board, so two 74LS245s (IC4and IC30) have been added to bufferthe majority of interface lines. Thedirection of data flow through thedata-bus buffer (IC4) is controlled byan RD line from the SB 180 and anenable output from the PAL (IC5).

We need some additional circuitryto decode I/O ports for the devices onthe board. The ACRTC needs twoports, the palette D/A converter needstwo ports, and the keyboard needs atleast one port. It would also be niceto use jumpers to change the locationof the GT180 I/O ports within the ex-

pansion space to avoid conflicts withother peripherals plugged into thesame system. Ordinarily, such decodecircuitry would require many TTLgates occupying a good deal of boardspace. Instead, this is a perfect ap-plication for a PAL.

PAL DecreasesInterface Complexity

A PAL is a device similar to a PROMin that it can be custom-programmedfor an application by the designer.The GT180 uses a 16L8. The "16"means the device has 16 possible in-puts, the "8" means it has 8 possibleoutputs, and the "L' in the middle in-dicates that the outputs are active-low.

A PAL gains more flexibility fromthe fact that most of the outputs canalso be defined as inputs. However,since there are only 18 pins on thechip for I/O, the sum of inputs plusoutputs cannot exceed 18. You can,for example, have 14 inputs and 4 out-puts. The GT180's PAL uses 11 inputsand 7 outputs.

Inside the chip is a series of ANDand OR gates. The inputs to the chipare directed to the inputs of the ANDgates, and the outputs of the ANDgates are directed to the inputs of theOR gates. The OR gates' outputs aresent to a buffered inverter and thento the chip's outputs. This arrange-ment of gates makes implementingstandard sum-of-products logic equa-tions easy.

The programmable array comesinto play when you decide how theinputs to the chip are to be con-nected to the inputs of the gateswithin the chip. An array of fuse linksis used for this. The chip's input pinsare connected to the columns of thearray, and the inputs to the gatesare connected to the rows. At eachrow-column intersection is a fuse con-necting the row to the column. On anunprogrammed chip, all the fuses areintact, so all the chip's inputs areconnected to all the logic inputs. Inthe process of programming the chip,all unwanted fuse links are literallyblown out by the PAL programmer,leaving just the links that connect thedesired chip input to a particular gateinput.

Most of the PAL inputs are standard

bus signals necessary for I/O portdecoding. Two select lines are alsodefined that let you select one of fourbase locations for the GT180 I/O ports.JP1 is used to set these select lines.

The DMA input is not a standardbus signal. When the ACRTC gener-ates a DMA request, it is latched byIC3 and sent to the DMA input on thePAL (as well as to the DREQO inputon the SB180). The ACRTC requiresthat R/W be inverted during a DMAtransfer, so this is taken care of withinthe PAL.

There are also seven outputs de-fined on the PAL. The BDSEL linegoes active anytime the board is ref-erenced and is used to enable thedata-bus buffer (IC4). ACRCS provideschip select to the ACRTC, and ACR/Wprovides the R/W signal to the ACRTC.ACDACK is the DMA acknowledgesignal to the ACRTC. DACCS is thechip select for the palette D/A con-verter, while KEYCS is the chip selectfor the keyboard adapter.

The last PAL output is labeledEXSEL. A little history is necessary toexplain this signal. When I designedthe COMM180 board (see the Decem-ber 1985 Circuit Cellar), I hadn't con-sidered that I would be designingsomething like the GT180. Conse-quently, I made the assumption thatonly one expansion board would everbe plugged into the SB 180 at any onetime. Therefore, the data-bus buffer isenabled whenever EXSEL2 from theSB 180 goes active, even though thereare gaps in the expansion space thatthe board uses. When I sat down tolook at doing a graphics board, Irealized that if someone wanted touse the GT180 with a hard disk on anSBI80, I had to make some allowancefor plugging both a COMM180 and aGT180 into an SB 180. (The SB180FXincorporates both the floppy disk andSCSI controllers on the same boardand therefore does not require theCOMM180 to add a hard disk. Referto the What's New section in this issuefor further details.)

The GT180 uses eight I/O ports. Thebase address for the ports is jumper-selectable and can be set for eitherE0, E8, F0, or F8 hexadecimal. (Forthe remainder of the article, all port

(continued)

DECEMBER 1986 'BYTE 91

CIRCUIT CELLAR

+ 5V

SERIALKYBD

J3 DIN5

! R16• 4.7 K

DPRQ

>C 0

IC3174HC74

+ 5V r

Vaa.

CI0.01/j.F

IC297406

I-5V

5-On

SB180 (J4)c PHI

0

27172614183940

• R17: 1.7K

11EXPANJl2930313332343536

8MHz

27

ST

17

10

EN 26

14

ie

39

40

NMI

11

EXPANJ2

1.23,4,37,38

1310

5192022232479

+5V

1.2

GND

3,4,37.38

13

10

RESET/ 8

12 EXSEL2

Jl16 ■28 '211525 ■

DREQO 25

DPR0

>C QCL

IC319 74HC74

IC297406

PU-

IC274HC595

SCLK

IC474LS245

DB7

29

9

DB6

30

8

0B5

31

7

0B4

33

6

DB3

32

5

DB2

34

t

OBI

35

3

DBO

36

2

A8

B8

A7

B7

A6

B6

A5

B5

A4

B4

A3

B3

A2

B2

Al

Bl

A->B EN

IC3074LS245

A8A7

A6A5A4A3A2Al

B8B7

B6B5B4B3B2Bl

PU-

T

/77

9h

VoD VAAP3P2PIPO 1C6

VIDEO DACBT450BLANKSYNC0L1OLO

CO

COMPIR

IGIB

C WRC RD

FS AD1

D4D3D2DlDO

CLOCKDGND

rh fb2

R9200

R6390

IC7XTAL1

25.000 MHz

+ 5V

IC5HGPAL

BDSEL

DACCSACR/W

A3

M ACKCS

^EXSEL

E AC DAC K

RESET

SEL

DMA

/hu

-| ic

3

HC74

C"L

Figure 4: The schematic of the GT180.

92 B YTE • DECEMBER 1986

CIRCUIT CELLAR

+ 5V

DB9 J4

ANALOG RED

ANALOG GREEN

ANALOG BLUE

JP2 v

AGND

+ 5V

RIO4.7K

IC8ACRTC

LPSTB2 CLK

D15D14D13D12DllDIOD9D8

D7D6D5D4D3D2DlDO

DONE

RS_

R/W

CS

RESET

VSYNCHSYNC

EXSYNCDTACK

RA4

MA19/RA3

MA18/RA2

MA17/RA1

MA16/RAO

MAD15

MAD14

MAD13

MAD12

MAD11

MADIO

MADS

MAD 8

MAD7

MAD6

MAD5

MAD4

MAD3

MAD2

MAD1

MADO

MCYC

AS

DRAWMRDCHR

DISP2DISP1CUD1CUD2

IRQDREQ

+ 5V

A K134.7K

1 "NAAr-CI

IC174HC266

DB9 J5

3

4

5

6

J^™

AGND

-1

- 2

- 7

IC9GMIC

1611

36

37

383940

_41

424344454647484950516162636465

D15

D14 "\

-s

-s

""S

■*s

"S

^N

-s

-S

""S

""S

^T

"™S

ici

74HC266

/77

SHRINKDIP

DOTCLK

HSYNC

DAMIM1CDMO

MA18

MA17

MA16

MA15

MA14

MA13

MA12

MA11

MA10

MA9

MA8

MA7

MA6

MA5

MA4

MA3

MA2

MAI

MAO

MCYC

AS

DRAW

MRD

CDM1

IMO

TEST

WSS

2 CLK

DISPCYCSCKESLDBSLDWADRAADRBADRC

RAM A7RAM A6RAM A5RAM A4RAM A3RAM A2RAM AlRAM AO

OERASCAS

w¥o

WEIWE2WE3

39

11

>

~N

GRA6 *\

GRA5

GRA4 >

GRA3

GRA2 >

GRA1 ^

GRAO *>

>

51 GRAS N

GWEO

GWE1 N

GWE3 ^

DECEMBER 1986 'BYTE 93

CIRCUIT CELLAR

\DISPCYC 2\SCKE 25

\ SLDB 26

\ADRA

\ ADRB

JT

\ MCYC\ MRP

\D15

15

\ Dll

14

\D7

13

\ D3

12

\ D14

11

\ D10

10

\ D6

9

\D2

8

m

Figure 4 continued.

94 BYTE- DECEMBER 1986

CIRCUIT CELLAR

\2_CLK_

\PISPCYC 2

\SCKE 25

\SLDB_

\ADRA_

\ ADRB

\MCYC

\MRD_

\DISP1

\0I3

\D9

\D5

SSL

\D12_\D8

\D_4_

JT

rr>

2 CLKDOTCLK

DISPCYC

SCKE

SLD

SHRINK

DIP

FD31

SELO

FD30

SEL1

FD29

SEL2

FD28FD27

MCYC

FD2G

MRO

FD25

DISP

FD24

FD23FD22FD21FD20

D7DG

IC20GVAC

D5

FD19

D4

FD18

D3

FD17

D2

FD16

Dl

DO

AM

MOD

MOD

FD15FD14FD13FD12

FD11FDIOFD9FD8

FD7FD6FD5FD4

FD3FD2

FD1FDO

RAMCONTROL

\ WEO

\ WEI

\ WE2

\ CAS

\ RAS

RAM ADDRESS

\

\

s

s

s

\

s

14

13

12

11

8

7

e

10

RAO RA1 RA2 RA3 RA4 RA5 RAG RA7-

IC21

OERASCASWE

J \ L

RAO RA1 RA2 RA3 RA4

IC22

RASCASWE

J L

RAO RA1 RA2 RA3 RA4

IC23

RASCASWE

J I L

RAO RA1 RA2 RA3 RA4 RA5D4

D3

D2

Dl

IC24

RA6 RA7_OE

RAS

CAS

WE

J L

, RAO RA1 RA2 RA3 RA4 RA5 RAG

IC25

RASCAS

WE

J L

, RAO RA1 RA2 RA3 RA4 RA5 RA6 RA7

IC26

OE

RASCAS

WE

J L

J L

RAO RA1 RA2 RA3 RA4 R A5 RAG RA7

IC27

OERAS

CASWE

J-

RAO RA1 RA2

J I L

RA3 RA4 RA5 RA6IC28

RASCAS

WE

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 95

CIRCUIT CELLAR

BDSEL = SO * S1 * A3 * A4 * SEL+ SO * S1 * A3 * A4 * SEL+ SO * S1 * A3 * A4 * SEL+ SO * S1 * A3 * A4 * SEL

ACR/W = BDSEL * DMA * WR+ BDSEL * DMA * WR

KEYCS = BDSEL * A2 * E * DMA+ RESET

ACRCS = BDSEL * A1 * A2 * E * DMA

DACCS = BDSEL * A1 * A2 * E * DMA

ACDACK = RESET

+ BDSEL * A1 * A1 * E * DMA

EXSEL = SEL * BDSEL

Figure 5: Equations for the GT180's PAL.

PUl74LS139

PU374LS04RESET 5hs.-6

t^of

PU374LS042

T^E*

+ SV

RP PU2

U.7K 74LS85

15

PU374LS04

/b

A3 A>B

B3 A=B

A2 A<B

B2

Al

Bl

AO

BO

A>B

A=B

A<B

6 PU3— 74LS04

6 13fcv-J2

PU374LS04

.8 ACRCS

PU774LS51

:;a>

PU474LS106

PU5

74LS11 PU5

1 74LS02

31

>

74LS00

riE>

GT180 PAL EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT

Figure 6: The schematic of a discrete logic equivalent to the GT180's PAL.

addresses will be in hexadecimal.)Since a fully populated COMM180uses ports E0-E7 and FO-FF, thelogical base address for the GT180 isE8. (The SB180FX has three addi-tional address lines for decodingports 40-7F, but the GT180 doesn'tcurrently use any of them.)

The GT180 can be used in many dif-ferent hardware configurations. Thereare mounting holes that line up withthose on the SB 180 as well as thoseon the SB180FX. so mounting theGT180 to either of the main processorboards is a simple task. The 40-pinXBUS expansion connector is in thesame place on both the SB 180 andthe SB180FX.

Additional expansion boards can beplugged into the pass-through con-nector located on the GT180. Theseboards can employ any of the I/O ad-dresses not being used by the graph-ics board. A second 40-pin connec-tor on the GT180 passes all the signalsstraight through, except EXSEL2. Thissignal is generated by the PAL, andit is presented on the second connec-tor only if the GT180 is not beingselected. Consequently, this is the ap-propriate connector to attach aCOMM180 board to. (The COMM180should never be plugged into themain pass-through connector sincebus-contention problems wouldoccur.)

To aid you in building your ownGT180,1 have listed the PAL equationsfor IC5 in figure 5. Also, figure 6 showsthe schematic of a discrete compo-nent equivalent to the PAL if you wantto build the GT180 but do not havethe facility to program a PAL. When

96 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

CIRCUIT CELLAR

you are done, you are welcome todownload utilities and other graphicssoftware that I will post on BYTEnet,BIX, and the Circuit Cellar BBS to aidin checking out your handiwork.

The Keyboard Adapter

The IBM PC keyboard uses a syn-chronous serial interface to talk to thehost computer. While the typical IBMconnection allows data flow to andfrom the keyboard, the circuit used onthe GT180 only reads from the key-board. This greatly simplifies thecircuit.

Five lines connect the keyboard tothe computer. Two are for +5 voltsand ground, one is a power-on resetsignal that initializes the keyboard,and the last two carry the data signaland clock signal. Data is sent from thekeyboard using a 9-bit serial stream.You can think of the first bit as a startbit. The remaining 8 bits contain thecode for the key being pressed (orreleased), with the low-order bit arriv-ing first. The falling edge of the clocksignal is used to indicate valid data ispresent on the data line. (Note: IBMPC keyboards are not ASCII-compati-ble.)

The core of the keyboard adapteris a 74HC595 (IC2) 8-bit shift registerwith a built-in three-state latch. It alsohas an unbuffered output, QH', thatreflects the state of the last bit in theshift register. This is normally used tocascade multiple registers. Data is fedinto the D input directly from the key-board. The clock is inverted since thechip assumes valid data on the risingedge of the clock pulse.

When the register is read or a resetis performed, IC2 and IC31 arecleared. Data arriving from the key-board is shifted into IC2, and the datapresently in the register is shifted upone bit (A to B, B to C, etc.). When allthe data has been received from thekeyboard, the shift register will con-tain the 8-bit keycode. The problemnow is how to latch the data into theregister's output buffers and tell thecomputer that a key was pressed.

Remember that an extra start bitwas sent by the keyboard. This highbit will appear on the QH' output asthe seventh data bit being clockedinto the shift register. Data from the

QH' output is clocked into IC3 la one-half clock period after it appears onQH'. Half a clock period later, the lastbit of the keycode is shifted into theshift register. Half a clock period afterthat, the data from Ola is clockedinto IC31b. The output of IC31b im-mediately strobes LCLK on IC2, caus-ing the current state of the shiftregister to be latched into the outputbuffers. The output of IC3lb is alsoconnected to an open-collector in-verter (IC29) and can be used as aninterrupt to the SB 180.

A subsequent read to the keyboardport will place the byte in the outputbuffers onto the data bus and willclear the shift register and IC31 sothey are ready for the next keystroke.The data in the output buffers is notcleared and is available until the nextbyte is received from the keyboard.

Selecting a Color Monitor

Whether or not a particular monitoris suitable for use with the GT180depends on two factors: the monitor'sbandwidth and its physical interface.The analog RGB interface has threeanalog signal lines—one each for red,green, and blue—with a peak voltageof +0.6 V for maximum brightness.There is also a negative composite

sync at TTL levels that consists of theHSYNC and VSYNC signals com-bined. This type of interface is com-patible with the SR-12P monitor men-tioned before.

The digital TTL interface includesfour TTL-level lines for the red, green,blue, and intensity lines. There arealso two more TTL-level lines forseparate HSYNC and VSYNC signals.This type of interface is compatiblewith most monitors designed forIBM's CGA board. Unfortunately,some monitors on the market don't fitthe format of either of the two inter-faces described above. You will prob-ably have problems with such moni-tors, so it's best to avoid themaltogether.

The GT180 is designed and pre-sented as a 640- by 480-pixel resolu-tion display controller. However, youcan configure it by software to resolu-tions of 640 by 400, 640 by 350, 640by 200, 320 by 200, etc. (all with 16colors). Ultimately, the frequency ofthe crystal oscillator you use on yourGT180 board controls the resolutionyou can expect and the monitor youcan use. A 2 5-MHz oscillator will giveyou a PGA-like 640 by 480 or 640 by400 resolution but requires a high-

{continued)

Photo 2: This screen picture was produced using the GT180 and a PrincetonSR-12P monitor.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 97

CIRCUIT CELLAR

Photo 3: Another screen picture using the GT180 and SR-12P.

quality 30-MHz monitor like theSR-12P (see photos 2 and 3).

In order to use a less expensiveEGA- or CGA-compatible color moni-tor intended for the IBM PC, you mustuse a lower oscillator frequency andgive up some resolution. A CGAmonitor, for example, has a 15-MHzbandwidth and will support only aresolution on the order of 640 by 200.The newer EGA monitors have ahigher bandwidth and a resolution of640 by 3 50 (an EGA monitor is RGBIand not analog). You will have to slowthe GT180 down by a proportionateamount to use a slower scan rate. Usea crystal oscillator in the range of 12to 13 MHz for a 640 by 200 monitor.(Note: Software utilities included withthe GT180 allow use of the lower-resolution monitors.)

The flexibility offered by the inter-changeable crystal oscillators coupledwith the ability to set up the ACRTCsinternal timing registers from softwareallows you to use most monitors onthe market as long as you keep thebandwidth limitations in mind.

One tidy and relatively inexpensiveway to get around most of the prob-lems listed above is to use a monitorthat can support a range of scan ratesand either of the interfaces men-tioned. No such animal? Well, NEC

makes a MultiSync monitor that willadapt to whatever scan rate you areusing and accepts either analog ordigital RGB inputs.

Circuit Cellar Feedback

This month's feedback begins onpage 58.

Next Month

Part 3 looks at the GT180 GraphixToolbox software. ■

Special thanks to Tom Cantrell, Ken David-son, and Mike Weisert for their contributionsto this project.

All screen pictures presented in this articlewere produced using the GT180 with aPrinceton SR-12P monitor. The bit-mappedpictures were originally composed on an Atari520ST using DEGAS by Tom Hudson. Theyare reproduced and used here by permission.

The following items are available from

The Micromint Inc.25 Terrace Dr.Vernon, CT 06066(800) 635-3355(203) 871-6170Telex: 643331

1. GT180 graphics board: RGBI version lesspalette D/A converter. Comes with demo diskand user's manual.

board alone $395

board with Modula-2 and GT180Graphix Toolbox $449

2. GT180 graphics board: RGBI and analogversion with palette D/A converter. Comeswith demo disk and user's manual.

board alone $449

board with Modula-2 and GT180Graphix Toolbox $499

3. Borland International's Turbo Modula-2GT180 Graphix Toolbox software for theSB180 and SB180FX computers, optimizedfor the 64180 processor. Supplied on5H-inch DS/DD SB180 format disks with300-page manual.

SB180 Modula-2 alone $69

SB180 Modula-2 with GraphixToolbox alone $89

4. SB180FX 5.75- by 8-inch single-board com-puter, accommodates 512K bytes of mem-ory, two serial ports, three parallel ports,parallel printer port, floppy disk controller,SCSI controller, ROM monitor, 6-MHz 64180.Comes with ZRDOS, ZCPR3, hard disk BIOS,and user's manuals. Populated with 256K-byte memory, less 53C80 SCSI controllerchip.

SB180FX board alone $409

SB180FX board with software $499

SB180FX board fully populated with

512K bytes, SCSI chip, and

software $599

9.216-MHz 64180 processor upgrade

(SB180FX only) $50

GM1C, GVAC, ACRTC, and palette D/A con-verter chip sets are available for experi-menters who wish to hand-assemble theGT180. Call for price and availability infor-mation. Borland's Turbo Modula-2 is alsoavailable for most CP/M Z80 machines. Con-tact Echelon Inc., 885 North San Antonio Rd„Los Altos, CA 94022, (415) 948-3820. TheSB180FX is hardware- and software-compat-ible with the SB180.

Surface delivery (U.S. and Canada only):add $5 for U.S., $10 for Canada. For deliveryto Europe via U.S. airmail, add $20. Three-day air freight devlivery: add $8 for U.S. (UPSBlue), $25 for Canada (Purolator overnight),$45 for Europe (Federal Express), or $60(Federal Express) for Asia and elsewhere inthe world. Connecticut residents please add7.5 percent sales tax.

There is an on-line Circuit Cellar bulletinboard system that supports past and pres-ent projects. You are invited to call and ex-change ideas and comments with other Cir-cuit Cellar supporters. The 300/1200/2400-bpsBBS is on-line 24 hours a day at (203)871-1988.

To be included on the Circuit Cellar mail-ing list and receive periodic project up-dates and support materials, please cir-cle 100 on the Reader Service inquirycard at the back of the magazine.

98 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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Run faster with compiled code.

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Making programs run faster is only part of thestory, though. The new Microsoft QuickBASICCompiler includes a full-screen editor, built-in.So now you can make the jump from writing toRUNning in no time flat. Edit your program,compile it, and run it. Faster than any otherBASIC compiler around. All without leavingour on-line help and prompts.

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•

eta =

CALL Draw:

4EXT theta

Find...Selected TextRepeat Last Find F3Change...

Label

Next Error

^rawStarCcx,

dx = radius * cos(theta)

dy = radius * sin(theta)

line(cx,cy)-(cx+dxjcy+dy),2

sub

STATIC

NEXT without FOR

Next Error

leaving BASIC for.

On the rare chance your program doesn't run100% the first time out, we've got another sur-prise for you. The Microsoft QuickBASICdebugger. Our full-screen tracing lets you debugyour programs while watching the source codeexecute. A line at a time, or with breakpoints.As easy as can be.

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102 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

ILLUSTRATED BY BART GOLDMAN

PROGRAMMING PROJECT

USING DOS FUNCTIONSFROM TURBO PASCAL

by Douglas F. Yriart

You need never write a lineof assembly language code

When you decidewhether to use a high-level language or assem-bly language to write anapplication program,you must weigh severaltrade-offs. One elementto consider is which operating system ser-vices the high-level language provides ac-cess to versus the services available direct-ly to an assembly language program. Thisarticle demonstrates how to call on oper-ating system functions from programs writ-ten in Turbo Pascal running under PC-DOSor MS-DOS. You can apply the techniquesdescribed to other implementations ofPascal or to other high-level languages aslong as the language in question providesfacilities for making calls to the operatingsystem and the ability to examine the valuesreturned in the CPU registers.

The program DirectoryDemo (listings 1through 6 inclusive) returns a disk directorywith filenames and sizes by searching formatches to the specified input pattern,much as the DIR command does. In addi-tion to demonstrating how to use DOS func-tion calls, the procedures and functions thatmake up the program can be used withinother programs to automatically process agroup of files or show you a list of availablefiles and information about them. [Editor'snote: The program DIRDEMO.PAS is available on

disk, in print, and on BIX. See the insert card follow-ing page 320 for details. It is also available onBYTEnet. See page 4.|

DOS and High-levelLanguage Services

DOS provides a number of functions forhandling I/O from the console, mass stor-age, and other devices so that assembly lan-guage programmers have a standard meansof dealing with these devices. Higher-levellanguages use some of these functions aswell. To open a file in Turbo Pascal, youneed only assign a filename to a file vari-able. In an assembly language program, youmust take care of numerous details, such assetting up a file control block (FCB), beforeyou can ask DOS to open the file.

An operating system as rich as MS-DOSor PC-DOS provides many more I/O andmemory management functions than areavailable in a higher-level language. Thereare two reasons for this. First, differentoperating systems provide different func-tions; to let you write portable programs,languages provide for only those functions

(continued)Douglas F. Yriart (6805 Me/rose Dr., Mclean, VA22101) is a commander in the U.S. Naval Reserveand the chief of the computer user center for the U.S.Office of Personnel Management in Washington,DC. He has a B.A. in international relations from]ohns Hopkins University.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 103

USING DOS FUNCTIONS

that are reasonably standard acrossoperating systems. Second, some limitmust be set on the facilities providedby a language so that it does notbecome unwieldy. However, in ex-change for portability and simplicity,you lose access to some useful capa-bilities.

Implementations of some high-levellanguages provide a back doorthrough which you can access func-tions or perform tasks they do notprovide. Usually, the method used iseither to allow the inclusion of in-lineassembly language code or to pro-vide a means of linking assembly lan-guage modules with compiled pro-grams. To take advantage of thesefacilities, you must write assemblylanguage code.

Tlirbo Pascal lets you include in-lineassembly language code in your pro-grams. However, this facility is notgenerally needed because the lan-guage contains the facilities to makecalls to the operating system and to

load and examine the CPU registers.Thus, you can build procedures andfunctions to perform tasks not builtinto the language without resorting toassembly language. The price of usingthis capability is that your programsare not portable to other operatingsystems.

DOS provides two sets of functionsfor file management. The traditionalset is FCB-oriented. To use these calls,the application program must buildthe FCB and pass it to DOS. Thenew, extended set of functions wasintroduced with DOS 2.0 and is easierto use. For a detailed explanationof DOS functions, see references 1and 2.

Memory Organization

To understand the operation of DOSfunctions, you need to know howmemory is organized in computersusing the Intel 8088/8086 family ofCPUs. The CPU registers are 16 bitswide and can contain unsigned in-

Listing 1: The type, constant, and variable declarations for the programDirectoryDemo.

program DirectoryDemo;

} Copyright June 1985 by D. F.

Yriart.

I

type

UserSpec

■

string[64];

Registers

record

AX,BX.CX.DX.BP,SI.DI.DS.ES,Flags :end;

FileName

-

str lng[13];

DTAPointer

■

^DTARecord;

DTARecord

record

DOSReserved : array[1..21] of byte;

Attribute : byte;

FileTime, j special format i

FileDate. \ " " \

SizeLow,

SizeHigh : integer;

FoundName : array[1..13] of char;end;

const

NUL

*•

8; j character 8 |$10; j files * sub-directories |

SeekAttrib

a

var

TransferRec

: DTAPointer;

MatchPtrn

: UserSpec;

RetName

: FileName;

FllSIze

: Real;

Count

: Integer;

NoFind, LastFile.

SubDirec

: Boolean;

Integer;

tegers in the range from 0 to 65,535.To address more than 64 K bytes ofmemory, these CPUs use a scheme of20-bit segmented addresses made upof a base segment address, which isa multiple of 16, and a relative offsetfrom that base. With this technique,you can access any byte in the CPU's1-megabyte address space. The CPUdivides this area into four segmentsthat you can use concurrently—thecode, data, stack, and extra segments.A pair of registers is provided forreferencing each of these areas—onecontains the segment address; theother, the current offset.

DOS manages memory dynamical-ly. The actual address at which a pro-gram resides is not established untilthe program is executed. DOS loadsthe CPU code-segment register withthe appropriate segment addresswhen it loads the program into mem-ory.

As part of the load process, DOSalso sets up a number of work areasfor its own use. Their positions arevariable, depending on a number offactors outside program control. Touse some of the DOS function calls,programs need to be able to accessthese work areas. The data transferarea (DTA) in particular is neededwhen you use the extended file anddirectory services.

The DTA is where the directorysearch functions return informationon the files they find. DOS establishesa default DTA in the program-segmentprefix (PSP), another area it sets upwhile initializing a program. Programscan also establish and change theirown DTAs once they begin running.DOS provides a function for settingthe address of the current DTA. Moreimportant for our purposes, DOS alsoprovides a function that reports theaddress of the currently active DTA.

Calling DOS Functions

Reference 1 describes two preferredways to invoke DOS functions. Bothmethods require that you place thenumber of the function to be calledin the CPU's AH register. In addition,you may need to place values in otherCPU registers, depending on the call.After making a call, the function oftenreturns information in the CPU regis-

104 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

USING DOS FUNCTIONS

ters. For example, if an error occurs,many of the functions turn on thecarry flag in the flags register andreturn an error code in the AX regis-ter.

Calling a DOS function is a three-step process.

1. Set up the call:

A. Place the desired functionnumber in the AH register, and

B. Place any other data in other reg-isters as appropriate.

2. Make the call.

3. Check the carry flag in the CPU'sflags register.

A. If it is on, an error has occurred;handle it as necessary.

B. If it is off, there is no error; ex-amine the appropriate registers forreturned information.

In a Turbo Pascal program, you callDOS functions by using the pre-defined procedure MsDos, which re-quires a Registers record as itsparameter. That record contains in-teger fields corresponding to most ofthe CPU registers. To set up the call,you assign values to the appropriatefields. Each register is 16 bits, or 2bytes, wide. The AH register is thehigh-order byte of the AX register. Toget the function number into AH, youmust multiply it by hexadecimal 100($100 in Turbo Pascal notation, whichwill be used throughout this article)and assign the result to the AX fieldof the Registers record. When theDOS function has completed its oper-ation, the corresponding fields in therecord will contain any values thatwere returned in the CPU registers.

Several DOS functions, including theone that makes an initial directorysearch, need information that doesnot fit in the CPU registers. This infor-mation is stored in an ASCIIZ string—astring of ASCII characters without aninitial length byte that is terminatedby a byte of binary zeros. The binaryzeros are supplied by terminating thestring with the NUL character, whichis the ASCII character zero. When youset up the call, you use a pair of reg-isters containing the ASCIIZ string'ssegment and offset addresses to ref-erence the string.

To demonstrate how to implement

Listing 2: Procedure PointDTA, which finds the location of the program's DTA.

procedure PointDTA(Var DTARec : DTAPointer);

Const GetDTA - $2F00; { function number \

var

Regs : Registers;

Begin

Regs.AX :« GetDTA;

MsDos(Regs);

DTARec := Ptr(Regs.ES,Regs.BX);

End;

Listing 3: Function SizeOfFile, which is used to calculate file size.

function SIzeOfFile(HIWord, LoWord : Integer) : Real;Var

BIgNo, SizeBegin

Real

BigNo :- (Maxlnt * 2.0) + 2;

If HlWord < 0 then Size :« (BIgNo + HiWord) * BIgNo

else Size :- HiWord * BigNo;If LoWord >- 0 then Size :» Size + LoWord

else Size :- Size + (BigNo + LoWord);SizeOfFi le :- Size

End;

DOS function calls in a Turbo Pascalprogram, let's use functions $4E(FindFirst) and $4F (FindNext). Func-tion $4E locates the first file thatmatches the input specification. Func-tion $4F finds additional matches. Youalso need to use function $2F (Get-DTA) to determine the location of thecurrent DTA, because directory searchfunctions return information aboutthe files they find in the DTA.

The Demonstration Program

DirectoryDemo is the name of thedemonstration program. It includes afunction, SizeOfFile, and three pro-cedures, PointDTA, FindFirst, andFindNext. As input, the program ac-cepts a standard DOS file specifica-tion, which may include drive name,path name, and filenames. The filespecification may include the globalcharacters * and ?. The program out-put consists of a three-column screenlisting of filenames (along with filesizes) and subdirectories that matchthe input specification. Subdirectories

are displayed in low intensity with afile size of 0 bytes since they are notregular files. The display concludeswith a count of the files and subdirec-tories found.

DirectoryDemo compiles correctlywith versions 2 and 3 of Turbo Pascalfor the IBM PC. The program has runand functioned correctly on systemsrunning PC-DOS versions 2.0 and 2.10and also under Compaq's MS-DOS2.11. It will run on PC-DOS version 3.0but under certain conditions may fail.Apparently, DOS 3.0 returns addi-tional error codes beyond those usedby DOS 2.x. DirectoryDemo usesseveral of the "new" DOS functionsand therefore does not work on DOS1.0 or 1.1.

Data Types, Constants,and Variables

Three defined data types are impor-tant to the program DirectoryDemo(listing 1), and two procedures actuallydo the directory search. The Registers

(continued)

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 105

USING DOS FUNCTIONS

Listing 4: Procedure FindFirst, which finds the first directory entry.

procedure FindFirst(Pattern : UserSpec;Var Found : FileName; Var Size : Real;Var NoMatch : Boolean; Var LastOne : Boolean;Var SubDir : Boolean);

Const FindFirst = $4E00; } function number \

Type

ASCIIZ

» array[1..64] of

var

Fi 1 eSpec

. ASCIIZ;

Regs

: Registers;

PosInStr,

Count

: Integer;

FoundLen

: Byte absolute Found;

Begin

for PosInStr :- 1 to I ength(Pattern) do

FileSpec[PosInStr] :» PatternfPosInStr] ;FileSpec[length(Pattern) + 1] :- NUL;With Regs dobegin

DS

- Seg(F

leSpec);

DX

- Ofs(F

leSpec);

CX

= SeekAttrib;

AX

= FindF

rst;

MsDos(Regs)

if (Flags ar

d 1) > 0 then

begin

Case AX

of

2

begin j No match }

NoMatch :« True;

LastOne := True;

end;

18

begin { No more fi les }

NoMatch :» False;

LastOne :<= True;

end;

e I se

wr i te

n(^G'Can''t interpret error return code');

Halt;

end;

Case \

end

else

begin {

No error return code \

NoMatch

:= False;

LastOne

:» Fa Ise;

end;

end;

{ with

Regs \

if (not NoMatch) thenwith TransferRec^ dobegin

Found :» FoundName;

Count := 0;

While FoundfCount] <> NUL do Count :» Count + 1;

FoundLen :» Count;

For Count :« length(Found) + 1 to 13

do Found :» Found + ' ';if (Attribute and SeekAttrib) > 0then SubDir := Trueelse SubDir := False;if not SubDir

then Size :» SizeOfFile(SizeHigh.SizeLow)else Size :■ 0.0;end; } with TransferRec \End;

data type is a record containing in-teger fields that represent the CPUregisters. This type of variable ispassed as a parameter to the pre-defined procedure MsDos whenevera DOS function is called. The fields inthis record contain the values to beloaded into the CPU registers. Whenthe call returns, those fields containthe values that the DOS function callis returning. Both MsDos and itsparameter record are described in theTurbo Pascal manual (reference 3).

The other two data types. DTA-Record and DTAPointer, work to-gether. DOS returns the informationfor each file found in the DTA in aspecific format. DTARecord is arecord whose fields correspond to thelayout of that data. DTAPointer definesa pointer to DTARecord. When youset the pointer to point to the DTA,you can directly access the informa-tion returned by the directory searchcalls in the fields of DTARecord.

For convenience, two global con-stants have been defined. NUL hasthe value of ASCII character zero andis used as a terminator in construct-ing the ASCIIZ string that is passed tothe function that begins the directorysearch. The other constant, SeekAt-trib, has a value of $10. When you con-duct a directory search, you canspecify the attribute of the files youwant to find. The subdirectory at-tribute is $10, and it tells the searchto return subdirectories as well as filesthat match the input search criterion.

The three Boolean variables No-Find, LastFile, and SubDirec are usedto report the progress of the searchafter each call and whether the namebeing returned is a subdirectoryname, so that it can be displayed inlow intensity.

Getting the DTA Address

The program's first procedure, Point-DTA (listing 2), is used to find the loca-tion of the current DTA and to set itspointer, TransferRec. The programcalls DOS function $2F to get the ad-dress of the DTA. In writing pro-cedures or functions that use DOSfunction calls, I restrict each to a singleDOS function. In addition, I declarethe DOS function number as a con-

[conlinuei)

106 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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USING DOS FUNCTIONS

stant already multiplied by $100 (inthis case $2F00) so that you can loadit into the AH register simply by as-signing the value to the AX register.DOS function $2F returns the addressof the DTA in the ES and BX registers.The ES register contains the segmentaddress, and BX, the offset. You setthe pointer value using Turbo Pascal'spredefined function Ptr.

Calculating the File Size

Function SizeOfFile (listing 3) calcu-lates the size of each file found dur-ing the directory search. The functionreturns a value of type Real, sinceDOS file sizes can exceed 32,767bytes (Maxlnt for Turbo Pascal). DOSdelivers the size of each file in a pairof 2-byte words, HiWord and LoWord,which are passed as parameters to

SizeOfFile. This presents a minorproblem. The value of each word isexpressed as a 16-bit unsigned in-teger, a data format unknown to TurboPascal. Therefore, values greater thanMaxlnt appear to be negative whenthese words are treated as signedintegers.

The problem is resolved by creatinga real variable, BigNo, containing thevalue 216, and subtracting negativevalues from it to find the true valueof the word. To find the file size, youdetermine the value of the high-orderword, multiply it by BigNo, and addthe value of the low-order word to it.

Finding the First File

The procedure FindFirst (listing 4)searches for the first occurrence of afilename to match the input criterion.

Listing 5: Procedure Find Next, which is used to find subsequent directory entries.

procedure FindNext(Var Found : FileName; Var Size : Real;Var LastOne : Boolean; Var SubDIr : Boolean);

Const FindNext

$4F00; { function number J

var

Regs : Registers;

Count : Integer;

FoundLen : Byte absolute Found;

Begin

With Regs dobegin

AX :- FindNext;

MsDos(Regs);

if (Flags and 1) > 0 then

if AX ■ 18 then LastOne :« Trueelsebegin

wrIteln(AG'Can''t interpret error return code');Halt;endelse LastOne :■ False;end; ) with Regs J

with TransferRec^ dobegin

Found :» FoundName;

Count :- 0;

While Found[Count] <> NUL do Count :- Count + 1;

FoundLen :» Count;

For Count :» length(Found) + 1 to 13

do Found :- Found + ' ';if (Attribute and SeekAttrib) > 0 then SubDir :- True

else SubDir :» False;if not SubDir then

Size :» SizeOfFlle(SIzeHIgh.SizeLow)else Size :» 0.0;end; { with TransferRec \

End;

It invokes DOS function $4E to beginthe search and lays the groundworkfor subsequent calls to DOS function$4F which returns additionalmatches, if any. FindFirst loads the ap-propriate registers, makes the call,checks for errors, and, if it finds amatch, returns the filename and sizeand a flag signifying whether that fileis a subdirectory. If the search fails,FindFirst uses a pair of flags to signalthe failure.

DOS function $4E requires as inputan ASCIIZ string containing the pat-tern to be matched. The ASCIIZ stringis loaded into the local variable File-Spec. Turbo Pascal's predefined func-tions Seg and Ofs are used to loadFileSpec's segment and offset ad-dresses, respectively, into the DS andDX fields of the Registers record,which is called Regs.

The attribute of the files you aresearching for is an optional parameterof DOS function $4E. You load it intothe CX register before making the call.Since in this case you want to locateall files and subdirectories in the ap-propriate directory that match yourspecification, you load CX with theconstant SeekAttrib.

After making the call to function$4E, FindFirst checks the carry-flag bitin the Flags field of the Regs recordto find out if the function has returnedan error code. The codes report thestatus of the search if the function failsto find a match. DOS 2.x reports oneof two possible conditions: error 2, in-dicating that no match was found, orerror 18, indicating that the last filethat matches the input specificationhas been found. (FindFirst is coded sothat if any error code other than 2 or18 is returned, the program halts withthe message "Can't interpret errorreturn code." In a production system,you would want to provide a moregraceful way of handling this. Pro-cedure FindNext works the same way.)

If the carry-flag bit is not turned on,there is no error code to check, anda file matching the input specificationhas been found. FindFirst transfersthe information about the file fromthe fields of the DTA record to vari-ables for return to the main program.For this example, three pieces of in-

(continued)

108 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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USING DOS FUNCTIONS

formation about each file are re-turned: its name and extension, its at-tribute (whether it is a subdirectory ora normal file), and its size.

Function $4E returns the filenameand extension in a single field, sepa-rated by a period and terminated bya NUL. There may be garbage char-acters in the remainder of the field ifthe name and extension do not fill theentire field. The Boolean variableSubDir is set to True and the file sizeis set to zero if it is a subdirectory. Ifnot, the file size is calculated by func-tion SizeOfFile. The date and time ofthe file's last update are also availablein the DTA; however, for the sake ofsimplicity, decoding these fields hasbeen left out of the demonstrationprogram. Both the date and the timeare stored in special packed formats(see reference 1).

Finding Additional Files

The procedure FindNext (listing 5)searches for additional files that meet

the specification set up by FindFirst.All you need to do is load the AX fieldof the Regs record with the functionnumber $4F and make the call. As inFindFirst, the procedure checks thecarry flag for an error condition. DOSfunction $4F returns only a singleerror code, 18, when the last match-ing file has been found. If no error isreported, the process of capturingand returning the information fromthe DTA is the same as in FindFirst.

The Main Program

The main program (listing 6) has threebasic sections: a setup phase, a loopthat searches for files matching the in-put specification, and a closeoutphase.

In the setup phase, you are askedto enter a specification, procedurePointDTA sets the pointer to the DTA,and the program invokes procedureFindFirst to look for the first match.Since this is merely a demonstrationprogram, there is no check to ensure

Listing 6: The

main body of the program DirectoryDemo.

BEGIN

CI rScr ;

wr iteln('

— Demonstration

of Directory Search Calls —');

wr ite('

Find? ');

readln(MatchPtrn);

writeln;

Count :» 0;

PoIntDTA(TransferRec);

FindFirst(MatchPtrn,RetName,FI Size

NoFind.Las ;

SubDirec);

if NoFind

or LastFile then

wr iteln(

FIle not found.')

else

begin

Whi

e (not LastFile)

do

begin

if SubDirec then

LowVideo

write(RetName,'

\FilSize:8:0,*

');

NormVideo;

Count :« Count +

1;

if (Count mod 3)

■ 0 then

Writeln

FindNext(RetName

FiISize,LastFi le

SubDirec);

end

end;

If (Count

mod 3) <> 0 then

writeln;

write In;

wrlte(**** '.Count,* Files

or ');

LowVideo;

write("Sub-Directories');

NormVideo

;

wrltelnC

found ***');

END.

that your input is valid. (Note that inDOS function calls, you may delimitpath names with slashes as well as thebackslashes we are used to.)

If FindFirst is successful, the mainprogram enters a loop that displaysinformation about each file found andinvokes procedure FindNext to searchfor another match until no more arefound. Subdirectories are displayed inlow intensity: all other files are shownin regular intensity. When the mainprogram has found the last matchingfile, it closes out the display with asummary message and exits.

Conclusions

The program DirectoryDemo servestwo purposes: It illustrates how to useDOS functions from within a TurboPascal program, and it shows how toinvoke the directory search servicesprovided by DOS to locate and pro-cess a group of files whose namesmatch a given specification.

The techniques in this article alsoapply to invoking DOS and BIOS ser-vices through interrupts using TurboPascal's predefined procedure Intr. Inthis case, in addition to loading theappropriate fields in the Registersrecord, the program must specify thedesired interrupt number.

With the procedures MsDos andIntr and similar "hooks" to the oper-ating system that other high-level lan-guages may provide, you can have fullaccess to the rich variety of servicesprovided by DOS functions and inter-rupts without ever having to write aline of assembly language code. Pro-grams can perform almost any taskthe hardware is capable of. The priceis that programs that make use ofthese services through function callsand interrupts are not portable toother operating systems without ex-tensive modification. ■

REFERENCES

1. Disk Operating System Technical Reference,Microsoft Corp. and International BusinessMachines Corp., first edition, version 2.10,September 1983.

2. Norton, Peter. The Peter Norton Program-mer's Guide to the IBM PC. Bellevue, WA:Microsoft Press, 1985.

3. Turbo Pascal Reference Manual, version 3.Scotts Valley, CA: Borland InternationalInc., 1985.

HO BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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THE SMALL SYSTEMS JOURNAL

m

PROGRAMMING INSIGHT

A PROGRAM FOR

APPROXIMATING

INTEGRALS

by David M. Smith

Gauss approximation with Aitkenextrapolation yields increased precision

THE PROBLEM OF computing thevalue of a definite integral arises oftenin scientific, engineering, and othertechnical applications. Most of theseintegrals cannot be found exactlyusing techniques of calculus. Instead,

they must be approximated usingnumerical methods, which work byevaluating the function at a finitenumber of points and doing aweighted sum of the function values.As more and more function values are

» j r /■*"*' '

/*«*')»

computed, the sequence of approxi-mations converges to the correctvalue of the integral.

However, the rate of convergencecan differ widely for various functions.For one function, 30 evaluation pointsmight produce an approximation cor-rect to five significant digits (SD), while1000 points might be needed to getthe same degree of accuracy in theapproximation of another function.Because of the need for many func-tion evaluations, numeric approxima-tion of an integral tends to be time-intensive and thus expensive.

This article presents a method forapproximating integrals with aminimum of function evaluations. Thetechnique, called Aitken extrapola-tion, is incorporated into the programin listing 1. A more accurate versionof the program, written in FORTRAN,is available separately. [Editor's note:Both programs are available on disk, in print,and on BIX. See the insert card following page320 for details. Listings are also available onBYTEnet. See page 4.| I'll review some

[continued).David M. Smith teaches numerical analysisand computer-related mathematics at LoyolaMarymount University. He can be reachedat the Mathematics Department, LMU,Loyola Blvd. at West 80th St., Los Angeles,CA 90045.

ILLUSTRATED BY LANE SMITH

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 113

APPROXIMATING INTEGRALS

Listing 1: A BASIC program to approximate the integral of a function [definedin lines 170 and 180). The program uses Gauss approximation and Aitkenextrapolation,

100 DEFDBL A-H.L.O-Z

110 REM Use EPS-1E-6 If functions are single precision.

120 EPS-1E-10

130 SQT3«SQR(3)

140 DIM TABLE(20)

150 LG10-LOG(10)

160 DEF FNL10(X)»LOG(X)/LG10

170 F$«"f(x)=SQR(EXP(x)-1)/SIN(x)"

180 DEF FNF(X)«SQR(EXP(X)-1)/SIN(X)

190 T1$-"###### #####.##########

200 T2$-"###### #####.##########

210 T3$-"###### #####.##########

220 T4$-"###### #####.##########

########

###"

M"

260270280

"Approximating the integral of the function:" "; F$

"Number of lines in Gauss column (>1)";KL"Lower limit for Integral";A

for integral";B

"Error. Lower limit <» upper

next Aitken column, 0 to quit";CQGOTO 390

230 PRINT240 PRINT250 INPUT

INPUT

INPUT "Upper limit

IF B<-A THEN PRINT

limit.": STOP290 PRINT300 GOSUB 410310 PRINT320 FOR J-1 TO 20330 INPUT "Enter 1 for340 IF CQ-0 THEN J-20:350 GOSUB 760360 PRINT370 KL-KL-2380 IF KL<3 THEN J-20390 NEXT J400 END410 IF KL<1 THEN PRINT "Error In Gauss subroutine: KL<1.":

STOP420 NLINES-KL430 NSUBS-1440 NFUNCT-0

450 PRINT "Gaussian integration table for the function"460 PRINT F$; ", for x- ";A; " to ";B;"."470 PRINT "Table contains ";NLINES; " lines."480 PRINT

490 FOR JLINE-1 TO NLINES500 XH=(B-A)/NSUBS510 XH2-XH/2520 XR-XH2/SQT3530 START1-A-XH2-XR540 START2-A-XH2+XR550 SUM-0

560 FOR K-1 TO NSUBS

570 SUM-SUM+FNF(START1+K*XH)+FNF(START2+K*XH)580 NEXT K590 SUM-SUM*XH2600 NFUNCT-NFUNCT+2*NSUBS610 IF JLINE>1 THEN 650

620 PRINT " N Gauss NF Est.S.D."

630 PRINT USING T1$; NSUBS,SUM.NFUNCT640 GOTO 720650 RELERR-EPS

660 IF SUMO0 THEN RELERR-ABS(TABLE(JLINE-1)-SUM)/ABS(SUM)670 IF SUM-0 AND TABLE(JLINE-1)<>0 THEN

RELERR-ABS(TABLE(JLINE-1)-SUM)/ABS(TABLE(JLINE-1))680 IF RELERR<-0 THEN RELERR-EPS690 NUMSD—FNL10(RELERR)700 IF NUMSD<0 THEN NUMSD=0

[continued)

analytic techniques for simplifying in-tegrals to obtain increased precision.

First Approximations

To use Aitken extrapolation, we needa set of approximations to the integralof f(x) from a to b. Table 1 gives sucha table for the function f{x)=\le-\ /sinxfrom 0 to 1. The table was generatedusing the Gauss formula.

The Gauss formula approximatesthe area under a function from x,_, toxt as follows:

v., 2

:(/(^

2

2V3

&)

+/(

Xt + X,-i Xt — Xj.

2V3

■-))

In line 1 of the table, the Gauss for-mula is applied to the entire interval(0,1). In the second line, the intervalis divided into two subintervals andthe Gauss formula is applied to eachsubinterval; the two approximationsare totaled to produce the valueshown in the Gauss column. Ingeneral, for each nth line in the table,the program divides the interval into2"_1 subintervals and applies theGauss formula to each. These valuesare summed to get an approximate in-tegral from a to b.

The Est. SD column of table 1 is aconservative estimate of the numberof significant digits in the latest ap-proximation, based upon a compari-son with the Gauss number in theprevious line of the table.

One advantage the Gauss rule hasover more popular integration ruleslike Simpson or trapezoidal is that thefunction is not evaluated at either ofthe endpoints of the interval of in-tegration. For functions with singular-ities, this means you can code thefunction into the program more easi-ly, without having to make a specialcase to avoid division by zero, and soon. This makes the code for the func-tion easier to write and faster execut-ing.

Aitken Extrapolation

Once the Gauss table has been com-puted, we have a sequence of approx-

(continued)

114 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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710 PRINT USING T2$;NSUBS.SUM.NFUNCT,NUMSD

720 NSUBS-2*NSUBS

730 TABLE(JLINE)-SUM

740 NEXT JUNE

750 RETURN

760 IF KL<3 THEN PRINT "Error In Altken: KL<3

770 KLM2-KL-2

780 PRINT: PRINT "Altken column. ";KLM2;'

STOP

Line

Altken

entr ies."Est.S.D.

790 PRINT: PRINT "

800 KLM1-KL-1

810 FOR JLINE-2 TO KLM1

820 TOP-(TABLE(JLINE+1)-TABLE(JLINE))"2

830 BOT-TABLE(JLINE+1)-2*TABLE(JLINE)+TABLE(JLINE-1)

840 IF BOT-0 THEN TABLE(JLINE-1)-TABLE(JLINE+1) ELSE

TABLE(JLINE-1)-TABLE(JLINE+1)-TOP/BOT850 JLM1-JLINE-1860 IF JLINE<-2 THEN PRINT USING T3$;JLM1,TABLE(JLM1):

GOTO 940870 RELERR-EPS880 IF TABLE(JLM1)<>0 THEN RELERR-ABS(TABLE(JLM1-1)-

TABLE(JLM1))/ABS(TABLE(JLM1))890 IF TABLE(JLM1)-0 AND TABLE(JLM1-1)<>0 THEN

RELERR-ABS(TABLE(JLM1-1)-TABLE(JLM1))/ABS(TABLE(JLM1-

D)900 IF RELERR<-0 THEN RELERR-EPS910 NUMSD—FNL10(RELERR)920 IF NUMSD<0 THEN NUMSD-0930 PRINT USING T4$;JLM1;TABLE(JLM1);NUMSD940 NEXT JLINE950 RETURN

Table 1: Gaussian integration tablefor the function

f{x) = Ve^l/siiu, for x=0 to 1.

The BASIC program in listing 1produced the data for the table. Eachsuccessive line of the table correspondsto a finer approximation. The numberof subintervals used is "n," "Gauss" isthe resulting approximation, "NF" isthe number of function evaluationsused to produce the current estimate,and "Est. SD" is a conservativeestimate of the number of significantdigits in the approximation.

n Gauss

NF

Est. SD

1 1.9285506935

2

—

2 2.0298952302

6

1

4 2.1019189001

14

1

8 2.1529799461

30

2

16 2.1891343294

62

2

32 2.2147171070

126

2

64 2.2328132539

254

2

128 2.2456114423

510

2

256 2.2546619381

1022

2

512 2.2610618921

2046

3

1024 2.2655874445

4094

3

imations Ttl T2, T3 which con-verges to the correct value of theintegral. The number of subintervalsused increases geometrically (1, 2, 4,8, . . .). Numerical analysis tells usthat such a sequence is linearly con-vergent, or nearly so.

Aitken extrapolation uses thislinear-convergence property to deriveadditional accuracy from the Gausstable results without the need for fur-ther function evaluations. If we let Trepresent the exact value of the in-tegral, and e, the error in the Gaussapproximation on line i, then T,-T=e{.By the definition of linear con-vergence, there exists a constant c forwhich e,=ce,--, for every i. Assumingthis gives us three equations in threeunknowns, T, eb and c: 7,-T=e,.Ti+1-T=cei. and T,+2-T=c2e,-. Solvingfor T yields

T = Tm

(T«

r«)

Tm - 2TI+1 + Tt

This is the formula for Aitken extrap-olation. In practice, the convergenceis not precisely linear, so this com-puted T is still not the exact result, but

it is often more accurate than any ofthe three values used to generate it.Unlike the Gauss values, which areeach the sum of n terms, the Aitkenvalues derive from only a few arith-metic operations. The time needed tocompute the values in the Aitken col-umn is negligible when compared tothe time taken for the Gauss column.

Table 2 gives the Aitken extrapola-tions to the integral of the functionusing the data in table 1. Each Aitkenvalue is found using three successivenumbers in the previous column(either Gauss or Aitken) and extrap-olating to the limit under the assump-tion that the numbers are part of alinearly convergent sequence. Thusline 1 in the Aitken column with nineentries was computed using theGauss approximations with w-I, 2,and 4. Line 2 in that column used theGauss approximations with ft—2, 4,and 8, and so forth. Then line 1 of theAitken column with seven entriesused the same formula with the ap-proximations on lines 1,2, and 3 fromthe previous Aitken column.

Notice that each new Aitken columnhas two fewer entries than theprevious one.

The Aitken table gives a final ap-proximation accurate to at least nineSD, even though the Gauss approxi-mation was accurate to only two SD.The singularity is what makes the ap-proximations so bad in the Gauss col-umn. For a well-behaved function, theGauss accuracy would be ten ortwelve SD, so the Aitken extrapo-lations would not be necessary.

On the other hand, computing theAitken columns takes almost no timewhen compared to the time requiredto calculate the Gauss column. Acompiled version of the Aitken pro-gram (listing 1) took 2 minutes, 15seconds to produce the results oftables 1 and 2, running on an IBM PCwithout floating-point hardware. Sincethe running time increases with thetotal number of function computa-tions, it would take about twice aslong to add one more line to theGauss table with n=2048.

Handling Singularities

Before applying the program to an in-tegral, you should locate all singular-

(umlinued)

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APPROXIMATING INTEGRALS

Table 2: Successive Aitkenextrapolations based on the data intable I. The BASIC programin listing 1 produced the data.

Aitken column. 9 entries.Line Aitken Est. SD

2.27883757902.27735514042.27682259752.27662619852.27655396252.27652780952.27651844582.27651511392.2765139321

Aitken column. 7 entries.Line Aitken Est.

SD

2.27652403642.27651144842.27651193682.27651296722.27651322352.27651327342.2765132825

Aitken column. 5 entries.Line Aitken Est.

SD

2.27651191852.27651100822.27651330842.27651328542.2765132845

Aitken column. 3 entries.Line Aitken Est. SD

2.27651166042.27651328562.2765132844

Aitken column. 1 entry.Line Aitken Est. SD

1 2.2765132844

ities of the function that lie inside theinterval of integration. Break the in-tegral up into subintervals boundedby these singularity points; Aitken ex-trapolation works best when thepoints where f(x) is computed ap-proach the singularity in a regularmanner. This is true if the singularityis an endpoint but is not usually trueotherwise.For example, consider the integral

f \x _ 03|0.33333 d%0

The function has a mild singularity at

Table 3: This table summarizes the results of applying Aitken ext

rapolation

to a function over a specified interval. The 'Aitken columns"

show the number of

significant digits obtained in each step. In this case, we see that dividing

an

integral at its singularity point before starting numeric approximation greatly

improves the significant digit yield {compare rur

I and runs

2A and 2B).

Run Function Interval

Aitken columns

1 |x-0.3|°-33333 (0,1)

2

2

3

3

3

3

3

3

4

5

4

4

5

5

4

4

5

55

5

2A |x-0.3|033333 (0,0.3)

56

8

7

10

9

8

9

9

9

9

9

9

9

9

9

8

9

10

10

2B |x-0.3|033333 (0.3,1)

56

8

7

9

9

8

10

10

10

10

10

10

11

10

9

9

10

9

10

x=0.3, since even though it is con-tinuous, its derivative is undefinedthere. Table 3 compares the results ofintegrating the entire interval as op-posed to integrating the two subinter-vals (0,0.3) and (0.3,1).

In run 1, Aitken extrapolation is notable to gain much accuracy over theinitial results in the Gauss column,finishing with about five SD correct.In runs 2 A and 2B the partial resultscan be added to get about nine SDcorrect.

The function

subintervals (table 4, run 2).

A person might formulate such anintegral in an attempt to approximatethe integral of f(x) from 0 to infinity.The reasoning would go somethinglike this: Since f(x) is less than r4 forall x, the error made in stopping at x=bis less than

dx

m =

i

X4 + X2 + 1

is nice and smooth on the interval(0,3). Gauss integration does notreally need much help from Aitken(see table 4, run 1). But the same func-tion on the larger interval (0,300)doesn't yield so easily to Gauss ap-proximation, and even Aitken extrap-olation is ineffective through 1024

Setting this to 10"8 (a reasonably smallerror tolerance) and solving for byields about 300.

However, as the results of table 4.run 2 suggest, chopping the integraloff at some large value is seldom agood way to handle an integral to in-finity.

Here again, the techniques of cal-culus can improve the situation. Theidea is to find a change of variablesthat reduces the problem to a math-ematically equivalent one on a finite

{continued)

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Some integrals require j1preliminary analysis

o X4+X2+\

dx + j'

X4+X1+\

and more than onerun of the program.

interval. This avoids the necessity oftruncating the interval and gives ashorter interval that can be expectedto converge more rapidly. Note, how-ever, that the substitution variablemust be continuous on the original in-terval. For example, the substitutionu=l/x could not be used if the originalinterval contained zero, since \lx is notcontinuous there. For the problem athand, \lx makes a good substitution(zero winds up as the endpoint of thereconstituted integral).

We split the interval in two andchange variables in the second part:

- j1—L_&+{0 ~"-2

o X4+X2+\ Ji U^+U^+l

!'

o X*+X2+\

f1 x2+\

o X*+X2+\

dx+ (*_*

J ..4 , ..',

o ir+ir+]

dx

du

du

dx

Here the two parts happen to com-bine nicely into one integral at theend, but even if the two parts are in-tegrated separately they are both nowwell-behaved functions on small inter-vals. Table 4, run 3 shows that theAitken program has no trouble withthe reformulated integral, quickly sur-passing the BASIC compiler's intrin-sic precision.

This function can be integratedanalytically to get the exact value ofV3ir/6, but most people could get theapproximate result faster using the

Table 4: Aitken extrapolation is effective for this J

'unction on t

j small ml

erval

(run 1), but not when the interval is extended toward its singularity poin

However, converting to an equivalent integral using

calculus eliminates tht

problem (run 3). Note that values above 10 or 11

are suspect;

in such cases we

have probably exceeded the precision of the BASIC

compiler.

Run Function Interval

Aitken columns

1 l/^+y + t) (0,3)

25

l

8

9

11

9

11

12

14

13

14

15

14

14

15

15

15

15

15

2 1/(x* + x2 + 1) (0,300)

00

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

2

2

2

4

3 x2 + 1 (0,1)

67

8

X4 + X2 + 1

10

12

12

12

13

13

13

13

14

15

17

13

16

17

14

17

15

program than doing it by hand.The last problem is slightly harder:

r

v^

log*

dx.

For this function, the only possiblesingularities are at x=0 and x=\, buttable 5, run l shows that Aitken ex-trapolation does not help much. Afterinspecting the singularity, an expertmight make the substitution «=x2 toget an equivalent integral that is wellbehaved, but let's try a more straight-forward attack.

When functions like this one givethe Aitken program trouble, it is im-portant to realize that most of the er-ror comes from the one or two sub-intervals containing singularities. lbget much accuracy we need to usevery small subintervals near singular-ities, but much larger subintervals willsuffice elsewhere. Therefore, we splitthe interval into three parts, with smallintervals around the endpoints.

Running the program three timesfor the intervals (0, 0.01), (0.01, 0.99).and (0.99, 1), we are able to get sevenor eight SD for the first interval, nineor ten for the middle interval, andeven more (the compiler's precisionbecomes the limiting factor) for thelast interval (see table 5, runs 2A-2C).

Because of the different magnitudesof the integrals, their sum should beaccurate to seven or eight SD. Mostof the error is coming from the firstinterval, where there is a singularity.The immediate high accuracy of theoutput for the third interval indicatesno such problem there. If we wantedto try for still more accuracy, a reason-able set of intervals would be (0,0.001), (0.001, 0.1). and (0.1, 1).

As shown, these output tables con-tain a lot of information. In additionto an approximation of the integral,we get a good idea of how accuratethe Aitken method is and an indica-tion of the presence and severity ofany singularities in the intervals used.

Conclusion

We have seen several examples oftechniques for using the Aitken pro-gram to solve fairly difficult integrals.We were able to evaluate each integralto high precision, although some re-

(conlinued)

120 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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Table 5: In this case, the function integrates nicely except when it approaches

the two singularity points 0 and 1. The solution is

to break up the interval into

three parts, with small intervals around the two singularities and a

large interval

covering the "well-behaved'

middle section. Values above 10 or 11

are

suspect; in

such cases we have probably exceeded the precision

of the BASIC compiler.

Run Function

Interval

Aitken columns

1 Vx 1

(0,1)

3

x-1 logx

3

4

5

5

5

3

3

3

3

3

4

4

5

4

5

6

5

6

6

2A Vx 1

(0,0.01)

4

x-1 logx

4

6

5

7

8

5

8

8

8

6

8

7

7

6

8

8

7

8

8

2B Vx 1

(0.01,0.99)

3

x-1 logx

4

5

5

4

5

5

4

5

5

5

6

7

10

7

9

10

8

10

10

2C Vx 1

(0.99,1)

12

x-1 logx

11

11

12

12

13

13

13

13

14

11

12

13

13

11

10

10

11

10

10

quired preliminary analysis and morethan one run of the program.

However, a theorem says that givenany program to approximate integralsby sampling function values at a finitenumber of points, functions exist forwhich that program fails. The programwill get the wrong answer, and anyestimate of the error it computes willbe wrong as well.

On the other hand, almost all theproblems found in applications inscience and engineering can behandled in ways similar to the ex-amples we have seen. And in dealingwith very tough functions where theprogram does not get much accuracy,the lack of accuracy is almost alwaysobvious from looking at the Est. SD

columns.

Thus the Aitken extrapolation tech-nique illustrated in listing l providesa powerful tool so that someone whois not an expert in numerical analysiscan quickly do applications requiringthe evaluation of definite integrals. ■

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Acton, Forman S. Numerical Methods ThatWorfe. New York: Harper & Row, 1970. Aclassic applied numerical methods bookwith lots of advanced techniques forhandling hard integrals.

Gerald, Curtis F, and Patrick O. Wheatly.Applied Numerical Analysis. Reading, MA:Addison-Wesley, 1984. A more recentstandard numerical analysis text thatgives derivations of the Gauss andAitken formulas.

122 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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DECEMBER 1986

BYTE 123

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by Joel West

DebuggingMacintoshApplications

A look at the tripsand traps you'reliable to encounter

Debugging on an ad-vanced windowing micro-computer like the Macin-tosh is more difficult thandebugging in a "traditional" line-oriented environment for at least tworeasons. First, the extensive use of

pointers to data structures (and theMac's double-indirected handle)means that only a small error in apointer variable can lead to a fatalerror. Second, a single-tasking micro-computer is often only one step awayfrom fatal crashes, with little recourseonce the program fails. Unlike on amultitasking mainframe, there's nomemory management unit to assurethat the system keeps running in theevent of a program failure.

Having wrangled with the Mac my-self as well as gleaned advice fromcommercial developers, I have devel-oped a sort of checklist on how to getan application up and running on theMacintosh (the principles are ap-plicable to other windowing 68000-based systems). I have also added ad-vice on the psychology of debugging,based on several years' experiencewith a mainframe programming lan-guage. I assume that you are an ac-complished programmer working ona complete stand-alone applicationwith a compiled language, such asPascal or C. I'll use C for examples, al-though analogs are available inPascal. I'll also assume you've read atleast the introductory chapters of In-side Macintosh.

The Black Art of Debugging

It came as a shock the first time Irealized that I hadn't really written aprogram until the last bug was out ofit. While occasionally a small program

{continued)Prior to joining Western Software Technology(P.O. Box 273 3, Vista, CA 92083), JoelWest helped users debug programs as a com-piler writer for CACI Inc. He is now workingon a forthcoming Bantam book on Macintoshprogramming.

ILLUSTRATED BY WARREN GEBERT

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 127

MAC DEBUGGING

worked properly (or nearly so) the firsttime, usually extensive debugging wasrequired.

Although debugging a complexpiece of systems code may be asmuch fun as cleaning bedpans, it re-quires the surgeon's patience and in-sight. In fact, I've found it actuallyends up resembling the well-knownscientific method:

• Analyze the symptoms

• Hypothesize a possible explanation

• Predict effect of hypothesis

• Look for predicted results

In both the scientific and debugginglaboratories, you don't know what theanswer is, and if you make too manyassumptions you will never know theanswer. Instead, you systematicallytest hypotheses until you find one thatappears valid; the proof comes in thecorrecting and retesting.

Great contributions to science comethrough genius, and the genius of de-bugging is an intuitive understandingof what's going wrong, even with in-adequate evidence. In short, you needthe ability to make an educated guess.A good hunch can pay off on theprobabilities, much as a blackjackplayer knows that it's a good bet todouble on an ace.

For example, suppose you've justadded 50 lines of new code and yourprogram crashes. But only three ofthose lines use new routines or datastructures, and only one routine callincludes a null pointer. Without at-tempting to propose other hypothe-ses, you could investigate whetherthat null pointer (NIL to Pascal users)is causing the problem.

When it comes time to investigatea failing program, there are really twoways to approach it. If you wrote theprogram, you can work from thesource code to improve your under-standing of the program. Eventually,you will understand exactly what theprogram is doing and see where it'sgoing wrong. I'll call this the analyticapproach.

I call the other approach sympto-matic—you work backward from thepoint of failure. This technique isnecessary when there are interactionswith code you didn't write (such as theMacintosh Toolbox or a desk acces-

sory). However, in my years of cus-tomer support, I discovered thatmany programmers get lost chasingsymptoms. The frustrated cry of "Ichanged A and B broke" often in-dicates an undue reliance on symp-toms to provide the magic answer.In general, I've found a hybridmethod to be the most successful:Gather information on as many symp-toms as possible, then closely ex-amine the code that seems suspect.It helps, of course, to pay close atten-tion to Macintosh-specific interactionsand to keep an eye out for their com-mon problems.

Diagnosing the Symptoms

lb illustrate the symptomatic ap-proach, I'll use an actual problem. Inthis case, starting a certain desk ac-cessory (DA) within a particular appli-cation worked, but starting the DA asecond time crashed the computer. Idevised a number of questions to testalternate hypotheses that explainedthe DA's failure.

Are there other interactions at work? Doesit fail only when the selection involvesan update event, because the DA wascovered by some other window? Ordoes it fail only if you perform a mem-ory-intensive operation in between-such as printing? Perhaps somethingis getting purged from memory whereyou didn't expect it.

Is the problem "Opening a currently openDA" or "Opening a DA previously opened"?The former suggests a problem in thereentry logic, while the latter suggestsa purged memory problem.

Did it make it into the DA, or does it failin the application before reaching the DA?This may require program modifica-tions or a debugger, as discussedlater.

Does it fail under other programs, or onlythis one? It might be the program that'scausing the problem (the actualanswer, jn this case).

Isolating at least some symptoms isessential to finding a problem. If youcan't always reproduce the problem,then you will have to use a purelysymptomatic approach to tell youwhat sections of code deserve furtherattention. Knowing a failure is in aspecific section, you can often spot aparticular problem—a dubious null

pointer—through pure analysis.

The article "Debugging Techniques"by Gregg Williams in BYTE's June1985 issue describes general ap-proaches to debugging. As he notes,you must follow what every good pro-grammer has learned: Don't assumeanything. Experienced hands advisethat a "paranoid style" of Macintoshdebugging is the key to success.

Preparing for Surgery

It helps to come prepared to theoperating room. I've found the follow-ing to be extremely helpful to havewithin reach while I'm working on theMacintosh:

• The source listing, soon to becopiously annotated.

• Operating system documentation-Inside Macintosh.

• Hardware documentation, such asa good 68000 manual.

• Quick-reference documentationposted within sight. I personally keep"Inside Macintosh Quick Reference"clipped to the curtains of my office.

• A hex-to-decimal calculator.

• Specialized tools, such as MacsBug,TMON, MacNosy, resource editors.

As with any operation, you should setaside enough time to complete thesurgery. If you don't have a lot of time,it may be more appropriate to gatherfurther symptoms in hopes that theymight help you guess the solution.

Common Illnesses

There are two major categories offatal problems on the Macintosh, al-though the two categories overlap.First, memory management prob-lems are considered inevitable inMacintosh "development, particularlywith the elaborate dynamic relocationscheme provided by the MemoryManager, designed to milk every byteout of the original 128K-byte RAMmachine. Most memory is referencedvia a double-indirected pointer, re-ferred to as a handle. The handle pointsto the master pointer, which in turnpoints to the actual data. When mem-ory is tight, the Memory Managershuffles data to create contiguousspace, and the master pointers are up-dated to reflect the changes.

{continued)

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MAC DEBUGGING

Second, the Macintosh ROM is op-timized for speed, not user-friendlydevelopment. Thus, most routines donot validate all their arguments. Pass-ing a bad argument can cause adelayed crash, or no crash at all.Needless to say, a large subset of badargument-induced failures includesmemory management problems.

In some ways, the tendency for cata-strophic failure can be made into anadvantage. A crash close to the prob-lem area places you that much closerto the solution.

Memory Lapses

Common memory managementproblems include

• Zero pointer (also includes null andempty handles)—Although some rou-tines (yours or the toolbox) may checkfor zero pointers, in most cases you'reasking for trouble. Figure 1 diagramsthe various null and empty alterna-tives for pointers and handles, shownin increasing order of reliability.

• Wild pointer—This is probably themost common, or at least mostnoticeable, point of failure. Accessingany wild pointer gives your programa 50/50 chance of addressing an odd

memory location. This causes the68000 to generate an interrupt,prompting the familiar "Sorry, a sys-tem error occurred" dialog box to ap-pear with ID=02. Even if the pointeris even, writing to a high memory ad-dress will cause another commonfailure—random screen display andsound leading to the dreaded "bombbox."

• Relocated memory block—Thesymptoms of this will be garbage datavalues, sometimes including a null orwild pointer. Memory blocks allocatedby NewHandle will be dynamicallyrelocated when more memory isneeded. This is done in a processknown as "heap compaction," thegoal of which is to create large areasof contiguous free memory by com-bining the scattered fragments of un-used memory that develop as pro-grams acquire and release memoryblocks in the course of their execu-tion. Unless you know otherwise, youshould assume that any procedurecalled may request memory alloca-tion, thus risking heap compaction.Alternately, memory blocks can belocked against relocation.

• Purged block—If there is notenough free memory for the Macin-

1

null0-length string

null

empty

0-length string

'ointers

0

' 0

Handles

data

0

0

master pointer

0

data

Figure 1: Null pointers and null and empty handles can get unsuspecting routinesinto trouble.

tosh to allocate a requested blockeven after compaction, the MemoryManager will try to create free spaceby purging some blocks from theheap. Newly allocated memory blockscannot normally be purged, but manyuser and system resources are. Apurged block looks like any otherempty handle, and the same nullpointer symptoms apply.

• Clobbered block—The symptomsare similar to those of a relocatedblock. A possible reason is an under-estimate of the amount of memoryneeded when another block was al-located or the failure to limit use ofthat block to its actual size. A call toReAllocHandle can be used toexpand the block when its space isused up.

• Out of memory—Any time you tryto allocate memory, the attempt canfail for lack of memory. If your pro-gram doesn't check for failure.Murphy's law suggests it will fail at theleast opportune time—such as in themiddle of updating a large file.

Since memory management prob-lems are so common, you may wantto force them to become more con-spicuous:

• You can force relocated and purgedblock problems to the surface bymaking frequent calls to Compact-Mem and PurgeMem.

• Allocate a large memory block, oruse Switcher or a RAM disk to use upthe available memory, thus forcingout-of-memory conditions.

• Set location 0000 to an odd value,then a zero handle will cause an ad-dress error. If you choose an unusualvalue—such as 5A65426F hexadeci-mal or ASCII "ZeRo"—you will be ableto recognize an attempt to derefer-ence location zero.

Also, most Mac debuggers have a"heap scramble" option that forcesfrequent purging relocation of blocks.The TMON debugger also marks de-allocated memory with odd values toforce additional wild pointer errors.

Dubious Arguments

Many of the argument-related prob-lems are, in fact, memory manage-

[conlinued]

130 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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MAC DEBUGGING

ment problems. For example, very fewROM routines are designed tomanage null handles; instead, theyusually expect empty handles orhandles pointing to zero-lengthstrings.

Many incorrect argument referencescan be validated by carefully examin-ing the documentation and samplecode. If worse comes to worst, youcan use MacNosy (a smart disassem-bler) to reverse-engineer the routineto find out what arguments it is ex-pecting.

Finally, owners of TMON have thebest argument-checking option of all.TMON includes user extensibility, asdemonstrated by Extended User Area(EUA), a 5000-line enhancement toTMON placed in the public domain byits author, Darin Adler.

Among other features, EUA in-cludes "discipline," a dynamic valida-tion of toolbox arguments based onan earlier implementation by SteveCapps. For example, a pointer, handle,or the master pointer of a handle ischecked for zero, an odd value, orother unreasonable values. It alsolooks at Rectangles, GrafPorts, Win-dowRecords, and so on, to make surethe fields have reasonable values.

If for no other use, the discipline ofEUA is recommended as a final passthrough a finished program to catchsubtle or obscure bugs. The validationis good enough to find lingering bugsin a number of commercially releasedproducts.

Print Statements Revisited

There are two practical approaches totrack down such problems: compilingdebugging traces into the sourcecode or using some form of debug-ger. Which approach you should takedepends on the particular problemand your own personal skills.

If you're used to debugging withoutgetting down to the machine level, I'msure that print statements are by nowa familar fixture.

The debugging print statement is astandard approach and the best oneavailable without special tools. Simplyplace an identifying print statementwithin your code somewhere in thelikely vicinity of the bug. Then executethe code and note whether or not the

MAC DEBUGGING

program "makes it" to the print state-ment. Continue this process, using abinary search to converge on the rou-tine, or even statement, causing thefailure.

The debugging print statement ap-proach requires some translation intothe Mac's window environment. Anumber of options are available:

• Debugging window—This is the bestapproach to port existing programswith debugging traces, or for develop-ing large systems that will require per-manent debugging code. It's really thesame as the line-oriented printstatements, but with a dedicated win-dow. When debugging a screen-oriented program, the windowingmetaphor is an advantage—the addedcomplexity provides added capabili-ties. The additional window intro-duces new window-related events,however, making it a bad choice forlow-level debugging.

• Serial port—You can send debug-ging information out of either of theMac's serial ports to a printer or an-other computer. Although this intro-duces the complications of serial I/Oto your application, for most pro-grams this adds the fewest interac-tions.

• Reserved screen area—If youbypass the Window Manager entire-ly, you can avoid the interactionsassociated with windows becomingactive and inactive. Instead, you canwrite directly to a particular locationon the screen by using the SetPortroutine to set the drawing area to thedesktop. You should either choose anarea of the screen not used for anyother purpose—such as the upperright corner—or do as the debuggersdo and save and restore the previousscreen contents using CopyBits.

• Dialog box—In this approach everyprint statement gets a temporary win-dow. It is one of the easiest to imple-ment, as shown in listing 1 and figure2. It has the disadvantage of beingvery distracting for large amounts ofdebugging information and alsocauses a large number of additionalinteractions. These can be minimizedby choosing a small window in an un-used corner of the screen.

[continued]

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DECEMBER I986 -BYTE 133

Inquiry 228

MAC DEBUGGING

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When adding debugging code youalso need selectivity. If you displayintricately detailed debugging infor-mation, the output will be overwhelm-ing. You need a way to turn it on andoff, or to select levels or areas ofdebugging.

One approach is a separate debug-ging menu that disappears from thefinished product. An even easiermethod is to use a particular combina-tion of keys—for example, command-Option-space—as an on/off toggle.

Choosing Your Instruments

Where print statements fail, or areunlikely to produce results, assembly-level debuggers will be the only wayto get answers. They also allow youto track a problem without modifyingyour program.

There are a number of debuggersavailable. The most commonly usedis MacsBug, Apple's family of line-oriented single-Mac debuggers. TheMacsBug variants trade off features inexchange for memory usage.

The MacsBug debuggers are part ofthe new Macintosh Programmer'sWorkshop (MPW), the older Macin-tosh 68000 Development System(MDS), as well as Apple's periodicSoftware Supplement. They are alsoincluded with many third-party com-pilers and MacNosy. A very limitedversion is included in the 128K ROMof the Macintosh Plus and the en-hanced 512K.

Most systems also include Apple'sMacDB, which is the least intrusiveand uses the least amount of memoryof any debugger. It achieves this byrequiring a second Macintosh as awindowing control terminal con-nected via serial port to the Mac youare debugging on.

Finally, TMON from ICOM Simula-tions (formerly sold by TMQ Software)is an advanced, single-Mac debuggerthat supports multiple windows. It in-cludes user extensibility, as well asimproved formatting and a number ofextensions over MacsBug.

The basic features of all debuggersinclude displaying and modifying reg-isters, disassembling code, single-stepping, setting breakpoints, and dis-playing the heap. All allow you to use

(continued)

134 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 166

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MAC DEBUGGING

Listing I: A windowed analog to debugging print statements; (a) shows thesource code of the program to be debugged, and (b) is the input for the RMaker(resource compiler) utility program that generates the program's associatedresource file.

(a)

#ifdef DEBUG

J define MADEIT(string) madeaIert(string);define ALRT_madeit 9001#else

#define MADEIT(x)fend If

madealert(msg)char *msg;

{ ParamTextfmsg,NULL,NULL,NULL);NoteAlert(ALRT_madei t.NULL);

MADEIT("out of SetUp")

MADEITO'lnto print initialization routine")(b)

Type ALRT

;

;AIert template

,9001

;

;Resource ID

45 125 200

345 ;

;top left bottom right

9001

444

Type DITL

;Dialog item list

,9001

;Resource ID

2

;2 I terns In I 1st

button

;button Item

120 80 140

140 ;

;top left bottom right

OK

staticText

Disabled

Made It "0

Kemosabe!

;;message

r * File Edit ""

rfTl Made it into^^ print initialization

routine,

Kemosabe!

(( OK |

L

*

Figure 2: A debugging dialog box, generated by the program shown in listing 1.

the interrupt button (the button to therear on the programmer's switch at-tachment) to transfer control to thedebugger for further commands.

In addition, many have found Mac-Nosy essential for understanding howthe Mac toolbox and operating sys-tem work, beyond the level describedin the documentation. In the end, asany systems programmer will tell you,the code is the documentation.

Opening Up the Patient

When it comes time to break out amachine language debugger, you'llneed to have handy an assemblycode listing of the failing routine orprogram. For the purposes of illustra-tion, I'll assume that you are using theMacsBug debugger, whose majorcommands are summarized in table 1.

Start first at the point where theMacintosh crashes. You can examinethe registers (the TD command inMacsBug), memory (DM), and dis-assemble instructions (IL) to find outwhere the program failed.

Many compilers allow you to makeyour routine names available to thedebugger. If the compiler you areworking with doesn't, the ordering oftrap names around the failure shouldcorrespond to the same clustering inyour source listing. Or you can tracetraps (AT) to find the specific onescalled immediately prior to failure. Forbrevity, you can limit the trace to onlya numerical range of traps, such asthose in the File Manager.

Once you have found the failurepoint—or if it can't be isolated—youusually want to place a breakpoint justbefore it. The approaches include

• Using the debugger, set breakpoint(BR) at the entry to particularroutines.

• The debugger can be set to stopupon reaching a particular trap (AB).

• If your compiler includes an in-lineassembler, you can compile in F-seriestraps (op codes in the range F000 toFFFF hexadecimal) at key locations inyour program to immediately invokethe debugger, as in

#ifdef DEBUG#define USERBRK(i)

(continued)

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Inquiry 373

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MAC DEBUGGING

asm { dew OxFOOO+i }

USERBRK(0x20)

The availability of 4096 distincttraps allows you to use each break-point as an unambiguous sentinel in-dicating progress within your pro-gram. However, on a future 68020-based Macintosh, these op codes willbe reserved for 68881 coprocessor in-structions, so you would use the Debugger trap (A9FF hexadeci-mal).

Once in the general vicinity of theproblem, you can use single-stepping(S) to monitor the value of key regis-ters or arguments up to the point offailure. Most of the time you'll wantto use the single-step command thatsteps through traps as one instruction(T). If there are compiled breakpointsin the program, the go command (G)will continue execution until the pro-gram reaches the next breakpoint.

Finally, if you want to save yourRAM disk, or just avoid rebooting, the

Table 1: The most often used subset of MacsBug commands. The commands

with an asterisk are included

in the built-in debugger on the Macintosh Plus.

*DM addr nbytes

Display memory

*SM addr vah val2

Set memory values

IL addr num

Disassemble num lines at addr

*SM PC 4E71

No-op at current PC location

*An or Dn

Show address or data register n

*{An,Dn} value

Set address or data register n

TD

Display all registers

PC addr

Set program counter

BR addr count

Breakpoint at addr after count

S num

Step number of instructions

T

Single-step past trap

ST addr

Step until PC reaches addr

ES

Exit to shell (Finder)

HD

Formatted heap dump

*G addr

Branch to specified address

*G 40F6D8

Exit to shell (128K ROM)

AB trapl trap2t

Breakpoint at specified traps

AT trapl trap2t

Trace specified traps

t If trapl, trap2 omitted,

for all

traps

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ExitToShell trap (ES) will normallyplace you safely back in the Finder.Machine language debugging ismade much more difficult by thosedevelopment systems that use "glueroutines" to bind your program toROM traps. In such code, a direct ref-erence to a particular trap won't bein your routine; instead you'll find thatyour program calls a subroutine thatreferences the trap. Based on experi-ence, I would make this a major con-sideration in choosing developmentsoftware for the Macintosh.

Preventive Medicine

As you may have concluded by now,it is cost-effective to avoid or reduceactual debugging on a system such asthe Mac. The previous sections, plussome hands-on debugging of yourown, will offer some clues as to whatmaladies to guard against.A brief list of remedies includes

• Compiler checking—A high-levellanguage provides tremendous pro-ductivity advantages over assemblyor low-level languages, customarily atthe expense of speed and size. Alllanguages are not created equal and,in particular, compile-time verificationof argument parameters is extremelyvaluable. A compiler that detects apointer where you should be using ahandle can save you hours of hair-pulling. In this regard, Pascal (orModula-2) with its data-type checkinghas a marked advantage over C. Toremedy this problem for devoted Cusers, at least one version of the lintinterface-checking utility is underdevelopment for the Mac.

• Desk checking—This may sound ob-vious, but if you're treading in a newarea of the toolbox, you should verifythe interfaces manually by checkingthat they correspond to definitions in\nside Macintosh. (For more informationrefer to Macintosh Technical Note #43.)

• Prototyping—If you're really notsure how a particular manager or rou-tine works, make a simple test. In par-ticular, if you want to pass a nullpointer as an argument, and the docu-mentation doesn't explicitly endorseit, test it first. Assuming it works willlikely cost you more time in the longrun. Also, it's easier to isolate prob-

138 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

MAC DEBUGGING

lems in small test cases than if youadd the code directly to your pro-gram.

• Modular libraries—As Bruce Web-ster noted in his article "SubroutineLibraries in Pascal" in BYTE's June1985 Programming Techniques themeissue, "Libraries can be a real life-saver." Smart programmers alwaysplagiarize themselves: Once you'vedeveloped an interface or library youlike, use it over and over again.

A library is particularly useful if youare, for example, moving a number ofprograms from another system to theMac, or if you wish to maintain a com-mon programming style acrossseveral systems. But if your goal is aquality product rather than a hack job,don't attempt to "kludge up" un-translatable idioms.

For example, many file systems usea character style of indicating a direc-tory's file path, such as the "/foo/bar/bas" style of UNIX. However, theMacintosh uses a file definition of

struct filedef {

int vrefnum;char fname[255];}

Some programs bypassed this ap-proved approach and appended thefilename to the volume name. Theseprograms broke under Apple's Hierar-chical File System (HFS); vrefnum was

extended to become a directory iden-tifier, not just a volume identifier.

• Following specifications—If youfollow the standardized, documentedinterfaces provided by largecorporations—such as Apple orMicrosoft—you will benefit from thecompany's promises of upward com-patibility. However, there are noguarantees what a team of program-mers will do with undocumentedbehavior of the old code, particularly"features" they didn't even knowabout. The problem with HFS aboveis one example.

• Anticipating errors—It is temptingwhen hacking out early code to ig-nore many error conditions. However,this only guarantees loss of sleep atsome later date when an uncheckederror condition causes a delayed-failure crash. Certain error condi-tions—lack of memory or disk space-must always be allowed for, whileothers—a missing code segment fromyour program—may be safe to ignore,if you're feeling brave.

Summary

The standard principles of debuggingon other systems generally apply tothe Mac. Isolating problems throughbinary searches, collecting symptoms,print statements, desk checking, andgood coding practices are all standardtechniques that can also be applied

within a complex windowing environ-ment. Some approaches requiresome translation, however, and the in-tricate suite of toolbox routinespresents its own set of unique prob-lems.

Finally, as with other systems, there'sno substitute for adequate prepara-tion and painstaking, methodicalanalysis. While debugging Macintoshprograms requires a great deal of skill,once you master the high learningcurve, you will be able to recognizecommon patterns of failure and theirsolutions. ■

FURTHER READING

Rose, Caroline, ed. \nside Macintosh. 3 vols.Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1985.(This is supplemented by Macintosh Tech-nical Notes, published bimonthly byApple.)

Snively, Paul. "Debugging with TMON."MaiTutor. September 1985.

Snively, Paul. "TMON Revisited." MacTutor.July 1986.

Taylor, Tom. "MacsBug Debugs ModulaCode." MacTutor, December 1985.

Webster, Bruce. "Subroutine Libraries inPascal." BYTE, June 1985.

Williams, Gregg. "The Apple MacintoshComputer." BYTE. February 1984.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSI'd like to thank Eric Zocher of SiliconBeach Software and Darin Adler of ICOMSimulations for sharing their experiencesin Macintosh development.

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DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 139

IBMs new 2,400 bps PC Modemsgive you an easy choice:

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140 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

The Automatic Modems

These modems featureAutomatic Adaptive Equaliza-tion at 2,400 and 1,200 bps-which means they will continu-ously fine-tune themselves to com-pensate for changes and noises on thetelephone line. The result is, you can re-ceive data over a wider range of telephoneline conditions.

Both modems also feature automatic ormanual answering and dialing. They'll auto-matically switch to pulse dialing if tone dial-ing doesn't work. They have automaticredialing. And once a connection is made,automatic speed detection. They also haveautomatic detection of a voice or a failed call.A Modem with a Memory of Its OwnThe stand-alone IBM 5842 2,400 bpsModem offers some additional features. Itcan also send and receive data synchronouslyat speeds of 2,400 bps or 1,200 bps. You'llfind extensive "Help" menus. A dial direc-tory for 20 phone numbers. A log-on direc-tory for five log-on sequences. A built-inpattern generator for self testing. Diagnosticsimplemented from the front panel as well asfrom the computer keyboard. And a com-plete array of LED Status Indicators to giveyou a quick visual check on what's happening.

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Inquiry 404

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 141

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Inquiry 304

by John R. Fanchi

Local Effectsof NuclearWeapons

Calculate the impact

of atomic blasts

on your surroundings

The prospect of nuclear waris and will continue to bea major source of interna-tional concern. Yet, despitethe daily discussion of nuclear issues,few people have a working knowledgeof the effects of nuclear weapons. For-

tunately, acquiring a working knowl-edge does not require specializedskills. Models are a particularlyvaluable tool for understanding thiscomplex subject. References 1through 5 describe the effects ofnuclear weapons in a fairly nontech-nical manner.

We'll look at three major topics: thebasic effects of nuclear detonations,the distribution of nuclear fallout, andthe climatic effects of pollutantsdispersed in the atmosphere after anuclear exchange. The models usedto describe the latter two effects arerelatively simple, yet they highlight im-portant physical effects while provid-ing reasonable quantitative estimates.

Each model is presented from theperspective of an observer at aspecified location in relation to anuclear detonation. This perspectiveemphasizes the local aspects of theeffects.

I have provided references forreaders interested in historical reviewsof the nuclear age (references 3, 7,and 8); current policy concerns (ref-erences 9 and 10); and advice on howto survive a nuclear confrontationfrom a governmental (reference 11) oran individual (reference 12) perspec-tive. The references represent themost prominent views expressedpublicly today.

Summary of NuclearDetonation Effects

As noted earlier, I will discuss the ef-fects of nuclear detonations from the

[continued]John R. Fanchi (1078 East Otero Ave.. Lit-tleton, CO 80122) is a research scientist inthe oil industry. He has a Ph.D. in physicsfrom the University of Houston.

ILLUSTRATED BY MARY ANN SMITH

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 143

NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Electromagnetic pulsecan short-circuitelectrical equipment

perspective of an observer at a givendistance D from a blast with a yieldY. Yield is the total effective energyreleased by a nuclear explosion. Theobserver's distance from the blast isknown as the slant range and will be ex-pressed in units of miles in subse-quent calculations. The yield Vis ex-pressed in units of megatons. Yieldraised to the Vi power gives equiva-lent megatons (EMT). EMT is usefulbecause it is directly proportional tothe area of blast damage caused bya nuclear detonation (references 1and 2). It is worth noting here that 400EMT of retaliatory yield is consideredsufficient to achieve "mutual assureddestruction." As of 1982 the U.S. andthe U.S.S.R. had warheads capable ofdelivering approximately 4000 and6000 EMT. Typical intercontinentalballistic missiles have yields of 9 and20 megatons for the Titan II (U.S.) andthe SS-18 (U.S.S.R.). Submarine-launched ballistic missiles have yieldson the order of 0.05 to 1 megaton(reference 2).Four important effects of a nuclear

detonation are dependent on D andY. They are overpressure, thermalflux, electromagnetic pulse (EMP),and radiation dosage. Overpressure isthe increase in ambient pressurecaused by the detonation. Thermal fluxis the total thermal energy prop-agating outward from the detonationpoint per unit cross-sectional areatransverse to the direction of prop-agation. The EMP calculationestimates the magnitude of a verystrong but short-duration electricalfield generated by atmospheric rela-tivistic electrons. The electrons attainrelativistic energies as a result ofCompton scattering with gamma rays.Gamma rays are emitted by decayingexcited states of fission fragmentsfollowing an airburst. Perhaps themost important effect of the EMP isits ability to short-circuit electricalequipment, especially solid-statedevices. Subsequent estimates ofthese effects require the height h atwhich the detonation occurs, the frac-tion / of explosive energy appearingas thermal (heat) energy in the nuclearfireball, and an atmospheric transmis-sion factor Ta that accounts for theabsorption of thermal energy in theatmosphere.

Airbursts, such as the detonationsover Japan in World War II, can behundreds or thousands of feet in theair. An airburst is defined as a burst

below 100,000 feet (sections 1.31through 1.38 of reference 13) but highenough that the fireball at maximumluminosity does not touch the earth'ssurface. One important difference be-tween groundbursts and airbursts isthe relative fallout generated by each.Groundbursts generate the most fall-out, or radioactive dust. As the heightof the blast increases above the sur-face of the earth, the suction of dustand debris from the ground into theatmosphere is reduced with a corre-sponding decline in fallout. Once h isspecified, a thermal energy fraction /is estimated. The variable / rangesfrom 0.15 (groundburst) to 0.35 (air-burst). The fractional atmospherictransmission factor TA depends on thewide variability of weather conditions.It is a value between 0 and 1, thoughit is usually on the order of 0.5.

Four important blast characteristicsare now computed (references 1 and5).

Thermal flux (calories/sq cm):

Q = 3000 fYTjD1.Blast overpressure (psia):

P = 22.4 Z3 + 15.8 ZiS,

where

yi«/D_

(1)(2)

(3)

Electromagnetic pulse range (miles):

EMP = (2Rh/5280)°-s, (4)

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Listing 1: The program BLAST. BAS.

10 REM

20 REM

30 REM NUCLEAR BLAST CALCULATION

40 REM (C) JOHN R. FANCHI. JUNE 1985

50 REM MICROSOFT BASIC FOR CP/M-80 OPERATING SYSTEM

60 REM PART OF THIS CODE IS EXCERPTED FROM J.R. FANCHI*S

70 REM ADVENTURE SIMULATION GAME "NUCLEAR SURVIVAL"

80 REM CHR$(26) CLEARS THE SCREEN

90 DIM ANSER$(2)

100 PRINT CHR$(26)

110 PRINT TAB(20); "*** NUCLEAR BLAST CALCULATION ***"

120 PRINT

130 PRINT TAB(21);"(C) John R. Fanchi, JUNE 1985"

140 PRINT

150 PRINT "The calculations performed here are based on information published"

160 PRINT "by the American Institute of Physics."

170 PRINT

180 INPUT "HIT CARRIAGE RETURN WHEN YOU ARE READY TO PROCEED";ICAR$

190 PRINT CHR$(26)

200 PRINT

210 INPUT "Specify your slant range (distance) from the blast in miles";D

220 PRINT

230 REM DETERMINE WEAPON YIELD (Y)

240 PRINT "Specify the yield of the blast in megatons. Typical values range"250 INPUT "from 0.8 to 20 megatons";Y

260 REM DETERMINE BLAST HEIGHT

270 PRINT

280 INPUT "Specify the height of the blast in feet";H

290 PRINT

300 PRINT "Specify the thermal energy fraction. This is the fraction of heat"

310 PRINT "energy in the nuclear fireball. It should be between 0 and 1. A"

320 INPUT "typical value is 0.35";TEF

330 PRINT

340 REM DETERMINE TRANSMISSION FACTOR

350 PRINT "Specify the atmospheric transmission factor. It should be between"

360 INPUT "0 (very cloudy day) and 1 (perfectly clear day)"; TAU

370 PRINT

380 REM CALC BLAST EFFECTS

(continued)

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390

REM THERMAL FLUX Q

400

Q-3000*TEF*TAU*Y/(D*D)

410

REM BLAST OVERPRESSURE P

420

Z«(Y~(.333))/D

430

P«22.4*(Z~3) + 15.8*(Z"(1.5))

440

REM EMP RANGE

450

EMP»SQR(2*H*3963/5280)

460

REM RADIATION DOSAGE REM

470

REMS-250*1000*Y/(16*3.1416*D*D)

480

PRINT

490

PRINT "The NUCLEAR BLAST had the following effects:"

500

PRINT

510

PRINT TAB(10);"THERMAL FLUX (cal/sq cm)";TAB(50);QPRINT TAB(10);"OVERPRESSURE (Ib/sq in)";TAB(50);P

520

530

PRINT TAB(10);"EMP RANGE (mi Ies)";TAB(50);EMP

PRINT TAB(10);"RADIATION DOSAGE (rems)";TAB(50);REMS

540

550

PRINT

560

INPUT "HIT CARRIAGE RETURN WHEN YOU ARE READY TO PROCEED";ICAR$

570

PRINT CHR$(26)

580

PRINT

590

REM OVERPRESSURE EFFECTS

600

IF P<20 THEN 640

610

PRINT "Overpressure has caused winds in excess of 500 miles per hour."

620

PRINT "Even multi-story reinforced concrete buildings are leveled. "

630

GOTO 820

640

REM

650

IF P<10 THEN 700

660

PRINT "Overpressure has caused winds in excess of 300 miles per hour."

670

PRINT "Most factories and commercial buildings are leveled, as are small"

680

PRINT "wood and brick residences."

690

GOTO 820

700

REM

710

IF P<5 THEN 750

720

PRINT "Overpressure has caused winds in excess of 160 miles per hour."

730

PRINT "Unreinforced brick and wood houses are leveled. "

740

GOTO 820

750

REM

760

IF P<2 THEN 790

770

PRINT "Overpressure has caused winds in excess of 70 miles per hour."

780

GOTO 820

790

REM

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800 PRINT "Overpressure has not had a significant effect on wind conditions"810 PRINT "or the structures of buildings."820 REM830 PRINT

840 REM THERMAL EFFECT

850 IF Q<10 THEN 880

860 PRINT "Thermal flux has burned you to a crisp."

870 GOTO 980

880 REM

890 IF Q<5 THEN 920

900 PRINT "You have suffered third degree burns because of THERMAL FLUX."

910 GOTO 980

920 REM

930 IF Q<1 THEN 960

940 PRINT "You have suffered second degree burns because of THERMAL FLUX."

950 GOTO 980

960 REM

970 PRINT "THERMAL FLUX has added to your tan. "

980 PRINT

990 REM RADIATION EFFECTS PRINT

1000 PRINT

1010 IF REMS<5000 THEN 1050

1020 PRINT "You are experiencing convulsions, tremors and ataxia because"

1030 PRINT "of RADIATION exposure. No treatment will help you."

1040 GOTO 1330

1050 REM

1060 IF REMS<1000 THEN 1120

1070 PRINT "You have diarrhea, fever and a disturbance of your body "

1080 PRINT "chemistry because of RADIATION exposure. Treatment may"

1090 PRINT "alleviate pain, but it will not save your life. You have"

1100 PRINT "less than 2 weeks to live. "

1110 GOTO 1330

1120 REM

1130 IF REMS<600 THEN 1190

1140 PRINT "You have very severe leukopenia and internal bleeding."

1150 PRINT "You have also developed ulcers and infection is likely because"

1160 PRINT "of RADIATION exposure. You need hospitalization but none is"

1170 PRINT "available, therefore you have less than a month to live."

1180 GOTO 1330

1190 REM

[continued]

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IF REMS<200 THEN 1250

1210

PRINT "Your symptoms range from leukopenia to hair loss because of"

1220

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1230

PRINT "available to you because you have a reasonable chance to live."

1240

GOTO 1330

1250

REM

1260

IF REMS<100 THEN 1310

1270

PRINT "RADIATION exposure has made you sick—vomiting, headache, some"

1280

PRINT "loss of white blood cells and dizziness. This is good. You"

1290

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1300

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1310

REM

1320

PRINT "You have survived RADIATION exposure with NO effects."

1330

PRINT

1340

REM EMP EFFECT

1350

IF D>EMP THEN 1410

1360

PRINT "Your distance from the blast is within the range of the "

1370

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1380

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1390

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1400

GOTO 1440

1410

REM

1420

PRINT "You are outside the range of the electromagnetic pulse (EMP)."

1430

PRINT

1440

PRINT

1450

INPUT "Do you wish to try again (Y/N)";IANS$

1460

PRINT

1470

IF IANS$-"Y" THEN 100

1480

SYSTEM

1490

END

where R is the radius of the earth inmiles.

Radiation dosage (rems):REMS =250 (1000y)/(16irD2

(5)

where I have assumed that a 1-kiloton

fission bomb has delivered about 2 50rads of neutrons at a distance of 0.5mile and that 1 rad is approximatelyequal to 1 rem. The latter assumptionimplies a relative biological effec-tiveness of unity (reference 1).

A few comments should be madeabout the limitations of equations 1

through 5. Thermal flux is most dead-ly if you are in direct view of thedetonation. Virtually any shelter caneffectively shield a person from ther-mal flux. Equation 1 does not takeinto account firestorms resulting fromthe thermal flux, which can also belethal. The overpressure estimate in

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equation 2 is reasonable for surfacebursts but will underestimate airburstoverpressures. It is sufficient for con-veying the concepts of shock waveand atmospheric pressure changes(wind) as a result of a nuclear detona-tion. Detailed airburst overpressurecalculations are discussed in sections3.64 through 3.78 of reference 13. TheEMP range estimated in equation 4 isthe maximum distance that the EMPcan reach. Electrical equipmentdamage is greatest near the detona-tion point and declines as you ap-proach the edge of the EMP range. Adetailed discussion of the destructivepotential of the EMP effect is given insections 11.27 through 11.59 of refer-ence 13. Estimating radiation dosage,particularly biologically damagingradiation dosage, is the most com-plicated and uncertain of the nucleardetonation estimates. Equation 5 is asimple estimate. It does not includeair-secondary gamma radiation orgamma radiation from fission frag-ments. The basic concept—that radia-tion is released in lethal amounts—isadequately represented.

Listing 1, BLASTBAS, is a short pro-gram that calculates Q. P. and REMSfor a nuclear detonation. It is writtenin Microsoft BASIC for the CP/M-80operating system. (Editor's note: Theseprograms will run on most machines that usethe Microsoft BASIC interpreter.} Once Q,

Table 1: Example outputs from

program BLASTBAS.

Input Values

Calculated Values

Slant

Thermal

Over-

EMP

Radiation

Height Yield range

flux

pressure

range

dosage

(ft) (Mt) (mi)

(cal/cm2)

(psia)

(mi)

(rems)

0 1 1

525.0

38.0

0

4974

0 1 10

5.3

0.5

0

50

0 1 20

1.3

0.2

0

12

0 20 1

10500.0

517.0

0

99472

0 20 10

105.0

2.7

0

995

0 20 20

26.0

0.8

0

249

1000 1 1

525.0

38.0

39

4974

1000 20 20

26.0

0.8

39

249

For all examples f = 0.35 and TA

= 0.5.

P, and REMS are known, an inter-pretation of their effect on physicaland biological systems is made usingthe tables provided by Sartori in ref-erence l. Several numerical examplesare presented in table l.

Nuclear Fallout

Nuclear fallout is the deposition ofradioactive dust and debris carried in-to the atmosphere as a result of anuclear detonation. The point ofdeposition of the fallout depends onclimatic conditions such as ambientair temperature and pressure andwind conditions.Let's look at a simple model of the

spatiotemporal distribution of fallout.The model assumes that the distribu-tion of fallout proceeds as a randomwalk (or Brownian motion) distribution(reference 14). Although many otherfactors play a role in determiningfallout distribution (reference 15), therandom walk model is a reasonablemethod for estimating the time ittakes fallout to reach a particular loca-tion. A Gaussian distribution is thesolution of the convection-diffusionequation representing the randomwalk problem. I make the additionalassumption that gravity minimizesvertical movement of radioactive par-

(continued)

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*n ^

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OF SIGHT

Figure 1: Coordinate system for falloutcalculation.

ticulates so that fallout is distributedprimarily in the horizontal plane. Withthese assumptions, and separatingthe wind velocity into two com-ponents aligned parallel and trans-verse to the observer's line of sight(figure 1), I obtain a fallout distributionof the form seen in figure 2, wherev., v± and DVDL are the velocity anddispersion of the radioactive par-ticulates, respectively. The velocity istypically wind velocity, and the con-stant l/0 is defined as the maximum

U(x|,xi,0 =

! _ a L ADA AD . t •>

VD|Dxt2

4D,t

4Dxt

Figure 2: Fallout distribution equation.

U{D,0,t)

-U0^{e[

(D-v>t„„,Y (D-Vj_tm.,f

4D,L,

4D|f

x e

Kvil

't)/4D

")

Figure 3: Fallout distribution equation as a function of time.

value of the fallout at the observer'slocation. A value of the constant x\x'j_ is fixed by the condition

tmax) = U0

U (xf, x"*8,

The coordinates (x0^. x°*s)observer's coordinates (D,0). and t„.

(6)are the

is the time when U(x

obs „obs

t) is a

maximum. The maximum is deter-mined by setting the first timederivative of U to 0 and solving for t.The result is

tm„ = (l/27) {1-4-11 +4(02/4Z?,)Tl1/2}.

(7)

where y is given by

y = (v,V4D,) + (v\lWJ. (8)Collecting the above results yields the

{continued)

I SUN )

INCIDENT

SOLAR

RADIATION

THICKNESS

EARTH(BLACK BODY)

Figure 4: A simple temperature model.

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Very often technical documents■equire the mixing of text and graphicsDn the same page. Graphics fromiDtus® 1-2-3,® Symphony8 and?reelance® Plus. With Manuscript you:an import diagrams, and scannedmages, as well as spreadsheetsmd charts.

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Manuscript •,illows you tomix text and'graphics on thenmepage.

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NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Table 2: Temporal dependence of fallout as calculated by program FALOUT.BAS.

Hours

Normalized distribution

0.623

0.001

0.637

0.011

0.651

-

0.062

0.665

0.223

0.680

0.535

0.694

0.876

0.708

1.000

0.722

0.814

0.736

0.481

0.750

0.211

0.765

0.069

0.779

0.017

0.792

0.003

Parameters:

V = 1 Mt

v„„ = 10 mph

D,,„,

= 2 sq mi/day

D = 10 miles

Vmuawrn = Win.

D,„

„.„« = D„-„.

Listing 2: The program FALOUT.BAS.

30 REM FALOUT - A NUCLEAR FALLOUT CALC PROGRAM

40 REM (C) JOHN R. FANCHI, JULY 1985

50 REM MICROSOFT BASIC ON CP/M-80 OPERATING SYSTEM

60 REM CHR$(26) CLEARS SCREEN

70 PRINT CHR$(26)

80 PRINT " FALOUT - ESTIMATING THE DISTRIBUTION OF NUCLEAR

FALLOUT"90 PRINT

100 PRINT "(C) J.R. FANCHI, JULY 1985110 PRINT: PRINT: PRINT120 PRINT "ESTIMATING RADIATION DOSAGE"130 PRINT140 INPUT "ENTER THE YIELD OF THE NUCLEAR BLAST IN MEGATONS:

", Y150 PRINT

160 INPUT "ENTER YOUR DISTANCE FROM THE BLAST IN MILES: ", D170 PRINT

180 REMS=250*(1000*Y)/(16*3.1416*D*D)190 PRINT "ESTIMATED RADIATION DOSAGE IN REMS: ",REMS200 PRINT

210 PRINT: PRINT: PRINT

220 PRINT "ESTIMATING FALLOUT DISTRIBUTION"230 PRINT240 PRINT "THE DISTRIBUTION OF FALLOUT IS TREATED AS A

RANDOM WALK PROCESS"250 PRINT "SIMILAR TO BROWNIAN MOTION."260 PRINT

270 INPUT "ENTER THE LINE-OF-SIGHT WIND SPEED (MPH): ",VPAR280 VPAR=VPAR*24!290 PRINT300 INPUT "ENTER THE LINE-OF-SIGHT DISPERSION (SQ MILES/D):

" , DPAR310 PRINT

320 INPUT "ENTER THE TRANSVERSE WIND SPEED (MPH): ".VTRANS330 VTRANS-VTRANS*24!340 PRINT350 INPUT "ENTER THE TRANSVERSE DISPERSION (SQ MILES/D):

".DTRANS

{continued)

expression for the fallout distributionas a function of time at the observer'slocation, as seen in figure 3. Thisequation represents an instantaneousdistribution of fallout. Fallout effectson biological material are cumulative.If you want an estimate of radioactivedosage at the observer's location, in-tegrate the equation in figure 3 withrespect to time.

A major source of uncertainty inusing this or any other fallout modelis the determination of the constantU0. This constant depends on thenumber and type of nuclear detona-tions. A superposition principle canbe applied for multiple blasts sincethe convection-dispersion equation isa linear partial differential equation.For my purpose here, it is sufficientto evaluate the ratio U{D,0,t)lUo for asingle blast. The equation in figure 3specifies the spatiotemporal falloutdistribution and can be used to esti-mate both the time and duration offallout for a specified observer's loca-tion. An application of this equationis presented in table 2. In that exam-ple the peak fallout from a 1-megatonblast reaches an observer 10 milesaway in about 40 minutes. Listing 2,FALOUT.BAS, is a program that per-forms the fallout distribution calcula-tion. It is written in Microsoft BASICfor the CP/M-80 operating system. Ad-ditional information about fallout ispresented in reference 13. [Editor's note:BLAST.BAS and FALOUT.BAS are avail-able on disk, in print, and on BIX. See theinsert card following page 320 for details.Listings are also available on BYTEnet; seepage 4.]

Nuclear Winter

One of the more controversial issuesto be debated in recent years is theprediction of significant climatic tem-perature declines resulting from an in-crease of atmospheric particulatesfollowing a nuclear exchange (refer-ences 16, 17, and 18). The predictedtemperature decline would generatewintry conditions, hence the phrase"nuclear winter." The essence of theideas upon which these predictionsare based, as well as the ideas of theopponents of the nuclear wintertheory, is laid bare by the simple

[continued]

152 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 396 •

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540 IF DTRANSO0! THEN FACPER-DISPER*DISPER/(4!*DTRANS*TYM)550 FACTOR-FACPAR+FACPER560 COEF-TYMMAX/TYM

570 EFFREM-REMS*COEF*EXP(FACMAX-FACTOR)580 NORM-EFFREM/REMS590 TYMHRS«TYM*24600 PRINT TYM.EFFREM.NORM.TYMHRS610 NEXT I620 END

Table 3: Estimate of optical depth.

Conditions

Temperature

Exponential factor

Sunny dayCloudy day

100°F (311°K)80°F (300°K)

0.6480.560

Parameters:

A = 0.39

e = 1.00

climatic temperature model depictedin figure 4. It consists of an incidentelectromagnetic energy source (thesun), a single absorbing layer ofmaterial (the atmosphere), and ablack body (the earth). The amount ofenergy reaching the surface of theearth is the amount of solar energytransmitted (not absorbed or re-flected) by the atmosphere. This trans-mitted energy is assumed to be re-sponsible for the temperature of theearth's surface. Geothermal sourcesare neglected in the present simplemodel. Given these assumptions andperforming an energy balance at theearth's surface yields

/o e e(-fa> = a T* (10)

where /<, is incident solar radiation, e

is emissivity (or absorptivity byKirchhoff's radiation law), 8 is opticaldepth, x is the atmospheric thickness,a is Boltzmann's constant, and T is ab-solute temperature of the earth's sur-face. Stefan's law—an exponential ab-sorption law (references 19 and 20)—and an emissivity of 1 for a blackbody were used to derive equation10. Solving equation 10 for surfacetemperature yields

T = \I0elo\u* e[-fa/41.

(11)

The incident solar radiation is a func-tion of the solar constant /, and thealbedo A, which is the fraction ofsolar radiation reflected by the atmo-sphere (reference 19):

Optical depth depends on weatherconditions. An estimate of the ex-ponential factor can be easily ob-tained by rewriting equation 10 in theform

e<-*<> = |flrr4|/|/,(l-i4)e|. (13)

Values of the constants in equation 13are

oK4

/o = m-A).

(12)

I, = 1340 watts/m2 - °K4a = 5.67 x 10~8 watts/m2e = 1.0 for a black body,

and

A = 0.39 (reference 19).

In these units, T must be in degreesKelvin. Substituting these constantvalues into equation 13 and solvingfor different values of T correspond-ing to different weather conditionsyields estimates of the exponentialfactor. Table 3 presents two examples.These results are comparable to thosereported in reference 16.

Surface temperature estimates areobtained by substituting the exponen-tial decay values back into equation12. Expressions for the temperaturesin degrees Fahrenheit for a sunny dayand a cloudy day are given in equa-tions 14 and 15, respectively:

Ts = (173.6 °F)\(\-A)e\u\ (14)Tc = (150.9 °F)|(l-^)e)1/4. (15)

In the nuclear winter scenario, thefactor (l-A)e is presumed to getsmaller because of increased reflec-tion of solar radiation resulting fromadditional particulates in the atmo-sphere (reference 16). Opponents ofthe nuclear winter scenario argue thatthe emissivity is a function of elec-tromagnetic wavelength. As a conse-quence, the greenhouse effect maytend to increase emissivity and thesurface temperature of the earthwould not change significantly (refer-ence 17). Insufficient information ispresently available for knowing whichscenario is more likely. Efforts areunderway to resolve the controversy(reference 18). ■

REFERENCES

1. Sartori, L. "Effects of Nuclear Weapons."Physics Today, March 1983, pages 32-41.

2. Levi, B. G. "The Nuclear Arsenals of theU.S. and the U.S.S.R." Physics Today, March

154 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

NUCLEAR WEAPONS

1983, pages 43-49.

3. York. H. F. "Arms-Limitation Strategies."Physics Today, March 1983, pages 24-30.

4. Schroer, D. "Teaching About the ArmsRace." Physics Today. March 1983, pages52-59.

5. Hafemeister, D. W. "Science and Soci-ety Test VIII: The Arms Race Revisited."American journal of Physics. March 1983,pages 215-225.

6. Fanchi, J. R. "Nuclear War Simulation."Physics Today. December 1984, page 15; seealso the Denver Post. June 12, 1985, page3; the Detroit News. October 16, 1985, page1; the San Francisco Examiner. October 2,1985, page El; and the Rocky MountainHews. September 26, 1985, page 13-S.

7. Dyson, F. Weapons and Hope. New York:Harper and Row, 1984.

8. Wyden, P. Day One—Before Hiroshima andAfter. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1984.

9. Bunn, M., and K. Tsipis. "The Uncertain-ties of a Preemptive Nuclear Attack." Scien-tific American. November 1983, pages38-47.

"Launch Under Attack."January 1984, pages

10. Steinbruner,Scientific American,37-47.

U. Yegorov. P. T, I. A. Shlyakhov, and N. I.Alabin. Civil Defense—A Soviet View.Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Gov-ernment Printing Office, Washington, DC,1970.

12. Kearny, C H. Nuclear War Survival Skills.NWS Research Bureau, P.O. Box 1144,Coos Bay, OR, 1982.

13. Glasstone, S„ and P. I. Dolan, eds. TheEffects of Nuclear Weapons. Superintendent ofDocuments, U.S. Government Printing Of-fice, Washington, DC 1977.

14. Chandrasekhar, S. "Stochastic Prob-lems in Physics and Astronomy" in Noiseand Stochastic Processes, ed. by N. Wax. NewYork: Dover Publishing, 1954. Especiallypages 16-20.

15. "APS Study Group on Severe Acci-dents at Nuclear Power Plants." Reviews ofModern Physics. July 1985, pages S78-S79.

16. Turco, R. P., O B. Toon, T. P. Ackerman,J. B. Pollack, and C. Sagan. "The ClimaticEffects of Nuclear War." Scientific American.August 1984, pages 33-43: also see thediscussion in the Letters section of Science,January 28. 1985, volume 227.

17. Teller, E. "Widespread After-effects ofNuclear War." Nature. August 23, 1984,pages 621-624.

18. Levi, B. G„ and T. Rothman. "NuclearWinter: A Matter of Degrees." Physics To-day. September 1985, pages 58-65.

19. Haymes, R. C Introduction to Space Science.New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1971.

20. Eisberg, R. M. Fundamentals of ModernPhysics. New York: John Wiley and Sons,1967.

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158 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

BYTE

GraphicsAlgorithms

Henon Mapping with Pascal

by Cordon Hughes 161

Abstract Mathematical Art

by Kenneth E. Perry 181

The TMS340I0 Graphics SystemProcessor

by Carreil R. Killebrew }r. 193

Plotting the Mandelbrot Set

by Peter B. Schroeder 207

Graphing Quadric Surfaces

by George Haroney 215

Free-Form Curves on Your Micro

by Steve Enns 225

THE WORD GRAPHICS, derived from the Greek graphikos, to write, can be loose-ly defined as the process of representing a three-dimensional entity on a two-dimensional surface using mathematical rules of projection, The latest genera-tion of personal computers, such as the Amiga, Atari, Macintosh, and advancedworkstations, all emphasize the use of graphics. Business, engineering,medicine, and the arts have all reaped benefits from advances in the art ofcomputer-generated images.

Programmers are continually searching for better methods, or algorithms,for representing these three-dimensional entities on computer displays. Thequest for more speed, animation, and better color and realism in computer-generated graphics continues unabated.

Our December Theme articles present some interesting and innovativealgorithms involving a wide range of applications. Gordon Hughes's "HenonMapping with Pascal" demonstrates how to map complex mathematical func-tions that describe the behavior of dynamic systems such as asteroids,satellites, and charged particles.

The use of graphics does not always have to serve a specific application,however. We'll explore the domain of purely free-form recreational graphics.In "Abstract Mathematical Art," Kenneth E. Perry uses a BASIC program toproduce cellular automata, the mathematical relatives of the Game of Life,and Peter B. Schroeder's "Plotting the Mandelbrot Set" examines the fractalgeometry of nature in stunning displays on the Amiga personal computer.

The advent of high-performance, dedicated graphics microprocessor chipswill provide the thrust for the next generation of graphics-oriented personalcomputers. Carreil R. Killebrew Jr. provides an inside look at the Texas In-struments TMS34010 Graphics System Processor. In the very near future thenew generation of graphics engines will endow desktop machines with capa-bilities previously limited to large mainframe computers.

Engineers and scientists have a longstanding interest in plotting mathematicalequations in three dimensions. "Graphing Quadric Surfaces" by GeorgeHaroney includes short BASIC routines that generate three-dimensional plotsof equations in multiple colors. Steve Enns's "Free-Form Curves on Your Micro"explains how your personal computer can produce Bezier and B-spline curvesthat are normally confined to CAD/CAM and other high-end designapplications.

All but one of the Theme articles include source code so you can experi-ment with these algorithms on your own personal computer and experiencefirsthand the fascination of computer graphics.

—Charles Weston, Technical Editor

DECEMBER 1986 'BYTE 159

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Inquiry 255

GRAPHICS ALGORITHMS

HENON MAPPINGWITH PASCAL

by Gordon Hughes

A window on the world's endless complexity

IN 1968, MICHEL HENON of the In-stitute for Astrophysics in Paris pro-posed a simple quadratic mapping ofthe plane as a model for the study ofdynamical systems such as the motionof asteroids, satellites, or charged par-ticles in an accelerator. Henon's map-ping (see the text box "Creating aHenon Mapping" on page 170) isbased on George Birkhoff's discoveryin 1917 that you can reduce the studyof conservative systems with twodegrees of freedom to the study ofarea-preserving mappings of theplane. Thus, Henon set out to find anarea-preserving mapping that wassimple in nature but retained all thecharacteristics of more complicatedmappings.

Although the mapping Henon pro-posed is easy to describe and pro-gram, it yields results of great com-plexity. Since Henon mappingssimulate the behavior of physicalsystems, they indicate that many suchsystems are more complex than pre-viously imagined. Mathematiciansand physicists are only beginning tounderstand the nature of this com-plexity and what it says about physicalsystems such as the asteroid belt. Ina series of results during the years

1954 to 1963, mathematicians A. N.Kolmogorov, V. I. Arnold, and J. Moserprovided a partial explanation for thestrange behavior of such systems.These results are now known as theKAM theorem. It is an importanttheorem in modern physics and hasaroused a great deal of interest.

What Is the KAM Theorem?

The KAM theorem explains mathe-matically what happens when a smallexternal force disturbs a stabledynamical system, such as a satellitein orbit around Earth. One such dis-turbance that satellites regularlyundergo is the uneven pull of gravitydue to Earth's bulge at the equator.For the planets and the asteroids or-biting the sun, the chief disruptiveforce is the pull of Jupiter. It causesa perturbation in their orbits so thatthe orbits are not precisely elliptical.The question that the KAM theoremaddresses is whether these slight ir-regularities have long-term effectsleading to eventual instability.

The theorem shows that undersmall disturbances a stable systemundergoes changes but remainsstable except for microscopicallysmall bands of potential instability

corresponding to "resonances" be-tween the original system and the dis-turbance. With an asteroid disturbedby Jupiter, such a resonance will oc-cur if the ratio of their periods is a ra-tional number: For example, a 2/5 res-onance occurs if two orbits by Jupitertake the same amount of time as fiveorbits of the asteroid. The KAMtheorem proves that as long as thedisturbances remain small the rela-tive size of these resonance bands isinsignificant and stability is assured.

Figure 1 is a Henon mapping thatsimulates a system undergoing suc-cessively larger disturbances. The in-ner curves represent a system's reac-tion to small disturbances and showthat the system is altered slightly butremains stable. (The microscopic res-onance bands are much too small tobe visible in this scale.)

However, if the disturbance in-

(continued)Gordon Hughes is a professor of mathematicsat California State University. He worked asan engineer in the early Polaris program. Hehas a B.A. in physics from Brown Universityand a Ph.D. in mathematics from the Univer-sity of California. He can be reached at theDepartment of Mathematics, California StateUniversity. Chico, CA 95926.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 161

HENON MAPPING

creases in magnitude past a certainthreshold value, some of the reso-nance bands will suddenly widen. Infigure 1, for example, the first notice-able widening is the resonance bandwith six "islands," indicating a 1/6 res-onance. An asteroid with a period 1/6that of Jupiter would find itself onsuch a resonance band.

With even higher disturbances, theresonance bands might dominate thesystem's behavior, as indicated by theouter band of seven large islands. Thescattered dots around these islandsindicate areas of instability. Similarareas exist between the islands ofeach resonance band. An asteroidcaught in one of these regions couldexperience erratic behavior and evenbe thrown from its orbit, as indicatedby the faint dots escaping aroundfigure 1. Such resonances are believed

to cause the Kirkwood gaps in theasteroid belt.

Scientists have known for some timethat resonances between two interact-ing forces can lead to instability in theform of erratic or extreme behavior.In electrical circuits, such resonancesare sometimes exploited to amplifyselected signals. But the KAMtheorem shows that, at least for smallinteractions, the resonances don'tlead to abrupt changes in behavior.The system "stretches" smoothly anddoesn't break.

Extending the KAM Theorem

Although the KAM theorem is a land-mark result in the study of stability, itis concerned entirely with very smalldisturbances. Thus, it doesn't addressthe question of the sudden wideningof the bands, nor does it attempt to

Figure 1: A Wenon mapping with phase angle A = 1.111 radians. The scale is -1.2to 1.2 on both the x and y axes. Thirty-eight orbits are shown, each consisting of 700iterations of a single starting point. The outlined area is enlarged in figure 2. (Use theparameter file A11IP.01 with HENON2.COM or the values above withHENONl.COM to create this mapping.)

explain the exact nature of the reso-nance bands. The KAM authors knewthat these regions would be very com-plex in nature due to the buildup ofresonances. The close-up in figure 2gives some hint of the complexity in-volved. The pointed region at thecenter is an unstable hyperbolic fixedpoint that always exists betweenstable islands. You can see two thinresonance bands just to the left of thispoint. At the top and bottom are theedges of the large islands. The smallerislands are secondary resonances ofthe large islands. These in turngenerate third-order resonances andthe process continues forever withendless chains of smaller and smallerislands extending into the chaoticcenter region. The central region ap-pears to be a scattering of randompoints but is actually a complex in-terweaving of tiny islands and theircorresponding hyperbolic points.

As far back as 1892, Henri Poincarepredicted the possibility of chaoticbehavior in certain celestial motionsdue to these resonances. Since then,a number of prominent physicists andmathematicians have wrestled withthe question. George Birkhoff in-vented an elaborate code called"symbolic dynamics" to represent thestructure of these regions. Recentstudies by mathematicians such asStephen Smale center on using math-ematical topology, an outgrowth ofgeometry.

These questions are not justtheoretical. The KAM theorem appliesto a wide range of ordinary physicalsystems. Therefore, the study of res-onance thresholds and the resonancebands has a number of practical rami-fications for items in the physicalworld, from atomic particles to galac-tic clusters. At the 1985 NATO con-ference on the stability of the solarsystem (see Szebehely in the biblio-graphy), a number of results centeredon the KAM theorem and its conse-quences for the stability of the planetsand satellites. Because stability is con-cerned with a system's long-termbehavior, many years may pass beforescientists observe any effects. Thesolar system's long-range stability isstill an open question. For asteroids,satellites, and charged particles in an

162 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

HENON MAPPING

accelerator, the effects of any instabili-ty are magnified either by theirrelatively small size or by their highenergies. These provide good testcases for the KAM theorem.

Computer Simulation

Among the most useful tools for in-vestigating the behavior of physicalsystems is computer simulation. Typi-cally, such simulations are complexand require extensive numerical in-tegration. Even on large-scale com-puters, these simulations can takehours. However, almost any micro-computer can carry out an iterativesimulation such as the Henon map-ping in a matter of minutes. UsingTurbo Pascal on an IBM PC, you cangenerate the mapping in figure 1 inabout 50 seconds. Listing 1,HENON 1 .PAS, contains a short Henonmapping program. [Editor's note: TurboPascal source code listings for HENON 1 .PASand HENON2.PAS (a longer, more compre-hensive Henon mapping program) are avail-able on disk, in print, and on BIX; see theinsert card following page 320 for details.Listings are also available on BYTEnet; seepage 4.1

Such simulations provide insightinto the structure of resonance bandsand the possible mechanisms for theirwidening. For example, simulationsconducted by Joseph Ford at GeorgiaTech seem to indicate that wideningis brought on by neighboring res-onances combining together. L.Jackson Laslett at the LawrenceBerkeley Laboratory devised aniterative mapping similar to Henonmapping to show the side effects ofresonances between a beam ofcharged particles and the guidingelectrical field'.

The amount of detail available on aHenon mapping is more a function ofsoftware than of hardware. The dif-ference between a display at 640 by200 pixels and one at 320 by 200 isnot significant if you can magnify thearea of interest sufficiently. However,accurate magnification of a Henonmapping requires speed and preci-sion. At high magnification, you mayneed to generate 10,000 points to getone within the region of interest.Since the mapping is iterative, you

(continued)

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Figure 2: An enlargement of the outlined area in figure 1. This mapping also has aphase angle A = 1.111 radians. The scale is 0.74 to 0.95 on the x axis and 0.27 to0.48 on the y axis. Thirty-two orbits are shown, each consisting of 10.000 points.(Due to the number of points per orbit, this particular Henon mapping is quite time-consuming to produce. Us parameter file is A111P02. However, you can save time byusing the stored screen file All 1.02 with HENON2.COM.)

Listing 1: HENON1PAS, a short Pascal program for generating Henonmappings. This is written in Turbo Pascal for 640- by 200-pixel resolution onan IBM PC. To see a sample plot, use the defaults by pressing Return whenasked for data. [Note: Both HENON1.PAS and HENON2.PAS are written tobe executed as COM files.)

PROGRAM HEN0N1; jshort version of Henon mapping program}CONST

MAXREAL: REAL - 1E+10;VAR

I.J.PI^.ORBITN.POINTS, RESPONSE:INTEGER;

R.L.T.B.A.XOLD.YOLD.XNEW.YNEW.Xe.YO.DXe.DYe.XSCALE.YSCALE,COS A, SINA:REAL;

GRID: BOOLEAN; }set this to FALSE to turn off the grid}

BEGIN

GRID:-TRUE;A:-1.111;L:—1.2;R:-1.2;B:—1.2;T:-1.2;X0:-0.098;Y0:«0.061;DX0:«0.04;DY0:-0.03;ORBITN:«25;POINTS:-500;

WHILE RESPONSE <> 2 DO

{quit when RESPONSE is 2}

(continued)

DECEMBER 1986 'BYTE 163

HENON MAPPING

BEGIN

CLRSCR;G0T0XY(2.1);

WRITELNC INPUT PHASE ANGLE A (IN RADIANS BETWEEN 0

AND PI)');READLN(A);

WRITELN("INPUT STARTING POINT FOR FIRST ORBIT (X0.Y0)');READLN(X8,Y0);

WRITELNCINPUT X AND Y INCREMENTS IN THE ORBITS: DX0.DY0');READLN(DX0. DY0);

WRITELNCINPUT NUMBER OF ORBITS');READLN(ORBITN);

WRITELNCINPUT NUMBER OF POINTS PER ORBIT');READLN(POINTS);

WRITELNCINPUT LEFT AND RIGHT WINDOW VALUES');READLN(L.R);

WRITELNCINPUT BOTTOM AND TOP WINDOW VALUES');READLN(B.T);

HIRES *HIRESC0L0R(3);

{draw reference grid If GRID is TRUE}

{find origin}

IF GRID THENBEGIN

P1:=ROUND((0.0-L)*640/(R-L));P2:«ROUND((T-0.0)*200/(T-B));IF ((R-L)<R) AND ((T-B)<T) THENBEGIN P1:»630;P2:-190 END;

DRAW(0,P2.640,P2,1);

1,1);

jorigin off screen so}jdraw axes at margin}

DRAW(P1,0,P1,200,FOR J:=0 TO 20 DOBEGIN

DRAW(64*J,P2+3,64*J,P2-3,1);DRAW(P1+5,20*J,P1-5,20*J,1);END;WRITELN('XGRID: '.(R-L)/(640/64):6:5);WRITELNCYGRID: '. (T-B)/(200/20):6:5);END;

G0T0XY(1.1);

WRITELN('A - ',A:6:5);

WRITELN('X0- '.X0:6:5.' Y0- ',Y0:7:6);

{display plot parameters}

WRITELN('DX0 - ',0X0:7:6);>:7:6);',L:6:5,' TO ',R:6:5);5):

WRITELN('DY0 - \DY0:WRITELNC'X SCALE:

WRITELNC'Y SCALE: ',B:6:5.' TO \T:6:55WRITELNC' ');

WRITELNC' •);

G0T0XY(1.22);

WRITELN('ORBITS CAN BE ADVANCED MANUALLY BY PRESSING ANYKEY');

COSA:-COS(A);SINA:-SIN(A);

XOLD:-X0;YOLD:-Y0; {starting point for first orbit}

XSCALE:-640/(R-L);YSCALE:-200/(T-B);

FOR J:-1 TO ORBITN DO {main loop, J is orbit number}

BEGIN

G0T0XY(1,19);

WRITELN('0rblt #',J, ' of ', ORBITN);WRITELN('Current X0.Y0 -',X0LD:6:5,' ',Y0LD:6:5);I:-1;

WHILE I <- POINTS DO {WHILE allows easy abort}BEGIN

IF (ABS(XOLD)<MAXREAL) AND (ABS(YOLD)<MAXREAL) THENBEGIN

XNEW:-XOLD*COSA-CYOLD-XOLD*XOLD)*SINA; {Henon map}YNEW:-XOLD*SINA+(YOLD-XOLD*XOLD)*COSA;IF (ABS(XNEW-L)<MAXINT/XSCALE) AND

(ABS(T-YNEW) < MAXINT/YSCALE) THENBEGIN

[continued]

cannot skip intermediate points in thecalculations. This slows things downconsiderably.

Also, at high magnification, thepoints plotted may differ only by the10th or the 15th decimal place. Youcan't ignore any of these digitsbecause the intermediate points—those outside the region of interest-must all be generated with high preci-sion. Therefore, extended precision isnecessary to allow good magnifica-tion. You can obtain reasonableresults with Pascal and extendedprecision (11 decimal places). Theextra speed and precision of 8087support would be welcome for highmagnifications.

Interpreting Henon Mappings

Because Henon mappings simulatedynamical systems undergoing distur-bances, you can use them to illustratethe workings of the KAM theorem.But a Henon mapping does not repre-sent a physical picture of the system'smotion. Rather, it is a cross section ofthat motion in terms of a phase plot.For planetary motion, this phase plotmay resemble an actual orbit, butthere are some important differences.A phase plot is a graph where oneaxis is the rate of change, or deriva-tive, of the other axis. For example, infigure 1 the horizontal axis representsposition, and the vertical axis, veloci-ty. Such phase plots are common forstudying a physical system's long-termbehavior.

Phase Plots for TwoPhysical Systems

Figure 3 shows the phase plot for apendulum. It has one degree offreedom since the only motion isangular. The horizontal axis is theangular position 6 (in radians), and thevertical axis is the angular velocityddldt (in radians per second). If youraise the pendulum slightly and let itgo, it oscillates back and forth forever(ignoring friction). During each oscilla-tion, there is a smooth and con-tinuous trade-off between the veloci-ty and the position, that is, betweenkinetic energy (KE) and potentialenergy (PE). On the phase plot thisshows up as a rotation around one of

[continued]

164 BYTE ' DECEMBER 1986

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Inquiry 142 for End-Users. Inquiry 143 for DEALERS ONLY.

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 165

HENON MAPPING

P1:-R0UND((XNEW-L)*XSCALE); {scale new point}P2:-ROUND((T-YNEW)*YSCALE);PL0T(P1,P2,1);END;

XOLD:-XNEW;YOLD:-YNEW;END;

IF KEYPRESSED THEN I:-P0INTS+1 ELSE Ir—1+1;END; JWHILE I. End of orbit plot}XOLD:«X0+J*DX0; {next starting point}YOLD:-Y0+J*DY0;END; {for J}G0T0XY(1,22);WRITELN(*SELECT ONE: (1) NEW PLOT (CARRIAGE RETURNS WILL

REPEAT CURRENT DATA)');WRITELN(' (2) QUIT');

READLN(RESPONSE);END;END.

Figure 3: Phase plot of a pendulum. For a starting position between 0 and it, thephase plot will follow one of the ellipses as the pendulum rotates. For a starting positionat it or - it, the pendulum could fall right or left as indicated by the crossing lines.

Figure 4: Phase plot for an asteroid under the influence of the sun and lupiter.Though there are two degrees of motion, angular and radial, only the radial motion isshown in the phase plot.

the ellipses. The actual ellipsedepends on the pendulum's startingposition and starting velocity. Forsmall oscillations, these ellipses arenearly circles. In a nonconservativesystem where frictional forces areallowed, the ellipses become spiralsindicating a slowing of the pendulum.Since Henon mappings deal with con-servative systems, no such spirals areseen. If you assume that the pen-dulum is on a rigid bar and is givensufficient push (large initial angularvelocity), it might become a rotor andnot oscillate at all. This scenario isrepresented by the wavy lines at thetop and bottom of figure 3.

The phase plot in figure 4 is a Poin-care cross section that represents mo-tion with two degrees of freedom,such as an asteroid orbiting the sun.The asteroid's orbit is assumed to liein a plane, so the two possible mo-tions are angular and radial. You candescribe the asteroid's position inpolar coordinates as (r.d). Note thatthe orbit shown in figure 4 is not quiteclosed. This is due to the disruptivepull of Jupiter (and, to a lesser extent,the other planets).

There are now two possible phaseplots: r versus drldt and 6 versus dOldt.One way to combine these is to placeone plot perpendicular to the otherand take the Cartesian product. Thisyields motion on a torus (doughnut).One phase plot winds around the torus,and the other simultaneously windsalong the torus. The end result lookslike wire coiled around a doughnut.

Tbrus plots are a useful way to pic-ture motion, but they are not alwayseasy to draw or interpret. As an alter-native, Poincare suggested using justone phase plot (for example, r versusdrldt) and setting the remaining posi-tion variable. 6, to 0 (or any constant).This means that the plot gives r ver-sus drldt at only one point in the or-bit: when 0 = 0. Plotting just one pointper orbit certainly doesn't show theasteroid's detailed motion, but formany applications, such as the studyof stability, the long-term motion issufficient.

What does such a phase plot looklike? If the orbit is a perfect ellipse(without the pull of Jupiter), all you

[continued)

166 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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Inquiry 36

HENON MAPPING

would see is the same point over andover again as the asteroid returns to0 = 0 with the same radius r andradial velocity drldt. This is called afixed or stationary point, and it cor-responds to the center of the phaseplot in figure 4. (For any Henon map-ping, the origin (0,0) is always a fixed

point because this corresponds to anundisturbed system.) With the effectsof Jupiter, the path of the asteroidmay wander around, but the move-ment is regular because it is tied inwith the 11.86-year period of Jupiter.Therefore, the motion tends to repeaton multiples of 11.86 years. For most

Figure 5a: A Henon mapping of the phase angle A. where A = 0.264 and thescale is -1.2 to 1.2 with 25 orbits and 300 points per orbit. The powerful hyperbolicpoint at the tip of the figure is responsible for the "aura" of points around the figure.(The parameter file is A0264P.01.)

Figure 5b: A Henon mapping of the phase angle A, where A = 1.5732 and thescale is -3.0 to 3.0 with 70 orbits and 400 points per orbit. In this "sea creature','A is close to 90 degrees with the result that the inner orbits are dominated by fourfixed points. This causes the early breakdown into the four islands. [The parameter fileis labeled A15732P.01. Two other mappings are available in parameter filesA2012P.01 and A2075P.01.)

asteroids, the 11.86 years does notmesh exactly with their periods sothere is no resonance. These are theclosed curves in the phase plots.Theoretically, an asteroid could followone of these curves forever. If anasteroid has a period that is an evenratio with respect to Jupiter's, this res-onance could magnify the gravita-tional effects of Jupiter and possiblycause instability.

It is no coincidence that the Poin-care phase plot in figure 4 resemblesa Henon mapping. Whenever the sys-tem is conservative, the resulting Poin-care map is area-preserving and soresembles a Henon mapping. Con-versely, you can regard every Henonmapping as a phase plot of a physicalsystem. For example, the two Henonmappings in figures 5a and 5b simu-late phase plots for different physicalsystems.

Advantages of a Phase Plot

Even though a phase plot sometimesmakes it difficult to visualize the ac-tual motion of a particle, the final pic-ture provides a record of the overallbehavior for extended periods oftime. Generally, a smooth closedcurve indicates a regular periodic, oralmost periodic, motion, while a scat-tering of points indicates irregular mo-tion. The islands in figure 1 representstable orbits that have "locked on" tothe particular resonance. The areabetween the islands is the source ofirregular behavior.

From a purely practical standpoint,it is often easier to obtain a phase plotthan to solve for the complete equa-tions of motion. Even for the simplependulum in figure 3, obtaining 0 asa function of time involves evaluatingan elliptic integral—a process you cando only by approximation. For exam-ple, if you assume the oscillations aresmall, then 0(t) is approximately acosine curve.

A Closer Look

The center of figure 1 corresponds toan undisturbed, stable system, such asto an asteroid in an undisturbed or-bit around the sun. It is a fixed pointbecause the asteroid always returnsto this point at the end of each revolu-

(continued)

168 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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Inquiry 235

HENON MAPPING

Creatinga Henon Mapping

AHenon mapping is an area-preserving map of the planegiven by

X(h+1) = X[n) * cos(A)

- (Y(n) - X(n)2) * sin(A)

Y[n+\) = X{n) * sin(A)

+ {Y(n) - X(n)2) * cos(A)

Here, A is a fixed constant called thephase angle. First, choose a value forA between 0 and ir. (Values outside thisrange are acceptable, but you won't ob-tain any new mappings.) Next, choosean initial point (X{0),Y(0)) and use it tocompute (X(l).y(l)). then (X(2),V(2)). etc.This generates one orbit of the Henonmapping. Typically, it will resemble aclosed curve after a few hundred itera-tions. In figure 1, A is 1.111, and the in-ner curve has 700 points generatedwith a starting value of (X{0),Y(Q)) =(.098..061).

Next, choose a starting point (X(0),Y(0)) for the second orbit and continue.A typical mapping might contain 15 to20 orbits, depending on the detaildesired. Figure 1 contains 38 orbits.You can use any value for the startingpoint, but forX(O) > l/sin(A), the suc-cessive points grow rapidly. For exam-ple, with A = 1.111, any starting pointbeyond X[0) = 1.116 grows quickly, andthe orbit degenerates to a few pointson the screen.

A program to generate these map-pings will have two nested loops: theouter loop to choose the startingvalues (X(0),y(0)), and the inner loopto generate the orbit (see listing 1).

Note that the mappings have a sym-metry about a line that makes an angleof Al2 with the positive X axis. Forfigure 1. this angle is 1.111/2 radians,which is about 32 degrees.

tion around the sun. For convenience,you can regard this point as the origin(0,0).

A phase plot has two basic types offixed points: elliptic and hyperbolic.This center point, or origin, is an ellip-tic fixed point because the nearbycurves are ellipses. An elliptic fixedpoint is naturally stable; a small errorin position or velocity is not disas-trous—the system remains on an ellip-tic curve close by. For example, thecenter of the phase plot in figure 3 isan elliptic fixed point, and. it cor-responds to a stationary pendulum.It is a stable point; if you make a smallmistake in positioning the pendulum,it doesn't cause much change in theorbit.

By contrast, if the pendulum is ona rigid bar and is moved all the wayto the "high noon" position (6 = ic,ddldt = 0), this would also be a fixedpoint but it would be extremelyunstable. This is called a hyperbolicfixed point because the curves nearit are hyperbolic, (y - c) = \l(x - d).They are the crossing lines seen in thephase plot in figure 3. Relationshipsof this type are inherently unstable

near the central point, (c.d). becausea small change in either x or y yieldsa large change in the other. For a pen-dulum, the smallest error in positionwould cause it to fly off on one sideor the other. In stability theory, thesehyperbolic fixed points are the "badguys," and they show up in the reso-nance bands.

The Resonance Bands

In figure 1, the two major resonancebands are the band of six and theouter band of seven. These two bandsappear to be different in character,but they are actually similar. Becausethe outer band is so wide, more detailis visible, but the tiny islands and the"fuzzy" scattering of points are partof every resonance band. If youenlarged the islands in the band ofsix, you would find a similar structure.The small islands represent secon-dary resonances. They are the bandsof the bands. These secondary reso-nances occur because each of thelarge islands represents a new stablefixed point just like the origin. There-fore, according to the KAM theorem,these islands also stretch and then

break to form resonance bands. Thisis an endless process as the newislands spawn even smaller islandscorresponding to higher resonancesthat resemble the harmonics of apiano string, but in two dimensions.

The scattering of points visible inthe outer band is caused by dense ac-cumulations of hyperbolic fixedpoints. To see how these hyperbolic"bad guys" got here, recall that theresonance bands are formed from theremnants of rational orbits. These arethe orbits that mesh exactly with thedisruptive force; for example, a 2/5resonance indicates that two orbits byJupiter match exactly five orbits of theasteroid. These rational orbits are theones destroyed to form the resonancebands. (The widening is the result ofthe rational orbit absorbing nearbyorbits.) When these rational orbits aredeformed into the bands, the islandsare formed. But according to thePoincare-Birkhoff Fixed Pointtheorem, these stable islands mustalternate with hyperbolic fixed points.The islands and the hyperbolic pointshave the same origin. They are bothcreated when the rational orbit isdeformed by the disturbance.

Since any resonance band has an in-finite number of islands, it also has aninfinite number of hyperbolic points.These stable and unstable points areinterwoven in a complex nesting pat-tern. To make matters worse, thecurves joining these hyperbolic points(called separatrkes) are turned into in-credible jumbles of zigzags, known as[angles. This means that each of theislands is surrounded by rings oftangles. In figure 2, all you can see ofthis chaos is a sea of dots that appearto be totally random.

The structure of these regions ismuch too complex to be visualized ina phase plot. Many attempts havebeen made to draw these regions. V. I.Arnold, one of the KAM authors, hasdrawn some excellent illustrationsshowing the nesting as windings oftori. Ralph Abraham at the Universityof California (Santa Cruz) has pub-lished a "Visual Mathematics Library"with drawings of some tangles. It isthis unimaginable complexity thatmathematicians like George Birkhoff,

[continued]

170 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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Inquiry 39

HENON MAPPING

Jurgen Moser, Stephen Smale, andothers have been attempting to un-ravel. It is the key to the nature of theresonance bands and, therefore,crucial to the question of stability.

Rational vs. Irrational

Since the rational orbits are deformedinto the resonance bands, the remain-ing curves must correspond to irra-tional orbits. Here there is no buildupdue to resonances, so the status quois maintained and the overall motionis stable. For example, Earth seems tofollow a peaceful irrational orbit withrespect to Jupiter. The gravitationalpull of Jupiter does cause perturba-tion of Earth's orbit, but there is noapparent buildup of forces as therecould be with a resonance.

Not all irrational orbits are safe. Ifit happens to be too close to a ra-tional orbit, the irrational orbit can beabsorbed into the resonance band.For small disturbances, this absorp-tion is minimal, and the irrational or-bits dominate the behavior. Paradox-ically, there are many more irrationalnumbers than rational ones, so if youpick an orbit at random (by choosinga starting point (x,u) or (r.d)), it willalmost certainly correspond to an ir-rational orbit. This is why the KAMtheorem works: The rational reso-nance bands, even with the neighbor-ing rationals and irrationals, are stillinsignificant for small disturbances.The end result is a stable systemwhere the irrational orbits dominateand the resonance bands have no ap-preciable effect. At higher energiesthough, these rational orbits absorbmany more nearby orbits and be-come a significant factor.

Orbit Watching with Pascal

When you watch an individual orbitin slow motion on the computer, thesuccessive points are rotations by afixed angle called the winding number.For an irrational orbit, this angle nevercomes out even, so the points neverrepeat. They wind forever, eitherclockwise or counterclockwise. For arational orbit, the points eventuallyrepeat and a resonance occurs. Thinkof the successive points as the pathof the asteroid, and the total curve as

[continued)

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DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 173

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174 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 85

Inquiry 40

HENON MAPPING

the period of Jupiter. There is a reso-nance when these two mesh exactly(in time, not physically). On the screenit looks as if the points are stationary.

However, it is unusual to seeperfectly stationary points, becausethese are the orbits that will bifurcateinto bands. The orbit is "trying" to bestationary, but the disturbance won'tlet this happen. The stationary pointsare distorted into islands just as infigure 1.

Remember, for the purposes ofcomputer simulation all numbersmust be rational, since they are storedonly to a limited number of digits. Thisis not a problem, because the KAMtheorem is really a matter of degree:There is a hierarchy of rationalnumbers, from the major resonancessuch as 1/1, 2/3, 1/5, etc., down tothe essentially irrationals representedby numbers such as 78438166/1677743295. Note that in the Henonmappings the major resonances givethe wide bands. These are the mostpowerful resonances.

The Fate of a PhysicalSystem

There are two broad types ofbehavior for a physical system on oneof these resonance bands: stabilityand chaos. The islands representregions of relative stability, and thearea between the islands representspotential chaos. If a system locks onto the resonance and follows theislands, it behaves in a regular fashion.For example, if an asteroid followedthe seven islands in figure 1, it wouldhave a period of 1/7 that of Jupiter (i.e.,every seven revolutions, it wouldrepeat itself). If it were on the outeredge of the islands, it would still beregular but would not quite repeatitself.

If the system is on one of the smallislands corresponding to higher res-onances, it travels a more varied path,but the overall behavior is still regular.For example, an asteroid that startsout on one of the eight smaller islandsis still tied to the seven large islands,but there is a secondary winding, orperturbation, as it visits the eightislands. The overall motion is similarto that of the seven islands. For the

{continued)

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Inquiry 41

HENON MAPPING

microscopic islands, the many levelsof windings cause a great deal ofsmall variation, but the motion is stillbound to the large islands. The realdanger, especially with the higher res-onances, is that a very small changein conditions, such as a minor colli-sion or the pull of Earth, Mars, orSaturn, would tend to disrupt thisrather delicate stability. Surroundingthese islands are regions dominatedby unstable hyperbolic points.

If a physical system didn't lock onto the resonance, it could exhibit er-ratic behavior as represented by theregions between the islands. If it gottoo near a powerful hyperbolic point,it could be thrown out like a slingshot.If it got too near one of the tangles,the system would experience alocalized chaos as it followed an "or-bit" that was a maze of zigzags.

The Kirkwood Gaps

Using the asteroids as a guide, thestable phenomenon of "following theislands" or "orbit-locking" seems rare.In fact, the asteroids are conspicuous-ly missing from the resonance bands.These gaps were first observed in1886 by Daniel Kirkwood, a U.S. math-ematician and astronomer, whosuspected that the gaps correspondto resonances with Jupiter. Recentcalculations by M. V. Berry at the WillsPhysics Laboratory in Bristol, England,indicate that indeed these gaps coin-cide closely with the major reso-nances between the asteroid's orbitand Jupiter's. Instability has been thedominant factor causing asteroid ejec-tion. Calculations by Andrea Milaniand Anna Nobili at the University ofPisa indicate that secondary distur-bances caused by the slight eccen-tricity of lupiter's orbit might havespeeded this up, making the delicateorbit-locking unlikely. (They did,however, find a possible orbit-lockingbetween Jupiter and Uranus.)

Where do the ejected asteroids go?Wandering asteroids with erraticbehavior have been observed, but itis difficult to trace their paths back intime to determine whether this is dueto resonances or not. Some astrono-mers believe that a few of these er-ratic asteroids join the cloud of

(continued)

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178 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Halley's comet couldbe an asteroidthat sufferedthe fate of aKAM resonance.

comets at the extremes of the solarsystem. Halley's comet could be anasteroid that suffered the fate of aKAM resonance.

The Rings of Saturn

The rings of Saturn have gaps similarto the gaps in the asteroids. The ringsare composed of thousands of rocksand ice particles that are influencedby the gravitational pull of Saturn'ssatellites, most notably Mimas, andthe major resonances here are be-tween the period of the particle andthe period of Mimas. The important

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abraham, Ralph, and Christopher Shaw."Dynamics: The Geometry of Behavior"from the Visual Mathematics Library.Santa Cruz, CA: Aerial Press, 1983.

Arnold, V. I. "Proof of a Theorem of A. N.Kolmogorov on the Preservation of Con-ditionally Periodic Motions under aSmall Perturbation of the Hamiltonian,"Russian Math Surveys, vol. 18, 1963, pages9-36. Translated from Russian.

Berry, M. V. "Regular and Irregular Mo-tion," Topics in Nonlinear Dynamics. Ameri-can Institute of Physics, Proceedings no.46, 1978.

Birkhoff, G. Dynamical Systems. AmericanMathematical Society, Colloquium Pub-lications, vol. 9, 1966.

Franklin, F„ in The Rings of Saturn. Palluconiand Pettingill, eds. NASA, SP-343, 1974.

Grayson, H. W., and J. Ford. "Amplitude In-stability and Ergotic Behavior for Con-servative Nonlinear Oscillator Systems,"Physical Review, vol. 188, no. 1, 1969, pages416-431.

Henon, M. "Numerical Study of QuadraticArea Preserving Mappings," Quarterly ofApplied Mathematics, vol. 27, October 1969,pages 291-312.

Holmes, P. J., and J. E. Marsden."Dynamical Systems and Invariant Mani-folds," New Approaches to Nonlinear Problemsin Dynamics. Society of Industrial and Ap-

1/3 resonance coincides closely witha well-known gap between ring B andthe Crepe ring. The 1/2 resonanceseems slightly out of alignment withthe Cassini gap, but the astronomerF. Franklin has shown that if you in-clude the mass of the B ring, the 1/2resonance coincides very closely withthe Cassini gap.

Summary

The theoretical study of stability isone of the more difficult fields ofmathematics, and results such as theKAM theorem are of a highly tech-nical nature. Yet, through the mediumof computer simulation using iterativemappings such as the Henon map-ping, you can gain significant insightinto the nature of these studies. Thisvisual insight can be a powerful tool.Most of the laws of physics were ob-tained through keen observationfollowed by mathematical analysis.Now anyone with a microcomputerhas a window from which to observesome of the more exotic behavior thatunderlies the world. ■

plied Mathematics. 1980.

Kolmogorov, A. N. "Preservation of Con-ditionally Periodic Movements withSmall Change in the Hamilton Function."Doklady Academii Uauk (Report of the Academyof Sciences) SSSR. vol. 98, 1954, pages527-530. In Russian.

Laslett, L. Jackson. "Some Illustrations ofStochasticity," Topics in Nonlinear Dynamics.American Institute of Physics, Pro-ceedings no. 46, 1978.

Milani, Andrea, and Anna Nobili. "Reso-nance Locking Between Jupiter andUranus," Nature, vol. 310, August 1984,pages 753-7 55.

Moser, Jurgen. "On Invariant Curves ofArea Preserving Mappings of an An-nulus." Nachrichten Akademie VJissenschaften.Gottingen, Math. Phys. Klasse, no. 1,1962, pages 1-20.

Poincare, J. Henri. Les mkhodes nouvelles dela mecanique celeste. 3 vols. Paris: Gauthier-Villars, 1892-99. Reprinted by Dover in1957.

Smale, S. "Differentiable DynamicalSystems," Bulletin of American MathematicalSociety, 73, 1967, pages 747-817.

Szebehely, Victor, ed. "Stability of theSolar System and Its Minor Natural andArtificial Bodies," NATO Advanced ScienceInstitute Series. Boston, MA: Reidel Publish-ing Co., 1985.

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DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 179

10

1 FOURTH GENERATION LANGUAGESJames Martin

Three information-packed volumes make this a complete package of Fourth-Generation Languages—

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3 DIAGRAMMING TECHNIQUES FORANALYSTS AND PROGRAMMERS

James Martin

Survey all diagramming techniques in common com-puter use and clarify thinking and communicationwhen exploring these widely-used structured diagram-ming techniques.

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4 THE DESIGN OF THE UNIXOPERATING SYSTEM

Maurice J. Bach

Gain a better understanding of UNIX with thesophisticated workings of the UNIX kernel and thesedetailed descriptions of internal algorithms andstructures.

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5 ADVANCED UNIX PROGRAMMINGMarc J. Rochkind

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7 CRAFTING C TOOLS FOR THE IBM PCsJoe Campbell

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180 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

GRAPHICS ALGORITHMS

ABSTRACTMATHEMATICAL

ART

by Kenneth E. Perry

Use a BASIC program to explore the fascinating worldof linear cousins of the Game of Life

COMPUTER-GENERATED mathemat-ical art is art created by pure mathe-matics as opposed to other forms ofcomputer graphics. In this article, themathematical entities are "one-dimen-sional cellular automata." I havefound their study exciting andastounding.

One-dimensional cellular automataare linear versions of the two-dimen-sional automata whose classic exam-ple is John H. Conway's Game of Life.The text box "The Origins of CellularAutomata" on page 182 explains theevolution of the ideas that led to thedevelopment of these structures.

This article discusses these autom-ata, elaborates the rules that definethem, and presents a program in IBMPC BASIC that you can use to findthese hidden structures. You will needa color adapter and color monitor touse the program. See the text box"BASIC Program Notes" by George A.Stewart on page 190.

Defining the Automaton

In the years since its invention, thecellular automaton has not had muchexposure in the general scientificpress. One exception occurred in1971, when Martin Gardner in Scien-

tific American revealed to the worldConway's Game of Life (reference 1).

Conway's game is a two-dimen-sional cellular automaton in whicheach cell can take on one of twostates, 0 or 1, and its future dependson its own state and that of all eightneighbor cells, both orthogonal anddiagonal (this is known as the "Mooreneighborhood" after Edward F.Moore, who first discussed rules usingthis neighborhood).

In 1984 three articles appeared con-cerning a new breed, the one-dimen-sional cellular automaton (see refer-ences 2, 3, and 4). Two of the articleswere written by Dr. Stephen Wolframof the Institute for Advanced Study inPrinceton, New Jersey, and the othermade reference to him.

Although the transition rules forone-dimensional cellular automataare very simple and easy to state,some of these automata can exhibitbehavior of astonishing complexity.Wolfram is attempting to gain ananalytic understanding of how suchautomata evolve. Reading these ar-ticles (and especially looking at thestunning color reproductions of com-puter graphics) stimulated in me astrong desire to program these au-

tomata on my own computer. Listing1 is one of the results.

Interpreted BASIC is much too slowto program two-dimensional cellularautomata. However, for one-dimen-sional automata the case is quite dif-ferent. The field, instead of being n byn, is 1 by n, and the number of cellsis in the tens or, at most, the hun-dreds. Having said this, I must stilladmit that this BASIC program israther slow.

The type of automaton I have pro-grammed consists of a linear row or"field" of cells whose maximumlength is dictated by the number ofpixels on a horizontal screen line.Each cell can take on one of four dif-ferent states numbered 0, 1,2, and 3.The transition rule for the next stateof the cell depends on the sum of thestates of three cells—the cell itself andits two neighbors. Since the largestpossible value of each cell is 3, thegreatest possible sum of three cells is

[continued)Kenneth E. Perry (22 Sedgemeadow Rd..Wayland, MA 01778) joined the group thatbuilt Howard Aiken's Mark IV computershortly after World War II, which led to a life-time career in digital logic and programming.Retired, he's still at it.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 181

MATHEMATICAL ART

9, and the sum can take on any valuefrom 0 to 9. A typical rule can bedefined as follows:

Sum 0 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Rule 02 30000000

This rule is as follows: If the sum is0, the next state will be 0; if the sumis 1, the next state will be 2; if the sumis 2, the next state will be 3; if the sumis 3. the next state will be 0: and soforth.

The first digit of a rule is usually 0;otherwise, the entire initial array of0-cells will reverse states in a single

generation. The other nine digits caneach take on any one of the fourvalues from 0 to 3. The number of dif-ferent possible rules is therefore 49,or 262,144.

One advantage of the one-dimen-sional automaton is that it is possibleto display a history of its developmenton a two-dimensional color displayscreen (with the states 0, 1,2, and 3represented by the colors black, red,green, and blue, respectively), whilefor the two-dimensional automatononly one generation at a time can bedisplayed.

The program creates a display of 90generations of an automaton contain-ing 160 cells (the display density canbe increased to show 190 by 2 55 ifdesired). The horizontal axis repre-sents space and the vertical axis, time.It is important to keep in mind that al-though the display is two-dimen-sional, the automaton is unregen-erately one-dimensional.

The evolution of this type of autom-aton over succeeding generations (orclock ticks) is determined entirely bythe rule and the initial state of the

[continued]

The Origins of Cellular Automata

The time was the early fifties. Johnvon Neumann (1903-1957) had sethimself the task of demonstrating thata self-replicating automaton, a robotthat could reproduce itself, was pos-sible in principle using the followingapproach.

Consider a conceptual robot (therewas never any thought of actuallybuilding anything) wandering at ran-dom about an imaginary warehousecontaining elementary spare parts scat-tered about the premises (a badlymanaged warehouse, but the robot, tobe credible, must get along with aminimum of outside help). The robotidentifies the parts it needs and assem-bles these parts to construct an exactcopy of itself. In order to direct itsoperations and make its decisions, therobot contains a conceptual computer,a "universal computer" capable ofcomputing anything that is com-putable. Such a conceptual universalcomputer had been invented in 1936by Alan Turing, and if there was onething about which von Neumann hadno doubt whatever, it was that his self-replicating automaton would contain aTuring machine.

Von Neumann had made some prog-ress with this "kinematic" approach,but he was not satisfied with it. Hefound it difficult to develop a set ofrules of operation that was simpleenough to be enlightening. Additional-ly, the idea of moving pieces of hard-ware around did not seem to have anyplace in a fundamental mathematicaltheory.

Then one day a colleague, StanislawM. Ulam, had a bright idea that he

passed along to von Neumann. Con-sider a large array of rectangular cells(a very large checkerboard some hun-dreds of cells on a side). Each cell cantake on, at any one time, one of a cer-tain number of states numbered 0, 1,2, 3, 4, and so on (in the simplest caseonly two states are provided for,labeled 0 to 1). The zero state (alsocalled dead, passive, or quiescent) isalways one of the allowed states, andinitially all cells are in the zero state.Every cell in the array is allotted thesame number of possible states.

Each cell has a rule (the transitionrule) based on the states of some ofits near neighbors, and perhaps on itsown state as well, that specifies at timet what its state will be at time t+1: allcells change state simultaneously (incomputer terms that would be calleda clocked synchronous system). Everycell obeys this rule.

To start the automaton, a certainnumber of cells are placed into non-zero states, and then the clock isturned on.

Ulam had invented the two-dimen-sional cellular automaton, and vonNeumann was quick to recognize themerit of the idea. Each cell's depen-dence, for its future state, on only its im-mediate neighbors, either orthogonal ordiagonal, is the very essence of cellularautomata. Unlike in the kinematic ex-ample, nothing moves: only informa-tion is passed from cell to cell.

Take, as a trivially simple example,the rule that the next state of any cellis dependent only on the neighbor cellthat shares its northern border. The cellwill take on at time t+1 the state of this

neighbor at time t. All cells of the ar-ray are initially 0, then one cell at thenorthern boundary of the array isforced into the 1 state. The state of thatcell will move, with each tick of theclock, from cell to cell down its columnuntil it reaches the southern boundary.Thus, information has been passedacross the array.

When von Neumann seized on theidea, he did it in no small way. The finalversion of the cellular array took on asize of some hundreds of thousandsof cells, each of which could take onone of 29 possible states, that is. thequiescent state plus 28 nonquiescentstates. The next state of a cell de-pended on its own state plus the stateof the four neighbor cells with com-mon borders. This is known as the "vonNeumann neighborhood." He showedthat a Turing machine could be con-structed from these cells and that a"constructing automaton" controlledby this machine could send out a "con-structing arm" into unoccupied (quies-cent) territory of the array. By settingthe states of the cell one by one. theautomaton would end up with an exactcopy of itself.

The result was published posthum-ously in 1966 as the Theory of Self-Reproducing Automata, edited and com-pleted by Arthur W. Burks from vonNeumann's unfinished manuscripts(Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press,1966). A detailed and quite readableaccount of von Neumann's automatonis given in the first essay of Essays ofCellular Automata, also edited by ArthurW. Burks (Champaign. IL: University ofIllinois Press, 1970).

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MATHEMATICAL ART

Listing 1: A BASIC version of the one-dimensional cellular automata programwritten for the IBM PC with color graphics.

10 REM One-dimensional cellular automata20 REM by Kenneth E. Perry30 REM

40 REM Screen setup

50 KEY OFF

60 SCREEN 1,0 :REM Medium resolution (320 x 200)

70 COLOR 0,0 :REM Use color palette 0

80 REM

90 REM Initialize variables

100 DEFINT A-Z

110 HRES=320

120 VRE6-200

130 SF«=2

140 BY-10

REM All variables are IntegersREM Number of points horizontallyREM Number of points verticallyREM SF«1 for denser graphREM Offset to leave one line blank

150 GN«INT(VRES/SF)-BY

160 MC»INT(HRES/SF) :REM Maximum number of cells

170 IF MC>255 THEN MC-255 :REM Prevent string overflow

180 MI-40 :REM Characters/line in graphics mode

190 BG-0 :REM Color of background

200 NU$="" :REM No spaces inside quotes

210 DIM CL(3), A(MC-1), B(MC-1). RU(9), K$(-INT(-MC/MI))

220 REM Initialize color mapping

230 FOR J-0 TO 3: READ CL(J): NEXT J

240 DATA 0.2.3,1

2 5C REM ——-— —-. —

260 REM InitialIze the rule

270 R$-"0000000000" :REM Ten zeros

280 CLS

290 PRINT "Current rule is shown below. The rule"

300 PRINT "must contain exactly 10 digits, using"

310 PRINT "only 0, 1. 2, and 3."

320 PRINT "Move the cursor across the rule, make"

330 PRINT "changes as desired, and press <cr>."

340 PRINT: PRINT R$

350 LOCATE 7,1

360 LINE INPUT RT$

370 IF RT$-NU$ THEN END

380 IF LEN(RT$)<>10 THEN 280

390 0K-(1=1)

400 FOR J=1 TO 10 :REM Make sure the rule is valid

410 RU(J-1)=VAL(MID$(RT$,J,1))

420 0K=(0K AND RU(J-1)>=0 AND RU(J-1)<=3)

430 NEXT J

440 IF NOT OK THEN 280 ELSE R$-RT$

450 REM

460 REM Get the number of cells in each generation

470 PRINT USING "How many cells/line (### to ###)";MI,MC;

480 INPUT NC

490 IF NC<MI OR NOMC THEN 470

500 NL»INT((NC-1)/MI)+1 :REM Lines needed to show 1st gen.

510 REM

520 REM Get the initial state of the cellular automaton530 PRINT

540 INPUT "Initial=predefined or random (P/R)";PR$550 IF PR$ONU$ AND INSTR(1,"Rr",PR$)>0 THEN GOSUB 900

ELSE GOSUB 970560 A(0)=0: A(NC-1)=0 :REM Force boundaries to zero

570 REM

580 REM Start the cellular automaton running

590 CLS

600 PRINT "Rule ";R$ :REM Display rule

610 FOR J=0 TO 3

620 LOCATE 1,20+J*4

630 PRINT USING "#-";J

640 NX-168+J*32

(continued)

automaton. The simplest initial stateconsists of all cells in the field zero ex-cept the one that we call the "seed."Let's see what happens with theabove rule and a single cell near themiddle of the field in state 1. This canbe shown as follows:

1. Initial state 00000100000

Sum

2. Next stateSum

3. Next stateSum

4. Next state

000011100000000222000000024642000000300030000033303330000000000000

The sums of 3, 4, and 6 all result innext states of 0, and the structure diesout after only three generations. Theword structure describes the evolutionand history of an initial state or seedin a particular automaton. The wordautomaton names the object defined bythree things: (1) the field of cells (1 by160 in this case), (2) the neighborhood(three cells in this case), and (3) theparticular 10-digit rule that is selected.

Suppose we change the rule to0230101000 so that sums of 4 and 6generate next states of 1. The historyof the first few generations, withoutspecifically indicating the successivesums, becomes

1.

First state

1

2.

Next state

222

3.

Next state

31113

4.

Next state

10001

5.

Next state

2220222

6.

Next state

311111113

7.

Next state

100000001

8. Next state 22200000222

It is apparent that this structure willexpand forever. The rate at which astructure expands or propagates iscalled its "speed," and the maximumpossible speed is 1 (Conway calls thisthe "speed of light"), that is, a speedof one cell in each generation. Thespeed of expansion (in either direc-tion) of the above structure is 2/3, ortwo cells in three generations.

Another possibility is a structurethat neither expands without boundnor dies out but persists in a self-perpetuating state. An example is therule 0010000000 with initial state 11(i.e., any two adjacent cells in state 1with all other cells 0). The first sum will

{continued)

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MATHEMATICAL ART

650 LINE (NX.0)-STEP(7,7),CL(J),BF

660 NEXT J

670 FOR Y»0 TO GN-1

680 FOR X«0 TO NC-1

690 IF X=0 OR X=NC-1 THEN V=3 ELSE V=CL(A(X))

700 PSET (X*SF,Y*SF+BY),V :REM Display the point

710 NEXT X

720 REM

730 REM Compute new state of automaton

740 FOR X=1 TO NC-2 :REM Don't change boundary cells

750 Z-A(X-1)+A(X)+A(X+1)

760 B(X)«RU(Z)

770 NEXT X

780 REM Copy new values to A() from B()

790 FOR X-1 TO NC-2: A(X)-B(X): NEXT X

800 IF INKEY$ONU$ THEN Y-GN-1 :REM Exit if key pressed

810 NEXT Y

820 WHILE INKEY$<>NU$: WEND :REM Clear keyboard buffer

830 LOCATE 1.17: PRINT "Continue or quit (C/Q)?";

840 CQ$-INKEY$

850 IF CQ$-NU$ THEN 840

860 WH-INT((INSTR(1,"CcQq",CQ$)+1)/2)+1 :REM wh - 1,2,3

870 ON WH GOTO 840. 590, 280

880 REM

890 REM Random initialization of automaton

900 RANDOMIZE

910 FOR J-0 TO NC-1

920 A(J)-INT(RND*4) :REM Random values from 0 to 3

930 NEXT J

940 RETURN

950 REM

960 REM Initialize array A() with a preset pattern

970 FOR d-1 TO NL

980 IF NC>-J*MI THEN LL-MI ELSE LL-NC-(J-1)*MI

990 K$(J)-STRING$(LL,".")

1000 CLS

1010 PRINT "Rule is: "; R$

1020 PRINT USING "Cells In range ### to ###:"; (J-1)*MI+1,

(J-1)*MI+LL1030 PRINT "Move cursor across the field and make"1040 PRINT "changes as desired. Then press <cr>."1050 PRINT K$(J)1060 LOCATE 5.11070 LINE INPUT K$(J)1080 NEXT J

1090 K$-K$(1)+K$(2)+K$(3)+K$(4)1100 REM Convert string to array values1110 FOR J-1 TO NC1120 KK$"MID$(K$ J 1)1130 IF INSTR(1.,,,0i23",KK$)».0 THEN A(J-1)-BG ELSE A(J-1)«

VAL(KK$)1140 NEXT J1150 RETURN

be 1221 and the next state will be0110, and so will all future states. 1 liketo think of this as a cyclically repeat-ing structure with a period of 1because all of these permanent en-tities are cyclic and most have periodsof 2 or more. The period of a cyclicstructure is the number of generationsbefore the cycle repeats. Some havevery long periods and are astonish-ingly complex.A structure that eventually dies out

is called a "finite structure." Some ofthese structures can have very longhistories before their demise. Oneshown in the September 1984 Scien-tific American (page 200) had beentraced for 1200 generations and wasstill reproducing and expanding, sowhether or not it is indeed finite hadnot been established. It was gen-erated by the rule 0230011133 andthe initial state 11.1 programmed theautomaton and followed it for hun-

dreds of generations, until it grew toowide for the screen. The fate of sucha structure cannot be predicted andcan be determined only by simulatingit and following it to the end.

These one-dimensional automataare "mathematically irreducible"—there is no shortcut to determinewhether a given automaton with agiven rule and a given initial state willlead to a cyclic structure of longperiod, a finite structure of long life,or some other possibility. Therefore,the approach taken by this programis not naive. We are not playing atrivial game whose outcome could bemore easily predicted by a more so-phisticated mathematical approach.

Of course, a particular outcome canbe found much more quickly by ex-pedients such as using a program-ming language that is inherentlyfaster, a search algorithm that recog-nizes certain results by techniquesmore sophisticated than watching thescreen, or special hardware that per-forms the simulation faster than evena computer programmed in machinelanguage.

To find the structures that are shownin this article, I wrote my program in8088 assembly language. It runs acouple of hundred times faster thanthe interpreted BASIC program oflisting 1. {Editor's note: The author has pro-vided a set of Pascal programs that duplicatethe operation of the BASIC program in listing

1, but at a much faster rate. Source listingsof these programs with documentation, plusthe program in listing 1, are available on disk,in print, and on BIX; see the insert cardfollowing page 320 for details. Listings arealso available on BYTE«et; see page 4.|

Tables 1 and 2 display examples ofvarious structures. Table 1 shows anautomaton that supports three dif-ferent cyclic structures at periods 6,

2, and 1, each defined by its initialstate. Of course, any of the states inthe cycle can be the initial state. A"state" of a structure is a sequence ofcellular "states" that begins and endswith nonzero (or nonbackground)cells and contains mostly nonzero (ornonbackground) cells.

Table 2 shows two automata thatsupport two different propagatingcyclic structures that do not stay in

(continued)

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MATHEMATICAL ART

Photo 1: An example of how gliders react when they encounterfixed structures [rule 0020303113).

Photo 2: A class 2 automaton showing a pattern of simple,cyclic structures of short period (rule 0302003132).

■ :|! -'OS.

::p£ v-likl;:- ;; j;:.\-:C;;:-:!:-.. ; j :::-).]/■'.,:%~?~~m

Photo 3: A class 3 automaton exhibiting constantly changing,chaotic behavior {rule 0121230210).

Photo 4: A class 4 automaton that demonstrates the emergenceof a nonzero background (rule 0231123003).

Photo 5: A complex automaton from a random seed, regeneratedfor display with a nonrandom initial state (rule 0102330312).

Photo 6: An automaton discovered by initializing the field to astate with one nonzero cell in the center (rule 0120133230).

188 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

MATHEMATICAL ART

place as do those in table 1 but travellaterally across the field; I call them"gliders." The first example has aperiod of 4 and travels with a speedof 1; the second has a period of 2 anda speed of Vi. You can see that thestates of a glider must be asymmetricand that the direction of travel can bechanged by reversing the initial state.From this point of view the one-di-mensional field can be thought of asa transmission line with structurespropagating down it at speeds equalto or less than the "speed of light."One might ask what happens whena glider encounters a sedentary struc-ture or when two oppositely directedgliders meet each other. Someexamples of this are shown in photo1, an automaton that has the rule0020303113. In this example, whenthe glider encounters a fixed struc-ture, it is either stopped and de-stroyed or "reflected" to travel in theopposite direction. When two gliderscollide they either destroy each otheror combine to create a new stationarystructure. The reason for the alternatebehavior is that this glider has aperiod of 3 and thus consists of threedifferent states; what happensdepends on which state first sensesthe encounter. You can see from thisphoto that an automaton can contain,at one time, several different struc-tures that evolve independently anddo not interfere with each other.

Extraordinary Structures

One of the objects of this game isfinding complex examples of cyclicstructures and very long finitestructures.

Photos 2 through 4 show how vari-ous automata evolve from random ini-tial states. I have found that the bestway to search for interesting rules isto observe how they develop fromrandom initialization. Usually the rulecontrols the large-scale appearance ofthe picture on the color monitorscreen, while the random initial stateaffects the detailed or fine-scale ap-pearance. The programmer can gen-erally recognize the "signature" pic-ture of the rule regardless of the ran-dom initial state.

Stephen Wolfram has found that allone-dimensional cellular automata of

the type 1 am describing can beplaced into four different classes.

Class 1 contains those automatathat, for any random initial condition,evolve in only a few generations to thestate where all of the automaton'scells are in state 0 (or possibly all inthe same nonzero state). These auto-mata always die out very quickly; theother three classes live a very longtime if not forever.

Class 2 automata very quickly reacha state where all that remains is anumber of simple cyclic structures ofshort period (see photo 2).

Class 3 automata never die out andnever reach the simple stable state ofclass 2. Instead, they exhibit a con-stantly changing chaotic behavior (seephoto 3). It has been my observationthat of all possible rules, more thanhalf show class 3 behavior. Althoughclass 3 behavior is chaotic, it is notrandom or even pseudorandom. Aclose inspection of the photo willshow many small-scale structures forwhich the chance of having beengenerated by a random process isvanishingly small. About 80 percentof randomly initialized automata willfall into class 3.

The only class that I would recom-mend as being worth investigating indetail is class 4. Roughly one in 30 orone in 50 of randomly selected ruleswill generate a class 4 automaton. Anexample of this class is shown inphoto 4.

Regardless of the random initialstate, certain structures always seemto evolve within a few states for class4 automata. One feature of theseautomata that is entirely controlled bythe rule is the background color(black, red, and green, respectively, inthese photos). It is clear that, what-ever the random initial state, the back-ground specified by the rule veryquickly shows itself.

How does the rule specify and forcea nonzero background? Here's a hint:Note that for a background of 1 (red)the rule number must have a 1 in theplace corresponding to a sum of 3.This is necessary for the backgroundto sustain itself since three Is equal3. Likewise, for a green background,the rule must have a 2 opposite the

(continued)

Table 1

: The rule defining

a one-

dimensional cellular automaton

supporting three different cyclic

structures with periods of i

. 2,

and 1. Note: leading and trailing

zeros are

omitted.

sum

0 12 3 4 5

6 7 8 9

ru 1 e

0 2 3 0 3 1

0 13 0

state

1 1 1

2

sum

12 3 5

4 3

state

2 2 0 1

J

sum

2 5 5 4 4

4 3

state

3 113 3

J!

sum

3 4 5 5 7 9

6 3

state

3 111

sum

3 4 5 3 2 1

state

3 10 3 2

sum

3 4 4 4 5 5

2

state

3 3 3 11

J

sum

3 6 9 7 5 5

4 3

state

1 1 1

3

state

3 110 1

1 3

sum

3 4 5 2 2 2

5 4 3

state

3 13 3 3

1 3

sum

3 4 7 7 9 7

7 4 3

state

3 110 1

1 3

state

3 113

sum

3 4 5 5 4 3

state

3 113

Table 2: Propagating automataor gliders that move laterally acrossthe field.

sumrule

01234567890103220232

state 2 2 2 2 3

sum 2 4 6 6 7 5 3

state 2 0 0 2 2 3

sum 22224753

state 2 2 2 3

sum 2 4 6 7 5 3

state 2 0 2 2 3

sum 2 2 4 4 7 5 3state 2 2 2 2 3

sum 0123456789

rule 0130223130

state

3

3 3 5 3

sum

3

6

9 8 8 5

3

state

3

0 3 3 2

sum

3

3

6 6 8 5

2

state

3 3 3 2

3

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 189

MATHEMATICAL ART

BASIC Program Notes

The BASIC program for the IBM PC(adapted from Perry's original pro-gram) lets you try any rule on a randomor predefined cellular automaton. Italso lets you specify the size of theautomaton: the larger the automaton,the longer the program takes to cal-culate and display each successivestate of development.

Lines 90-240 initialize certain pro-gram constants. Some of these youmay change for special effects as notedin the remarks. The color codes in line240 correspond to black, green, red,and brown in IBM color palette 0. Ar-ray CL() rearranges the codes to ap-proximate the colors used in thephotographs accompanying this article.

Lines 260-440 prompt you to enterthe rule. A "dummy" rule is shown sothat you can edit or replace it. In anycase, you must move the cursor acrossall 10 digits of the rule, making changesas desired.

Lines 460-500 let you specify thenumber of cells in each generation,

by George A. Stewart

and lines 520-560 let you select eitherrandom or predefined initialization.Subroutines at line 900 and 970 han-dle the two initialization options.

The program block from 580 to 710displays a heading and the currentstate of the automaton. Lines 610-660print a "color key" to aid in interpretingthe progression from one generationto another. The boundary cells arealways 0, but the program displaysthem as color 3 (brown) so they will bevisible on the screen (line 690).

Lines 730-810 calculate the nextstate of the automaton by summing theadjacent cells and applying the rule(lines 750-760). If you press a key whilethe program is presenting the autom-aton, a continuation menu appears onthe top line, giving you a chance to quitor continue.

Lines 890-940 constitute the ran-dom initialization subroutine, and lines960-1150 make up the predefinedstate subroutine. The latter subroutinelets you edit the initial state by show-

ing the cell in expanded form. Tospecify the initial state, you move thecursor across the dots, placing a 0, 1,2, or 3 as you wish. (The dots will beinterpreted as background cells, color0. lb make the dots signify another celltype, change line 190.)

Since the automaton is magnified forediting, it may take several steps toview and edit an entire line. The pro-gram displays a maximum of 40 dotsor cells at once. Thus a 160-cell autom-aton will require editing four lines ofdots. Remember to move the cursoracross all the displayed dots, makingchanges as you go along. Do not usethe delete or backspace key becausethese will change the length of the in-put line; instead, use the cursor motionkeys and type the desired numbers tomake the changes you want.

George A. Stewart is a BYTE technical editor.He can be reached at BYTE, One Phoenix Milllane. Peterborough. NH 03458.

Table 3

A list o

f 100 rules that generate interesting patterns when specified

using

the BASIC

program

in listing l.

#

Rule

#

R

jle

f

Rule

#

Rule

1

0

001

033

232

26

0

031

202

120

51

0

131

202

112

76

0

232 320 233

2

0

001

321

021

27

0

031

312

330

52

0

200

213

313

77

0

233 332 230

3

0

001

321

200

28

0

100

023

321

53

0

201

102

332

78

0

300 231 232

4

0

001

330

123

29

0

100

222

313

54

0

201

120

011

79

0

301 220 300

5

0

002

023

330

30

0

100

332

102

55

0

201

220

111

80

0

301 223 033

6

0

002

320

123

31

0

100

332

202

56

0

202

032

321

81

0

302 032 310

7

0

010

212

332

32

0

102

013

322

57

0

202

301

321

82

0

302 033 010

8

0

010

322

003

33

0

102

030

022

58

0

202

330

211

83

0

302 230 132

9

0

010

332

330

34

0

102

323

201

59

0

203

002

120

84

0

302 311 102

10

0

010

332

321

35

0

102

330

023

60

0

203

021

013

85

0

303 023 003

11

0

011

202

122

36

0

102

330

312

61

0

210

033

210

86

0

303 210 023

12

0

012

003

101

37

0

102

330

322

62

0

211

030

031

87

0

310 012 320

13

0

012

011

001

38

0

103

022

021

63

0

211

303

210

88

0

310 021 113

14

0

012

031

221

39

0

103

023

003

64

0

213

102

233

89

0

310 103 220

15

0

012

300

103

40

0

103

202

100

65

0

220

132

200

90

0

310 122 002

16

0

012

322

132

41

0

103

220

011

66

0

221

312

221

91

0

322 202 330

17

0

013

103

112

42

0

103

220

232

67

0

222

100

323

92

0

323 101 303

18

0

020

122

112

43

0

112

322

130

68

0

223

010

033

93

0

330 102 221

19

0

021

312

200

44

0

120

302

230

69

0

223

200

322

94

0

330 102 303

20

0

023

302

220

45

0

120

133

230

70

0

230

011

001

95

0

331 310 203

21

0

030

023

231

46

0

120

203

330

71

0

230

120

333

96

2

000 133 101

22

0

030

210

333

47

0

121

302

210

72

0

230

122

000

97

2

031 013 013

23

0

031

022

131

48

0

130

023

230

73

0

230

210

333

98

2

112 013 330

24

0

031

100

120

49

0

130

203

301

74

0

231

220

233

99

2

120 203 330

25

0

031

123

002

50

0

131

123

000

75

0

231

331

233

100

3

310 013 031

190 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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MATHEMATICAL ART

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The field of complexsystems theory toucheson many phenomena,including the growthof a snowflakeand complex patternsfound in sea shells.

sum of 6, and for blue there must bea 3 at the sum of 9. These are neces-sary but not sufficient conditions fora rule to force a nonzero background.

Class 4 automata are characterizedby the ability to support a number ofdifferent, often complex, "persistentstructures," as Wolfram calls them,namely stationary cyclic structuresand gliders.

It is not easy to know if you havefound all of the persistent structuresthat are supported by a rule, par-ticularly if the only method used is therandom initial state of the automaton.A structure appears only if one of itsstates is created by chance, and eventhen it may be destroyed by interfer-ence from nearby structures. Somesimple structures will appear almostevery time you try a new random ini-tialization, and some complex struc-tures, all of whose states are very long(10 or 20 cells), have such a low crea-tion probability that they are neverseen.

Luck and patience are the principalweapons for bagging the big game inthis abstract wilderness.

Photo 5 comes from an automatonthat supports some rather baroquegliders that, while propagating, sput-ter off structures of pendulant filigree.These gliders were, as usual, found bychance and patience in the randominitial state mode, then carefully ar-ranged in the predefined initial statemode to produce the picture shown.

An alternative method of searchingfor class 4 automata, and one that Iused before discovering the random-search method, is to initialize with a

field consisting of a single nonzerocell, preferably in the exact center ofthe field. This usually displays theautomaton expanding at some speedless than or equal to the speed oflight and sometimes shows theautomaton to best advantage. Photo6 shows an example of how very com-plex and enchanting structures canevolve from apparently simple begin-nings.

Table 3 is a list of 100 of the rulesthat I found to produce interestingdisplays on the color screen.

Closing Words

Programming cellular automata is aninteresting computer pastime andsomething worth studying for the funof it. This is a valid approach; to quotefrom reference 2, "The cellular autom-aton can be viewed as a 'digitaluniverse' worth exploring for its ownsake, quite apart from its utility as amodel of the real world."

But the people who make it theirbusiness to investigate these thingstake them more seriously and (as 1understand it) believe that the studyof complexity in these automata maylead to a better understanding ofcomplexity in nature. This field iscalled "complex systems theory," andit touches on many phenomena, in-cluding the growth of a snowflake,complex patterns found in some seashells, and perhaps even the develop-ment of a single cell into a multi-cellular adult organism.

The Game of Life is a very goodgame, but, as I have tried to show,it is only one of an infinite numberof undiscovered entities that exist inthe digital universe of cellularautomata. ■

REFERENCES

1. Gardner, Martin. "On Cellular Automata.Self-Reproduction, the Garden of Eden,and the Game of Life." MathematicalGames Department, Scientific American,February 1971.

2. Hayes, Brian. "Computer Recreations."Scientific American. March 1984, page 12.

3. Wolfram. Stephen. "Computer Softwarein Science and Mathematics." ScientificAmerican, September 1984, page 188.

4. Wolfram, Stephen. "Cellular AutomataAs Models of Complexity." Nature, October1984.

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GRAPHICS ALGORITHMS

THE TMS34010

GRAPHICS SYSTEM

PROCESSOR

by Carrell R. Killebrew Jr.

This bit-addressable graphics engine featuresan on-chip instruction cache and pipelined architecture

THE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS TMS34010Graphics System Processor (hereafterreferred to as the GSP) can executeat burst rates of 6 million instructionsper second (MIPS) when it is clockedat 50 megahertz. On-chip hardwaregenerates bit-mapped graphics anorder of magnitude faster thangeneral-purpose microprocessors.Pipelining enhances the GSP's pro-cessing capabilities; during one160-nanosecond machine-state time,the GSP can read from two registers,write to one register, decode one in-struction, execute the current instruc-tion, and initiate or complete a localmemory cycle.

The TMS34010 chip achieves thisperformance through internalparallelism, supported by a 2 56-byteinstruction cache, thirty-one 3 2-bitregisters, variable-width ALUs (arith-metic logic units), single-cycle instruc-tions, a barrel shifter, and mask-mergehardware. The built-in VRAM/DRAM(video RAM/dynamic RAM) interfaceand display control circuitry simplifyinterface design. The GSP functions asthe host central processor or as adedicated slave processor via an 8- or

16-bit host port, providing indirect ac-cess to the GSP's local memory space.

Basic Architecture

The GSP provides separate interfacesto the graphics display, the host pro-cessor, and its own local memory bus.The host interface determineswhether the GSP is functioning in-dependently or as a slave to a hostprocessor. When functioning as aslave, the GSP host interface transfersprograms, data, and graphics displaylists between host memory and theGSP's local memory. In stand-aloneapplications, the GSP manages itsown peripherals via the local memorybus. Display refresh and local memoryrefresh are performed by the localmemory controller at intervals con-trolled by programming on-chip I/Oregisters. All instructions and dataused by the GSP during program ex-ecution come from its local memory.Instructions are normally fetchedfrom local memory and stored on-chip in the 2 56-byte instruction cache.When a cache miss occurs, the GSPfetches and loads instructions into theleast-recently-used segment of the

cache. Instructions are decoded priorto execution (pipelining). All majordata paths, registers, and ALUs in theGSP are 32 bits wide. Pixel sizes arefixed at binary powers of two (1, 2, 4,8, 16), but data other than pixels canbe arbitrarily sized between 1 and 32bits (programmable field width). Datafields less than 32 bits are extendedto 32 bits when loaded into GSP reg-isters. This extension feature is alsoprogrammable. Note that data fieldscan cross word boundaries, but thosethat do require multiple memorycycles.

The GSP achieves its high graphicsoperation throughput by processingseveral pixels in parallel. When thepixel size is programmed, the ALUs

(continued)Carrell R. Killebrew \r. is a graphics engineer-ing manager at Texas Instruments. He can becontacted at Texas Instruments, 9901 Southmlcrest, P.O. Box 1443, MS 6410,Houston, TX 77099, or via BIX. A Tl-sup-ported BIX conference (ti.graphics) is avail-able for additional information.

The author gratefully acknowledges theeditorial contributions of jerry Van Aken (TI)and Chuck Weston (BYTE).

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 193

TMS34010

are configured to perform simulta-neous Boolean or arithmetic opera-tions upon multiple pixels of that size.(The ALU carry chain is broken atpixel-size intervals, creating a seriesof smaller ALUs.) Plane masking andtransparency are applied concurrentlywith Boolean or arithmetic opera-tions, thereby increasing graphicsparallelism. Photo 1 shows the GSP's22 pixel-processing operations.

Display Control

The display control interface providesdirect control of display devices (colormonitors, laser printers, etc.) and ini-tiates VRAM shift-register load cyclesfor display refresh. The display con-trol signals consist of a clock input(VCLK), horizontal and vertical syn-chronization inputs/outputs (HSYNCand VSYNC), and a blanking output(BLANK). HSYNC, VSYNC, andBLANK timing is controlled by valuesloaded into timers and comparatorsfrom the display control I/O registers.As an added capability, software canconfigure either or both HSYNC andVSYNC as inputs, thus slaving displaytiming to other devices/systems, suchas cameras or multiple GSPs. (Notethat VCLK is independent of the GSPprocessor state clocks and incrementsthe display control timers.)

You can use the display interrupt tosynchronize graphics drawing to thedisplay. This GSP internal interrupt en-sures that objects move only once perframe interval. The display interruptoccurs whenever the vertical linecount equals the value in the displayinterrupt (DPYINT) register.

Display refresh is accomplished bythe VRAM shift-register load cycles,which take place on the GSP's localbus: Display refresh cycles typicallyoccur once per display scan line, con-suming approximately 1.5 percent oflocal memory bandwidth. Displaycontrol logic initiates requests forthese cycles at programmed intervals.

Host Interface

Host processors can communicatewith the GSP via the host interface atsustained maximum data rates of 5megabytes per second. The host in-terface is configurable for 8- or 16-bitslave buses and provides bidirectionalpipelined DMA between local mem-ory and the host data register.

The interface is implemented withfour host registers and a host commu-nications bus (see figure 1). A 32-bitaddress pointer into GSP local mem-ory is formed by concatenating twohost address registers, HSTADRH andHSTADRL. The host data register

Photo I: TMS34010 pixel-processing operations, including Booleans and arithmetics.

(HSTDATA) contains 16 bits of datafrom the location in GSP local mem-ory to which the host address regis-ters point. The host control register(HSTCTL) contains two 3-bit messagefields (one field for host-to-GSP com-munications and one field for GSP-to-host communications), 2 bits control-ling host-related interrupts, the GSPhalt bit, a cache flush bit, 2 bits to con-trol auto-incrementing the host ad-dress registers upon HSTDATA read/write, and a bit to control most-signif-icant-byte convention (Intel versusMotorola).

The host communications bus has16 data lines (HD15-0) and 10 controllines consisting of a chip select (HCS),read and write strobes (HREAD andHWRITE), upper and lower data-bytestrobes (HUDS and HLDS), a trans-action-ready signal to the host (HRDY),function selects (HFSO and HFSI), aninterrupt to the host (HINT), and theGSP reset (RESET). Data-drive condi-tioning by HUDS and HLDS can forceeither HD15-8 or HD7-0 to remain tri-stated during a host interface access.

The GSP powers up halted or free-running depending on the state ofHCS when RESET transitions from alow to high state. In the case of ahalted power-up, you can load theboot program via the host interface,eliminating the cost of boot ROMs.The GSP, used as the host processor(as in a 32-bit personal computer),would typically use the free-run modeon power-up. All host interface regis-ters are also accessible as I/O registersin GSP local memory space.

Local Memory Interface

The GSP interfaces directly todynamic and video RAMs, supportinginstruction fetch and data manipula-tion at 6 megabytes per second. Thislocal interface consists of 16 triplymultiplexed address/data lines(LAD0-15), an input clock (INCLK),two output clocks (LCLK1 and LCLK2),and 12 control signals.

A microcoded memory controllerschedules DRAM and display refresh,arbitrates local bus access by alldevices, and generates all local mem-ory control signals. In addition tomanaging the local memory interface,

(continued)

194 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

When You're Looking for Answers,Come to the Library

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Figure 1: A typical TMS34010 PC-compatible interface, using four TTL packages. This interface supports a \024-horiwntalby 756-vertical &-bit-per-pixel display and 2 56K bytes of program memory.

the bus controller improves instruc-tion execution times and performsdata alignment on variable-width datafields.

A typical memory cycle takes twoGSP machine states. The first statetransmits the memory address, andthe second state transfers the data.During the address portion of thecycle, both row and column addressesare broadcast on the LAD pins ac-companied by RAS and CAS strobes.The address bits available on any in-dividual LAD pin are offset by eightto facilitate direct connection to64K by 1-bit and 64K by 4-bit (2 56K)DRAMs and VRAMs. An additionalstrobe (LAL) is provided to external-ly latch column addresses.

A dynamic memory interface (micro-processors traditionally have staticmemory interfaces) simplifies systemdesign. Both RAS-only DRAM-refreshand CAS-before-RAS DRAM-refresh

memory cycles are supported for GSPlocal memory. Display refresh is ac-complished by a variant of the basicmemory cycle in which the TR/QEsignal toggles to indicate a VRAMshift register transfer cycle.

Instruction times are improved dur-ing write operations by decouplingthe execution unit from the local buswith the memory controller's 32-bitwrite queue. Instructions can writefrom 1 to 32 bits to the queue. Thecontroller completes the write to localmemory; it can delay instructions re-quiring access to local memory if ithas not completed a previous write.The memory controller automaticallyperforms the bit-alignment and data-field insertion/extraction needed fordata transfer operations.

Instruction Cache

The GSP's on-chip 2 56-byte instruc-tion cache lets the local bus transfer

data as its primary function. Instruc-tion fetches compete less with dataaccesses for memory-bus bandwidthbecause most of the GSP's executiontime is spent in loops contained in theinstruction cache, and the cache isalways accessible in a single machinestate (160 ns). Local memory instruc-tion fetches require two machinestates (320 ns). The instruction cacheyields another performance increasebecause instruction decode occurswhile the preceding instruction is ex-ecuting. (Instruction decode is notpipelined when executing from localmemory.)

The cache holds 128 16-bit instruc-tion words. Instructions consist ofsingle-word op codes as well as im-mediate data and immediate ad-dresses. Data that is not part of an in-struction is always accessed in localmemory, not the cache. The cache is

(continued)

196 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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TMS34010

organized as four segments of 64bytes. Each segment may contain aprogram loop from a different area ofmemory. Instructions stored in thecache are prefetched without delay.When a cache "miss" occurs (the nextinstruction is not present in thecache), the four-word block of instruc-tions containing the next instructionis fetched from local memory andloaded into the least-recently-used(LRU) segment. The four-word instruc-tion blocks are known as subseg-ments. There are eight subsegmentsin each segment. Cache control logicmanages subsegment loading into theLRU segment. An LRU stack indicateswhich segment has been least recent-ly used.

Software can disable and flushthe cache when the cache flush (CF)bit in the host control high-byte(HSTCTLH) register is set to 1. Whenthe cache is disabled, the processorfetches one instruction at a time fromlocal memory for execution. Flushingthe cache forces the cache to loadnew instructions. Resetting CF to 0enables the cache and causes an im-mediate cache load. The cache dis-able (CD) bit of the control registeronly temporarily disables the cachewhen set to 1. When CD is reset to 0,instructions retained in the cache areonce more available for execution.Both the host and GSP software canmanipulate CF and CD.

Instruction cache operation is auto-matic and transparent to software.Tuning software for the cache is usual-ly unnecessary due to GSP architec-ture and instruction set synergism.Code loops are smaller because ofthe specialized graphics instructions,and the large general-purpose registerfiles let operands remain in registers.A number of graphics parameters canbe placed in dedicated memory loca-tions (the on-chip I/O registers), whichalso eliminates the code necessary tomove them into and out of registers(see figure 2, the GSP programmingmodel).

Memory

Memory size is specified in bitsbecause the GSP is a bit-addressable,field-width-programmable processor.Although the GSP architecture sup-

ports a 4-gigabit (512-megabyte) ad-dress space, the first-generationdevice does not make the most signifi-cant 2 address bits available (30 bitsof address equals 1 gigabit, or 128megabytes).

In GSP memory, the least significantbit of data always has the least signifi-cant memory address. When access-ing memory, the GSP always reads orwrites 16 bits of data per bus cycle.Bit-level addressing is transparent tothe programmer. The local memorycontroller initiates the read-modify-write cycles, performs the mask-mergeoperations, and keeps track of thenext bit available for use.

The GSP memory organization con-sists of traps and vectors at the topof memory, followed by the I/O regis-ters, and then the general-purposeusage at the bottom of memory (seethe memory map in figure 2). GSP ac-cesses to the I/O registers are inter-nally decoded, and their addressesare not broadcast on the local bus.

Variable-Width Data

GSP data is not fixed at discrete sizes(e.g., bit, byte, word, double word) asis common in most processor archi-tectures. The GSP supports four typesof data structure: bytes, bit fields 1and 2, pixels, and two-dimensionalpixel arrays.

While the byte size is fixed at 8 bits,sizes of the other data structures aresoftware-configurable. Fields andbytes can start at any bit address.Data-word (16-bit) boundary align-ment is not required. Pixels can be 1,2, 4, 8, or 16 bits and are packed 16,8, 4, 2, or 1 to a memory word, re-spectively.

The most common data type is thebit field. The GSP simultaneously sup-ports two independently sized bitfields, each from 1 to 32 bits wide.Since all data paths and registers inthe GSP are 32 bits wide, a field-extension bit associated with eachfield size causes data to be internallyextended to 32 bits. Bit-field size andextension are specified in the STATUSregister.

Graphics is supported by the pixeldata type. Pixel size is specified in thePSIZE register. The GSP supports a"packed-pixel" data format in which

all bits belonging to a pixel are con-tained in the same memory word.Pixels are constrained to word bound-aries in memory. In contrast, a planar-pixel-organized format places each ofthe bits comprising a pixel in a dif-ferent region of memory. (See the textbox "Packed-Pixel Memory Organiza-tion" on page 200.)

Registers

The STATUS register contains the N(negative), C (carry), Z (zero), and V(overflow) flags set according to theresults of arithmetic and logical oper-terrupt enable bit (IE), the PBX flag (in-dicating that LINE, PIXBLT, or FILL(indicating that LINE, PIXBLT, or FILLexecution was interrupted), and twosets of field-size and field-extensionbits (FSO, FEO; FS1, FE1). When the ex-tension bit for a field is set to 0, thefield is extended with 0s during reg-ister loads. Conversely, data is sign-extended when the extension bit isset to a 1.

The program counter (PC) is 32 bitswide, but the 4 least significant bitsare always 0s. Instructions are one ormore 16-bit words long and arealways aligned to even, 16-bit-wordboundaries. The PC can be loadedwith immediate data or changed asa result of instruction execution(branches, calls, etc.) and interrupts.The PC always points to the addressof the next instruction to be executed.

The stack pointer (SP) points to theword at the top of the system stack.(The system stack grows toward lowermemory addresses; therefore, the topof the stack is at the lowest stack ad-dress.) The SP is addressable as reg-ister 15 in both the A and B registerfiles. The user can implement addi-tional stacks with any of the 30 gen-eral-purpose registers.

Graphics Registers

The twenty-eight 16-bit I/O registersare associated with interfaces andgraphics functions. The CONTROLregister is the most important of theI/O registers associated with graphicsand contains bits that control graphicsprocessing. Transparency is enabledby setting the pixel transparency bit(T) to 1. Transparency prevents new

[continued]

198 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 199

TMS34010

pixels with a value of 0 from over-writing older pixels (only meaningfulportions of foreground objectsobscure background objects). A 2-bit,window-checking (W) field supportsfour different window operations, in-cluding clipping and picking of screenobjects. By setting W appropriately,you can inhibit pixel writes and/orgenerate interrupts. The PBH bitdetermines whether PIXBLTs andFILLs take place from left to right or

right to left, and the PBV bit selectsfrom top to bottom or bottom to top.Control of pixel-processing order isprovided for those instances in whichsource and destination pixel arraysoverlap.

The CONTROL register's pixel-pro-cessing (PP) field is 5 bits wide andlets the programmer select among 22pixel-processing operations. Theseoperations include 16 two-operandBoolean operations and 6 two-

operand arithmetic operations. Pixelprocessing is invoked whenever youuse the PIXBLT, FILL, DRAV, PIXT,and LINE instructions.

Two registers, CONVSP and CONVDRprovide the GSP with information onthe "pitch" of source and destinationpixels. Pitch is the difference inmemory addresses between two ver-tically adjacent pixels in a bit map orpixel map. Pitch is useful for com-

[continued]

Packed-Pixel Memory Organization

PLANAR PIXELS

EACH COLOR PLANE RESIDES ATDIFFERENT ADDRESS RANGES.

3000

0000

INTENSITY PLANE

BLUE PLANE

GREEN PLANE

RED PLANE

ONE 4-BIT PIXEL. EACHBIT IS AT A DIFFERENTADDRESS.

PACKED PIXELS

PIXEL0

PIXEL

1

PIXEL2

PIXEL3

-ALL BITS OF THE PIXEL AREAT THE SAME ADDRESS.

Figure A: Planar- and packed-pixel memory organization.

Packed pixels have an advantage inoperations that act upon all bitsof the pixel, because the entire pixelis accessed in a single bus cycle. Graph-ics systems with bit-plane-organizedmemories are usually limited toBoolean operations on pixels due tothe difficulty of handling carries be-tween bits. In bit-plane-organizedmemory, the memory words from eachbit plane must be fetched, and 1 bitfrom each word extracted and com-bined with all of the constituent bits ofthe pixel before arithmetic operationscan begin on the pixel. This is a greatdisadvantage in applications that com-bine anti-aliased images, for example.

In a packed-pixel-organized memory,all bits comprising the individual pixelare contained within the same word,eliminating the steps needed to manip-ulate pixels in a planar-pixel-organizedmemory. Variable-width ALUs allowparallel processing on each pixel (byte)simultaneously (some pixels are actual-ly larger than 1 byte in size). For in-stance, one 32-bit packed-pixel mem-ory word would contain all eight of the4-bit pixels shown in figure A. (Onlyone instruction is required to processevery pixel.)

During graphics operations, pixel ar-ray size is specified by placing the xand y dimensions in the lowei andupper 16 bits, respectively, of general-purpose register B7. Plane maskingprevents operations from affecting allbits in a given pixel array, thus pro-viding most of the advantages of a bit-plane organization in a packed-pixelsystem. In the TMS34010. pixels havea processing advantage over bit fields.Bit fields can be processed one at atime, but multiple pixels can be pro-cessed in parallel.

200 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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TMS34010

puting the memory address of datato be accessed in an x,y fashion. Al-though linear storage (consecutivememory addresses) might be desir-able for disk usage, on a display it ismore natural to manipulate two-di-mensional arrays of pixels and tospecify data locations as being offsetby x and y displacements from anorigin. The GSP uses the CONVSPand CONVDP registers to supportwindowing computations, to performx,y-to-linear address conversions, andto adjust the starting corner addressfor PIXBLTs.

The pixel size (PSIZE) register pro-vides GSP microcode with the bitwidth of pixels being processed. Themicrocode uses PSIZE primarily todisconnect the ALU carry chain be-tween pixels so that the ALUs cansimultaneously process multiplepixels. Pixel bits (planes) can be pro-tected or masked from pixel-process-ing operations if you set the appro-priate bit in the plane mask (PMASK)register. Plane masking creates effectssuch as text planes that overlay graph-ics planes. This is one way of mixingtext and graphics on a display withoutdestroying useful information.

CONTROL, PSIZE, and PMASK letGSP graphics algorithms be virtuallyindependent of pixel size and pro-cessing. For instance, using one al-gorithm to draw XORed circles with4-bit pixels and a different algorithmto draw ORed circles with 8-bit pixelsis no longer necessary. A single,robust, circle-drawing algorithm con-trols pixel processing (transparency,masking, Booleans, and arithmetics)and pixel size by modifying only theCONTROL, PSIZE, and PMASK regis-ters.

Registers COLORO and COLOR 1reduce the amount of table area nec-essary to store multicolored fonts. A1-bit-per-pixel representation of thefont or object is stored in memory,along with two color attributes, a "0"color (in COLORO) and a "I" color (inCOLOR1). Figure 3 shows the expan-sion of a 4-bit, 1-bit-per-pixel patterninto four 4-bit pixels.

General-Purpose Registers

The GSP has thirty 32-bit general-pur-pose registers divided into two files,

A and B. General-purpose registerscan be used for both address pointersand data, and they are easier for pro-grammers to use, since no specialcharacteristics are associated with anyparticular register.

Processors with many general-pur-pose registers are faster for most ap-plications, since time-consuming dataswapping between memory and reg-isters is reduced (on-chip registers arefaster than main memory). Graphicsoperations are especially demanding,since many variables must be manip-ulated during drawing operations.

Graphics Operations

Graphics operations implicitly use theB register file for operands and tem-porary storage. This convention allowsgraphics microcode direct access tooperands affecting the graphics oper-ation. Other benefits accrue to thisdesign as well; iterative graphics in-structions are interruptible. For exam-ple, if a LINE operation violates a win-dow boundary, the operation can beinterrupted, a decision made, and theoperation restarted or aborted.Graphics instructions can be restartedbecause the microcode stores tem-porary variables in registers BIOthrough B14 when the interruptionoccurs.

The PSIZE register lets the ALUsprocess each pixel as an individualentity (the fourth bit of a 4-bit pixel

has no effect upon the first bit of anadjacent pixel). Additional ALU sup-port for graphics includes a single-cycle, 3 2-bit barrel shifter and mask-merge hardware for changing pixellocations within data words and reg-isters.

For all graphics operations, the leastsignificant pixel address on the dis-play is located at the origin, which issoftware-configurable to the upperleft or lower left corner of the display.

GSP Instructions

The GSP has a complete general-pur-pose instruction set (127 instructions)with enhancements for floating-pointarithmetic, graphics, and windowedenvironments. The general format forall instructions follows the conventionthat the first instruction word (16 bits)contains the op code and subsequentwords contain immediate data or im-mediate addresses. Addressingmodes include direct register, indirectthrough a register, indirect through aregister with a signed displacement,indirect through a register with pre-decrement, indirect through a registerwith postincrement, and absoluteaddress.

The GSP executes floating-pointoperations as fast as floating-pointcoprocessors by using special instruc-tions and hardware. Floating-pointsoftware uses the fast (160-ns) barrel

[continued)

RTTF

4-BITS/PIXEL EXAMPLEOF COLOR EXPAND

4-BIT BINARY OR UNEXPANDED IMAGE

RW1 f^TTToi rTRTT^I ERTIoU

COLORREGISTER

r^nn nrrmrm Rnnrm Rrromg

EXECUTE EXPAND

COLORREGISTER

03

0o

10 0 0

0 ED

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RESULTANT 16-BIT EXPANDED IMAGE

Figure 3: The color expand operation.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 203

TMS34010

shifter and mask-merge hardware toextract exponents and mantissas fromfloating-point data. After the ex-ponents and mantissas of the multi-plier and the multiplicand have beenmanipulated appropriately, the left-most one of the resulting mantissa isdetected with the LMO (leftmost onesdetect) instruction in a single machinestate (160 ns). The position of the left-most one determines how many posi-tions the barrel shifter will rotate themantissa for normalization. After nor-malization, the exponent is adjusted,and the exponent and mantissa arespliced back together using the in-verse of the sequence that dissectedthem.

PIXBLT Operations

The most important graphics instruc-tion is the PIXBLT. This importance isunderscored by the fact that most ofthe graphics microcode is dedicatedto the PIXBLT instruction. PIXBLT, orpixel block transfer, is closely relatedto the BITBLT (bit block transfer), amethod for operating on two-dimen-sional bit arrays with Boolean opera-tors. BITBLT is good for dealing withblack-and-white displays but has draw-backs when handling gray-scale andcolor displays (what does it mean toXOR red with green?). PIXBLT is theconcept of the BITBLT generalized tooperations on two-dimensional pixelarrays using arithmetic as well asBoolean operators.

Consider the graphics problem ofminimizing the "jaggies." laggies isanother name for aliasing, which isthe stair-step effect visible when dis-playing nonvertical or nonhorizontallines. Anti-aliasing methods havebeen developed to fool the eye intoseeing a smooth nonjagged line bysetting pixels adjacent to the line tolower intensity values than the originalpixels. In the case of two intersectinganti-aliased lines, computing the in-tensity values of pixels formed bymerging two lower-intensity pixelswith only Boolean operators is muchmore difficult (perhaps impractical)than the case where some simplearithmetic operators are available;hence the PIXBLT.

The GSP PIXBLT supports all 16two-operand Boolean instructions, as

well as add (two pixels to each other),subtract (two pixels, one from theother), add-with-saturate (clamp at allIs), subtract-with-saturate (clamp at all0s), minimum (compare two pixels,picking the pixel with the minimumvalue), and maximum (inverse ofminimum).

When you invoke PIXBLT, registersBO through B7 must already containthe source pixel-array address andpitch, destination pixel-array addressand pitch, location of the screenorigin, window start and end corners,and pixel-array dimensions. Addi-tionally, if you invoke PIXBLTB(PIXBLT with binary expansion), reg-isters B8 and B9 must contain thebackground and foreground colors,respectively. For all PIXBLTs, theCONTROL, CONVSP, CONVDP,PSIZE, and PMASK registers mustalso contain the information ap-propriate to the desired result.

Windowing

The GSP supports windowed environ-ments with two types of clipping:post-clipping and pre-clipping. Bothprevent drawing operations fromaltering display memory outside thecurrently active window, but pre-clipping is faster.

In post-clipping operations, all thecomputations necessary to draw thepixel are completed, the pixel locationis compared to the available window,and if the pixel lies outside the win-dow, it is not drawn. The GSP sup-ports post-clipping for all instructionscapable of drawing pixels by using theW field in the control register.

Pre-clipping is automatically appliedto PIXBLTs and FILLs. Pre-clipping istypically applied to line-drawing oper-ations and involves trivial rejection oflines and line segments that lie com-pletely outside the window. Trivial re-jection lets the drawing engine (in thiscase the GSP) conserve all the band-width that would have been con-sumed computing pixels that can't beseen. The GSP supports implementa-tion of the Cohen-Sutherland algo-rithm for pre-clipping with a specialinstruction (CPW).

CPW, compare point to window,generates the clipping data used inthe Cohen-Sutherland algorithm. The

GSP hardware generates 4-bit "out-codes" when CPW is used to com-pare the endpoints of a line or linesegment to the active window. If theresult of ANDing the two outcodes ofa line (segment) is nonzero, that line(segment) lies completely outside thewindow and no further processing isrequired. A zero result from ANDingoutcodes means a more rigorous testmust be applied. This subject is dis-cussed in the book Fundamentals ofComputer Graphics by lames D. Foleyand Andries Van Dam (Addison-Wesley, 1982).

Eliminating Hand-Tuning

One of the primary objectives of theGSP's architectural specification is toeliminate hand-tuning graphics codeto the application, pixel size, andscreen resolution. In the current gen-eration of personal computers, hand-tuning is necessary to achieve accept-able graphics performance. Marginalgraphics performance makes usinggraphics standards difficult. Usingstandard interfaces makes perfor-mance even worse.

The use of VRAM frees the drawingengine from competing with displayrefresh for memory bandwidth.VRAM is, in effect, dynamic RAM thathas been modified by the addition ofa long shift register, giving separateports for screen refresh and processorupdate of the frame buffer. The GSParchitecture supports high-perfor-mance flexible graphics software, re-moving the barriers to using graphicsstandard interfaces (such as CGI andMicrosoft Windows). The use of stan-dard graphics interfaces will let moreapplications come to market, shortendevelopment cycles, and increase ap-plications portability.

Editor's note: As a service to BYTE readers,the TMS34010 Graphics Design Kit will beavailable in late lanuaru for $340. The kitincludes a TMS34010 Graphics System Pro-cessor, the TMS34010 User's Guide, anddevelopment software. The development soft-ware runs on 512K-byte IBM PCs and com-patibles and includes the TMS34010 Macro-Assembler, Linker, Archiver-Librarian,Simulator, and a ROM utility. InterestedBYTE readers should write Texas instruments,Dept. SPV04, P.O. Box 809066, Dallas,TX 75380-9066. ■

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GRAPHICS ALGORITHMS

PLOTTING THEMANDELBROT SET

by Peter B. Schroeder

The more interesting the display, the longerit takes to generate

SOME PEOPLE CAN READ a musicalscore and in their minds hear themusic more gloriously rendered thanby any orchestra. Others can see, intheir mind's eye, great beauty andstructure in certain mathematicalfunctions and number systems. Lesserfolk, like me, need to hear musicplayed and see numbers rendered toappreciate their structures.

The Mandelbrot set is one of the in-triguing mathematical structures youcan explore with the CommodoreAmiga. In The Fractal Geometry of Nature(reference 1), Benoit Mandelbrotdefines a fractal as "a set for whichthe Hausdorff Besicovitch dimension[fractional dimension! strictly exceedsthe topological dimension."

You can use fractals to describe thefragmentary aspects of nature. Ran-dom fractals can simulate landscapesand objects in nature, such as treesand mountains. Mathematicalmodelers can use them to simulateshoreline decay and its effect onfisheries. Biochemists can use fractalsto characterize the irregularity of pro-tein surfaces and its influence onmolecular interactions. You can usethem to model climate and predictother apparently random and chaotic

events (reference 2). You can use themto discover order where no order waspreviously believed to exist. Even pro-cesses of ontogeny—the course of anindividual organism's development—that have proved elusive might be ex-plorable using fractal geometry.

You need the definitions of com-plex, real, and imaginary numbers asa starting point. A complex numberis any number of the form a + biwhere a and b are real numbers, andi = v-1. A real number is one inwhich there is no imaginary part, andan imaginary number is a complexnumber with b not equal to zero;some definitions require also thatfl = 0.

Engineers and others dealing withvector mathematics find imaginarynumbers useful. For example, if vec-tor b can be turned 180 degrees topoint in the opposite direction bymultiplying it by -1 so b equals vec-tor -b, and there is a number, a, thatturns the vector 90 degrees, then a2will turn the vector 180 degrees andbe equal to -1. Thus, a = V^l.

What is the Mandelbrot Set?

The Mandelbrot set is a set ofnumbers z = c2 + c where c is a com-

plex number of the form a + bi andz iteratively squared never producesa square root of a2 + b2 larger than2. Note that since i2 equals -I,(a + bi)2 equals a2 + 2abi - b2, and thatthe iterative squaring of thesenumbers produces a jagged, non-differentiable result. If the sum of thesquares does grow beyond 4 withina large number of iterations, it willeventually approach infinity and, bydefinition, not be part of theMandelbrot set.

If you take a matrix, a by b, anditeratively square every element in ituntil either the sum of their squaresexceeds 4 or you reach 1000 itera-tions, you can determine a count ofthe number of iterations that each ele-ment in the array requires. Thoseelements with counts of 1000 are partof the Mandelbrot set; those elementswith counts that are very large but stillless than 1000 are near the Mandel-brot set; and those with low counts

(continued)Peter B. Schroeder is president of BiosystemsResearch Inc. (11550 Southwest 108 Court.Miami, FL 33176). He is a biological con-sultant specializing in wetland and estuarineenvironments. He has a Ph.D. in biology fromthe University of Miami in Coral Gables.

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 207

MANDELBROT SET

are far from it. If you assign colors toeach count or range of counts andcolor each pixel of the matrix displayaccordingly, you can graphicallydisplay the Mandelbrot set and itsneighboring numbers. In a sense, thevarying colors represent the fractaldimension distance from the Mandel-

brot set for particular matrix ele-ments.

Smaller Is Bigger

Fractal numbers have funny qualities.If you magnify areas near the Mandel-brot set, you will find minute im-perfect replicas of the larger Mandel-

Photo 1: One instance of the Mandelbrot set representing the numbers from -2.0to 0.5 on the x axis and from -1.25 to 1.25 on the y axis.

Photo 2: An enlargement of the detail in the small box in photo

brot set. If you increase the magnifica-tion even more, you find even moreminute associated replicas, and so onad infinitum. These components havegreat beauty and exotic structures,every one varying but always partial-ly replicated at some smaller level.

The magnification you can attain islimited only by your computer's preci-sion. In C, the Amiga stores double-precision floating-point numbers in 64bits with a precision, therefore, of ap-proximately 263. It does all its math indouble-precision floating-point, andits range for long integers is from-2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647 andfor double-precision floating-pointnumbers from ± 10.0"307 to ±10.0308with 15 to 16 decimal digits of preci-sion. This precision lets you examinethe Mandelbrot set in greater detailthan an electron microscope can ex-amine matter. An electron micro-scope can produce a photo of an ob-ject enlarged about 1,000,000 times.You need a magnification between300,000 to 400,000 times to resolvethe facets on the surface of thepoliomyelitis virus. If the Amiga werea microscope, its magnification wouldlet you examine the atoms making upthose facets.

Areas of interest are those closelyassociated with the larger Mandelbrotset in photo 1, which represents thenumbers from -2.0 to 0.5 on the xaxis and from -1.25 to 1.25 on the yaxis. Its range is therefore 2.5 alongboth axes. Photos 2 and 3 are suc-cessive enlargements of the small out-lined area in photo 1, each with arange 1/20 that of the precedingphoto. The rectangular outlined areain all the photos shows the areaenlarged in the succeeding photo.

The Programs

A. K. Dewdney provided the algo-rithm for describing the Mandelbrotset graphically in Scientific American (seereference 3). My programs imple-menting that algorithm are written inLattice C; they produced photos 1through 3. While they take a while torun, they seem brisk compared to aBASIC implementation I tried first.[Editor's note: DOSET.C and VIEWSETCare available in Lattice C source code on disk,in print, and on BIX; see the insert card

208 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

MANDELBROT SET

Listing 1: The program DOSET.C, which calculates the Mandelbrot set.

^include <stdio.h>|include <math.h>

main(argcargv) int argc;char *argv[];

int y,x,count,totct;

fI oat x_coord,y_coord,range,gap,size,a,b,ac,bc,b1;char ct[201][2];FILE *0utFll8;/* Input x-y coordinates and range from keyboard */printf("Input X_COORDINATE: ");scanf("%f",&x_coord);printf("Input Y_COORDINATE: ");scanf("%f".&y_coord);printf("Input RANGE: ");scanf("Xf",&range);

/* Increment per pixel *//* Start at top of display */(default or command line) */9 - fopen("df1:ZOOM.DATA","w");»n(argv[1]."w");

gap « range / 200.0;y_coord +- range;/* Open output filei f (argc<=»1) OutFi leeIse OutFile = foper

/* Write coordinates and range to data file */

fprintf(OutFiIe,"%7.6f\n",x_coord);

fprintf(OutFiIe,"%7.6f\n",y_coord);

fprintf(OutFiIe,"X8.7f\n",range);

/* Calculate count value for each pixel (200X200) */

for(y»1;y<=200;y++) /* Each row */

be » y_coord - y*gap; totct » 0;

for(x-1;x<=200;x++) /* Each pixel per row */

ac » x*gap + x_coord;

a - ac; b - be; size = 0.0; count - 0;

while(size < 4.0 *& count < 1000)

/* Do complex-number multiply */

b1 - 2*a*b;

a = a*a - b*b + ac;

b ■ b1 + be;

/* Pythagorean theorem */

size = a*a + b*b;

/* Don't need square root */

count++;

!

totct += count;

/* Code count in two bytes to save disk space */

ct[x][0] = count/256;

ct[x][l] = count % 256;

\ /* End x loop */

/* Show row number and average count to CRT */pr i nt f("%5d %5d\n",y,totct/200);

/* Print coded pixel-values this row to data file */for(x»1;x<=200;x++)I

putc(ct[x][0],OutFile);putc(ct[x][1].<

!

.OutFile);

{ /* End y loopfclose(OutFile);j /* End main

/* Close data file

*/*/*/

following page 320 for details. You will needAmiga's translatorX\brary, intuition.library,graphics.library. and narrator.device, as wellas the Lattice C compiler, to run these pro-grams. Listings are also available on

BYTEnet; see page 4.|

DOSET.C (listing 1) lets you pick thex,y axis—where you want to begin thedisplay—and supply the distance you

[continued]

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Photo 3: Am enlargement of the detail in the small box in photo 2.

want to cover. The smaller thisdistance, the greater the magnifica-tion. These programs can take a longtime—hours, even days—to generatea display. The closer you are to theMandelbrot set, the longer it takes.

You should pick an x.y axis near theedge of the Mandelbrot set (coloredred in the photos) for further explora-tion. If you pick a spot totally withinthe set, the display will seem to takeforever—not literally, since the pro-grams stop counting after 1000 itera-tions at each pixel—and the displaywill be a solid color. If you pick a spotwhere each pixel takes the full 1000iterations (i.e., within the set proper)and you generate a 200- by 200-pixeldisplay, the Amiga has to carry out 40million iterations. If an iteration doesapproximately 20 double-precisionfloating-point operations, that's 800million double-precision (64-bit) oper-ations. And if each operation requiresmanipulating all the bits, that's 51billion bit operations. On the otherhand, if you start far away from theMandelbrot set, you will finish a lotsooner, but you end up with a corre-spondingly uninteresting display. Sochoose a display that includes an areaalongside, and maybe including a bitof, the set proper.

VIEWSET.C creates a 200- by 200-pixel graphics display from the data

file created by DOSET.C. If you wantto pursue this further, try changing thecolor separation in the program. Withthe proper color separation, you canfind all sorts of interesting ob-jects: trees, jabberwocks, maybe evena self-portrait—or millions of them.Since the Amiga can show up to 640by 400 pixels, you can also createhigh-resolution displays. However,these displays take even longer togenerate.

New Horizons

If you do look into the Mandelbrotset, happy exploring. The going maybe slow, but the region is huge andwill always remain largely unexam-ined. Because of the time involved, ifyou just want to look at the displaysI have already generated, I will mailyou a disk full of them at my cost($10). You may share it as you wish. ■

REFERENCES

1. Mandelbrot, Benoit B. The Fractal Geometryof Nature. New York: W. H. Freeman andCompany, 1983.

2. Nicolis, C, and G. Nicolis. "Is There aClimatic Attractor?" Nature, October 1984.pages 529-532.

3. Dewdney, A. K. "Computer Recreations:A Computer Microscope Zooms in For aLook at the Most Complex Object in Math-ematics." Scientific American. August 1985.pages 16-24.

210 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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GRAPHICS ALGORITHMS

GRAPHINGQUADRICSURFACES

by George Haroney

Methods of simulating 3-D graphicson a color display in BASIC

QUADRIC SURFACES are the graphsof second-degree equations in threevariables. The solution set of theequation x2 + y2 + z2 = radius2, for ex-ample, is a familiar quadric surface: asphere. In this article I present somesimple techniques for displayingquadric surfaces. I've also provided aBASIC program as a tool for applyingthe techniques and exploring the sub-ject of computer graphics and com-puter art.

The ideal method of plotting three-dimensional points would be on astack of transparent planes, each filledwith multicolored LEDs arranged inrows and columns. The LEDs wouldbe transparent when off, so as not toobscure lighted LEDs on backgroundplanes. Such a display would repre-sent illusorially real three-dimensionalobjects by illuminating selected LEDson various planes within the structure.

Since such an ultimate system is notavailable, it is necessary to complicatematters by projecting three-dimen-sional coordinates onto a two-dimen-sional system: the computer screen.Nevertheless, it is often helpful tothink of real three-dimensional graph-

ics when making pseudo three-dimen-sional graphics.

Projection Techniques

As an exercise in projection, draw acube on a piece of paper, indicatinghidden edges with dotted lines. Selecta corner of the cube as the origin andlabel the three lines emanating fromthat point X, Y, and Z. You now havea system for projecting three-dimen-sional points onto two dimensions(see the sidebar "3-D Projection Onto2-D" on page 216). For instance, tolocate the point (5,8,3), start at theorigin and move 5 units along the Xaxis. From that point, move 8 units ina direction parallel to the Y axis. Final-ly, move another 3 units in a directionparallel to the Z axis. By varying theorientation of three axes, you canrotate a projected figure in any wayyou choose.

To project 3-D data onto a computerscreen, you describe the origin pointand the axes in terms of the display'snative horizontal and vertical coor-dinate system. The origin is definedby its horizontal and vertical coor-dinates h0 and v0. Each of the three

axes is defined by the angle it formswith a horizontal line extending fromthe origin in a positive direction. I'llrefer to such angles as Ax, AY, and Az.Using these landmarks and someelementary trigonometry (see thesidebar), it is possible to project anypoint [x.y.z) onto the display in termsof the display coordinates h and v, asfollows:

h=x cos Ax+y cos AY+z cos Az+h0v=x sin AY+y sin AY+z sin Az+v0.

Plotting a Function

Given a projection method, you areready for some data points. Functionsin three variables are a convenientsource of data points, generating anunlimited variety of shapes and pat-terns with a little planning on yourpart. Unfortunately, there aren't anyrace car or dinosaur functions: almostall of them are stubbornly abstract.The general method used is to con-

[continued)George Haroney is a computer programmerworking on software for a parallel computersystem. He can be contacted at 2115 GraysonPlace, Falls Church, VA 22043.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 215

QUADRIC SURFACES

Ideally, foregroundsurfaces should coverbackground surfaces.

sider z as a function of x and y. For in-stance, given the equation

x2 + y2

+ z*

you rearrange things to get z as a func-tion of x and y:

-±VT

x* -y'

To plot a function, you scan theX-Yplane at regular intervals, selectingvalues for x and y, and calculate theresulting value for z.

Ideally, foreground surfaces shouldcover the background surfaces. Com-plicated hidden-line algorithms canprovide this feature, but for the sakeof brevity, my program simply draws

the background before the fore-ground so that it obscures back-ground points. The program also cal-culates foreground points closertogether and assigns different colorsto foreground and background sur-faces. All of these techniques improvethe apparent three-dimensionality ofthe rendering.

Figures 1 through 6 are the graphsof common second-degree equationsin three variables, as found in any cal-culus text. 1 produced the images ona Chromatics CG 1999 microcom-puter with screen resolution of 512 by512 pixels.

Program Notes

Listings 1 through 6 are MicrosoftBASICA programs that will producesimilar (but not identical) images onan IBM PC or PC compatible equippedwith a color graphics adapter.

The main program (listing 1) startsby asking you to specify the orienta-

tion of the X, Y. and Z axes indegrees. You may enter a positive ornegative number, with the under-standing that positive angles arerotated counterclockwise around thehorizontal axis and negative anglesare rotated clockwise.

I created the figures using angles of15, -15, and 90 for X. Y. and Z. re-spectively. To render a surface in an-other orientation, you simply changeone or more of the axes. For exam-ple, to turn the "saddle" in figure 2 up-side down, you specify angles of 195,165, and 270 for X, Y, and Z.

Line 100 defines the function. Thefunction definition includes two argu-ments, x and y; the function returnsa value to be used for z.

Lines 110-120 specify the origin interms of screen coordinates HC andLC. The position is calculated as afraction of the number of points ineach dimension. In listing 1, HC is

(continued)

3-D Projection Onto 2-D

Figure A: Drawing a cube onto a planegives a system for projecting 3-D pointsonto a 2-D surface.

Figure B: Finding the point (5,8,3).

Figure C: Calculating the horizontal andvertical coordinates of a point (x.0,0).VJnen u and z are not zero, they must becalculated similarly using AY and Az; thehorizontal and vertical coordinates aresummed:

h = x cos Ax + y cos Ar + z cos Azv = x sin Ax + y sin AY + z sin Az.

216 BYTE • DECEMBER 19.86

Figure 1: Paraboloid, x2/A2 + y2lB2 - Cz = 0.

Figure 2: Hyperbolic paraboloid, y2IA2 - x2lB2 - Cz = 0.

Figure 3: Cone, x2lA2 + y2lB2 - zVC2 - 0.

Figure 4: Wyperboloid of one sheet,

x2lA2 + y2/B2 - z2IC = 1.

Figure 5: Wyperboloid of two sheets. x2lA2 - y2/B2 - zVC2 = 1. Figure 6: Ellipsoid, x2lA2 + y2lB2 + z2IC

DECEMBER 1986 'BYTE 217

A complete listof things to know about

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i'1986 Hayes Microcomputer Products. Irn

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218 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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For more information or tech-nical specs, contact your author-ized Hayes dealer. Or Hayesdirectly at (404) 441-1617.

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Inquiry 154

QUADRIC SURFACES

Listing 1: The main program (written in Microsoft's BASICA for the IBM PC)generates a paraboloid.

10 SCREEN 1 :REM 320 H by 200 V, 3 colors

20 DEFINT H-N

30 PI=4*ATN(1)

40 DR=PI/180 :REM Converts degrees to radions

50 BLUE-1: PURPLE=2: WHITE=3

60 HMIN=0: HMAX=319

70 LMIN=0: LMAX-199

80 HRES=HMAX-HMIN: LRES=LMAX-LMIN

90 REM Define function and set parameters

100 DEF FNF1(X,Y)=X*X+Y*Y :REM Paraboloid

110 HC=HMIN+INT(HRES/2)

120 LC=LMIN+INT(19*LRES/20)

130 SCALEH=12

140 SCALEV=2

150 REM Find Angles from center to corners

160 C1=ATN((I_C-LMIN)/(HMAX-HC))170 C2=PI-ATN((LC-LMIN)/(HC-HMIN))180 C3=PI+ATN((LMAX-LC)/(HC-HMIN))190 C4=2*PI-ATN((LMAX-LC)/(HMAX-HC))

200 REM X Y Z axes

210 KOLOR=WHITE

220 INPUT "Angles for x.y.z axes

230 CLS

240 DEGREES=DEGX

250 GOSUB 1080

260 SINXA=SIN(A)

REM to NEREM to NWREM to SWREM to SE

DEGX.DEGY.DEGZ

:REM Convert degrees to radians ACOSXA=COS(A)

270 REM GOSUB 1010: REM Draw the axis

280 DEGREES=DEGY

290 GOSUB 1080

300 SINYA=SIN(A): COSYA=COS(A)

310 REM GOSUB 1010

320 DEGREES=DEGZ

330 GOSUB 1080

340 SINZA=SIN(A): COSZA=COS(A)

350 REM GOSUB 1010

360 REM Plot the surface

370 FOR TY=-6 TO 6 STEP .4

380 KOLOR=PURPLE

420 FOR TX=0 TO 6 STEP .4

430 TZ=FNF1(TX,TY)

440 GOSUB 1230

450 PSET (MH,MV),KOLOR

460 NEXT TX

470 K0L0R=BLUE

510 FOR TX=-6 TO 0 STEP .15

520 TZ=FNF1(TX,TY)

530 GOSUB 1230

540 PSET (MH,MV),K0LOR

550 NEXT TX.TY :REM Next point on current tracing

560 END

1000 REM Extend a line through center to borders

1010 TANA=TAN(A) :REM Save tangent

:REM To show points s.t. x>=0

:REM Project and scale

:REM To show points s.t. x<0

:REM Project and scale

1020 GOSUB 1170: H1=HZ: L1=LZ

:REM Get one endpoint

1030 DEGREES=DEGREES+180: GOSUB 1080:

1040 GOSUB 1170: H2=HZ: L2=LZ :REM Other endpoint

1050 LINE (H1.L1)-(H2,L2),K0L0R

1060 RETURN

1070 REM — Converts degrees to radians, 0 <= a < 2*pi -

1080 WHILE DEGREES<0

1090 DEGREES=DEGREES+360

1100 WEND

1110 WHILE DEGREES>=360

1120 DEGREES=DEGREES-360

1130 WEND

1140 A=DEGREES*DR

[continued)

Inquiry 94

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 219

Inquiry 214

Do mathon your PCas easily aswriting it down

QUADRIC SURFACES

1—

dyne-sec k := 10 dyne cmh \z 1,25 fl := 10cm

Angular k f h

frequency ,,, Hi !; - - —

2'H

r-h't i -l

i wl = 1.814 sec

. 2« J xd 1= Awp cos IAmp := fie i i I

AMPLITUDE OUER TIME10-cm f~

xd ,Amp ,-Ampi i i

$189

Enter and display-formulas the way you'reused to writing them

Calculate results instantly asnumbers or plots

Change anything—results areautomatically recalculated

Real and complex numbers,unit conversions, dimensionalanalysis

Add text anywhere to docu-ment your work

Print out everything just as yousee it

Math

The Engineer's Scratchpa

MathSoft Inc.

One Kendall SquareCambridge, Massachusetts 02139

1150 RETURN

1160 REM Find endpoint (hz.lz) of ray at (hc.lc). angle a

1170 IF A<=C1 OR A>C4 THEN HZ=HMAX: LZ=LC-(HMAX-HC)*TANA:

RETURN1180 IF A<=C2 THEN LZ=LMIN: HZ=HC+(LC-LMIN)/TANA: RETURN1190 IF A<=C3 THEN HZ=HMIN: LZ=LC+(HC-HMIN)*TANA: RETURN1200 IF A<=C4 THEN LZ=LMAX: HZ=HC-(LMAX-LC)/TANA1210 RETURN

1220 REM Project tx.ty.tz onto mh.mv

1230 PX=TX*COSXA+TY*COSYA+TZ*COSZA1240 PY=TX*SINXA+TY*SINYA+TZ*SINZA1250 MH=INT(HC+PX*SCALEH)1260 MV=INT(LC-PY*SCALEV)1270 RETURN

Listing 2: Replacement lines to generate a

hyperbolic

paraboloid.

100

DEF FNF1(X,Y)=Y*Y-X*X

:REM

Hyp

erbo

ic paraboloi

d

110

HC=HMIN+INT(HRES/2)

120

LC=LMIN+INT(LRES/2)

130

SCALEH=15

140

SCALEV=3.5

370

FOR TY=-5 TO 5 STEP .4

380

KOLOR=PURPLE

390

FOR TX=0 TO 5 STEP .4

400

TZ=FNF1(TX,TY): GOSUB

1230

:REM

Project and

sea 1 e

420

PSET (MH,MV),KOLOR

:REM

De1eted 1ine

410

430

NEXT TX

440

KOLOR=BLUE

:REM

To

show

points s.t.

x<0

450

FOR TX=-5 TO 0 STEP .1

460

TZ=FNF1(TX,TY)

470

GOSUB 1230

:REM

Project and

sea I e

488

PSET (MH.MV).KOLOR

:REM

Plot a poinl

490

NEXT TX.TY

500

END

Listing 3: Replacement lines to generate a cone.

100 DEF FNF1(X,Y)=SQR(Y*Y+X*X)*2 :REM Cone

110 HC=HMIN+INT(HRES/2)

120 LC=LMIN+INT(LRES/2)

130 SCALEH=8

140 SCALEV=4

370 FOR TY=-6 TO 6 STEP .75

380 KOLOR=PURPLE

390 FOR TX=0 TO 6 STEP .5

400 TZ=FNF1(TX,TY)

410 GOSUB 1230

420 PSET (MH,MV),KOLOR

430 TZ=-FNF1(TX,TY)

440 GOSUB 1230

450 PSET (MH.MV).KOLOR

460 NEXT TX

470 KOLOR=BLUE

480 FOR TX=-6 TO 0 STEP .2

490 TZ=FNF1(TX,TY): GOSUB 1230

510 PSET (MH,MV),KOLOR :REM Deleted line 500

520 TZ=-FNF1(TX,TY)

530 GOSUB 1230

540 PSET (MH,MV),KOLOR

550 NEXT TX.TY

560 END

:REM Project and scale:REM Plot a point

220 B YTE • DECEMBER 1986

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Inquiry 121

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 221

QUADRIC SURFACES

Listing 4: Replacement lines to generate a

hyperboloid of one sheet.

100

DEF FNF1(X,Y)=SQR(Y*Y+X*X-2)

*2 :REM

HB of 1 shee

t

110

HC=HMIN+INT(HRES/2)

120

LC=LMIN+INT(LRES/2)

130

SCALEH=8: SCALEV=7

:REM

DeIeted Iine

140

370

FOR TY=-4 TO 4 STEP .5

380

FOR TX=-4 TO 4 STEP .2

390

IF TX*TX+TY*TY<2 THEN 460 ELSE TZ=FNF1(TX.TY)

400

GOSUB 1230

:REM

Project and scale

410

IF TX<0 THEN KOLOR=BLUE ELSE

KOLOR=PURPLE

420

PSET (MH,MV),KOLOR

:REM

Plot a point

430

TZ=-TZ: GOSUB 1230

:REM

DeIeted Iine

440

450

PSET (MH.MV).KOLOR

460

NEXT TX.TY

470

END

Listing 5: Replacement lines to generate

a

hyperboloid of two sheets.

100

DEF FNF1(X,Y)=SQR(Y*Y-X*X-

1)

:REM HB of 2 sheets

110

HC=HMIN+INT(HRES/2)

120

LC=LMIN+INT(LRES/2)

130

SCALEH-3: SCALEV=3

:REM Deleted Iine

140

370

FOR TY=-20 TO 20 STEP 2

380

FOR TX=-20 TO 20 STEP .3

390

IF TX*TX+1>TY*TY THEN 460

ELSE Q; KHi'KTX i'V)

400

GOSUB 1230

:REM Project and scale

410

IF TX<0 THEN KOLOR-BLUE ELSE

KOLOR=PURPLE

420

PSET (MH(MV),KOLOR

:REM Plot a point

430

TZ=-TZ: GOSUB 1230

:REM Deleted Iine

440

450

PSET (MH,MV),KOLOR

460

NEXT TX.TY

470

END

Listing 6: Replacement lines to generate an

ellipsoid.

100

DEF FNF1(X,Y)=SQR(1-X*X-Y*Y)

.REM

El I ipsoid

110

HC=HMIN+INT(HRES/2)LC=LMIN+INT(LRES/2)

120

130

SCALEH=50: SCALEV=50

:REM

Deletec

Iine 140

370

FOR TY=-.99 TO 1 STEP .15

380

K0LOR=PURPLE

390

FOR TX=.01 TO 1 STEP .03

400

IF TX*TX+TY*TY>=1 THEN 460 ELSE

TZ=I

rNF1(TX

TY)

410

GOSUB 1230

:REM

Pro jeel

and scale

420

PSET (MH.MV).KOLOR

:REM

Plot a

point

430

TZ=-TZ

440

GOSUB 1230 -.REM Project and

seal e

450

PSET (MH.MV).KOLOR

:REM

Plot a

point

460

NEXT TX

470

KOLOR=BLUE

480

FOR TX=-1 TO 0 STEP .015

490

IF TX*TX+TY*TY>=1 THEN 550 ELSE

TZ=

rNF1(TX

TY)

500

GOSUB 1230

510

PSET (MH,MV),KOLOR

520

TZ=-TZ

530

GOSUB 1230

540

PSET (MH.MV).KOLOR

550

NEXT TX.TY

560

END

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222 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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QUADRIC SURFACES

Figure 7: Wavy paraboloid.

Figure 8: Swirloid.

Figure 9: Comet.

Figure 10: Bubbling paraboloid.

halfway across the screen (HRES/2)and 19/20 of the way down the screen(19*VRES/20).

Lines 130-140 set the horizontaland vertical scaling factors, which youcan use to scale a surface so that itfits within the plotting area.

Lines 270, 310, and 3 50 draw theaxes on the screen; in the listing, theyare made inoperative by the REMkeyword. To make the program drawthe axes, simply remove the first REMfrom these three lines.

Lines 360-560 make up the plottingroutine. The program steps through adomain of x and y values, calculatesa z for each x and y, and plots the

point. The program changes colorsfor points for which x is negative; thishelps in the simulation of three-dimensionality.

You might find it interesting to tinkerwith the plotting domains for X andY and with the increments used tostep through these domains. Youmight also change the function defini-tion, the screen center point, and thescaling factor.

In general, graphing a different func-tion will require minor changes tolines in the ranges 90-140 and360-560. Listings 2 through 6 consistof all the changes that you will needto make to listing 1 to generate figures

2 through 6.

You can further explore computer-generated art by using quadric shapesas building blocks and combining andintersecting them to produce intricatefigures. Figures 7 through 10 illustratesome of the possibilities. The generalidea is to apply an extra transforma-tion to one or more of the coor-dinates before each point is plotted(for example, multiply a coordinate xby sin x).

Editor's note: The program listings in thisarticle are available on disk, in print, and onBIX; see the insert card following page 320.Listings are also available on BYTEnet; seepage 4. ■

224 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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GRAPHICS ALGORITHMS

FREE-FORM

CURVES ON

YOUR MICRO

by Steve Enns

Implement Bezier and B-spline curvesfor interactive graphics

EVEN THOUGH microcomputergraphics have become increasinglysophisticated, free-form curves havebeen largely confined to mini- andmainframe computers. Yet somemicrocomputer graphics applicationsseem to cry out for a method ofcreating free-form curves.

You could, of course, create severaltypes of curves using an x.y coor-dinate system. But most microcom-puter displays tend to be of they = /M type. For those systems the ycoordinate is determined by someoperation on the x coordinate. Thesecurves are best suited to the mathe-matical sciences, where the graph orcurve of the function is usually not asimportant as its numerical properties.In your graphics applications you maybe more concerned with what thegraph looks like than whether it has,say, a vertical asymptote at x = 3. For-tunately, there are ways of accessingfree-form curves on your microcom-puter.

Two types of curves that are par-ticularly well suited to computer graph-ics and that you can define visually areBezier curves and B-splines. You can

define either with a small set of points,and you can intuitively discern theirappearance from the positions ofthese defining points.

The Bezier Form

The French engineer Pierre Bezier de-veloped the curves that bear his namefor the car designers at Renault. Cubicparametric Bezier curves are definedby a set of four control points P,, P2,P3, and P4. The curve contains the firstand last control point and traces asmooth path between the interveningpoints (see figure 1). The curves canbe shown in matrix form as

Qt) = \t3 t2 t \\B

P,P2P3P4

where

1

3

-3

1

3

-6

3

0

3

3

0

0

1

0

0

0

B =

The parameter t varies from 0 to 1. At

t=0, the curve is on point P,. As t isincreased in small increments, thecurve approaches and passes pointsP2 and P3, ending at P4 when t= 1 (seefigure 2). The curve will always remainwithin the convex hull formed by join-ing the four control points (figure 3).Different choices for points P2 and P3result in more gentle or more severecurves (figure 4). The shape of theresulting curve becomes predictableafter a little experience. This predict-ability, along with the relative speedat which the curves can be calculated,makes Bezier curves a popular choicefor interactive design applications.

Going from the general matrixequation above to a method for plot-ting the curve in two or three dimen-sion is not difficult. Depending onwhether you're using two or threedimensions, each P,- is defined interms of (x.y) or (x,y.z) coordinates.Matrix multiplication from the preced-ing equation gives one polynomial

(continued)Steve Enns is a research assistant in mathe-matics at the University of Saskatchewan. Hecan be contacted at 2425 Haultain Ave.,Saskatoon. Saskatchewan. Canada S7J 1R2.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 225

FREE-FORM CURVES

equation for each of the coordinates.For instance, the x coordinates of theBezier curve are given by:

polynomialdegree.

functions of higher

X(t) = (-t3 + 3t2 -+ (3t3 - 6t2 +

3t + l)Pf3t)P|+ (-3t3 + 3t2)Pl + t3P3.

(The notation Pf represents the x coor-dinate of point Pi.) The equations forthe y and z coordinates are the same,except that P? and P? are substitutedfor Pf.

Any number of control points couldbe specified for a Bezier curve, butthis requires the calculation of

The B-Spline Form

The B-spline is another popular curveform that is slightly more versatilethan the Bezier form. The B-splinetends to follow the control pointsmore closely. And while the Bezierdescription above used only four con-trol points to describe a single curve,the B-spline form lets you use an ar-bitrary number of control points. (Youcan, of course, join several curvesegments together to produce one

Figure 1: Various Bezier curves and their corresponding control points.

© t = 0 to .25

0

0 t = 0 to .5

0 t = 0 to .75

0 t = 0 to 1

larger curve, using either type.)

Mathematically, the cubic-param-etric B-spline resembles the Bezierform. Given n control points, the curvearound each control point is defined:

C(t) = \t3 t2 t l]B

P^P,

where 2 < i < n-2 and

b = %

■1 3-3 13-630

■303014 10

Figure 2: A Bezier curve at various values of the increasing parameter, t.

The curve is calculated around eachof the points P2 to P„_2, letting t rangefrom 0 to 1 for each control point.Matrix multiplication gives a para-metric equation for each coordinate(x,u) or {x,y,z). Here's the equation forx coordinates around the point P,-:

4t) = [-W + Vit1 - Vit + JflflL,

+ M3 - t2 + 2/3)Pf

+ (-/2t3 + lAt2 + y2t + y6)Pi+1+ y6t3Pi+2.

The B-spline winds among the con-trol points in a fashion similar to theBezier—it will not usually passthrough any of them but will curveclose to them, producing a smoothcurve as opposed to an exact but lessthan "regular" fit (see figure 5). LikeBezier curves, you can change the in-fluence that a particular point has onthe overall B-spline. If the same con-trol point is used twice, for example,the curve will be more attracted tothat position.

Implementing Free-FormCurves

The actual implementations of theBezier and B-spline forms are verysimilar to their mathematical descrip-tions. In fact, the process involves lit-tle more than evaluating the polyno-mial equations at the given controlpoints using each value of the increas-ing parameter t (see listings 1 and 2).The only differences in the two algo-rithms are the number of controlpoints used to produce each segmentof the curve (the first loop in each

226 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 302

FREE-FORM CURVES

algorithm) and the type of polynomialcalculated (the third step in eachcase). Listings 3 and 4 are direct im-plementations of the algorithms asBASIC subroutines.

Let's say you need to create somerolling hills for the background of agraphic display. To produce gentlyrolling hills, choose four points (moreif you use the B-spline routine) thatdescribe the curve. To make the hillstwo-dimensional, set XBS23 to 0 sothat the program calculates only x and

y values. To have the curve drawndirectly on the screen, set XBSDR to0. Store the control points you'vechosen in the arrays XC and YC.

Since these are the only controlpoints you are using, set XNC (theindex of the control points) to 1 andXNB (the number of points used) to4. If this is the only curve you will becalculating, the points can occupy thefirst space in the curve storage arrays(X and Y), so set XNP to 1. To get a

(continued)

Figure 3: Various Bezier curves and the corresponding "convex hulls," formedbu connecting the curves' control points.

,---\

0

0

"""--

--""

.-.

0

'"-■'*

'--" ~""--_--">-'

(:-J

;"•";

Figure 4: Different choices for the two intermediate {disconnected) control points resultin more gentle or more severe curves.

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DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 227

Inquiry 117 for End-Users.Inquiry 118 for DEALERS ONLY.

FREE-FORM CURVES

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Figure 5: An exact but irregular graph as opposed to a smoother B-spline curve.

Listing l

Trie Bezier

algorithm.

Procedure

Bezier

for each

group of fou

control points do

for t =

0 to 1 by an

increment do

evaluate the Bezier polynomials x(t),y(t)

and optionally z(f) (for a 3-D application)

end

end

end Bezier

■

Listing 2: The B-spline algorithm.

Procedure B-splinefor each of the control points dofor f = 0 to 1 by an increment doevaluate the B-spline polynomials x(f),y(f)and optionally z{t) (for a 3-D application)endendend B-spline.

Listing

3: The Bezier subroutine in BASIC.

16960

Bezier2.SUB

16962

From Fundamentals of Interactive Computer Graphics

16964

16966

Calculates cubic parametric free-form Bezier curves

16968

XBS23=1 for 3-D else 2-D

16970

XBZDR=0 if the curve is to be drawn (2-D only)

16972

XC().YC(),[ ZC() ] are the hull points (4 per curve)

16974

XNC is the index of first control point

16976

XNB is the number of control points to be used

16978

XNP is the index for the first curve point

16980

NBS is the step size (default provided)

16982

QBZ is the color if drawn

16984

Returns X(),Y(),[ Z() ] as the points

16986

Returns XNS as the index of the last curve point

16988

228 BYTE • DECEMBER I986

FREE-FORM CURVES

Inquiry 412

16996 IS«XNP:XXS-XNC+XNB-1

16992 IF NBS-0 THEN NBS-.1

16994 IF XBS23 THEN 17016

16996 FOR IIS-XNC TO XXS STEP 4

16998 FOR T-0 TO 1+NBS STEP NBS

17000 T2=T*T:T3-T2*T

17002 NC1-1-3*T+3*T2-T3:NC2-3*T3

-3*T2-3*T3:NC4-T317004 X(IS)-NC1*XC(IIS)+NC2*XC(I

+NC4*XC(IIS+3)17006 Y(IS)-NC1*YC(IIS)+NC2*YC(I

+NC4*YC(IIS+3)17008 IS-IS+117010 NEXT17012 NEXT17014 GOTO 1703617016 FOR IIS-XNC TO XXS STEP 417018 FOR T-0 TO 1+NBS STEP NBS17020 T2-T*T:T3-T2*T17022 NC1-1-3*T+3*T2-T3:NC2-3*T3

-3*T3:NC4-T317024 X(IS)-NC1*XC(IIS)+NC2*XC(I

+NC4*XC(IIS+3)17026 Y(IS)-NC1*YC(IIS)+NC2*YC(I

+NC4*YC(IIS+3)17028 Z(IS)-NC1*ZC(IIS)+NC2*ZC(I

+NC4*ZC(IIS+3)17030 IS-IS+117032 NEXT17034 NEXT17036 XNS-IS-117038 IF XBZDR THEN 1704817040 PSET(X(XNP).Y(XNP)).QBZ17042 FOR II-XNP TO XNP+XNS17044 LINE -(X(II),Y(II)),QBZ17046 NEXT17048 RETURN

6*T2+3*T:NC3IS+1)+NC3*XC(IIS+2)IS+1)+NC3*YC(IIS+2)

6*T2+3*T:NC3-3*T2IS+1)+NC3*XC(IIS+2)IS+1)+NC3*YC(IIS+2)IS+1)+NC3*ZC(IIS+2)

Pixel at x,y color QBZ

Line from last X,Y toX1.Y1 color QBZ

Listing 4: The B-spline subroutine in BASIC.

168501685216854168561685816860168621686416866168681687016872168741687616878168801688216884168861688816890

16892

16894

' BSpline.SUB

1 From Fundamentals of Interactive Computer Graphicsi

' Calculates cubic parametric free-form splines

' XBS23-1 for 3-D else 2-D

" XBSDR-0 if the curve Is to be drawn

' XC(),YC(),[ ZC() ] are the control points

' XNC is the index of first control point

' XNB is the number of control points to be used

' XNP is the index for the first spline point

' NBS is the step size

' QBS is the color if drawn

' Returns X(),Y(),[ Z() ] as the points

' Returns XNS as the index of the last spline point

IS=XNP:XXS-XNC+XNB-3:NSA-1/6:NSB=2/3IF XBS23 THEN 16904FOR IIS-XNC+1 TO XXS

FOR T-0 TO 1 STEP NBS

T1-T/2:T2-T*T:T2A-T2/2:T3-T2*T:T3A-T3/2NC1 —NSA*T3+T2A-T1+NSA:NC2-T3A-T2+NSB:NC3

—T3A+T2A+T1+NSA:NC4-NSA*T3X(IS)-NC1*XC(IIS-1)+NC2*XC(IIS)+NC3*XC(IIS+1)

+NC4*XC(IIS+2)Y(IS)-NC1*YC(IIS-1)+NC2*YC(IIS)+NC3*YC(IIS+1)+NC4*YC(IIS+2)

(continued)

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DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 229

Inquiry 401

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FREE-FORM CURVES

U

<

16896 IS-IS+1

16898 NEXT

16900 NEXT

16902 GOTO 16924

16904 FOR IIS-XNC+1 TO XXS

16906 FOR T-0 TO 1 STEP NBS

16908 T1-.5*T:T2-T*T:T2A-.5*T2:T3«T2*T:T3A-T3/2

16910 NC1—NSA*T3+T2A-T1+NSA:NC2-T3A-T2+NSB:NC3—T3A

+T2A+T1+NSA:NC4-NSA*T316912 X(IS)-NC1*XC(IIS-1)+NC2*XC(IIS)+NC3*XC(IIS+1)

+NC4*XC(IIS+2)16914 Y(IS)«NC1*YC(IIS-1)+NC2*YC(IIS)+NC3*YC(IIS+1)

+NC4*YC(IIS+2)16916 Z(IS)-NC1*ZC(IIS-1)+NC2*ZC(IIS)+NC3*ZC(IIS+1)

+NC4*ZC(IIS+2)

16918 IS-IS+1

16920 NEXT

16922 NEXT

16924 XNS-IS

16926 IF XBSOR THEN 16936

16928 PSET(X(XNP),Y(XNP)),QBS

' Set pixel, x,y col

16930 FOR II-XNP TO XNP+XNS-1

16932 LINE -(X(II),Y(II)),QBS

' Line from last X,Y

16934 NEXT

X1.Y1 color QBS

16936 RETURN

to

very smooth curve you'll need a smallincrement for t, so set NBS to .05. Thelast variable to set is QBZ (for color),which you can set to 2. The subrou-tine is now initialized and can becalled by the main program.

I've also written a curve-fitting prac-tice program, called CURVTEST.BAS,that allows you to choose controlpoints on your computer display witha cross-hair cursor. The program thenuses either BEZIER.SUB orBSPLINE.SUB to calculate and drawthe curve on the screen, letting youcompare the Bezier and B-splinecurves. The program will give you thefeel of how placement of the controlpoints determines the shape of thecurve. The program and the subrou-tines are written in Microsoft BASICfor the Texas Instruments ProfessionalComputer. To work with another com-puter or language, you will probablyhave to add a graphics screen ini-tialization routine and so forth. \Editor'snote: CURVTEST.BAS, which includeslistings 3 and 4, is available on disk, in print,and on BIX; see the insert card following page320. It is also available on BYTEnet; seepage 4.|

The Trade-offs

As opposed to calculating the pointson a straight line, curves take arelatively long time to calculate. The

points on a simple line can be cal-culated with only a few adds andcompares, without any floating-pointarithmetic. At best, using mathe-matical techniques that have been ig-nored here,. the calculation of anyfree-from curve of this type involvesmany floating-point multiplications.The most effective use of Bezier andB-spline curves involves interactionand several calculations of the samecurve, and using a personal computer,you'll have to be patient.

You can use several methods tospeed things up. If you are interactive-ly designing and require a particularcurve, set the increment for t to alarger value for the initial curves.When you are fine-tuning the curve,the increment can be reset to asmaller value, for a smoother curve.An assembly language implementa-tion that made use of a numeric co-processor would squeeze more per-formance from a small computer. ■

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Foley, lames D., and Andries Van Dam.

Fundamentals of Interactive Computer Graphics.

Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1982.Goloi, W. K. Interactive Computer Graphics Data

Structures. Algorithms, languages. Englewood

Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1978.Pavlidis, Theo. Algorithms for Graphics and

image Processing. Rockville, MD: Computer

Science Press, 1982.

230 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

w>

•fewest Midwestern U.S. Plants

From 111* D*Bh of

Jonathan Smith

Munnoar, ESD DlVluion

tP ~

-

f

1

_J

NOTES ~

t=—^ZI:=|

I ActivityI Planner

f

NOVEMBER

m

Sll«

Prop.

3

i n:

5

s

9

10

11

12

10

ia

17

18

ta

SO

81

35

94

as

26

, |

30

■ml

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BYTE

Reviews

Reviewers Notebook

by \on Edwards 237

Four IBM PC AT Clones

by Wayne Rash \r 239

The Hercules Graphics Card Plus

by Rich Malloy 249

23 Modems

by Stephen Satchel! 255

Pascal for the IBM PC

by Namir Clement Shammas 265

STELLA

by Stephen B. Robinson 277

Flash-Com

by Brock N. Meeks 281

Review Feedback 285

WAYNE RASH JR. has reviewed four IBM PC AT clones: the Epson Equity III,the Western AT, and the Zenith Z-241 and Z-248. All are fast and relativelyeasy to use, but Wayne shows that the differences are important and well worthconsidering.

Rich Malloy examines the Hercules Graphics Card Plus, which may set anew standard for monochrome graphics. Its enhanced text graphics will allowyou to use alternative character sets far more easily than before. The boardalso enhances the performance of a number of applications including Lotus1-2-3 and Microsoft Word.

Stephen Satchell has compared 23 modems. The evaluation tests were ex-tensive; the results are fascinating. The AT&T Model 4024 and the Ven-Tel 2400Plus fared well, although many of these modems can well serve your needs.Stephen welcomes your comments on his testing methods.

Namir Clement Shammas surveys four Pascal implementations for IBM PCcompatibles: Microsoft's MS-Pascal, Pecan Software Systems' UCSD Pascal,Pro Pascal from Prospero Software, and MetaWare's Professional Pascal. Thecomparative tables also bring in the results from Mark Bridger's Februaryreview of Turbo Pascal 3.0. As you might expect, there is a tremendous rangein terms of price and performance. Perhaps of these compilers will meet yourexact needs.

This month we present two applications software reviews. Stephen B. Robin-son examines STELLA, an unusual application that provides what some mightcall a graphic spreadsheet. This modeling and simulation program allows youto build structural diagrams. With it you can gain tremendous insight into howorganizations function and how various subsystems act and interact.

Finally, Brock N. Meeks reviews Flash-Com, an electronic mail and com-munications software system. The software is powerful and its uses are diverse,but Brock reveals that the application is not without its troubles.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 235

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MICROCAP is an interactive analogcircuit drawing and simulation system.It allows you to sketch a circuit diagramright on the CRT screen, then run an AC,DC, or Transient analysis. While pro-viding you with libraries for definedmodels of bipolar and MOS devices,Opamps, transformers, diodes, and muchmore, MICROCAP also includes featuresnot even found in SPICE.

MICROCAP II lets you be even moreproductive. As an advanced version, itemploys sparse matrix techniques forfaster simulation speed and larger net-

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MICROLOGIC provides you with asimilar interactive drawing and analysisenvironment for digital work. Usingstandard PC hardware, you can createlogic diagrams of up to 9 pages with eachcontaining up to 200 gates. The systemautomatically creates the netlist requiredfor a timing simulation and will handlenetworks of up to 1800 gates. It providesyou with libraries for 36 user-definedbasic gate types, 36 data channels of 256bits each, 10 user-defined clock wave-forms, and up to 50 macros in each net-work. MICROLOGIC produceshigh-resolution timing diagrams showingselected waveforms and associateddelays, glitches, and spikes—just like diereal thing.

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REVIEWER'S NOTEBOOK

IBM's new PC XT 286 certainlycaused its share of excitement here.It was immediately obvious that thecase is too small to accommodateconventional IBM PC AT expansionboards, and it appears to be more dif-ficult than usual to install an 8087 co-processor, owing to the location ofthe socket. At least one company willbenefit from the size of the XT 286'scase, however. Trade Ventures (512AHerndon Parkway, Herndon, VA22070, (703) 435-3800) claims to havethe only EMS memory board that willfit in the XT 286. | Editor's note: At leasttwo other manufacturers have just releasedEMS boards for the.XT 286. CSS Labora-tories ((714) 540-4141) has TkrboRAM,and Boca Research ((305) 997-6227) hasBOCARAM.|

The benchmarks all ran quickly. TheCalculations test took 21 seconds; theSieve took 60. The Disk Write andRead tests took 25 and 26 seconds,respectively. The keyboard is IBM'snew standard; it will take some gettingused to.

I always enjoy looking at ways toenhance my working environment.This month I tried RapidWriter fromQuixote (One East Wacker Dr.,Chicago, IL 60601, (312) 467-6755).This special keyboard/software com-bination for IBM PC compatiblesallows you to input commonly usedwords, phrases, and sentences by typ-ing "chords" on the special keyboard.After loading in the sample dictionary,for example, you can press the s andu keys simultaneously to get thephrase sincerely yours.

In addition, you can create nestedchords in which you can enter newtext in the middle of a predefinedmacro. Pressing the Shift key with achord will capitalize the first letter ofthe definition. Pressing Caps Lock willcapitalize all the characters in thedefinition. Dictionaries can store up

to 250 chords, with up to 16,000 char-acters of text per chord.

It is fairly easy to define new chords.I also found it comfortable to typechords, and the product worked withall the nonresident applications Itried. Unfortunately, RapidWriter is in-compatible with Borland's SuperKeyand SideKick, and Revolution Soft-ware's Cruise Control would not func-tion with it, either. You may find theonly other disadvantage to be thekeyboard itself, which is slightly non-standard. The function keys arelocated across the top, and the Alt,Ctrl, and backslash keys are only a fewthat are in nonstandard locations.

Another tool is Word for Word(formerly Mirrors/PC) by Mastersoft(4621 North 16th St., Suite A-108,Phoenix, AZ 85016, (602) 277-0900),a utility for IBM PC compatibles thatallows you to convert files from oneformat to another without requiringmuch cleanup. Version 1.0 supportsWordStar 3.30 and 3.31, WordPerfect3.0 and 4.1, Volkswriter, PFS:Write ver-sion C, MultiMate 3.3, IBM WritingAssistant, and straight ASCII. Word forWord reports all items that do notconvert to the target format.

Two new products tap the colorgraphics capabilities of the Amiga andthe. Atari STs. We were obviously im-pressed by Aegis Animator (see thereview in the November BYTE) byAegis Development (2210 WilshireBlvd. #277, Santa Monica, CA 90403,(213) 392-6445), and 1 am much moreimpressed now that it has introducedthe Aegis Art Pak, a series of utilitiesthat, when used in conjunction withAegis Animator, will allow you tocreate desktop videos much moreeasily.

The Art Pak contains a variety ofbackgrounds and objects, all createdwith the same color palette to facili-tate your cutting and pasting. Aegis

Development also supplies a playerthat allows you to distribute yourvideos with no copyright infringe-ments. Even if you don't plan to getan Amiga, it is worth going out of yourway to see the Art Pak's introductoryvideo.

For the Atari ST, Activision (P.O. Box7287, Mountain View, CA 94039,(800) 633-4263) has released AudioLight Incorporated's Paintworks, anelaborate paint program. The user in-terface is effective, and the programhas three individual drawing screens.With them, you can cut and pastemore effectively or expand the scopeof your painting. There are over 70features, including three levels ofmagnification, fine x.y coordinate con-trol, and color-cycling animation. Youcan also incorporate music createdwith Activision's Music Studio forelaborate slide presentations. Unlikemany of the other similar applicationsfor the ST, you can create Paintworkspictures in all three ST modes. Filesare compatible with both DEGAS andNEOchrome.

Last month I promised to report onWildFire from Software Wizardry(1106 First Capitol Dr., St. Charles, MO63301, (314) 946-1968). WildFire is aspeed kit for the Zenith Z-151/-152/-161. Stan Wszola and 1 installed thenew chip set in my Zenith Z-151. Theinstallation procedure was very sim-ple, but we were unable to get thecomputer to boot. We were disap-pointed, particularly because Zenithusers on BIX have reported excellentresults. I suspect that the problem hasto do with the dated BIOS on myZenith. I'll discuss this problem inmore detail in the future.

Next month I plan to report on FallCOMDEX, the largest show of theyear.

—)on EdwardsSenior Technical Editor, Reviews

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 237

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SYSTEM REVIEW

Four IBM PC AT Clones

by Wayne Rash Jr.

Most IBM PC AT work-alikespromise combinations ofgreater speed, more func-tionality, and lower price thanthe PC AT. With these claimsin mind, I evaluated four PCAT clones: the Epson EquityIII, the Western AT and theZenith Z-24I and Z-248.| Editor's note: The photo does notshow the 2V248, which is identicalin appearance to the Z-241. For theoriginal IBM PC AT review byAlan Finger, see the May 1985BYTE.]

I tested the computers witha variety of IBM PC businesssoftware and other softwarecommonly used to test com-patibility. I also tried eachunit with a variety of multi-function boards and periph-erals. The systems that Ireviewed were all off-the-shelf models—they wereidentical to what a purchaserwould receive. BYTE did.however, request that eachmanufacturer install a video board,even if one is not normally included.

The Zeniths

Both of the Zenith Z-240 series com-puters that I reviewed follow theZenith practice of not having amotherboard. The entire computerexists on plug-in boards that attach toa system bus. The Zr241 and the Z-248both include a serial and parallel portas standard equipment. The en-hanced versions, which 1 tested, alsohave a 20-megabyte hard disk drive,a 1.2-megabyte high-capacity floppydisk drive, and 512K bytes of RAM.Zenith's version of MS-DOS 3.1 was in-cluded with each machine.

The Z-248 comes with an enhancedgraphics adapter card and MicrosoftWindows. The EGA card will support

These machinesoffer good value but may also

present problems

special high-resolution monitors in ad-dition to standard color graphics andmonochrome monitors.

Both Zenith machines are notablefor their speed. The Z-241 runs at6 MHz, and the Z-248 runs at 8 MHz.Unlike the other two PC AT clones thatI reviewed, neither machine has a waitstate added to slow its operation. Await state is a period of time duringwhich the computer waits before it ex-ecutes another instruction. This slowsthe computer down to allow the useof slower, less expensive peripheralssuch as memory boards.

The absence of wait states meansthat the 6-MHz Z-241 carries outoperations at about the same speedas most 8-MHz machines, while theZ-248 is much faster than most other8-MHz machines. You can anticipate

the computing time of theZ-248 to be about half that ofthe IBM PC AT.

The extra speed alsomeans that some peripheralsmay not work unless youslow the Zenith machinesdown. The expensive but fastCheetah multifunction andmemory cards were the onlyones I found that were guar-anteed to keep up with theZ-248.

Epson Equity III

The Epson Equity III is adual-speed machine. A high/low switch lets you select6-MHz operation for maxi-mum compatibility with pe-ripherals and software or8 MHz for maximum com-puting speed. To change themicroprocessor speed youturn the system off, flick thehigh/low switch, and turn thecomputer on again.In other respects, Epsonhas designed this computer alongtraditional lines. The motherboardresembles the one on the IBM PC ATand has the same number of expan-sion slots.

Two areas in the construction of theEquity III concerned me. One is thepower supply cable, which exits fromthe supply itself through the un-protected edge of the sheet-metalpower supply shield. Although thecable has an extra layer of insulation,it does not have the heavy grommetof the other systems' power supplies.The other area of concern is that

{continued)Wayne Rash Jr. is a member of the profes-sional staff of American Management Sys-tems Inc. (1777 North Kent St., Arlington,VA 22209), where he consults with thefederal government on microcomputers.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 239

REVIEW: FOUR IBM PC AT CLONES

Epson Equity III

Western AT

Zenith Z-241

Company

Company

Company

Epson America Inc.

Western Computer

Zenith Data Systems

OEM Division

1381 Warner Ave.

1000 Milwaukee Ave.

23600 Telo St.

Warner Corporate Park, Suite B

Glenview, IL 60025

Torrance, CA 90505

Tustin, CA 92680

(312) 699-4800

(800) 421-5426

(714) 553-1611

Size

Size

Size

6V2 by 21 by 16% inches

6V2 by 21V2 by 17 inches

61/2 by 21V4 by 161/> inches

Components

Components

Components

Processor: 6-MHz Intel 80286

Processor: Intel 80286, switchable

Processor: Intel 80286, switchable

Memory: 512K bytes, expandable to

between 6 and 8 MHz

between 6 and 8 MHz

16 megabytes

Memory: 640K bytes, expandable to

Memory: 2 megabytes, expandable to

Mass storage: One half-height

16 megabytes

16 megabytes

1.2-megabyte 51A-inch floppy disk drive

Mass storage: One half-height

Mass storage: One half-height

or one 360K-byte floppy disk drive and

1.2-megabyte 51/t-inch floppy disk drive

1.2-megabyte 51/4-inch floppy disk drive

one 20-megabyte hard disk

or one 360K-byte floppy disk drive and

or one 360K-byte floppy disk drive and

Display: 12-inch amber or green

one 20-megabyte hard disk

one 30-megabyte hard disk

monochrome or EGA or RGB color; 80

Display: 12-inch amber or green

Display: 12-inch amber or green

characters by 25 lines

monochrome or EGA or RGB color; 80

monochrome or EGA or RGB color; 80

Keyboard: 84 keys; 10 function keys;

characters by 25 lines

characters by 25 lines

indicator lights on Caps Lock, Scroll Lock,

Keyboard: 84 keys; 10 function keys;

Keyboard: 84 keys; 10 function keys;

and Num Lock keys

indicator lights on Caps Lock, Scroll Lock,

indicator lights for Caps Lock, Scroll Lock,

Expansion: Ten slots; three IBM PC-

and Num Lock keys

and Num Lock keys

compatible, four Zenith-compatible

Expansion: Eight slots; three IBM

Expansion: Eight slots; three IBM

(expanded PC AT), and three PC

PC-compatible

PC-compatible

AT-compatible

Communications: One serial and one

Communications: One parallel port

Communications: One serial and one

parallel port

Software

parallel port

Software

None

Software

MS-DOS 3.2; GW-BASIC

Documentation

MS-DOS 3.11

Documentation

User's and service manual

Documentation

User's guide; MS-DOS operator's guide;

Owner's manual; MS-DOS manual

GW-BASIC manual

Price

$2395

Price

Price

With one floppy disk drive: $3499

With one floppy disk drive: $2495

With one floppy disk drive and

With one floppy disk drive and

hard disk: $4499-

hard disk: $3195

Color monitor: $549

Monochrome monitor: $149

240 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

REVIEW: FOUR IBM PC AT CLONES

SYSTEM FEATURES

Zenith Z-248

Company

Zenith Data Systems1000 Milwaukee Ave.Glenview, IL 60025(312) 699-4800

Size

6Va by 21 by 16% inches

Components

Processor: 8-MHz Intel 80286Memory: 512K bytes, expandable to16 megabytes

Mass storage: One half-height1.2-megabyte 51/i-inch floppy disk driveor one 360K-byte floppy disk drive andone 20-megabyte hard diskDisplay: 12-inch amber or greenmonochrome or EGA or RGB color; 80characters by 25 linesKeyboard: 84 keys; 10 function keys;indicator lights on Caps Lock, Scroll Lock,and Num Lock keysExpansion: Ten slots; three IBM PC-compatible, four Zenith-compatible(expanded PC AT), and three PCAT-compatible

Communications: One serial and oneparallel port

Software

MS-DOS 3.11; GW-BASIC; MicrosoftWindows

Documentation

Owner's manual; MS-DOS manual; GW-BASIC operator's guide; MicrosoftWindows user's guide; Microsoft Windowsuser's guide

Price

With one floppy disk drive: $2999

With one floppy disk drive and

one 20-megabyte hard disk: $4399

With one floppy disk drive and

one 42-megabyte hard disk: $5699

MEMORY SIZE (K BYTES)

0 20P 400 600 800 1000

HARD DISK STORAGE (M BYTES)

[ 6-10| 640

5)2/3Mb

■ 20*48

■ 20*48 |

0

1

10

20 30 4

D 50

3020

2020

303030

1

u

1

DISK ACCESS IN BASIC (IN SECONDS)

WRITE

0 20 40

READ

BASIC PERFORMANCE (IN SECONDS)SIEVE CALCULATIONS

0 50 100 150 200 250 Q 10 20 30 40 50

-1-

mm i6

17

■ 13

HB 16

■ 13

SYSTEM UTILITIES (IN SECONDS)40K FORMAT/DISK COPY 40K FILE COPY

52

■MM

^■^■P 57

MHM|4S

"■■■■ 3.9

mmtmm 4.21

SPREADSHEET (IN SECONDS)

LOAD

RECALCULATE

20 25

6"

■ Q?

L '■'

■ 601 55

EPSON EQUITY III (6 MHz) » EPSON EQUITY III (8 MHz) « MAC PLUSZENITH Z-241 — ZENITH Z-248 sb IBM AT

WESTERN AT (6 MHz)

WESTERN AT (8 MHz)

The Memory Size graph shows the standard and optional memoryavailable for the computers under comparison. The Disk Storagegraph shows the capacity of the hard disk available with each system.The graphs for Disk Access in BASIC show how long it takes to writeand then read a 64K-byte sequential text file to a blank floppy disk.(For the program listings, see BYTE's Inside the IBM PCs, Fall 1985,page 195.) The Sieve graph shows how long it takes to run one itera-tion of the Sieve of Eratosthenes prime-number benchmark. TheCalculations graph shows how long it takes to do 10,000 multiplica-

tion and 10,000 division operations using single-precision numbers.The System Utilities graphs show how long it takes to copy a 40K-byte file using the MS-DOS COPY command. The Format/Disk Copytest was omitted since all four systems were single floppy disksystems. The Spreadsheet graphs show how long it takes to loadand recalculate a 25- by 25-cell spreadsheet in which each cellequals 1.001 times the cell to its left. The spreadsheet used wasMicrosoft's Multiplan. All BASIC benchmark programs were run usingGW-BASIC.

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 241

NOW YOUR COMPUTER CAN READ.

A REVOLUTION IN TAKING WORDS FROM

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TYPEFACE RECOGNITION.

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and Prestige Elite.

MANUAL OPERATION.Alpha or numeric print is scanned line byline by moving the reading head alongthe text. Capable of scanning both for-wards and backwards, the reading headcan be used to input all or selected por-tions of text.

GUIDE RULE. (pat. applied for)A specially engineered guide rule makes iteasy to align text. Because of the uniqueclock track, the reading head can bemoved at variable speed and still readtext. Scan time 2-3 seconds a line.

Each OMNI-READER comes with I.B.M.PC/Compatible or Apple Macintosh soft-ware - at no extra charge. InterfaceCable available for $16.Mextra.Specify I.B.M. or Maclnf-

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REVIEW: FOUR IBM PC AT CLONES

most of the integrated circuits, in-cluding the memory chips, aresoldered onto the motherboard.While this method reduces theoriginal cost of the unit, it increasesthe cost of replacing an integrated cir-cuit. IC sockets are preferable.

Western at

Like the Epson Equity 111, the WesternAT is a dual-speed machine. A toggleswitch on the back of the case allowsyou to set the speed for 6 or 8 MHzwhile the computer is turned off.

The Western AT that I reviewed wasequipped with a 30-megabyte harddisk—the largest of the four. Like theEquity 111, the Western AT has eightexpansion slots. The Western AT issupplied with 2 megabytes of mem-ory, also the largest in this group.

Two points about the Western ATconcerned me during the course ofthe review. The first is the front-panellock, which locks the case and the key-board. This lock seemed to be of lowquality, and it moved in its mountingwhen the key was turned.

The second item of concern is thevideo card that was supplied with myreview machine. Although this card isan option, it should still work properly.The card is said to emulate the Her-cules card and to provide graphicscapability on a monochrome monitor.It is supplied with a special version ofBASIC for this purpose. I could not getthis version of BASIC to work at all,nor could I get the machine to displaygraphics using GW-BASIC graphicscommands.

Setting Up

IBM PC AT-compatible computersgenerally require a more involvedsetup routine than do earlier micro-computers. This is because of a widerselection of equipment configura-tions, disk drives, memory, and thelike. As a result, you have to knowmore about your computer thanbefore to get things started.

Normally you have to know thetechnical details of the hard disk suchas the size of the drive and thenumber of sides to perform an initialformatting. This information is notalways readily available. Once you getthe information you need, you run a

setup program that stores it in abattery-powered section of memoryin which the clock and calendar infor-mation is also stored.

With the two Zenith computers 1reviewed, the low-level format wasalready done and the proper param-eters were recorded in the section ofmemory reserved for the setup infor-mation. A setup program is containedin the Zenith machines' extensive

ROM diagnostics, eliminating theneed to run the setup program fromdisk.

Setup is a little more involved on theEquity III than on the Zenith ma-chines. You must run the disk-basedsetup routine before you can preparethe hard disk. Fortunately, Epson's in-structions are clear and the appropri-ate choices for most users are in-

{conlinued)

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DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 243

REVIEW: FOUR IBM PC AT CLONES

dicated. Once you have run the setupprogram, you can proceed to run thelow-level format program. This takesabout 20 minutes.

The Western AT, by contrast, shouldnot be set up by the faint of heart. Youcan change the configuration of thissystem only by running DEBUG andloading an address from ROM. Othersetup steps depend on the details ofthe version of MS-DOS you purchase.

The operating system is not includedwith the Western AT.

Using the Clones

All of these machines are a pleasureto use. They run quietly and muchmore quickly than the IBM PC clonesthat preceded them. Since any ofthese machines can be ordered withessentially the same video equip-ment, about the only individuality is

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in the four systems' keyboards.

The Western AT follows the IBM PCAT layout closely, even down to thebezel-mounted LEDs. The EpsonEquity III is nearly the same, althoughthe LEDs are located on the keysthemselves. The two Zenith keyboardsclosely resemble those on otherZenith products. The primary dif-ference between any of the keyboardsis the location of the Escape key. Ep-son and Western place this key abovethe 7 on the keypad; Zenith places itin the more traditional location abovethe Tab key.

Operating these machines isstraightforward. Since they are allequipped with a hard disk, you needonly turn them on and they run. TheWestern AT and the Epson Equity 111display the amount of memory pres-ent while they perform their memorychecks. The two Zenith computersperform the checks, but the screen re-mains blank.

Once MS-DOS is loaded, you will betold the status of the RAM disk ifthere is one. Any RAM in excess ofthe 640K bytes used by MS-DOS canbe used as a RAM disk. Since the80286 microprocessor in the PC ATclones can address up to 16 mega-bytes of memory, you can have a verylarge RAM disk. Later versions of MS-DOS are supposed to make all thismemory available to programs. Thelatest version of Concurrent PC DOSalready does this.

Most of the popular business-related software will run very nicelyon any of these machines. The onlytypes of programs that 1 encounteredproblems with were ones that lookedspecifically for the IBM ROM andones that were copy-protected. PCFocus, for example, would not workon either of the Zenith machines untilthe copy-protection scheme waschanged.

Compatibility

All 80286-based computers includingthe IBM PC AT have some compati-bility problems with products devel-oped for the IBM PC and other 8086-based machines. Many programs sim-ply will not run, or they will not runproperly. The most notable is one of

(continued)

244 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 347

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World GamesWinler GamesKarate ChampRouge

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REVIEW: FOUR IBM PC AT CLONES

the favorites of compatibility testing,Microsoft's Flight Simulator. The pro-gram would start running, but it wouldalways lock up on all four machinesshortly after loading.

Most of the other compatibilityproblems 1 encountered had to dowith copy protection. A variety ofcopy-protection schemes seem tohave trouble with the faster micropro-cessor speed of most of the PC AT

clones and with the high-capacity diskdrives. However, many of the softwarecompanies I spoke with during thecourse of this review said that theircopy-protection schemes will bechanged to work with most IBM PCAT-compatible machines.

High-capacity disk drives can alsocause disk compatibility problemsbetween PC AT clones and other MS-DOS computers. All the manufac-

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turers warn that the 360K-byte diskswritten by these drives may prove tobe illegible to computers using stan-dard double-density drives. Thereason for this is the very narrow trackcreated by the head of the high-capacity drive.

Nevertheless, I had no such prob-lems when I created disks with eachof these computers and attempted toread them with a variety of double-density drives.

Nearly any circuit board designedto function within an IBM PC AT willwork in the clones that run at 6 MHzwith one wait state, but faster ma-chines may have problems. For in-stance, some memory boards will notwork with the Zenith Z-241 unless youremove a jumper to make the ma-chine add a wait state to its opera-tions.

The 8-MHz machines had evenmore problems with speed-sensitivehardware. This was most noticeable inthe Zenith Z-248, which requires avery fast board for things to runproperly.

Documentation

The manuals for these systems rangefrom awful to excellent. The manualfor the Western AT was clearly theworst of the lot and is one of the worstsystem manuals I've seen in sometime. On the other hand, the Epsonand Zenith manuals are quite good,although they are quite different.

The Western AT manual appears tobe photocopied from the manual foranother machine. The words WesternAT TUrbo were apparently pasted inprior to the copying process. Thephotographs are of such poor quali-ty that they are virtually useless. Themanual has no index.

Once you get past this unfortunateproduction quality, you may findsome useful information in theWestern AT manual. Complete con-figuration instructions are included aswell as items such as a description ofthe system's memory map, error trap-ping, and physical arrangement. Themanual even provides such rare infor-mation as I/O port addresses, timerchannels, and interrupts.

Epson includes a nicely writtenhardware user's guide and MS-DOS

246 BYTE- DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 35

REVIEW: FOUR IBM PC AT CLONES

operator's guide in a single binderalong with a manual for GW-BASIC inanother binder. The user's guide isclearly written and has excellent linedrawings for illustration. The normalchoices for factory-installed equip-ment are indicated, which allows youto make an intelligent selection whensetting up the computer.

The Epson MS-DOS guide is an im-provement over the standard Micro-soft offering that most manufacturersuse. Epson has rewritten the explana-tions and added examples of screens.

Zenith has continued in the com-pany tradition of having the mostcomplete manuals in the business.The hardware owner's manual resem-bles the Epson manual in the use ofdrawings and clear explanations. Itcontinues beyond the Epson manual,however, in its descriptions of ad-vanced items such as disk drive andmemory installation.

Zenith's MS-DOS manual is easilytwice as thick as any other that I'veused. This is partially because Zenithadds a number of utility programs toits MS-DOS disks. Most of the in-creased length is due to the expan-sion of the description for each com-mand and utility program.

Benchmarks

All of these machines are fast (seepage 241). All except the Epson EquityIII running at 6 MHz were faster thanthe IBM PC AT by a significant margin.The Zenith Z-248 was nearly twice asfast in computing, speed. The dif-ference is due mostly to the highermicroprocessor speeds of the fourmachines. Some of the difference canbe assumed to stem from slightlyfaster hard disk drives. The floppy diskdrive benchmark times were aboutthe same as those for the IBM PC AT.The benchmarks show the impor-tance of wait states in the speed ofoperation. For example, the Sieve cal-culation time for the 6-MHz ZenithZ-24I was nearly the same as for theWestern AT at 8 MHz. The differenceis that the Zenith Z-241 has no waitstates while the Western AT has one.

Conclusions

As is always the case, deciding whichof these computers is best for you

Deciding whichof these computersis best for youdepends greatlyon your specificrequirements.

depends greatly on your specific re-quirements. You may have to considercost as the primary factor. If perfor-mance is the primary factor, however,the Zenith Z-248 is the obvious front-runner. This machine is significantlyfaster than the competition and is wellbuilt and well supported.

Of course, all that speed is not with-out a price. Add-on memory boardswill cost more than they otherwisewould, and some may not work at allbecause they cannot keep up with themachine. In addition, the higherspeed may prevent some software,notably programs with copy-protec-tion schemes, from working. Selectingthe slower Z-241 will overcome someof these speed-related problems.

The Western AT and Epson EquityIII, with their choice of speeds, giveyou the best of both worlds. If youhave software that will not operate at8 MHz, you simply throw a toggleswitch and it runs at 6 MHz. Thisshould satisfy the requirements ofalmost any software. Unfortunately,support for the Western AT in yourarea may be limited. Support for theEquity III should generally be morewidely available. In addition, Epsoncomputers are frequently discountedand should be quite inexpensive.However, the soldered-in memorychips and the power supply construc-tion could present problems.

All of these machines are fast andhighly compatible with the IBM PC AT.Based on features and price alone, allof them give more value than the IBMcomputer that they emulate. Providedthe dealer and service arrangementssatisfy you, any of them should pro-vide satisfactory use. ■

Inquiry 47

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DECEMBER I986 -BYTE 247

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Now you can move data between programs quickly and easily usingSOFTSTRIP data strips.

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We've created a series of several dozen Application Notes on Softstrip datastrips. These lead you through simple steps to make the file transfer aseasy as possible, adding even more versatility to your personal computerwhen you purchase the SOFTSTRIP SYSTEM. The advanced system you'vebeen hearing so much about.

All you need to move data between programs is STRIPPER™ software at$19.95 and the Softstrip System Reader at $199.95.

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Because of compatible media, virtually all internal communicationwas in hardcopy form. It was necessary for document recipients tokey in the information if it was to be used in the local computer.Data included sales statistics, engineering reports, and salesmaterials. Especially time-consuming was the rekeying of brochureand sell-sheet drafts created on IBM PC's with wordprocessors, butlater edited and composed with Pagemaker and the Macintosh andLaserWriter.

By equipping all computers with the SOFTSTRIP SYSTEM READERand STRIPPER, each station can now reduce all reports to data stripform. These are photocopied and sent to appropriate departmentsfor reentry through the SOFTSTRIP READER. Using Cauzin's SoftstripSystem and Application Notes, the problem of moving informationbetween dissimilar computers and programs was solved.

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248 BYTE • DECEMBER I986

Inquiry 65

HARDW

REVIEW

The HerculesGraphics Card Plus

by Rich Malloy

The Hercules Graphics Card(see the review by TomWadlow in the December1983 BYTE) quickly becamethe standard for mono-chrome graphics. Herculeshas now replaced its popularGraphics Card with its newGraphics Card Plus. In addi-tion to having its predeces-sor's 720- by 348-pixel mono-chrome graphics capabilityand a lower price ($299), italso has enhanced text capa-bilities. With this board andthe software that comes withit, you will be able to usealternative character sets andenhance the performance ofapplications such as Lotus1-2-3 and Microsoft Word.

Hardware andInstallation

The Graphics Card Plus isonly 10 inches long. Such asmall size is possible becauseHercules combined the func-tions of many of the chips from theold card into a smaller number ofchips. For example, the entire logic cir-cuitry for the parallel printer interfacenow fits on one chip. The board'sshort length would seemingly make itsuitable for use in the Tandy 1000.However, Hercules informed me thatunfortunately there is no way to dis-able that computer's internal displayadapter. It should, however, work withthe new Tandy 1000 SX.

The back panel of the GraphicsCard Plus has two connectors: one forthe IBM monochrome display (or com-patible) and one for a parallel printer.The printer port appears to be hard-wired as LPT1. If this designation con-

An inexpensive

general-purpose display card

for the IBM PC

flicts with another printer port, youmust either rename the other port orremove the Hercules port by pullingthe chip. That will most likely be youronly inconvenience during installa-tion, since there are no DIP switchesor jumpers to set on the board itself.If your IBM PC is already set up fora monochrome display adapter, allyou need to do is pull out the IBMboard and insert the Graphics CardPlus.

RamFont

RamFont is a unique hardware featurethat allows you to use one or morealternate character sets in the displayadapter's text mode. On the old

Graphics Card, as well as onthe original IBM mono-chrome display adapter, theonly way to change the char-acter set was to install a newROM chip. Some programslike Microsoft Word insteadused the graphics mode todraw characters. Unfor-tunately, graphics mode didnot include certain text-oriented capabilities such asline-by-line scrolling. In manycases, the result was veryslow performance.

With RamFont you cancompletely and easilyreplace the text charactersused in text mode with a newcharacter set. RamFont thuscombines a good part of theflexibility of graphics modewith the fast text-handlingcapabilities of text mode.

RamFont comes in twoforms: 4K and 48K bytes. In4K RamFont mode, a newcharacter set replaces thestandard character set. This modeseems to be compatible with almostall existing text-based software, andit allows you to use, for example, italicletters with your spreadsheet or math-ematical symbols with your word pro-cessor.

In 48K RamFont mode, a programcan access a total of 12 character sets.To do this, Hercules uses four of thebits in the attribute byte of eachscreen character to indicate which setis being used. The other four bits in-

{continued)Rich Malloy is a senior technical editor forBYTE. He can be reached at BYTE/McGraw-Hill. 1221 Avenue of the Americas, NewYork. NY 10020.

DECEMBER 1986 • B Y T E 249

REVIEW: GRAPHICS CARD PLUS

Graphics Card Plus

Type

Combination text/graphics displayadapter for the IBM PC

Company

Hercules Computer Technology

2550 Ninth St.

Suite 210

Berkeley, CA 947210

(415) 540-6000

Features

720- by 348-pixel resolutionDownloadable text fonts

Price

$299

dicate attributes, lb use the 48K Ram-Font mode, software has to be spe-cially coded.

RamFont's capabilities are impres-sive, but the board cannot displayproportionally spaced text as, for ex-ample, the Macintosh or MicrosoftWindows Write can. Also, the size ofthe text is variable, but only withincertain limits. The standard IBM char-acter is drawn inside a 9- by 14-pixelmatrix that includes all the interchar-acter spacing. On the Graphics CardPlus, you can vary the vertical dimen-sion of this matrix from 14 pixels to1 pixel. The horizontal dimension,however, is limited to either 8 or 9pixels. Thus, the maximum number ofcharacters per line is 90.

Note that a larger character matrix(e.g., 24 by 28 pixels) can be simulatedby combining smaller charactermatrices (in this case, six matrices,each 8 by 14 pixels). The horizontaldimension of these large charactermatrices has to be a multiple of 8. Thecard comes with impressive demon-stration programs that illustrate thistechnique.

Software

Like the older Hercules GraphicsCard, the Graphics Card Plus comes

Q. This it • sentence of exactly ten words of text. Tkis isa sentence of exactly ten Hera's of boldface. TMs is asentence «/ exactly ten wnfs of italics. This is a sentenceof enact In ten words of underlined. TMa-i« a sentonce ofeiujotly ten worda ef-eroaaede«*T This is a SENTENCE or... — '-iollCaps. This is a sentence of

This is a sente

exactly tan uords

ExoctLY iu urns

r r * This is a sentence o

•„v.,.ipt This is « sihtukiqz

iT.tLrcloLtUnnBLitiitStKiLLCars ■

Z. This is a sentonce of exactly ten words of text. This isa sentence of exactly tea uoras of boldface. This is asentence at exactly ten uords of italics. This is a sentenceof exactly ten uords of underlined. This is a sentence of

cwaetly tea worde-ef—eroeeedoatr This is a SENTENCE or

EXACTLY TEN WORDS OF SobLLCaPS. Thil

Is of DoubleUnderllni

ords of .up.rscrlpt. n%% ,% , 5entence of

COttiftHD: Alpha Copy Delete Ponaat Gallery Help Insert Jump Library

Options Print Quit Replace Search Transfer Undo WindowKelt document or press Esc to use menu«>... 1 n Microsoft Word: BENCH. DOC

Photo 1: A Microsoft Word screen showing a sample of the fonts that are includedwith the new Uercules driver for Word.

with several programs. HBASIC allowsyou to write BASIC graphics programsthat can access the Hercules screen.Another program, HGC permits youto dump the Hercules graphics imageto an Epson printer, and it helps toavoid wearing out the screen phos-phors by blanking out the screen aftera specified time. Programmers whowant to access the graphics screenand control RamFont can order an op-tional set of assembly languageroutines.

Using Different Fonts

My favorite feature of the GraphicsCard Plus is its ability to use a numberof prepared fonts with most software(see photo 1). In addition to the stan-dard IBM monochrome font, theboard comes with approximately 15new fonts including italic, sans serif,script, and a medieval font. My favor-ite of the prepared fonts is "bigserif,"which is similar to the standard IBMfont but is slightly larger and easierto read. Another interesting font is thefull Greek alphabet.

You can easily modify any of theseprepared fonts or create a new fontwith Hercules' FontMan program. Forexample, 1 altered the letters in theword "BYTE" to make it look like thefamiliar logo. More practical applica-tions might involve special mathemat-ical or scientific symbols. You can mapeach of the IBM keys to the charactersyou create. You could, for example,create fonts for phonetic Japanese,Hebrew, or Arabic. (For more informa-tion about implementing foreign lan-guages on the Graphics Card Plus,contact Max Weinryb, S&B Electric,2415 Grant St., Berkeley, CA 94703.)

Printing RamFontCharacters

RamFont's new characters will appearon the screen, but your printer will stillsee them as the standard characters.Fortunately, some printers provide thecapability for handling downloadablefonts. Others offer plug-in font car-tridges. You could also use softwarepackages such as Fontrix or FancyFont that allow you to change the lookof printed characters. Unfortunately,Hercules does not provide drivers toprint out RamFont characters on stan-

250 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

REVIEW: GRAPHICS CARD PLUS

dard printers. This would have en-hanced the value of the Graphics CardPlus considerably.

Using 1-2-3 and Word

The board enhances the performanceof Lotus 1-2-3 (release 2.0) and Micro-soft Word. I tested these programswith the new board using both thestandard Hercules drivers and thenew RamFont drivers. Scrolling speedincreased within both programs, andit increased dramatically with Word(see tables 1 and 2). The new driverscrolls through 50 lines of Word textapproximately 70 percent faster thanthe old driver.

In 90-character-per-line mode, com-parisons between the two drivers forWord are a little complicated. Theolder Microsoft driver displays 43lines of text; the new RamFont driverdisplays only 3 5 lines. Screen repaint-ing, measured by the time required topage down two screens, was 3 3 per-cent faster for the new driver, but,naturally, that driver had to displayfewer lines during each repainting.After adjusting the time for an equalnumber of lines, 1 found that the newRamFont driver was still 17 percentfaster.

Not apparent in the timings is thevery readable quality of the charac-ters produced by these versions of1-2-3 and Word. In addition, with1-2-3, the board allows you to displaygraphics in a window on the samescreen as the spreadsheet. Of course,the graph is fairly small and is drawnat a fairly low resolution (probably320 by 200 pixels). Symphony andFramework also provide specialdrivers. Hercules will not producedrivers for any other programs. Ithopes that software developers willprovide their own, as was done withthe older Graphics Card.

Problems

The user's manual includes a pam-phlet that lists approximately 100compatible graphics software pack-ages. It also states that the card workswith all text-only IBM PC software.However, I had trouble with Borland'sSuperKey. When 1 called SuperKeywhile using the special drivers for1-2-3 and Word, I had unpredictable

Table I: Test results of Lotus 1-2-3 release 2.0 running on an IBM PC. Thespreadsheet used was a standard 2 5- by 25-cell spreadsheet in which each cellequaled 1.001 times the cell to its left. The first test involved moving the cursorfrom column A to column Y. The second test was a simple recalculation. Notethat in the 90-character-per-line mode, 1-2-3 appears to buffer cursor keystrokesand then jump to the final desired position.

Move 25columns

Recalculate

80- by 25-line mode

Standard Lotus driverNew RamFont driver

35.7033.70

4.033.99

Improvement (percent)

5.60

1.00

90- by 38-line mode

Standard Lotus driverNew RamFont driver

45.6042.70

5.274.56

Improvement (percent)

6.40

13.50

Table 2: Tests results of using the Graphics Card Plus with Microsoft Wordwith both the standard Microsoft driver and the new Hercules driver. Thebenchmark document consisted of 10 paragraphs of 10 sentences containing 10words each in 10 various character formats. To ensure that a standard number ofscroll-down keystrokes was used, a SuperKey macro was used with the smallestdelay possible.

Scroll down50 lines

Page down5 pages

80- by 25-line mode

Microsoft driverNew RamFont driver

24.607.21

14.309.47

Improvement (percent)

70.70

33.80

90- by 43-line mode

Microsoft driverNew RamFont driver*

7.416.52

20.50**13.70**

Improvement (percent)

12.00

33.10

*Note that the new RamFont driver for Microsoft Word's 90-character-per-line modesupports only 35 lines, not 43 lines as in the original driver.

The time for five page-downs was extrapolated from the time for two page-downs.

results. Sometimes the attributes ofvarious characters would be shifted,and occasionally the system lockedup. I would advise caution untilperhaps a new version of SuperKeyappears.

If you use a graphics program thatis not on the list of compatible soft-ware, you may run into a problem. Forexample, I loaded a RamFont font andthen used a graphics program to draw

a graph. When 1 returned to textmode, everything suddenly wentblank. To get the screen back, I hadto leave the graphics program, go tothe appropriate subdirectory, andcancel RamFont, all of which is prettyhard to do when the screen is blank.RamFont stores its text informationin page 0 of the Hercules graphicsmode. I suspect that if a program uses

(continued)

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 251

Inquiry 134

/ FOCUS \-.Computers:

• COMPUTERS •

FREE INSTALLATION OFANY ADDITIONAL BOARDS

SHARP PC 7000

Lightweight transportable that's also adesktop

• Illuminated crystal display

• Built m dual 5'i" floppy drives

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SPECIAL FREE BONUS SHARPCASE WITH PURCHASECALL FORTHE LOWEST PRICE

SUPER PRICE BREAK

APPLE IIC COMPUTER

NOWONLY '

•WHEN PURCHASED WITH

MONITOR SCRIBE PRINTER,

AND APPLE WORKS

ORIGINAL IBM PC with 2S6K two IBM360K disk drives, keyboard

IBM PRICED TOO LOW TO PRINT

•MODEMS*

Hayes Smartmodem 12006/

IBM 299.95

Hayes Smart modem 300 129.95

Hayes Smartmodem

2400/RS 232 569.95

Hayes Micromodem

lle/Smartcom 129.95

Hayes Smartmodem lie (Apple)

with Smartmoem software .. 149.95Amazing Modems 1200 3aud

internal with software 98.45

Amazing Modems 2400 Baud internal

with sortware 196.95

General Electric 3-8200 AC/DC Modem

Direct/accoustic lull two

year warranty 69.95

• MONITORS •

Amdek color 730 RGB/Analog/ Extra

hi res. PGA Compat 749.95

Can't mention the name 13" RGB hi res

mlg. by Hitachi List

699.95 No* only 279.95

NEC mullt sync everything all in one

monitor EGA/PGA/CGA/.. NEW LOWXtron hi res TT L monitor w/tilt

base 4109.95

Princeton Graphics HX12 hi res

color RGB 398.95

• PRINTERS •

PANASONIC (2 year warranty)

KXP tOBOi NLO faster (120 cps) 188.50

KXP 10911 top raied (160 cps) 239.50

KXP 1092i super las! (240 cps) 299.50

KXP 1595 15 carr (240 cps) 529.95

EPSON

LX86 New (120 cps) 232.50

FX286 New NEW LOW PRICE

NEC

3550 Spinwnler LQ 789.95

OKIDATA

OKI 182P 120 cps (80 column) 199.95

OKI 292 200 cps NLO LOW PRICE

OKI 293 15 carr 200 cps SPECIAL

OKI 2410 Pacemark 350 cps CALL

v _^v Canon

^t^"^ PERSONAL COPIERS

PC-TO Compact 479.50"

New PC 14 549.50"

PC-20 Auto Paper Feed 609.50'

PC-25 Deluxe Makes Legal Size

Can Enlarge & Reduce 789.50'

Black Cart 56.35

4 Black Can 219.50

Color Cart 59.95

Copier Stand 89.50

•WHEN PURCHASED WITH COLORCARTRIDGE 39.50

Focus Computers. 1303 46th St.. Brooklyn. NY Tel. (718) 871-7600. Open Mon.-Thurs. 10-7. Sun. 10-6. Fri. 10-3. Most ordersshipped within 24 hours. Master Card. VISA, American Express gladlyaccepted All prices in this ad reflect cash discount. New York Stateorders must add local sales tax. All merchandise available whilesupplies last Price guaranteed subject to verifiable suppliers in-creases Money back guarantee il returned within 14 days in mintcondition with all papers and packing material intact No returnsaccepted on open software

Call Toll Free

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Hot Tips

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REVIEW:GRAPHICS CARD PLUS

Until faster processorsbecome more prevalent,the RamFont approachmay be the only wayto display a largenumber of textstyles and fonts.

page O for graphics, it will blank outthis information. Programs using page1 should not have this problem, andas more drivers are written for theGraphics Card Plus, the problem willdiminish. Even Hercules' own pro-gram, HBASIC, uses page O and is notcompatible with RamFont.

Another potential problem is thatyou cannot use the Hercules boardwhile an IBM Color Graphics Adapter(CGA) card, or almost any other CGAcard, is also in the system. You can,however, have a Hercules CGA cardpresent.

Conclusions

Perhaps the best way to represent textis via a bit-mapped display, as on theMacintosh. But until faster processorsbecome more prevalent for the IBMfamily, the RamFont approach may bethe only really workable way of dis-playing a large number of text stylesand fonts.

The Graphics Card Plus accom-plishes well what it attempts to do.The card does an excellent job ofhandling Hercules-style graphics,displaying new custom character sets,and enhancing programs such asLotus 1-2-3 and Microsoft Word. 1 ad-vise caution due to the card's lack ofcomplete compatibility with someolder Hercules-compatible softwareand the lack of any easy way to printout RamFont characters. But at only$299, 1 recommend it as a very com-petitive general-purpose display card.For anyone involved in multilingualwork or certain scientific applications,it may be indispensable. ■

252 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry If

PersonnelComputing

What you ought to be doing.

Think of the reasons you bought yourselfa PC, then apply those same principlesto everybody else in your office. Couldn'tthey benefit from today's personal computertechnology, too?

Until recently, such an undertaking wouldhave been too expensive, but now withthe ►Kimtron KT-7/PC1 Terminal as part of a"multiuser solution," you can give your per-sonnel the computing power they need — ata fraction of the cost of purchasing individualPCs.

What this means is while you're usingdBase III2 to look at the big picture,your secretary could be using WordStar3,while finance reviews purchasing's work with1-2-3^ — all at the same time!

Trademarks: 'Kimtron Corp. JAshton-Tate 'MicroPro Intl. ''Lotus DevelopmentCorp. Copyright 1986, Kimtron Corp.

Plus you'll have the added benefits of elec-tronic file sharing, and the convenience ofhaving everyone share the same printer,modem, and peripherals.

And it's so easy to install! Just purchasemultiuser operating software, some con-necting cables, and the number of terminalsyou need. Hook 'em together — and awayyou all go on keyboards styled just like theIBMAT's!

That's why we call it Personnel Comput-ing! The ►Kimtron KT-7/PC. It's the dif-ference between personal computing — andwhat you ought to be doing.

For more information, or the name of yournearest ►Kimtron dealer, send us our cou-pon, or call 408-436-6550 today. Toll Free:800-828-8899. TWX: 910-338-0237.

Kimtron

Mail to:

Kimtron Corp.

1709 Junction Ct., Bldg. #380

San Jose. CA 95112-1090

□ End User □ Reseller 12345678

Name

Title

Company

Address

City

State

Phone U

Zip

Inquiry 182 for End-Users. Inquiry 183 for DEALERS ONLY.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 253

For some time I've wanted to take some coursesto fine-tune my strategic marketing skills. Butwith a job, a family, a hectic schedule, finding thetime to go back to a campus just isn't practical.

The convenience of the Electronic UniversityNetwork makes it possible for me to take courseswhen I have the time—even go back for my MBA!Although I study with my personal computer andmodem, no real computer knowledge is required.

Through the Network, I'm learning with a mar-keting expert—one-on-one—and since the units

254 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

University Network

I earn are from fully-accredited colleges anduniversities, my company's tuition reimburse-ment program covers the costs.For details on enrollment, fees, participating schools,graduate and undergraduate programs, call toll free:

800 - 22 LEARN

800 - 44 LEARNin California

or send $ 5 for a 1986-87 catalog toThe Electronic University Network505 Beach Street, San Francisco, CA 94133

Inquiry 357

HARDWARE REVIEW

23 Modems

by Stephen Satchell

All modems are not thesame. To find out how muchthe current crop of modemsdiffer from one another, Itook 23 modems from 16manufacturers and testedthem head to head.

Am evaluation

of modems and their abilityto handle impairments

Modem Basics

The word modem stands for modulatordemodulator. At one end a modemaccepts signals and converts, ormodulates, them to a form suitable fortransmission. At the other end, themodem takes the modulated signaland converts it back to the originalsignal.

The modems 1 tested for this reviewconvert digital signals to specifictone patterns, send them over anaudio (telephone) channel, and recon-struct the digital signal at the otherend. All the modems included hereare full-duplex modems; that is, theycan send information in both direc-tions at the same time. This is doneby splitting the available audio chan-nel bandwidth in half; one modemgenerates tones in the lower half andthe other generates tones in theupper half.

Depending on the modulationmethod, the modem takes 1 to 8 bitsof information and modifies the car-rier tone in some specific way. Eachgroup of bits is called a symbol. Thedata rate is defined as the number ofsymbols transmitted per second. Notethat the true data rate of a modem issome percentage of the bit rate, sincea symbol can contain several bits.

The three modulation methods cur-rently in use with asynchronousmodems are the Bell 103 standard(0-300 bps), the Bell 212 standard(1200 bps), and the CCITT V.22bisstandard (2400 bps).

The Bell 103 method uses fre-quency-shift keying to send up to 300

bits per second in each direction. Thissystem sends two tone frequencies; alower-frequency tone for a one bit anda higher-frequency tone for a zero bit.The data rate is equal to the bit rateand can be any speed from 0 bits to300 bits per second. The bit rate maydiffer in each direction, although thisis unusual.

The Bell 212 method uses differen-tial phase-shift keying to send 1200bits per second. Each symbol consistsof 2 bits. For each symbol, the carrierwave is shifted four different amountsfor each of the four possible dibit(2-bit) values: 00, 01, 10, and 11. Thedata rate is fixed at 600 symbols persecond, or 1200 bps.

The CCITT V.22bis method usesquadrature amplitude modulation tosend 2400 bits per second. Four bitsdefine each symbol, and the systemuses both 12 values of phase shift andthree amplitude levels to encode asymbol. As with the Bell 212 method,the data rate is fixed at 600 symbolsper second and the bit rate is 2400bps.

What Goes Wrong

Almost all modems work without er-ror when the communications chan-nel makes no changes to the modu-lated signal. Unfortunately, no tele-phone line is absolutely perfect.Moreover, the farther the signal hasto travel, the greater the possibility oftransmission imperfections. Howmodems cope with these imperfec-tions separates the good modemsfrom the not-so-good ones.

A number of specific im-perfections, called impair-ments by the telephone in-dustry, have been identified,and methods have been de-veloped to measure theirmagnitude. Impairments in-troduce errors by making thereceiving modem's job of decodingthe correct symbol difficult (or im-possible). As the symbols becomemore complex, symbol corruptionbecomes easier. Thus, a connectionthat passes 300-bps data without er-ror can completely destroy 2400-bpsdata.

To understand the source of par-ticular impairments, you must take alook at the telephone connection.When you make a call to a phone inthe same or a neighboring telephoneexchange, a simple circuit is created.The connection between the twophones and the telephone company'scentral office consists of a single pairof wires from each phone to theswitches inside the central office.

When you have to call a significantdistance—100 miles or more—the tele-phone company will split your call intwo. Instead of carrying both sides ofthe conversation on one pair of wires,the call goes on two pairs of wires.This simplifies amplifying the signaland improves the quality of long con-nections. Also, the two halves of theconnection can be sent via longdistance coaxial, microwave, satellite,or fiber optics with far fewer technicaldifficulties.

Since the call is split, it is possibleto have defects in one direction andnot the other. This is especially truewith calls that get routed into trans-

(continued)

Stephen Satchell (Satchell Evaluations. 16Searing Ave.. Morristown. N) 07960) hasbeen active in computer product developmentand evaluation since 1971.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 255

REVIEW: 23 MODEMS

mission systems that multiplex manycalls into one very high-speed chan-nel. Digital transmission systemsalleviate the problem a bit, but theyintroduce problems of their own.

The main problem with modemtesting in this type of environment isthat you cannot depend on gettingexactly the same call routing from callto call. Thus, it is virtually impossibleto apply exactly the same test condi-tions to each modem that you aretesting. Even if you could, that doesnot help someone else decide whichmodem to buy, since they might havea completely different set of impair-ments with which to contend.

To combat this problem, I built atelephone connection simulator usinga Bradley Telcom Corporation 2A/2Bline simulator, a reference modem (anAT&T Dataphone II Set 2224B modemin loopback mode), a Hewlett-Packard4437A attenuator, passive hybridsplitters, and a Ramsa 8210 recordingmixer (used to synthesize two lineamplifiers). 1 generated test data usinga BASIC program running on a Com-paq Portable (see figure 1).

By using the impairment generatorsin the 2A/2B line simulator and check-ing for errors on the Compaq, I wasable to stress the modems to discoverjust how much impairment they couldtake. For each modem, I took 79measurements per speed supported;that's 237 measurements for a2400-bps modem. The results aresummarized in figures 2, 3, and 4.{Editor's note: Figures 2, 3, and 4 usenumbers to denote the 23 modems tested. Seethe box on page 2 57 for the product name,company name, and price of each modem.]

As a final check, I used the 1982/83

End Office Connection Study (AT&TIBell laboratories Technical journal, volume63, number 9, November 1984) to setup a reasonable worst-case connec-tion that would test how the modemshandled a mixture of impairments.

Modem companies use equipmentlike this to check out new modemdesigns. According to applicationsnotes provided by Bradley Telcom,you loop back the modem throughthe 2A/2B line simulator duringtesting so that the modem is sendingitself data. No one really uses amodem this way, so a more realisticcondition was to duplicate the user/server relationship, with the server be-ing an AT&T 2224B modem.

For impairments involving frequen-cy, I focused on 20 Hz, 60 Hz, and120 Hz in the tests. The most com-mon frequency used by telephoneoperating companies to ring the tele-phone bell is 20 Hz. The power-linefrequency in the U.S. is 60 Hz, while120 Hz is the frequency you get froma 60-Hz power line after you convertit to pulsating DC using a full-wave rec-tifier, as many electronic appliancesdo. (If I wanted to be international inscope, I would have also used 50 Hzand 100 Hz.)

I conducted each impairment seriesfour times. The first three times I usedno filtering and three different signallevels: -5 dBm (decibels referencedto 1 milliwatt), -15 dBm, and-2 5 dBm. The fourth time I used agreat deal of filtering at - 5 dBm. Thetests are described below.

Sensitivity

Sensitivity indicates the signal level re-quired for the modem to recognize

r>-

c

AT&T 2224B

(reference

modem)

Bradley 2A/2B(impairmentgenerator)

-0

HP 4437A(attenuator)

VU meter

Compaq Portablecomputer

[OB

Modem

under

test

Hybrid transformers

>

Channel of Ramsa 8210 mixer

Figure 1: The setup of test instruments used in this review.

the initial connection protocol and tomake an error-free connection on aclean line (i.e., one with no impair-ments). The results are shown infigures 2a, 3a, and 4a. The lower theresult, the better; that means themodem can maintain the connectionwith a weaker signal.

Phase Modulation

If you look at an oscilloscope display-ing a sine wave that is experiencingphase modulation, the waveform willwiggle back and forth. Moderateamounts of phase modulation shouldnot affect 300-bps operation. Since a1200-bps or 2400-bps symbol usesphase offsets, however, a certainamount of jitter will cause symbols tobe decoded incorrectly.

In this test I measured the amountof phase modulation that the modemcould tolerate before it began intro-ducing errors. I performed the test atthe impairment frequencies of 20 Hz,60 Hz, and 120 Hz and recorded theminimum and maximum tolerances(see figures 2b, 3b, and 4b). In thiscase (and in all the following tests ex-cept Error Count), a modem with highratings was able to tolerate greateramounts of phase modulation beforeintroducing errors. (In this test and thefollowing test, the maximum modula-tion that the line simulator could pro-duce was 90 degrees.)

Amplitude Modulation

Amplitude modulation tests how themodem rejects periodic fluctuationsin signal level. It is the same as turn-ing the volume control on the signalback and forth at a specific frequen-cy. I checked how far I could go at thethree frequencies of 20 Hz, 60 Hz,and 120 Hz and recorded the mini-mum and maximum tolerances, asshown in figures 2 c, 3 c, and 4c. Amodem with high ratings couldtolerate more amplitude modulationwithout introducing errors.

White Noise

White noise is the hiss you hear onlong-distance telephone calls. As thisgets louder in relation to the signal,the receiving modem may confusethe noise for part of the signal. 1

{continued)

256 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 169

REVIEW: 23 MODEMS

Product Information

The numbers preceding the products

♦12. Courier 2400 $699

correspond to the numbers in

figures

USRobotics Inc.

2, 3. and 4. All modems are 300/1200

8100 McCormick Blvd.

bps except those marked w

ith an

Skokie. 1L 60076

asterisk, which also support 2400 bps.

(312) 982-5010

•I. Model 2233

$445

13. Rainbow 1200SA $199

Codex Corp.20 Cabot Blvd.

1NCOMM Data Systems Inc.115 North Wolf Rd.

Mansfield. MA 02048

Wheeling, IL 60090

(800) 446-6336

(312) 459-8881

2. 212AHC

$295

*14. Model 2400V $595

3. 212AH"

$295

Racal-Vadic

CTS Fabri-Tek Inc.

(See address at number 7.)

Datacomm Products Division

15. OZ Guardian Model 533 $750

6900 Shady Oak Rd.

Tri-Data

Eden Prairie, MN 5 5344

505 East Middlefield Rd.

(800) 328-6104

Mountain View, CA 94043-4082

4. FasTalk 1200

$450

(415) 969-3700

Universal Data Systems Inc.

16. IntelliModem EXT $499

5000 Bradford Dr.

BIZCOMP Corp.

Huntsville. AL 35805

532 Mercury Dr.

(800) 663-22 52

Sunnyvale, CA 94086

5. KM1200S

$299

(408) 733-7800

Kyocera International Inc.

*17. Smartmodem 2400 $899

8611 Balboa Ave.

Hayes Microcomputer Products

San Diego, CA 92123

(See address at number 6.)

(800) 235-1222

*18. MultiModem224E $749

6. Smartmodem 1200

$599

Multi-Tech Systems Inc.

Hayes Microcomputer Products

(See address at number 8.)

P.O. Box 105203

Atlanta, GA 30348

19. OmniTel 1200 $299

(404) 441-1617

OmniTel Inc.5415 Randall Place

7. Maxwell 1200V

$295

Fremont, CA 94538

Racal-Vadic

(800) 654-2785

152 5 McCarthy Blvd.

Milpitas. CA 95035

20. Model 4000 $499

(800) 482-3427

*21. Model 4024 $750AT&T Information Systems

8. MultiModem

$399

22 5 Littleton Rd.

*9. MultiModem224

$699

Morris Plains. NJ 07950

Multi-Tech Systems Inc.

(800) 247-1212

82 Second Ave. SE

New Brighton, MN 55112

22. Cermetek Security Modem $595

(800) 328-9717

Cermetek Microelectronics Inc.1308 Borregas Ave.

10. Smart-CAT Plus

$495

Sunnyvale, CA 94088

Novation Inc.

(800) 862-6271

20409 Prairie St.

Chatsworth, CA 91311

*23. 2424AD $395

(818) 996-5060

CTS Fabri-Tek Inc.

(See address at number 2.)

•11. 2400 Plus

$695

Ven-Tel Inc.

2342 Walsh Ave.

" Since this review was completed,

Santa Clara, CA 95051

the manufacturer has discontinued

(408) 727-5721

this model.

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We accept BankAmericard/VISAand MasterCard

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 257

REVIEW:

23 MODEMS

Figure 2: Results of the tests performed on the 23 modems operating at 300 bps. See text for description of thetests. Generally, the higher the rating, the better, except for the Sensitivity and Error Count tests, in which the bettermodems have the lowest ratings.

50

30100

0100

090

70

(a)

1

(b)

1

(c)

1

(d)

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2

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18181818

19191919

202020

20

21212121

22

222222

232323

23

tested how much white noise eachmodem could tolerate at the varioussignal levels and recorded the pointat which the modem began introduc-ing errors. The results are shown infigures 2d, 3d, and 4d. A modem withhigh ratings could tolerate white noisebetter than one with low ratings.

Impulse Noise

Impulse noise is a transient pulse orspike caused by lightning, relays, or

repairs, among other causes. You hearthis as a short "pop" on long-distancecalls.

I generated an impulse 5 times persecond and measured the impulselevel the modem could tolerate at thevarious signal levels. The test resultsare shown in figures 2e, 3e, and 4e.Once again, the higher the rating, thebetter. Note that lOOdBrn (decibelsabove reference noise) is themaximum that the 2A/2B can gener-

ate. This measurement is equal tolOdBm.

Gain Hit

A gain hit is a change in the level ofthe received signal for anywhere from4 milliseconds up to hours. On a long-distance call, a gain hit sounds likesomeone has turned down a volumecontrol and (maybe) brought it backup. 1 measured the maximum dip themodem could stand before it began

258 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

REVIEW:

23 MODEMS

(e) Impulse Noise (dBrn)

100

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

80

(f) Gain Hit (dB)

20

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

0

J

(g) Phase Hit (degrees)

200

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

0

(h) Error Count

50

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

0

introducing errors by using two dif-ferent rates of change in gain. In thefirst test I effected the gain change in20 milliseconds; in the second I took2 milliseconds to go from one levelto another. Duration of the hit was100 milliseconds, and I started a hitevery 200 milliseconds.

The results are shown in figures 2f,3f, and 4f. The maximum gain hit thatthe 2A/2B could generate was 20 dB(decibels). Modems that rate highly in

this test are more likely to continueworking reliably in situations wheregain hits are common.

Phase Hit

A phase hit is a change in the phaseof the received signal, similar to thechange in level of a gain hit. 1 used thesame intervals as in the tests for gainhit and recorded the maximum andminimum amount of phase shift thatthe modem could stand before intro-

ducing errors (see figures 2g, 3g, and4g). The maximum phase hit that the2A/2B could generate was 150degrees.

Error Count

Error count is the number of errorsrecorded for each speed the modemsupports. 1 set up the line simulatorfor filtered frequency response, asignal level of -15 dBm, 10 degrees

{continued)

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 259

REVIEW: 23 MODEMS

Figure 3: Results of the tests performed on the 23 modems operating at 1200 bps. See text for description of thetests. Generally, the higher the rating, the better, except for the Sensitivity and Error Count tests, in which the bettermodems have the lowest ratings. An asterisk indicates that a modem was unable to maintain a connection at someimpairment levels, as reflected in the minimum value reported.

50

30100

0100

090

70

(a)

1

(b)

1

(C)J

1

(d)\

1

Sensi

2

3has<

2

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White

2

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15

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18181818

19

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202020

20

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of phase modulation at 60 Hz, 2 per-cent (-33 dB) of second- and third-order harmonic distortion, whitenoise output of 5 5 dBrn {a signal-to-noise ratio of 35 dB), and gain hits of2 dB and phase hits of 10 degrees at5-second intervals with a 2-millisec-ond rise and a 100-millisecond dura-tion. 1 counted errors for 2 minutes.When an error occurred, the test pro-gram stopped and waited for no bits

for about '/> second before resumingpattern transmission. This ensuredthat the modem had recovered fromthe last error. The results are shownin figures 2h, 3h, and 4h. In contrastto most of the other tests, the lowerthe rating here, the better.

Conclusions

The rigorous testing 1 employed re-vealed differences between modems

that simple "use testing" did not find.For example, when 1 tested theUSRobotics Courier 2400 modem foranother publication, I didn't perceivethat 300-bps operation was more sen-sitive to line impairments than1200-bps operation. This proved tobe true for four other modems Itested.

The AT&T Model 4024 stood outclearly as the top modem. Although

260 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

REVIEW: :

23 MODEMS

-

: 1200 bps '

(e) Impulse Noise (dBrn)

100

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

80

*

(f) Gain Hit (dB)

20

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

0

*

(g) Phase Hit (degrees)

200

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

0

*

(h) Error Count

50

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

0

l=J

U

the Model 4024 fared well in most ofthe tests, the bottom line in datatransfer is the error count, and theModel 4024 showed the lowest errorcount at 2400 bps, as shown in figure4h. The Ven-Tel 2400 Plus came in withthe next lowest error count.

At 1200 bps, a number of modemsignored the simulated bad connectionand had no errors at all (see figure3h). I then looked to see how each

modem stood up to impairments. Onthis basis. I selected these as the topfive modems for 1200-bps transfers:the AT&T Model 4024, the Ven-Tel2400 Plus, the AT&T Model 4000, theMulti-Tech MultiModem224E, and theIntelliModem EXT. All five modemswere able to withstand the moresevere impairments and excelled at ig-noring at least one.The error count results also add fuel

to the controversy over whetherCCITT V.22bis (2400-bps) modemscan work. According to my test setup,the CCITT V.22bis modems performedmiserably. (The CTS 2424AD, for ex-ample, could not make a clean con-nection at 2400 bps with any attenua-tion of the signal.)

Still, users report having good luckusing these modems at 2400 bps over

(continued)

DECEMBER 1986 'BYTE 261

REVIEW: 23 MODEMS

Figure 4: Results of the tests performed on the 23 modems operating at 2400 bps. See text for description of thetests. Generally, the higher the rating, the better, except for the Sensitivity and Error Count tests, in which the bettermodems have the lowest ratings. An asterisk indicates that the modem was unable to maintain a connection at someimpairment levels, as reflected in the minimum value reported.

(a) Sensitivity (dB) (e) Impulse Noise (dBrn)

50

1

9

11

12

14

17

18

21

100

1

9

11

12

14

17

18

21

30

80

*

(b) Phase Modulation (degrees) (f) Gain Hit (dB)

100

1

9

11

12

14

17

18

21

20

1

9

11

12

14

17

18

21

0

...

*

0

—

—

—

*

—

—

—

(c) Amplitude Modulation (percent) (g) Phase Hit (degrees)

100

1

9

11

12

14

17

18

21

200

1

9

11

12

14

17

18

21

0

*

—

0

*

(d) White Noise (dBrn) (h) Error Count

90

1

9

11

12

14

17

18

21

50

1

9

11

12

14

17

18

21

70

•

*

0

*

significant distances. The 1982/83 EndOffice Connection Study, upon which1 based the worst-case Error Counttest, analyzed 6500 directly dialedlong-distance calls among 20 loca-tions. In that study, over 95 percentof the medium-distance connectionshad better measurements (i.e., fewerimpairments) than my setup.Had I selected values such that 50

percent of the connections showedbetter measurements, I suspect the2400-bps modems would have hadlower error counts. This conclusion isbased on the single-impairment stresstests.

This survey did not test sensitivityto radio frequency interference (RFI)from AM, FM, TV, CB, and other trans-mitters. Depending on how bad the

RFI problem is, it can be extremelytedious trying to trace down an inter-mittent problem.

I make no claim that this is theperfect evaluation for modems. Iwelcome advice from all quarters toimprove my methods.

Editor's note: \f you would like more detailson the setup of these tests, please send all com-ments and questions directly to the author, u

262 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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264 BYTE- DECEMBER 1986 Inquiry 336

SOFTWARE REVIEW

Pascal for the IBM PC

by Namir Clement Shammas

In this review I will surveyfour Pascal packages for theIBM PC: Microsoft's MS-Pascal, Pecan Software Sys-tems' enhanced version ofUCSD Pascal, Prospero Soft-ware's Pro Pascal, andMetaWare's ProfessionalPascal. Information on Borland'sTurbo Pascal is taken from "TlirboPascal 3.0" by Mark Bridger (Febru-ary BYTE) and is included only in thecomparative tables and in the bench-marks.

MS-PASCAL

The three-pass MS-Pascal version 3.31compiler from Microsoft lets you in-clude compiler directives in thesource program or type them on theDOS command line while invoking thefirst pass. There is no built-in editorin the system. The second and thirdpasses are invoked from DOS withoutany parameters and use files createdby previous passes. You can initiatethe compile and link process from aDOS batch file.

The current versions of Microsoft'sC, FORTRAN, and Pascal compilersallow the interlinking of object codefiles among them. The linker comeswith its own set of directives that af-fect such linking and code-generationprocesses as memory allocation,overlay manipulation, and the use ofa default library name. If you are link-ing programs that have considerablefloating-point operations, you canselect from a number of floating-pointsupport libraries to consistently useor avoid the 8087 chip, the IEEE float-ing-point standard, or an alternativerepresentation (see table 1).

MS-Pascal supports the standarddata types (boolean, char integer andreal). It has five integer subtypes:short integer (-127 to 127), byte (0 to2 5 5), standard integer (-32,768 to

Which one you choose

depends on your specific needs

and experience

32,767), the unsigned integer word (0to 65,535), and the long integer4(from minus to plus 2 billion). Float-ing-point types include the standardreal, the explicit single-precision real4,and the double-precision real8.

The single and multidimensionalsuper array data types have unde-fined upper bounds. When youdeclare a variable in the var section,you must specify the upper arraybound. Pointers to super arrays, how-ever, might delay specifying the upperlimit until the new() procedure iscalled. This procedure allocatesdynamic data structures and shoulddefine the upper array limits. The pre-defined functions upper() andlower() allow program access to theselimits.

There are two types of strings: stringvariables, which may vary in lengthfrom 1 to 32K bytes (no default), andIstring variables, which may containup to 2 56 characters. The differencebetween them is due to their internaldata structures: a string is simply anarray of characters, while an Istringcontains a length field followed by astring of characters.

Numeric constants in MS-Pascal canbe of any base from 2 to 36, enablingthe use of binary, octal, decimal, andhexadecimal constants. You can alsodefine constants by using expressionsthat involve other previously declaredconstants or as array or record struc-tures (see table 2).

MS-Pascal also implements thevalue section, a program area inwhich you can initialize defined vari-

ables and assign each ofthem one or more attributesto instruct the compiler onhow to handle and storethem and how to define theirstatus between routine calls.The compiler supports thestandard Pascal for . . . do,while, and repeat . . . until loop con-structs as well as two additional loopcontrol statements. The break state-ment provides an exit from the cur-rent loop, while cycle lets you skip therest of the current loop iteration andresume processing at the next itera-tion.

MS-Pascal also supports the stan-dard if and case constructs, and caseis extended by the catch-all otherwiseclause. Conditional (Boolean) expres-sions are evaluated sequentially. Thetested expression is written as a seriesof and then or or else subtests. Oncean and then subtest is found to befalse, the remaining subtests are notevaluated. Similarly, once a subtest inan or else clause is found to be true,further evaluation is terminated.

Functions and procedures can con-tain attributes that direct compiler-generated code. These include for-ward (for forward referencing), externand public (for external referencing),origin (for subprogram addressing),fortran (for multilanguage interfacing),interrupt (for hardware interfacing),and pure (for optimizing). MS-Pascalalso contains a large library of func-tions and procedures that providesuch services as data-file system ac-cess, dynamic variable allocation,data conversion, mathematical func-tions, extend- and system-level intrin-sics, string manipulation, heap man-

(conlmued)Namir Clement Shammas (4814 Mil! ParkCourt, Glen Allen, VA 23060) is a freelancewriter and columnist for several microcom-puting magazines.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 265

REVIEW: PASCAL FOR THE IBM PC

agement, and semaphore routines.There are no routines to support high-resolution graphics, cursor and screencontrol, or windows, but such supportis available elsewhere.

MS-Pascal version 3.31

Type

Language compiler

Company

Microsoft Corporation16011 Northeast 36th WayP.O. Box 9097017Redmond, WA 98073-9717(800) 426-9400

Format

Two double-sided, double-density5V4-inch disks

Computer

IBM PC, PC XT, or PC AT with PC-DOS2.0 or later, 256K bytes of memory, andtwo floppy disk drives; 8087 mathcoprocessor chip optional

Documentation

Two three-ring manuals: a 359-pageuser's guide and a 392-page referenceguide

Price

$300

Pro Pascal version 2.14

Type

Language compiler

Company

Prospero Software190 CastelnauLondon SW13 9DH, U.K.Telephone: 01-741 8531

Format

Two double-sided, double-density5V4-inch disks; PC-DOS 2.0-compatibledisk format

Computer

IBM PC, PC XT, or PC AT with aminimum of 80K bytes of memory and200K bytes of disk storage; 8087 mathcoprocessor chip optional

Documentation

220-page three-ring manual

Price

$390

The language supports readableASCII and binary data-file structures.MS-Pascal has three file accessmodes: sequential, direct (random ac-cess), and terminal (similar to sequen-

UCSD Pascal version 4.2.1

Type

Language compiler and environment

Company

Pecan Software Systems Inc.1410 39th St.Brooklyn, NY 11218(800) 637-3226 (outside NY)(800) 457-3226 (NY only)

Format

Three double-sided, double-density5'/4-inch disks; PC-DOS 2.0-compatibledisk format

Computer

IBM PC, PC XT, or PC AT with aminimum of 128K bytes of memory, twodouble-sided disk drives, monochromeor color display, graphics adapter, andPC-DOS 2.0 or later; 8087 mathcoprocessor chip optional

Documentation

594-page bound manual

Price

$99.95

Professional Pascal version 2.5

Type

Language compiler

Company

MetaWare Inc.412 Liberty St.Santa Cruz, CA 95060(408) 429-6382

Format

Seven double-sided, double-density51/4-inch disks

Computer

IBM PC, PC XT, or PC AT with 227Kbytes of memory, a minimum of 1.5megabytes of hard disk storage (2.5megabytes recommended), and PC-DOS 2.0 or later; 8087 mathcoprocessor chip optional

Documentation

500-page three-ring manual

Price

$595

tial but used with printers andterminals).

MS-Pascal provides support formodular program developmentthrough modules (programs that haveno body but contain functions andprocedure declarations) and units(more evolved libraries composed ofthe interface and implementation sec-tions). The interface section declaresthe exported routines by the unit, /talso contains the constants, types,variables, procedure and functionheadings, and optional unit ini-tialization. The implementation sec-tion contains the complete routine'sdefinition as well as those of localroutines (see table 2).

UCSD Pascal

UCSD Pascal version 4.2.1, with its en-vironment and operating system, runson top of the MS-/PC-DOS operatingsystem. You use the PSYSTEM.COMfile to boot the p-System; however, theMS-DOS DIR command won't catalogthe contents of p-System volumes.The environment consists mainly ofthe built-in editor, compiler, linker,filer, DOS files, assembler, debugger,monitor, and program driver.

The Edvance editor is a single-filebuilt-in editor. Beyond the normal cur-sor movement, text modification, andtext formatting capabilities, the editorhas two buffer-management com-mands to extend the file buffer andwrite parts of it to a disk file. Theeditor lets you create a new functionor macro by recording a sequence ofkeystrokes. Moreover, the programcan read such functions from the text.Nested editing is also permitted.

The UCSD Pascal compiler trans-lates source code into either p-code(by default) or native code (by usinga compiler directive). You can includea number of directives in the sourcecode to permit actions such as con-ditional compilation, I/O checking, in-dex range checking, determination ofsingle- or double-precision floating-point representation, or quiet com-pilation to prevent displaying compila-tion progress information. Other ver-sions of the compiler produce codeusing the 8087 chip and a library thatsupports BCD math. When the com-piler detects an error, you can choose

266 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

REVIEW: PASCAL FOR THE IBM PC

from a number of alternate coursesof action such as resuming compila-tion to catch more possible errors,halting the compiler, invoking theeditor to point to the offending textlocation, and sending the error mes-sages to the printer.

The linker enables you to link as-sembly language routines into aUCSD Pascal compilation. You canalso link native code routines to-gether. When you compile a sourceprogram into executable code, youneed not explicitly invoke the linker;the compiler will automatically call it(see table 1).

The standard scalar data types(boolean, char, integer, and real) aresupported. Long integers are availableand can be defined as integer[n],where n is an unsigned integer rep-resenting the number of digits to amaximum of 36. You can use real datatypes as single- or double-precisionnumbers, depending on the compilerdirective invoked. UCSD Pascal alsohas predefined string data types withdefault and maximum lengths of 80and 2 55 characters, respectively (seetable 2).

Procedures and functions can usethe forward attribute for forward ref-erencing, passing parameters by valueor reference. The language supportsconformant single- and multidimen-sional arrays. The lower and upperrange of each array dimension isassigned to variables whose type isindicated after the range expressionin the form array [low . . . high;type]of type. Within the functions and pro-cedures, you access the array limitsthrough the upper() and lower()special variables. The language alsoimplements loops and decision-making constructs without languageextensions.

UCSD Pascal supports single micro-processor pseudoconcurrent pro-cesses. These processes must beglobal to the program and cannot bedeclared within other procedures andfunctions; nested processes are notallowed. You use the procedure startto initialize each concurrent call. Eachprocess triggered must have a pro-cessid, priority, and stack size as-signed to it. Process synchronizationis carried out by using the predefined

Table I: General information about the four compilers discussed, as

well

as

Borland's Turbo Pascal.

MS-

UCSD

Pro

Professional

Turbo

Pascal

Pascal

Pascal

Pascal

Pascal

Version

3.31

4.2.1

2.14

2.5

3.0

Native code

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

P-code

No

Yes

No

No

No

Number of passes

3

1

3

1

1

Linker

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Assembler

No

Yes

No

No

No

Debugger

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Built-in editor

No

Yes

No

No

Yes

Syntax-oriented editor

N/A*

No

N/A*

N/A*

No

Requires hard disk to run

No

No

No

Yes

No

Price

$300

$99.95

$390

$595

$69.95

*Not applicable.

type semaphore and a number ofpredefined procedures. A semaphoremonitors the number of processeswaiting in a queue and an integercount. The seminit procedure ini-tializes the semaphore and the countnumber. You use the proceduressignal and wait for interprocess syn-chronization; both take a semaphoreas an argument. A concurrent processcan associate hardware interruptswith a semaphore using the pro-cedure attach.

The compiler allows both sequentialand random access binary-formattedI/O operations, but only sequentialASCII-formatted file structures arepermitted. Untyped file I/O is sup-ported, block I/O is performedthrough blockread and blockwrite,and device I/O is also implemented.

UCSD Pascal contains five units thatperform a variety of important tasksincluding advanced screen control,I/O redirection and program chaining,turtle graphics, accessing IBM PChardware features, PC-DOS file access,and data segment access.

Pro Pascal

Of the four packages reviewed, ProPascal version 2.14 adheres mostclosely to the ISO standard Pascal, butwith a number of language exten-sions. The main package componentsinclude a compiler, linker, symbolicdebugger, and librarian; the com-piler's components include two utili-ty programs, a cross-reference gen-

erator, and a configurator. It has nobuilt-in editor.

To select a library for inclusion in acompilation, you must first make acopy of it and name that copyPASLIB.OBJ. The three-pass Pro Pascalcompiler automatically chains to thelinker if it finds the PASLIB.OBJ library.Otherwise you must explicitly link theobject code file with a selected library.You use a linker switch to performselective linking with only thoseroutines that are referenced in theprogram. You can invoke the linker—or the compiler—in its interactivemode by not entering an object file-name. In addition to prompting forthe object filename, the linker will alsoask you a number of questions con-cerning stack size, creation of amodule map, a public and externalroutines map, a segment map, andoverlays. The four available run-timelibraries correspond to the four possi-ble combinations of supporting smallor large memory models and runningwith or without 8087 support (seetable 1).

Pro Pascal supports the followingbasic data types: boolean, char; in-teger, real, long real, and string. Theintegers are implemented as long in-tegers with values ranging from minusto plus 2 billion. Long reals have awider value range (l.r308 to 3.6308) anduse 16-digit precision; reals have7-digit precision and range from 5.9~3'to 6.838; strings have a maximum size

(continued)

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 267

REVIEW: PASCAL FOR THE IBM PC

Table 2: A comparison

of the various

available data tupes, program components,

and special features.

UCSD

Pro

Professional

Turbo

MS-Pascal

Pascal

Pascal

Pascal

Pascal

Binary constants

Yes

No

No

Yes

No

Octal constants

Yes

No

No

Yes

No

Hexadecimal constants

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Structured constants

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

Short integers

(-127 through 127)

Yes

No

No

No

No

byte (0 through 255)

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

Unsigned integers

(0 through 65,535)

Yes

No

No

Yes

No

Long integers

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

address

Yes

No

Yes1

Yes1

Yes'

Absolute variables

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Double-precision reals

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

8087 support

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes2

BCD reals

No

Yes

No

No

Yes2

Extended reals

No

No

No

Yes

No

Enumerated types

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Subrange types

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Set types

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Open arrays

Yes

Yes

No

No3

Yes"

Conformant arrays

Yes

No

No

No

No

Procedural types

No

No

No

Yes

No

Functions return

structures and arrays

No

No

No

Yes

No

Maximum string size

32K

255

255

64K

255

Bit/byte manipulation

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Byte/character

manipulation

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

case with else clause

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Concurrent processes

No

Yes

No

No

No

DOS call

Yes

No

Yes

Yes=

Yes

High-resolution graphics

No

Yes

No

No

Yes

Iterators and extended

for loops

No

No

No

Yes

No

In-line machine code

No

No

No

No

Yes

Interrupts

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Labeled loops

No

No

No

Yes

No

Macro preprocessor

No

No

No

Yes

No

Procedure/function

parameters

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Screen/cursor control

No

Yes

No

No

Yes

String manipulation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes*

Yes

User-definable operators

No

No

No

Yes

No

Window support

No

Yes

No

No

No

64K-byte code/data limit

No

No

No

No

Yes

Chaining

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Export abstract data

types

No

No

No

Yes

No

Modules

Yes

No

No

Yes

No

External routines

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

include files

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Overlays

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Segmentation

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

unit libraries

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

1 As a function.

2 Option available through

a special version.

3 Feature available througr

pointers.

4 Limited to strings.

s Imported from external available libraries.

of 2 5 5 characters. Pro Pascal uses theusual string-manipulation routinesand supports the FORTRAN-like com-mon declaration to make variablesavailable to other segments (see table2).

Functions and procedures followISO standard Pascal. Thus, you canpass parameters by value or by refer-ence; Pro Pascal also supports func-tional and procedural parameters. Thecompiler contains the forward and ex-tern directives and has additional pro-cedures and functions including rou-tines to chain programs, link overlays,PEEK, and POKE. It also supportsstandard loops and decision-makingconstructs. The case statement allowsthe otherwise clause.

A special library of external routinesperforms port I/O, makes calls to theoperating system, and lets you per-form error handling. The compiler hasprocedures that help a "parent" pro-gram start executing a "child" pro-gram. While the child program is run-ning, the parent program is on hold.When the child program terminates,the parent program can resume ex-ecution. You can have nested childprocesses, and there are proceduresto terminate those processes and freethe memory space they used.

Like other Pascal implementations.Pro Pascal supports ASCII and binaryfile structures and has random and se-quential access for binary-formattedfiles and sequential access for textfiles. It also allows an applications pro-gram to append data to the end of anexisting sequential file. Other routineslet an applications program renameand delete a file, return a file's file-control-block address, and verify afilename.

Professional Pascal

Professional Pascal version 2.5 hassome interesting language extensionsinfluenced by Ada and Modula-2. Itsupports the 8087 chip and includesa number of utilities to handle varioustasks such as console I/O, heap man-agement, interrupts, sorting, string-manipulation procedures, and oper-ating system services. It requires ahard disk and has no built-in editor.You can choose from five memory

(continued)

268 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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270 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 2£

REVIEW:PASCAL FOR THE IBM PC

models of the compiler, dependingon the size of your source programs.You can invoke compiler directiveseither directly from the DOS level oras Ada-like pragmas (directivesembedded in the source text). Profes-sional Pascal has no linker of its ownand uses Microsoft's; however, amacro preprocessor is available (seetable 1).

Professional Pascal supports all thestandard Pascal data types as well asthe following scalar types: cardinal, orunsigned integer (inspired byModula-2), long integer and long andextended real. Thus, three floating-point types are provided. While theiractual precision is machine-depen-dent, it can be expressed as real < =longreal < = extreal. Strings have amaximum size of 65,535 characters.When you declare string variables,you must define their correspondingsizes in parentheses. This requirementis dropped when you declare string-typed parameters in the formal argu-ment lists of procedures and func-tions. Thus, routines can handlestrings of varying lengths.

Numeric constants can be repre-sented in nondecimal bases: Theavailable range is from 2 to 16, thusenabling the use of binary, octal, andhexadecimal in addition to decimaland constants. You can also use con-stant expressions wherever constantsare expected (see table 2).

You can initialize variables in a valuesection, which is similar to MS-Pascal's. The compiler offers typecast-ing, a C feature, to direct the data typeof an expression. It is useful for con-trolling the results of expressions in-volving different types of integers. Youcan retype variables with an externalpseudofunction that helps to getaround Pascal's strong typing. Expres-sions can contain the assignmentoperators, thus permitting multiple as-signments such as x := y := 1.23among compatible types. There arealso many operators for pointers andaddresses including addition, subtrac-tion, and a set of logical comparisonoperators (=,<>,<,>,> = ,<=).The declaration block is borrowedfrom Ada and allows you to declaretemporary variables inside the body

(continued)

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Inquiry 299

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Inside California

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DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 271

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.

REVIEW:PASCAL FOR THE IBM PC

of the program or routine.

Professional Pascal supports stan-dard Pascal loops and two loop-control statements. The first state-ment, cycle, is used in the for while,repeat, and iterator loops to bypassthe remaining portion of the loop andcontinue with the next iteration. Thesecond, break, is used to exit a loopaltogether. Loop and block state-ments can have names that mayfollow the break statement to indicatewhere the program resumes. This isuseful in providing nested loops witha single exit.

The case construct is similar to stan-dard Pascal's except that it can con-tain the otherwise clause. You use theand then construct in sequentiallogical tests so that the right operandis not evaluated unless the left one istrue. By contrast, the or else constructdoes not evaluate the right operandunless the left is false. You can usethese operators to avoid error-proneexpressions; for example, i < > 0 andthen j/i > 5 avoids the division-by-zero problem.

The compiler implements a power-ful Ada-like feature: user-definedunary and binary operators. A set ofsymbols lets you create a new opera-tor symbol: it can include as manysymbols as you wish. ProfessionalPascal also introduces a new kind ofroutine called the iterator, which is avery powerful extended for loop.

The language supports the Modula-2 procedure type and allows functionsto return any data type. It has aspecial syntax to distinguish betweenintermediate function values appear-ing on the right-hand side of anassignment and recursive functioncalls. It also performs parameterassociation during routine calls byusing either positional association orthe Ada-like named-parameter as-sociation. Procedures and functionscan handle arrays of varying sizes. Toaccomplish this. Professional Pascaluses a different approach than that ofthe other packages reviewed: Pro-cedures and functions access the ar-rays with pointers.

Professional Pascal supports all thestandard Pascal intrinsics except packand unpack in addition to the

[continued]

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507 Calle San Pablo

Camarillo, California 93010

Inside California

805-987-9741

Outside California

800-821-4479

London (01) 223-4569 Sydney (02) 579-3322Paris (01) 321-5316 Canada (403) 434-9444

Hours: M-F 8am - 5pm PTZSat 8am ■ 12pm PTZ

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 273

REVIEW: PASCAL FOR THE IBM PC

liable 3: Sieve

of Eratosthenes benchmark results.

Code sizes are

in bytes {except

where indicated), and times

are in second'.

Source

Compiled

Compile

Compiler

code size

code size

and link

Run time

Comments

MS-Pascal

768

29,600

54

11

UCSD Pascal

4 blocks

2 blocks

19

129

p-code

3 blocks

50

18

native

Pro Pascal

768

11,008

42

29

Professional

768

21,646

74

12

Pascal

Turbo Pascal

768

11,495

2.7

13

Table 4: Floating-Point benchmark results. Code sizes

are in

bytes

(except where

indicated), and times are in

seconds.

Source

Compiled

Compile

Compiler

code size

code size

and link

Run time

Comments

MS-Pascal

384

36,894

64

4

PASCAL.LIB

with 8087

29,708

63

4

8087LIB

36,878

66

4

MATH.LIB

MS-Pascal

384

31,946

65

12

ALTMATH.LIB

without 8087

29,954

65

10

DECMATH.LIB

UCSD Pascal

4 blocks

2 blocks

17

36

p-code

3 blocks

43

4

8086/8087code

Pro Pascal

384

5120

43

4

with 8087

5888

47

10

without 8087

Professional

384

16,782

75

2.5

with 8087

Pascal

21,566

86

18

without 8087

Turbo Pascal

384

10,334

2.0

7

with 8087

11,485

2.6

33

without 8087

Modula-2 increment, decrement, andset-include and -exclude procedures.The maximum and minimum func-tions can take more than two argu-ments. The lower and upper boundsof an array are returned by the lowestand highest functions, respectively.These functions also work with typesand sets.

The compiler supports both ASC1I-and binary-file structures and allowsrandom and sequential access forbinary files but only sequential accessfor ASCII files. The random accessrecord-seeking procedure permitslong integers to be used as recordnumbers, thus extending the range ofallowable records from 65,53 5 to 2billion.

Professional Pascal implementsAda-like library units, called packages,which can export constants, data

types, variables, procedures, andfunctions to other programs. You canexport abstract types in which thedetailed structures are kept hiddenfrom other programs, a feature fromAda and Modula-2. There is a specialsyntax to specify the items exported,thus localizing all others. Client pro-grams (those being exported to) canalso be selective of the items they im-port, just as in Modula-2.

Benchmark Testing

I carried out the Sieve and Floating-Point standard BYTE benchmarks onall four Pascal compilers using an IBMPC XT with a 10-megabyte hard disk,512K bytes of memory, an 8087 chip,and PC-DOS 3.1.1 used batch files tocompile and link those implementa-tions running under PC-DOS, exceptTurbo Pascal, and timed them accord-

ingly. All compile and run times, ex-cept those for UCSD Pascal, werebased on using a hard disk; UCSDPascal was run on floppy disks. All thecompilers processed the benchmarkprograms without error. (Some minorlisting modifications were made.)

Pro Pascal generated the smallestfully compiled programs, followed byTurbo Pascal; MS-Pascal yielded thelargest programs, with ProfessionalPascal in second place. UCSD Pascalgenerated a very small amount ofcode, which may be attributed to thepresence of I/O routines in the UCSDkernel.

In compile and link speed. TurboPascal maintained a marginal lead.UCSD Pascal, while producing tight p-code, is the second fastest—and onfloppy disks, not a hard disk like theothers. Professional Pascal was theslowest.

The execution speeds indicate thestrong and weak points in the com-pilers examined. MS-Pascal is fastestin the Sieve, with Professional Pascaland Turbo Pascal a close second andthird, respectively (see table 3). In theFloating-Point test with the 8087 chip,Professional Pascal comes in first, withTurbo Pascal last (see table 4).

Conclusion

As you can see, there is no single bestchoice among these compilers: Theyall have their merits. As with mostchoices in the computer industry to-day, it all depends on your needs andon your skill level. MS-Pascal is suit-able for large software projects andfor intermediate and advanced pro-grammers; UCSD Pascal puts programexecution speed at practical anddesirable levels. Pro Pascal's ad-herence to the ISO standard makes iteasy to learn and use for novices andintermediate-level users; ProfessionalPascal appeals to language fans whoenjoy features from other languagesand it is suitable for large softwareprojects. Turbo Pascal, even with its64K-byte limitation, is practical andattractive to programmers at all levelsof expertise. The comparative tableswithin this review can help you toweigh the options and determinewhich of these compilers is the bestone for you. ■

274 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

PRINCETONLS-300-LET YOUR PC

SCAN NEWHORIZONS

Scan text, images and graphicsinto your IBM PC or compatibleas fast as 12 seconds per page atfull 300 dpi resolution.

The compact Princeton LS-300 Scanner isversatile, easy to use and appropriate for desk-top use. You can also team the LS-300 Scannerwith the new Princeton LM-300 Print PreviewMonitor and save time by viewing a full pagebefore you print.A Wide Range of Applications The LS-300 helps youincrease productivity in a variety of applications. Withhardware dithering for gray levels, you can combinephotographs and illustrations with reports or pro-posals. You can produce desktop publishingmaterials with extra visual impact. And, be-cause the LS-300 reads virtually any page,you can scan in documents that can be sentat full 300 dpi resolution for facsimile trans-mission, or stored for future use.

To convert typewritten pages into editabletext, an OCR option is available.A High Resolution Image Scanning at300 dpi, the LS-300 gives you the sameresolution as the output of a qualitydesktop laser printer. It also maintainscompatibility with your EGA software anddisplay.

IBM Compatibility, Princeton ReliabilityThe Princeton LS-300 is designed for usewith your IBM PC/XT/AT or compatible...its attractive price includes adapter card,cable and software. What's more, youcan depend on the LS-300 to keep onworking because it features built-inPrinceton quality and durability.See Your Dealer for a DemonstrationIf you're ready for a versatile desktopscanner that can help you increase yourproductivity, see your Princeton Dealertoday for a demonstration. Or call formore information.

r PrincetonM[?pnic Systems

ine

4

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Graphic Systems

Number One

Again

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Inquiry 281

GRAPHIC SYSTEMS

AN IIMTILLIOENT SYSTEMS COMPANY

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Inquiry 127 for End-Users. Inquiry 128 for DEALERS ONLY.

SOFTW

REVIEW

STELLA

by Stephen B. Robinson

STELLA is a modeling andsimulation program for theMacintosh developed byHigh Performance SystemsInc. STELLA, which standsfor Structural Thinking Ex-periential Learning Labora-tory with Animation, lives upto its name in an outstanding manner.

STELLA allows you to take yourideas about the way something worksand make these ideas concrete,understandable, and testable. Theprogram transforms general thoughtsinto a simple, logical, structuraldiagram. The user's guide refers toSTELLA as a conceptual Lego set,which is an accurate description.

You can easily test and modifymodels in a variety of ways to obtainmore refined models as well as a bet-ter understanding of the models. Inthis sense, STELLA is better than aLego set because the model doesn'thave to be torn apart to be tested andimproved.

STELLAs Animation feature allowsyou to watch the parts of a structuraldiagram change and develop duringa test run. This gives you a good feelfor how the parts work in relation toeach other. STELLA also has usefulgraphing features. The graphs, tables,and animation provide you with avariety of ways for gaining an under-standing and intuition for a model.

Features

STELLA is designed to model andsimulate dynamic systems, that is, sys-tems that move or change with pass-ing time. This includes a very broadrange of problems, particularly in thephysical and social sciences. Some ex-amples might include epidemics, soilerosion, effects of managementpolicies, and population growth. Oneexample included in the user's guidethat I found particularly interesting

Modeling and

simulation software for usewith the Macintosh

because it dealt with some abstractconcepts in very concrete terms wasa case study in which a previouslysuccessful company was losing itsmost talented managers to competingfirms. Using STELLA, the firm wasable to recognize the contributing fac-tors and make changes that encour-aged and retained talent. In this situa-tion, STELLAs abstract concepts,called converters, were used to buildan accurate model of the companyand its policies.

Audience

You don't have to be a mathematicianor a programmer to create a usefulmodel with STELLA because the pro-gram handles all the difficult mathe-matics on its own.

STELLA is menu-driven and is nomore difficult to use than MacWrite orMacPaint. The commands are straight-forward, and only the most technicalcommands require a complete ex-planation in the user's guide.

STELLA models are quite lucid. Ifone user develops a good systemmodel, then it is easy for other usersto understand and test that model.The logic of the structural diagramand the visual appeal of the graphsand animations make a model veryeasy to follow. In this sense, STELLAis a wonderful tool for workbooks, lec-tures, or presentations. Just as a wordprocessor can enhance productivity,STELLA can help you deal with prob-lems more productively by fleshingout a useful working model of adynamic system.

Unfortunately, the currentversion of STELLA will not letyou export structural dia-grams, tables, graphs, orequation lists for use in otherapplications. With thesefeatures, STELLA would at-tract a more general au-dience. | Editor's note: A preliminary ver-sion of a STELLA update has these features.In the future, therefore, it may be possible touse tables in your spreadsheet programs ortransport structural diagrams to MacPaint.High Performance Systems also plans to addmore built-in features to future versions. Thesemay include net present value, delay, integer,linear projection, percent, and other statisticalfunctions.)

Modeling and Simulation

STELLA has four basic buildingblocks: stocks, flows, converters, andinput links. The stocks and flows repre-sent the skeleton of a structuraldiagram. Stocks represent placeswhere items accumulate, and flowsdetermine how quickly items passinto and out of a stock.

Imagine a model of populationgrowth in America. You might startwith one stock and two flows: Thestock would represent people, the in-flow would represent the birthrateand immigration into the U.S., and theoutflow would represent the deathrate and emigration out of the U.S.

Converters and input links providethe logical connections that completea structural diagram. Converters rep-resent factors that might affect flows,while input links are simply arrowsthat show how the other buildingblocks are related. Using the popula-tion-growth model, two useful con-

(continued)Stephen B. Robinson (2874 South PalisadesAve., Santa Cruz, CA 95062) is a graduatestudent at the University of California atSanta Cruz.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 277

REVIEW: STELLA

STELLA 1.1

Type

Modeling and simulation software

Company

High Performance Systems Inc.13 Dartmouth College HighwayLyme, NH 03768(603) 795-4122

Format

Two 3V2-inch disks (one program diskand one example disk)

Computer

512K-byte Macintosh or Macintosh Plus

Documentation

A User's Guide to STELLA, 115 pages

Price

$200

verters might be Average Family

Size or Average Lifetime. If Aver-age Lifetime is determined by the

number of people and availableresources, then there should be an in-put link from the stock, People, to the

converter, Average Lifetime, and an

input link from Available Resources

to Average Lifetime.

STELLA makes very good use of theMacintosh system to draw these struc-tural diagrams. Using the mouse, youcan easily move and connect the partsof a simple or complex diagram invarious ways. Several useful featureshelp with the picture-making. Pinninghelps keep input links from crossingother parts of the diagram. Using thisfeature is similar to using pushpinsand yarn on a map. Ghosting is an-other helpful feature. You can createa ghost image of an important modelpart, move it to a less cluttered area,and enhance the structural diagramaround the model part.

After drawing the structural dia-gram, you must define the basic rela-tionships between diagram parts.STELLA will then arrange the moredifficult computational mathematicsin the background. You can define

relationships in several ways: You candraw them on a graph, write them inan equation, or define them usingconditional statements with IE THEN,ELSE, AND, OR, or NOT as keywords.STELLA even checks to make surethat the definitions are consistent withthe structural diagram that you draw.For example, in the population-growthmodel. Death Rate might be defined

as People/Average Lifetime. Before

allowing this definition, STELLAwould require that you draw inputlinks from People and Average Life-time to Death Rate. If you draw an in-put link from Available Resources to

Death Rate, then STELLA requires

you to include Available Resources

in the definition of Death Rate. Thisdefinition could be refined as youunderstand the system better and takemore factors into account.

The combination of a structuraldiagram and the basic definitions ofits parts constitutes a completemodel. Now you are ready for simula-tion and testing.

The first step, creating graphs andtables, isn't difficult. All you have todo is choose the variables to begraphed, set the scale or approximatelimits of the graph values, and thenrun the simulation. Any one or severalof the variables can run against timeor each other.

STELLA has several very helpfulfeatures for simulation. Autoscaleputs the model through all or part ofa test run to determine the best limitsfor values on a graph. In the Specsmenu, the Computation Method andSimulation Time features let you ad-just accuracy and speed according tothe needs of the model.

Also in the Specs menu is AnimateWhat. This feature allows you to selectwhich parts of the structural diagramwill be animated. Setting the scale forthe animation is identical to setting itfor a graph. Animated stocks look liketubs that fill and empty as items flowin and out at different rates. The otheranimated model parts resemble dialswith little arrows that move inside themodel part as values change. Watch-ing these during a test run is helpful,although the graphs are more reliablefor exact information.

To test the stability and realistic

qualities of a model further, the Built-Ins list has features such as Pulse andStep. These features let you introducedisturbances in the model to see howit will react. For example, in thepopulation-growth model, if in oneparticular year the U.S. had an influxof one million unexpected warrefugees, how would that affect futurepopulation? Also, what if the govern-ment decided to double the immigra-tion limit permanently? These wouldbe Step increases. These testingfeatures make STELLA a versatile andpowerful laboratory for testing yourmodel.

The process of building, testing, andmodifying a model has two majorresults. First, the model can becomean increasingly accurate and sensitivetool. Second, you gain an extendedintuition and understanding of thesystem.

Learning STELLA

Learning to use STELLA well is most-ly a matter of practice. Fortunately,STELLA'S manual, A User's Guide toSTELLA, is reasonably well writtenand provides an opportunity for suf-ficient practice. It contains a handfulof good modeling workshops: guide-lines for conceptualization, equationformation, and testing; a list of usefulgeneric flow structures (basic modelshapes that are used frequently); andsome friendly advice. For me, learn-ing to use STELLA became a shortcourse in systems dynamics.

Conclusions

With practice and ingenuity, STELLAcan become a remarkably flexibletool. STELLA'S writers even mentionnot having used some of STELLA'Sbuilt-in functions for defining relation-ships between model parts, but theywere included for those interestedmodelers who may one day needthem.

I expect that STELLA will becomea valuable tool in a variety of situa-tions for businesses and organizationsthat want to understand and improvetheir own operations, for education asa laboratory and a workshop forideas, and for users with good ideasthat they want to test and improveupon. ■

278 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

It's not just having 640K...it's what you can do with it.

■

Rfl

More than simply accessing full memory, BetterBASIC ex-pands the usefulness of BASIC. Comparing it to other BASICs,Ted Mirecki of PC Tech Journal wrote, "BetterBASICpromisesthe best of all possibilities: near-total compatibility with BASICA,plus advanced enhancements that depart from BASIC'S simplic-ity but give the language many of the capabilities of PASCAL

and C." ©PC Tech Journal, June 1986, Ziff Communications Company

See for yourself. Simply run your GW-BASIC or PC-BASICAprograms in BetterBASIC, or create new ones, and get thepower, structure and flexibility you'd expect only from C orPASCAL, yet stall in familiar BASIC syntax. BetterBASIC alsogives you over 150 statements beyond standard Microsoft syntax.

On your IBM-PC or true clone, define your own modules forspecific applications, such as Industry Dependent Functions,Hardware Drivers, Data Acquisitions, Robotics, etc., and definekeywords in your own language.

BetterBASIC also makes your job easier with its on-screeneditor, de-bugging capabilities which include all TRON com-mands, and a break-and-continue option. It supports IEEE Math,Graphics, Sound Statements, Interrupts, and many otherfunctions.

I

Optional modules expand BetterBASIC even further: VirtualMemory Manager takes Array Memory to 4 Giga-Bytes; RuntimeSystem creates stand-alone EXE. files; 8087/80287 Math ChipSupport increases math speed; Btrieve™ Interface permits build-ing sophisticated data-base files; and, Decimal Math supportsfinancial and accounting applications.

As we said, it's not just having 640K, it's what you can dowith it.

For your convenience, BetterBASIC is not copy protected,and technical support and a bulletin board are available for allregistered users.

BetterBASIC $199

Virtual Memory Manager 99

Runtime System 250

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Btrieve Interface 99

Decimal Math 49

Sample Disk with Tutorial 10

Ask your dealer -t Q(\(\ 00 C CQAAor call to order: LmO\)\)m&&OmOO\)\)

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BetterBASIC is a registered trademark of Summit Soft-ware Technology, Inc. IBM, PC, are registered trade-marks of International Business Machines Corp.MicroSoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp.Btrieve is a registered trademark of SoftCraft Inc.

Summit Software Technology, Inc.1

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I I. ■■11.11111 1,111

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280 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

TGAEGACGA

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Sometimes life gives you less than you bargained for.Taxan would like to even that out a bit by giving youmore than you'd expect—our Multi-Resolution System.™

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Because of its ability to automatically switch modes,the Taxan Gold Card ™ graphics adapter allows you toadd new programs, with different display standards, toyour software library without the worry of compatibility.

The Taxan Gold Card isalso equipped with a built-in serial port. Making iteasier to use mouse-drivensoftware, like Windows,without buying a separateboard or giving up valuableexpansion slots in your PC.

Best of all, the TaxanGold Card is designed tocomplement our highperformance RGBmonitors. Like the new large-screen model 840 or theimproved models 635 and 650. The higher-than-industrystandard horizontal scan rate of 25 KHz, and a doubledline count of 640x400 combine to give you sharp, cleantext. Bright, clear colors. And crisp chart titles. Allwithout annoying flicker.

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Inquiry 408 for End-Users. Inquiry 409 for DEALERS ONLY.

SOFTWA

REVIEW

Flash-Com

by Brock N. Meeks

Flash-Corn by Omni Com-puter Systems is an elec-tronic communications sys-tem that contains four sepa-rate applications modulesand two utilities. The pro-gram is copy-protected, butyou can copy it and run itfrom a hard disk. The only require-ment is that a master disk must alwaysbe in drive A.

The program's four applications arecommunications, a mailing list man-ager, a Store and Forward module,and a forms manager. The two utilitiesconsist of a group of conversion pro-grams for creating Flash-Com-com-patible files and a large range ofprepared business forms and form let-ters. For users who don't do much on-line work, this program seems over-qualified. It is more suitable for a cor-porate setting.

Operation

Once you boot Flash-Corn's main disk,you can run all its functions from themain menu.

You handle all setup procedureswith menus, prompts, and functionkeys. Novice users will appreciate theextensive use of menus, but advancedusers may find them annoying. Thereis no way to shortcut these menus; nocommand mode is provided. Onceyou overcome the menu hurdle, youmust get past the program's slowbuilt-in "sloth" mode.

You must sit through a long waitafter choosing any function from themain menu until the application ap-pears on the screen. For example,Flash-Corn took a full 12 seconds toenter the communications modulefrom the main menu on my floppy-disk-drive-based system.

However, once the desired functionis on-screen, the program shines.Flash-Corn wasn't built for speed; it

An electronic

mail and telecommunicationssoftware system

was instead built to be a workhorse,which it does well.

Communications

Flash-Corn's emphasis is on electronicmail (E-mail) transfer. The programcomes configured for use with manyelectronic message transfer systemsincluding MCI Mail, EasyLink, TheSource, Delphi, CompuServe, InstantYellow Pages, and more. For most ofthese services, Flash-Corn runs youthrough a step-by-step procedure forsetting up what it calls a dialogue file,which stores all your unique informa-tion such as passwords and IDnumbers. By using these dialoguefiles, your computer and modem ex-ecute an automatic log-on procedure.

For services that don't come pre-installed, such as Lockheed's Dialog,Flash-Corn lets you set up a customdialogue file. You can also definecustom macro files. These macrospermit the program to automaticallymanipulate the desired service inseveral ways, and they are an excellentmeans of handling redundant on-linetasks. For example, if you always readthe same conferences on BIX, youcould set up a dialogue file to first getyou logged onto BIX. Then you couldset up macros to automaticallydownload all your BIX mail and anynew comments that have been addedto conferences you belong to. In ad-dition, Flash-Corn lets you sendprepared text to these same serviceswith its Post Batch Mail mode.

The Post Batch Mail mode isperhaps the most sophisticated ap-

plication of Flash-Corn. Aftercreating your text in batches(following a special formatoutlined in the documenta-tion), you then assign aspecific time when eachbatch-mail file is to bedelivered. You can also stackbatch mailings for delivery to severaldifferent on-line services.

At the appropriate time Flash-Corndials the service, starts the log-on pro-cedure, and proceeds to deliver yourbatch mail. If you want to immediate-ly deliver your batch-mail files, Flash-Corn handles this as well. To sendbatch-mail files, your computer mustbe powered up for the entire time.You can also set Flash-Corn to aReceive Messages mode. In this modeyour computer will accept incomingcalls from a remote comptuer whileit waits to send your batch-mail files.However, Flash-Corn has no securitymeasures for its mail modes. Nopasswords or account ID numbers arenecessary.

The program's Traffic Log monitorsall incoming and outgoing messageactivity and stores the results on disk.A quick scan of the Traffic Log con-firms delivery of your batch-mail filesand notifies you of any incomingE-mail.

If you don't need all this high-powered E-mail management, Flash-Corn also offers a Terminal mode. Thismode lets you interact with any typeof system just as if you were using ageneric telecommunications program.From Terminal mode you can down-load and upload files or type in com-ments from the keyboard. Both ASCII

(continued)Brock N. Ueeks (8383 Center Dr., Suite C,la Mesa, CA 92 041) is a contributing editorfor Profiles magazine. He is the winner ofa Computer Press Association award for out-standing writing.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 281

REVIEW: FLASH-COM

Flash-Corn

TVpe

Electronic mail and telecommunicationspackage

Company

Omni Computer Systems Inc.

Hearthstone Plaza

P.O. Box 162

Chestnut Hill, MA 02167

(617) 522-4760

Format

Three 51/4-inch floppy disks

Computer

IBM PC, XT, AT, or compatible

Features

Automated send/receive electronic mail,mass-mailing manager, forms generator,report generator, telecommunicationspackage

Documentation

111-page hardbound user's manual

Price

$299

and XMODEM transfers are available.A curious hitch in the communica-tions module is Flash-Corn's inabilityto handle transfer rates above 1200bits per second. My calls to OmniComputer Systems to confirm thiswere never answered. Transfer ratesabove 1200 bps are not discussed inthe user's manual.

Store and Forward

The Store and Forward module setsup all the correct header and addressinformation for your batch-mail files.

Because telex and E-mail formats dif-fer from service to service, formattingmessages for several different ser-vices can be confusing. One mistakein syntax could cause your wholebatch file to bomb. Flash-Corn easesthe confusion by providing input tem-plates for setting up message headersfor the services it is configured for.

You can prepare text using eitheryour regular word processor or Flash-Corn's built-in word processor. Alimited text editor is also available foruse with each input template. Thiseditor allows you to enter text in smallamounts: up to 60 lines with up to 68characters per line.

Flash-Corn defines three differentmessage files: an address message(SAM), a common text message (COT),or a text-insertion message (TIM). ASAM is a message that you write forone person only. A COT is a messagedesigned for mass mailings; each ad-dressee receives the same letter withinformation you insert that is personalfor that individual. A TIM allows youto insert variables into the commontext of a letter designed for mass mail-ings; this is useful for form letters.

Mailing List Manager

The Mailing List Manager modulegives you a versatile way to handleseveral different mailing lists. You canuse it with any previously createdmailing list, or you can use it to createyour own. An extensive data-entrytemplate included for creating newmailing lists contains all the standardfeatures of list management such asAdd, Edit, Browse, Delete, and Sort.A useful tool of the list manager isthe Extract feature. Using Extract, youcan pull out all the names from yourmaster mailing list that meet a certainsearch criteria, for example, names ina particular zip code. You can storethe resulting file to disk as a uniquemailing list. You can then use this listwith batch mailings that you set upwith the Store and Forward module.

Forms Manager

The Forms Manager lets you createforms that you can merge with text orsend separately. Using the keyboard,you can draw horizontal and verticallines or insert graphics characters with

a few keystrokes. Forms can be up to150 lines with a maximum of 80 char-acters per line.

You can set up forms with datafields, such as account numbers or in-voice numbers. You can merge thecreated forms with an existing data-base using a utility function. Thisallows you to send out filled-in formswithout having to enter the data byhand.

Utilities

The program's utilities can processany prepared text into Flash-Corn for-mat (an ASCII file), merge unlimiteddocument and data files to form asingle file, convert existing mailing liststo Flash-Com-compatible format, andcreate reports.

Most of these utilities are simple touse. Instructions are included forhandling data files from dBASE 11,Lotus 1-2-3, PFS:File, and more. I easi-ly transformed dBASE III files, al-though this is not mentioned in theuser's manual. Flash-Corn also easilyhandles combining different files intoa single one.

Another handy feature is the pro-gram's ability to generate reportseither from forms filled in via theForms Manager or from any of theFlash-Corn data files. Reports arelimited to a single format and have notabulation features. You can, however,specify report width and column titlesand designate the order of columnheadings. This feature might be usedby field representatives sending salesforms to the home office via modem.After the forms were received at thehome office, someone could compilethe results taken directly from theforms into a report format for quickperusal.

Forms and Letters

Flash-Corn comes with over 30 dif-ferent forms and letters on disk. Youget everything from a client billingestimate letter to a Valentine's Daycard. Each of these forms can be cus-tomized with your word processor orwith the Forms Manager.

Documentation

Flash-Corn's documentation is sketchyin most places, disorganized, and not

282 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 338

REVIEW: FLASH-COM

UNIX is a trademark

of AT & T Bell Laboratories

well written. Only the barest of detailsare given for most applications. Al-though a hard-core telecommunicatorshouldn't have any trouble makingsense of the material, the packagedoesn't belong in the hands of anovice.

Problems

Here's a list of some of Flash-Corn'sproblems:

• Although this program is great forbatch-mail functions, it is less thandesirable as a stand-alone communi-cations package.

• To handle the various functions, youreally need a hard disk. Using afloppy-disk-based system requires adisk caddy just for all the work disksrequired.

• Omni Computer Systems' telephonetechnical support, which costs $100 toregister for, is handled poorly. WhenI talked to the technical support peo-ple, I couldn't make any sense out oftheir answers. It seemed like they werebothered by the whole process andsimply wanted to get off the tele-phone as soon as possible.

• The program's learning curve issteep. To build a well-oiled E-mailmachine, you have to do some prettyextensive planning and experiment-ing. The payoff for your efforts, how-ever, is tremendous.

• Error trapping was acceptable, butnot fantastic. During one run mymodem wasn't connected, and whenthe program was informed of this itsimply locked up, refusing to recog-nize the modem. I couldn't break outand reset; a cold boot was necessary.

Conclusion

Flash-Corn doesn't promise to makeyour communications problems dis-appear overnight. However, in theright hands and under the right set ofapplications, this program can dogreat things for a company or organi-zation (and, in limited cases, an in-dividual) that wants to make the bestof the benefits of electronic messagetransfer systems. Although Flash-Cornrequires more investment in terms ofyour time than other communicationspackages, your efforts are well re-warded. ■

For IBM® PC's, XT's, AT's and other DOS machines. This is the oneyou've heard so much about—with faster compile times than many COBOLcompilers costing hundreds of dollars more! It's based upon ANSI-74standards. Now comes standard with source code programs demonstratingfull screen, cursor control, color, reverse video, etc., another programshows how to even reprogram your keyboard and much more.

Don't let our mail order prices fool ya! This is a new improvedversion of our best selling COBOL compiler previously offered at $300.00a copy. Look at the December 1979 issue of Byte Magazine for one of ourfirst COBOL ads!

Other outstanding values at $39.95 are: Utah FORTRAN, UtahBASIC, Utah PASCAL, Utah PILOT and Utah EDIT. Used by 50,000 profes-sionals, students, and teachers in 40 countries.To order:(702) 827-3030

IBM is a registered trademark ofInternational Business Machines.

o

ELLIS COMPUTING1

Inquiry 125

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 283

Ar

,H-:i' (ft

J

i

Error-Correcting2400 bps Modems from" ti-Tech Systems:

When it hasto be as goodas it is fast

• Dial-up 2400 bps modems have arrived. Moredatacomm users are upgrading from 1200 to 2400than ever before. But there can be a flip side toincreased speed: More transmission errors.

• That's why our MultiModem224E™ offers MNP™error correction. Available in our 2400 bps desktop,internal and rack-mounted modems, MNP gives you100% error-free transmissions. No matter how badthe phone line. And MNP does it without the speeddegradation of the less efficient, software-basedprotocols.

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REVIEW FEEDBACK

Turbo Prolog

Namir Clement Shammas's delight as aPascal programmer with the typing ofvariables in his review of Turbo Prolog(September) does not change the fact thata typed Prolog can hardly be called a Pro-log at all, for at least two reasons. First,the unification algorithm is the very heartof the language, and the typing of vari-ables reduces that mechanism to a some-what glorified value assignment. Second,and even more important, the basic ideaof Prolog is the implementation of first-order logic as a programming language.

To do this, you somehow must deal withquantification. The Prolog solution is toassume universal quantification for allclauses and to substitute the existentialquantifier by a naming convention calledthe Skolem function. Evidently, this worksonly if every variable can be instantiatedwith an arbitrary logical function of anyitem that is allowed as its value. Eliminat-ing this possibility, Borland succeeded inimplementing a logic without existentialquantification.

This is only one of several severe faultswith Borland's attempt to hack up somescraps and pieces of its Pascal implemen-tation to some fifth-generation contrap-tion, for example, the impossibility toassert rules, or the introduction of aclumsy string type instead of Prolog'selegant manner of representing strings ascharacter lists.

If you or Borland should object to mycalling this product "hacked up," 1 knowof no other expression appropriate for alanguage implementation that hides themore interesting parts of its messagesbeyond the limits of a tiny window.

Peter SchnuppMunich, West Germany

Leading Edge model D PC

1 own a Leading Edge Model D PC witha 20-megabyte hard disk drive and, for themost part, I agree with everything thatStan Miastkowski mentioned in his review(September).

Unfortunately, 1 have discovered adarker side to Leading Edge HardwareProducts Inc. that is not mentioned in thereview.

1 agree that the company has produced

a good machine at a superb value. Theproblem is that the company's infrastruc-ture is set up for sales with little time forservice or support. It is perhaps mislead-ing to point out that the company has animpressive 15-month warranty whenminor repairs such as replacing a clock/calendar battery can take over twomonths.

There is more to a product than simplyits hardware and software features. As Isaid in a letter to Leading Edge, I am usingmy Leading Edge Model D, but I fear theday that I have another hardware problemwith my computer.

Robert S. WebbProvidence, RI

Five Laboratory InterfacingPackages

The review "Five Laboratory InterfacingPackages" by Patricia Wirth and LincolnE. Ford (July) overlooks some of the capa-bilities of both Labtech Notebook and ILS.

Labtech Notebook is identified in table2 as having no data manipulation orstatistics capabilities, yet version 2.5 canperform both to some degree. An FFT op-tion in the main menu will perform for-ward and inverse fast Fourier transformson stored data. A curve-fit option allowsthe user to fit discrete data to linear, poly-nomial, exponential, and trigonometricmodels.

The table also indicates that only onegraphics channel can be displayed at atime by the ILS package. In truth, datafrom several channels can be displayedsimultaneously in separate windows aslong as the data for each channel is avail-able in sequentially numbered files.

Nancy A. WinfreeAnn Arbor, Ml

EXPEROPS5

Thank you for the review of ExperOPS5(July). I thought that it was well written andaccurate, given that it reviewed a 13-month-old version of the program. Mostof the problems that William Jacobs men-tioned were corrected in the August 1985version of the program. For example,ExperOPS5 now offers standard use of the(") operator, availability of ppwm andmatches, time tags with wm, and the full

functionality of the strategy command. Inaddition, ExperOPS5 now has the buildfunction.

ExperOPS5, as Mr. Jacobs states, is im-plemented on top of ExperLISP by Exper-Telligence Inc. Mr. Jacobs correctly pointsout that the version of ExperOPS5 withExperLISP that he reviewed was incapableof supporting large expert systems. Thisshortcoming was due to a limit of 32Kbytes of print-name and string space inearlier versions of ExperLISP; with version1.51 of ExperLISP and the new large-mem-ory Macintoshes, ExperOPS5 can indeedsupport large expert systems. Since Exper-OPS5 uses the Rete algorithm, run-timeperformance remains acceptable for sys-tems with large numbers of productionrules.

As with most artificial intelligence tools,ExperOPS5 is under continuous develop-ment. A version of ExperOPS5 that is nowbeing tested supports the development ofdistributed expert systems using multipleMacintoshes and a local area network;synchronously executing expert systemscan add facts to the working memory ofother expert systems. This version ofExperOPS5 also supports multiple work-ing memory areas called perspectives; anexpert system's production rules canreason with uncertain data by creating andmaintaining separate hypothetical dataareas.

Mark WatsonLa Jolla, CA

sperry pc/it

I was truly impressed with Frederick D.Davis's review of the Sperry PC/IT (August).I was particularly impressed with thePC/IT's benchmark results. After readingthe review, I became convinced that theSperry PC/IT was the system for me. Kudosto Sperry, BYTE, and Mr. Davis for a jobwell done.

J. D. MillerBath, ME *

REVIEW FEEDBACK is a column of readers let-ters. We welcome responses that support or challengeBYTE reviews. Send letters to Review Feedback.BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane. Peterborough,NH 03458. Name and address must be on allletters.

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 285

Backup reasonsfor buying, the

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288 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

EVTE

Kernel

Computing at Chaos Manor:The Final Frontier

by )erry Pournelle 291

According to Webster:

Seasons Greetings

by Bruce Webster 305

Applications Only:Stocking Stuffersby Ezra Shapiro 321

BYTE U.K.:

The U-MAN Potential

by Dick Pountain 329

IERRY POURNELLE ENDED UP having another normally busy month. Thisone was highlighted by his involvement in the preliminary discussion of anacademy for space cadets. BIX was a major component in this discussion,lerry also paid a visit to Silicon Valley, where he saw the latest CompuProequipment. What CompuPro is doing may enable Jerry to link up a numberof computers and be able to run both IBM PC and CP/M software. This couldhelp him solve the problem of computer proliferation at Chaos Manor.

Bruce Webster experienced a feeling of disorientation writing his Christmascolumn in August. But the lack of snow didn't stop him. He persevered andcame up with a column in which he looks at some products for the Amiga:the Alegra memory expansion box, the MAS-20 hard disk, and Instant Music.Bruce also begins a periodic review of public domain/shareware programsand makes some gift suggestions.

Ezra Shapiro's mission this month is clearly spelled out in the title of hiscolumn ("Stocking Stuffers"). He looks at a number of programs that wouldmake good gifts. These programs are not too expensive and are nothing youcan't live without, but they are all great fun. This does not mean that theyaren't useful products. Being fun to use doesn't mean a program is frivolous.

In BYTE U.K., Dick Pountain returns to his beginning as an organic chemist.He discusses the U-MAN 1000, a computer built around the 68000 micro-processor that is targeted at scientific and engineering users and designedfor high-performance I/O. Dick borrowed the U-MAN to look at CHEMMODa color, three-dimensional molecular modeling system of a power that untilrecently would have been available only on a mainframe.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 289

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290 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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COMPUTING A

HAOS MANOR

The Final Frontier

by Jerry Pournelle

Every month I start withreasons why this wasn't anormal month. I supposeone day I'll admit there are nonormal months—or rather,that even in a normal monthsomething unusual happensto consume my time. Not,you understand, that these activitiesaren't important. This month it wasthe Space Academy conference, andthat might be the most importantthing I've done this year.

The Space Academy is another ideafrom General Daniel O. Graham's Proj-ect High Frontier shop. The notion isto investigate the possibility of settingup an academy whose mission is todo for the space frontier what WestPoint did for the settlement of thewest: to produce the engineers andtechnicians and officers capable ofmaking the frontier inhabitable. Thereare, however, two major differencesfrom the early West Point of Super-intendent Sylvanus Thayer: Grahamconceives this as nongovernmental,and it will admit women from thebeginning.

The notion looked worth investigat-ing, anyway: so General Graham setup a conference to include academics,space enthusiasts, journalists, andfinanciers. We couldn't all get togetherin the same city, so we used elec-tronics: there are conference roomslinked by television. Meetings wouldtake place in Los Angeles, ColoradoSprings, and Melbourne, Florida, withDr. David Webb of the National Com-mission on Space participating bytelephone from the University ofNorth Dakota. This was all arrangedthrough a commercial electronic con-ferencing service.

Next thing I knew, I was supposedto chair and organize the Los Angelespart of the meeting, while G. HarryStine was to do the Colorado Springs

BIX is the scene

for a discussion of an academy

for space cadets

part of the job. The instant I heardthat, an idea came: let the commer-cial TV conference people do theirthing, but simultaneously link upthrough BIX as well.

BIXing the Space Academy

BIX, for those who tuned in late, is theBYTE Information Exchange, a com-puter-assisted conferencing systemthat I truly believe is the first step intowhat will be the normal communica-tions pattern of the future. No doubtyou'll find more about it, includinghow to sign up, elsewhere in thisissue.

BIX has several different kinds ofcomputer-assisted conferences. Mostare open, meaning that anyone canfind them and join up. Others areclosed: you have to be invited in. Afew are hidden, meaning that youcan't find them even if you're lookingfor them: and of course you'd have tobe invited to join if you did stumbleacross one of those. The SpaceAcademy conference is like that, notbecause there's anything to hide, butto keep the chatter down to aminimum: most of the people in-volved in this have about 90 otherthings to do. Eventually we'll bring allthe information out to a public con-ference. Meanwhile, we used BIX toplan and set up the televised con-ference.

It all went well. Barry Workman andmy son Alex brought Barry's ancientCP/M Lobo computer: Barry still findsit both versatile and reliable. Theyconnected to BIX with MITE, the com-

munications software pack-age I used to use and may goback to. Barbara Clifford (bjcon BIX) came down fromSilicon Valley to serve asmoderator and editor. Withall that help 1 could concen-trate on the conference es-sentials, and indeed we got a lot done.Now that the TV conference is over,the discussion continues on BIX. Itwill be interesting to see what comesof it. With luck, the whole world willsee the results.

100 Percent Compatible

Another reason I was away from mydesk this month was a trip up toSilicon Valley. The actual reason I wentwas to confer with Dr. Stefan Possonyabout the new edition of Strategy ofTechnology we're writing with BarbaraClifford's editorial assistance; butwhile I was up there I spent a day withBill Godbout finding out the latestabout Viasyn's CompuPro equipment.

There's a lot going on.

First, they were all excited about thenew service contracts they've signedwith Sperry. You remember Sperry?It's odd how many old-timers lookpuzzled when you ask if they remem-ber Sperry. If you say Univac. theireyes light up. Anyway, Sperry is pro-viding service support for CompuProsystems. Coincidentally, about thetime you read this, I'll be in the southof France giving a talk to a group ofmanagers of the European divisionsof Sperry. Tough duty. . .

Anyway. I've always had mixed emo-tions about CompuPro systems.There's a sense in which CompuProhas no competition: they have just

{continued)jerry Pournelle holds a doctorate in psychologyand is a science fiction writer who also earnsa comfortable living writing about computerspresent and future.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 291

CHAOS MANOR

about the best (microcomputer-based) development hardware pack-ages on the market today. CompuProis always out at the edge of tech-nology, always pushing the envelopeof state-of-the-art "small systems." TheGolem, my big CompuPro 286/Z80Dual Processor system, is still themost powerful machine I have.

That's the good part.

The bad part is that you'd betterknow what you're doing or have adarned good dealer handy. Compu-Pro equipment is adequately docu-mented for technoweenies, but there'sstill a tendency to think "support"means reading the spec sheets, veryslowly, over the telephone. With theright dealer that doesn't matter. Forexample, Steve Rose, a systems dis-tributor on Maui in the HawaiianIslands, always prefers to install Com-puPro because, done right, the sys-tems are trouble-free and the cus-tomers are happy. However, if youdon't have a good dealer and youdon't know much about small com-puters, you might have your work cutout.

Another problem with CompuProsystems is IBM PC compatibility. Dr.Godbout always had mixed emotionsabout that. To get real PC compatibili-ty would require compromises inhardware performance and speed,and of course performance andspeed are CompuPro's main sellingpoints.

I'm pleased to say that CompuProhas solved those problems. You canget 100 percent PC compatibility, plusmultiuser capability, plus file sharing,plus the enormous speed of a Com-puPro system. You can not only haveSideKick and SuperKey and Ready!,you can share your SideKick calendarand phone dialer files with anotheruser a hundred feet away.

They achieve this in the simplestpossible way: CompuPro recom-mends that you use cheap PClones asworkstations. Since you can get aminimum clone for less than a thou-sand dollars, you aren't paying muchfor the compatibility: any decent ter-minal will run you at least half thatmuch. Of course, you can also attachnormal terminals to the CompuProsystem.

The purpose of the clone is to runmemory-resident software. Big jobs,like multiuser database applications,are done in the central CompuProunit, which operates at speeds con-siderably higher than an AT.

The clones are networked throughArcnet. CompuPro provides cable,network boards for the clone, and thenetwork board for the CompuPro sys-tem. Inside the CompuPro box theyfollow Pournelle's rule: "One user, atleast one CPU." Each user has a blockof memory and a CPU, all internallylinked, in addition to the CPU in theworkstation clone.

The result is something wonderful:at least, I saw it work something won-derful. Steve Rose demonstrated a bigCompuPro system linked with threePClones, a TeleVideo terminal, and aWyse terminal. Big spreadsheets arecalculated in the CompuPro at light-ning speed. Results can be called upby other users. SideKick files andsuchlike are callable in the workstationbut are kept in the CompuPro so thatother users can get at them whenneeded.

It all looked wonderful, but nowcomes the usual note of caution: I sawthis in Hayward. As always, I reservefinal judgment for when I have thingsoperating here at Chaos Manor. Thathappens next month. They tell me I'llbe able to link up Zeke II, the ancientCompuPro Z80 I'm writing this on: theGolem: Big Kat, the Kaypro 286i PCAT clone: Lucy Van Pelt, our old fuss-budget genuine IBM PC: and theZenith Z-l 50, all working together withthe new CompuPro: and then I'll beable to run both PC and CP/Msoftware.

There are terrific advantages to this.For one, I can save text from any sta-tion onto the Golem's 8-inch floppydisk drives. This is important becauseI don't think anything is truly safe untilit has been saved on two separate8-inch disks, and one of those disksis no longer in the house. Tapes, harddisks, small disk drives, are all verywell, but I don't, deep down in myheart, trust anything but those 8-inchers. That may change in future,but it hasn't yet.

We'll also be able to share printersand hard disks. All stations will be

able to shuffle stuff off for archivingon the Golem's tape backup unit. Andso forth.

CompuPro tends to use me as a testsite for new stuff. I've promised tokeep a log of any problems. More-over, I'm beginning to collect neattricks to use in networking PClones:when I'm done, Barbara Clifford is go-ing to edit the stuff into a manual ofuser tips that CompuPro will ship withthe networking systems.

When I left CompuPro, Bill God-bout, Mark Garetz, and Steve Rosewere arguing: what is a fair statementof the actual speed of a system thathas many CPUs all going at once? lusthow many MIPS (millions of instruc-tions per second) does this system ex-ecute? It's a good question. Anyway,I'm sending my CompuPro systems upto Hayward in the morning; and I canhardly wait to try this. Maybe, justmaybe, I'll have solved the problemof computer proliferation at ChaosManor.

Electronic Music

A couple of issues back 1 talked aboutthe coming revolution in electronicmusic. Bill Godbout saw that columnand sent me some copies of a maga-zine, Electronic Musician, that has someclaim to be the BYTE of the electronicmusic world. Formerly called Polyph-ony, EM specializes in MIDI (musicalinstrument digital interface).

There's a reason for Godbout's in-terest in the magazine: it was one ofthe first products of desktop publish-ing, and Craig Anderton, EM's editor,has always been a big CompuPro fan.The magazine is now produced on alarge multiuser (one user, at least oneCPU) CompuPro machine, which pro-duces IBM-compatible disks that godirectly to the typesetter.

Electronic Musician (2608 Ninth St.,Berkeley, CA 94710) is organized likea thinner issue of BYTE, with reviews,how-to articles, columns, what's new,and lots of ads. The ads were the mostinteresting part for me: it's amazingwhat you can buy, from keyboardsand mixers to programs with a widevariety of synthesized sounds. Me, I'mnot very musical, and my wife isoriented to classical opera and thus

[continued]

292 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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not terribly interested in things youcan synthesize; but I found it intrigu-ing to go through the dozen samplecopies Bill Godbout sent me. I'mmore convinced than ever that smallcomputers are going to do at least asmuch for music as they have done forwriting.

Fastread

Years ago, for my sins, I was a pro-fessor in a fairly good college. Onething I consistently noticed about mystudents: they didn't seem to be aswidely read as my generation hadbeen. Perhaps it was television. What-ever the cause, they had a lot ofreading to do to catch up to what 1thought was an acceptable level.

Many of them had trouble doingthat. They just couldn't read fastenough. After giving that somethought, I encouraged the slowerones to take the Evelyn Wood Read-ing Dynamics course. I'm not surehow I selected that particular course;it may be that outfit offered our col-lege a special deal, or just that theirinstitute was close by. Anyway, I keptsome statistics on performance ofstudents who I thought read too slow-ly and who did or didn't take thecourse, and I continued to recom-mend it.

There may be a better way. Note Isaid "may."

Fastread is a program designed toteach you to read faster. It runs on anIBM PC, XT, AT, or close clone, andit works by running the cursor acrossthe text at a speed you can controlwith the + and - keys. While it's do-ing that, it counts how fast you'rereading. At least sort of: the count isapparently keyed to the speed of yourcomputer, and the program docu-ments warn you that the absolutespeed as reported may not be ac-curate. Anyway, you turn on Fastread,adjust the cursor speed to a bit fasterthan you're comfortable with, andpractice reading.

That's about all there is to the pro-gram. The documents consist of afolded sheet of paper, but that's allyou need to make things work. In thelessons themselves are some hintsand tips on fast reading, but the pro-gram isn't really long on theory: the

294 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 366

Inquiry 335

CHAOS MANOR

authors clearly think the best way tolearn to read faster is to do it, and themost interesting stuff for you to readare files you load on yourself throughyour word processor.

Whether that will teach'you to readfaster or not is debatable; certainly itcan't hurt, and I have some reason tobelieve it would help. Indeed, there isa lot to like about this program.

There's also considerable to hate.For one thing, it has a miserable userinterface. It starts with one of thosemenus in which you pick numbers totell the system what you want to do,including exit the program. At everyother level you type a "Q" to exit tothe previous menu, but here the pro-gram just beeps at a "Q"; it wants anumber and nothing else. If, in fury,you type several irrelevant com-mands, you can fill the type-aheadbuffer with them, and thus get a longand perfect cacophony of beeps.

You're supposed to use your ownfiles for most of your lessons. The in-structions don't say what kind of filesit will accept. 1 was going to try somedownloaded from BIX, but the sillyprogram runs only from the A drive-naturally it's copy-protected—and ifyou try to give it a subdirectory namefrom your hard disk, it won't take it.Filenames must be eight letters orfewer; anything more than that getsthe dreaded beeps. I don't keep BIXfiles on the root directory of my harddisk, and I wasn't really in much of amood to transfer some over there justto accommodate this program. Also,Fastread has no provision for gettinga directory of files from inside the pro-gram: you'd have to write down theexact names of candidate files beforeinvoking this program.

Fastread, in other words, is one ofthose programs that might be fun toplay around with, but it would be alot more useful if the publishers haddone more testing and editing andhadn't been so paranoid. I'd probablyhave put it on the hard disk for moreattention if they hadn't copy-protectedit. As it is, I doubt I'll ever see it again.Pity.

Sometimes we win one, though.Fifth Generation systems has an-nounced that they've dropped all

[continued)

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Inquiry 326

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 295

CHAOS MANOR

copy protection on Fastback (no rela-tion to Fastread), a hard disk backupprogram I talked about in July.

POURNELLE'S LAW

I can see a church by daylight, al-though 1 may be a bit slow. That is:I log on to BIX a lot, and after monthsof doing that, it came to me that Ididn't need to sit here waiting for thephone to ring, answer, get the local

net prompt, respond to that, get theBIX prompt and respond, enter mypassword. . . Crosstalk, after all, hasa script command capability that willtake care of everything from dialingto entering my password. Or so 1 waspersuaded.

Doing it was another matter. TheCrosstalk manual tells all; but it doesit without examples. Actually, it'sworse: many of the critical commands

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have examples, but the examples areambiguous or even wrong. Now whatI mean by "wrong" is that if you usethe example, as shown in the book,it will not produce the result you'reafter. That's because they have in-serted or omitted some key item likea quotation mark in the documenttext. It's not a real example, it's a vir-tual example. I hate virtual examples.

Some of the descriptions of whatthe commands do are masterpiecesof minor deception, too.

The only salvation is that they dosupply you with a few workablescripts on the disk that the programcomes with. Examining those whilestudying the manual will, eventually,produce enlightenment.

All in all, I'm still satisfied withCrosstalk, and I still use it for com-munications despite having a dozenor more competitors around. That'spartly inertia, of course, but it doessay I have no serious complaintsabout the program: except that I wishthey'd followed the rule: "You can'thave too many examples, but the ex-amples must work." On the otherhand, I wish everyone would follow thatrule.

Interim Report

I have a lot of memory-resident utili-ties in Big Kat. I don't want to give anyup, but I'd sure like to get some ofthem up into extended memory. I'vebeen trying to install the Orchid EC-CELL error-correcting extended/ex-panded memory board in Big Kat.

I'm still trying.

My first attempts failed. I called Or-chid, was asked what version of theinstallation software I had, and wasasked to wait until a new versioncame. That arrived promptly, but bythen I was off on trips. When I re-turned I started in again.

It all seemed clear. I went throughthe installation program, setting thesystem so that it would have bothRAM disk and expanded memory.Some of the options didn't seem veryclear, so I used my best guesses onthem. Finally I rebooted the machine.

Blooey.

Big Kat trundled for a moment, thenreported that I didn't have a valid

[continued)

296 BYTE ■ DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry

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Inquiry 282

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DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 297

Inquiry 205

maxell

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command processor file; and nothingI could do would change that. Further-more, since I couldn't bring the systemup at all (maybe I could if I'd removedthe board?), I couldn't even get at thefile to edit out the CONFIG.SYS filethat the ECCELL installation pro-cedure had generated and put on myhard disk.

Fortunately Big Kat, like mostclones, will boot off a floppy disk ifthere's a floppy in drive A. I got outthe original IBM PC-DOS disk. ThenI called Orchid.

I can't say I'm totally fond of OrchidTechnology's documents, althoughthey are much improved from a yearago, and the company listens; but Isure am impressed with the technicalsupport people. It took an hour ofcareful step-by-step logical procedure,but eventually we found the problem.It seems that something in the KayproROM BIOS and the Orchid installationprocedure have a fatal clash. Once thesymptoms were all noted, the Orchidpeople went to work: I'm told they'llhave the problem fixed in a few days,and I'll get yet another copy of the in-stallation software.

I have no doubt that the board willeventually work. ECCELL (the nameis symbolic of the board's standoutfeature, error-correcting code capa-bility, meaning that if you get amemory error it not only warns youbut fixes it) works fine on a genuinePC AT; at least, I know half a dozencolleagues who've made theirs work.There's no reason why it won't workon the Kaypro.

When it does, I'll set it up with theoptional parallel port, so that I canfinally put in an EGA color card; at themoment, my only parallel port is onthe Hercules Graphics Card, but theOrchid ECCELL has both serial andparallel ports if you want them.

Paradise

Last month I reported that 1 had aproblem with the Paradise Hi-ResGraphics Card. This is a card that issaid to give you the highest resolutionyour system can use. It's capable ofboth monochrome and color (youhave to throw a switch on the card tochange over) and has a parallel port

{continued)

298 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 405

Mwfi

Achieve the next dimension in computerexcellence. Experience MAXXT

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JKON

I N COR P 0 R A T E D

Inquiry 162

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 299

CHAOS MANOR

on it. It looked like what I needed.

The problem I had was that all thetext was jammed over against the leftside of the Zenith 19-inch High Res-olution Color Monitor I use with BigKat.

After 1 wrote that, two things hap-pened: Paradise sent another board,and Ken Sheldon, my technical editorat BYTE, told me that one of the othereditors had asked why I didn't try theMODE command in MS-DOS. MODE,it seems, can shift the image over tothe right by a space or two.

I tried both. First, the new board: ithad the same problem. Since thatboard seems to work fine on Lucy VanPelt, I can only conclude that there'ssome interaction with either theKaypro AT or the Zenith monitor.Whatever it is, 1 remember whenthey'd have put a horizontal controlon either the board or the monitor,or both. One tweak would havesolved the problem.

Instead, though, they seem to berelying on MODE.

The MODE command, 1 discoverfrom reading the fine print in MS-DOSmanuals and books, not only tellsyour machine whether you're usingmonochrome or color and 40 or 80characters per line, it will also, intheory, shift the screen image over,thus accomplishing what you'd wantfrom a horizontal control.

In theory. In fact, it doesn't, at leastnot on a Kaypro 286i. What it doesis lock things up to the point whereyou have to reset the machine. Ihaven't the foggiest notion why. Idon't have a genuine IBM PC AT, soI can't tell if MODE CO80.R would dothe job on that. I do know that MODECO80 or MODE CO40 will work onthe Kaypro as advertised, changingthe display from color 80 columns tocolor 40 columns: but if you add theshift, or try to invoke the T" for testpattern feature of MODE, you'll short-ly after reset a Kaypro 286i.

Consequently, I'm back to the Her-cules Graphics Card, which has alwaysworked fine. MODE shift doesn't workwith it, either, but it doesn't have to.

I find it all pretty discouraging. Inorder to save about five dollars' worthof parts on the video board, they'rerelying on software that will probably

300 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 82

CHAOS MANOR

have to be invoked every time youreset the machine or turn it off. Thatmakes no sense at all.

Short Shrift Time Again

I'm always looking for something newto write about. Believe me, it's noproblem. Alas, books, programs, andhardware pour in here much fasterthan I can keep up. I've had to bepretty ruthless: if something can't getmy attention in a couple of minutes,it goes. As late as last year I mighthave kept it around, but that clearlywon't do any longer: there's just noroom for it all.

Some stuff can go immediately.Things like silly games that arrive withneither documentation, packaging,nor cover letter, and turn out to bewritten in BASIC with a "choose anumber" user interface: clearly hope-less stuff like that goes into the bigbarrel with a permanent magnet froman old telephone magneto. Eventual-ly 1 reformat the disks. But even aftereliminating the absurd I find thestacks grow higher all the time.

I'll never clear it all out: but muchof it deserves mentioning. Thus, it'sshort shrift time again.

Intel Math Chip

Some weeks ago Intel sent me one ofthe 80287 math chips for the PC ATand clones. The chip comes in a lovelybox with extensively detailed instruc-tions. If you have a genuine IBM PCAT, 1 can't imagine anything simplerthan installing it.

I had a bit more of a problem withthe Kaypro 286i, but the relentless ap-plication of logic—there's only oneslot on Big Kat's board that would takethat chip, and all the notches face thesame way—solved the problem. If youhave a 286 machine and you do anynumber crunching, you must get a 287math chip. It speeds up calculationssomething wonderful, and with mostprograms you don't have to do any-thing to get that extra speed. Muchrecommended for those who crunchnumbers.

Excel

On the subject of number crunching:as I've said before, if I had to do much

[continued]

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Inquiry 83

DECEMBER I986 -BYTE 301

CHAOS MANOR

detailed spreadsheet work, I'd buy aMacintosh just so that 1 could useMicrosoft's Excel. That is simply themost elegant and versatile spread-sheet I've encountered.

Comes now a really good book onusing Excel.

Hands-On Excel by Danny Goodman(Scott, Foresman & Company, $21.95)is clearly written and filled with usefulexamples. The book is in an informalnarrative style, the kind of writing I tryfor; I hope I don't sound arrogant bysaying that much of it reads the wayI'd have written it if I knew as muchabout the subject as Goodman ob-viously does.

If you're wondering why people getexcited about Excel, this book will tellyou; and if you use Excel, I expect thisbook will save you a lot of time.Recommended.

Brief

Brief is a programming editor for thePC. It was written by a company called

UnderWare, which may or may not ex-plain the name. It's extremely popularamong hackers, and for good reasons.

Brief isn't all that simple to learn,but then no programming editor is.There are about a zillion commands,including, I suppose, Control-meta-cokebottle and Alt-coffeecup. Themain thing is that it will do just aboutanything you want it to. It has win-dows—boy, does it ever have win-dows!—a good search and replace,macros, automatic indenting, buffers,and a partridge in a pear tree.

For the last few months, every timeI've mentioned text editors I've got araft of mail urging me to try Brief. Nowthat I've tried it 1 see why. If you needa general-purpose programming edi-tor, look no further. Recommended.

SOLARSIM

Longtime readers will know of my ad-diction to Star Fleet I from Cygnus(now known as Interstel). If you likegames based on Star Trek, you'll like

that one, which is frankly better thanthe Star Trek game I wrote.

The latest from Interstel is Solarsim,"The Solar System Simulation Pro-gram." This PC program is a real gemfor science fiction writers. You can geta simulation of the positions of themajor bodies in the solar system—in-cluding about 200 asteroids—for near-ly any given date. Find out what con-stellations will be in the sky, also forany given date and time. Look at theplanets' positions as if viewed fromearth. And so forth.

There's also a complete, if prettydry, account of the theory, includingEuler's method for approximations.

Recommended for astronomy buffs,science fiction writers, and anyonewho likes to play around with com-puter simulations.

Its Generic

I've mentioned this program before,but it's more than worth bringing upagain; they're always improving it. If

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302 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

CHAOS MANOR

you have a PCompatible and any in-terest at all in CAD. you need GenericCADD. While not quite as elegant asAutodesk's AutoCAD, Generic CADDwill, I'd guess, do about 75 percent asmuch, for 10 percent of AutoCAD'sprice. It's not copy-protected, either;and the license agreement makessense. They don't guarantee it willwork, but if you don't like it you havea 60-day period during which you canget your money back. How can yougo wrong?

Generic CADD comes with a thick,well-written manual (the writing styleis informal, and the language is sim-ple English; quite refreshing after allthe documentese I've had to digestlately). Not only is it easy to under-stand, but it's complete, with bothanalytic table of contents and lengthyindex.

In other words, it's pretty hard tofind anything to criticize. This is oneheck of a program.

Generic CADD works with a PC orclose compatible, including theKaypro 286i AT. It will work withouta mouse, but you're better off havingone. If you want a paper copy of yourdesigns, you'll need a plotter. GenericCADD supports all the popular micro-computers. You can also get GenericCADD through Logitech, bundled withthe LogiMouse. Works fine, and thedocuments are better bound.

If you've been wondering what CADis all about, here's your chance to findout at a reasonable cost. You maynever need any other CAD program.Highly recommended.

Desktop Publishing

Tony Bove and Cheryl Rhodes arenear geniuses at making complexideas understandable. Now they'vedone it again.

The Art of Desktop Publishing (Bantam,1986, $20.95) shows Wes Thomas, a"High tech PR Man," as formal co-author and three more people as con-tributors, but it's not hard to see thehand of Bove and Rhodes all over thebook. It's clearly written and doesn'tassume you know much.

I like this book, and it isn't out of linewith the industry standards, but I suredon't understand why it costs somuch. This book has illustrations,

glossary, and a good index, but it'sonly 300 pages of large type in a"trade paper" binding; why the day-light should it cost more than, say, thehardbound edition of Niven andPournelle's Footfall, which ran morethan 1000 manuscript pages? The factis, though, computer books do costthat much, and there doesn't seem tobe anything to be done about it. Itsure isn't Tony and Cheryl's fault.

If you're at all interested in desktoppublishing and you're looking for asurvey of what can be done with exist-ing hardware and software combina-tions, this is the book to start with. Onthe other hand, things flow in themicro world; the book is almost up todate now; will be a little out of dateby the time you read this; and by nextyear one hopes they'll have a newedition.

Polynomial

Polynomial is a PC program designedto let you play about with polynomialfunctions. Take any polynomial func-tion, plug it in, and out comes agraph. Not the kind of program every-one needs, but more useful than you

might think: I wish it had been avail-able when I took high school algebra.By taking the tedium out of numeri-cal calculations, programs like this canmake it fun to play with math, so thatyou can get a feel for just what com-plicated mathematical functionsmodel. Just what shape is a fifth-orderpolynomial curve, anyway? Now youcan find out, painlessly.

One Screwy Newsletter

I have for months been intending tomention UTACK Grounded. This is billedas a "junk mail flyer" from DigitalAcoustics, 1415 East McFadden, SuiteF, Santa Ana, CA 92705; and it con-sists of the sometimes outrageousand surprisingly often well-reasonedopinions of an odd composite per-sonality who can't decide whetherhe's real or fictional. If you've no in-terest in 68000+ systems, don't bugthe man; but if you have a passionateinterest in what's going on in that partof the computer world, you don't hatecompiled BASIC, and you believe thatassembly language is better thanPascal, then by all means write and

(continued)

Items Discussed

Brief

Solution Systems33 5 Washington St.Norwell, MA 02061(617) 659-1571

$195

Intel 80287 Math CoprocChip $21

:essor7 to $385

Intel Corporation3065 Bowers Ave.Santa Clara, CA 95051(408) 987-8080

CompuPro Computers . .

Viasyn

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Variousprices

Little Computer People .

Activision

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Fastread

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Polynomial

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Generic CADD

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Generic Software8763 148th Ave. NERedmond, WA 98052(206) 885-5307

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 303

CHAOS MANOR

beg for a copy.

DTACK Grounded used to be availableby subscription. Now it's available atthe whim of its editor, FNE, who issometimes known as Hal W. Harden-bergh. You can't bribe him. Try plead-ing. It's probably worth the effort.

Winding Down

I'm out of space, and just about outof time: day after tomorrow I'm off to

Atlanta for the World Science FictionConvention, where Footfall has beennominated for a Science FictionAchievement Award, otherwise knownas a Hugo. By the time you read this,we'll all know if Larry Niven and I won,but just now I don't.

The book of the month is The Edu-cation of Julius Caesar, A Biography, AReconstruction by Arthur D. Kahn(Schocken Books, 1986). The flyleaf

WHAT'S THE SECRET DEBUGGING WEAPONUSED BY EVERYBODY FROM BORLAND TO ORACLE?FREE 44-PAGE ANSWER FROM AT RON.

"WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUTATRON'S HARDWARE-ASSISTEDSOFTWARE BUGRUSTERS."

This is the city saved by theAlron bugbusters. Your city.Full of wizards, with hundredsof millions of dollars investedin wringing every ounce ofintelligence and performanceout of your PC. It used to heplagued with the toughestsoftware bugs known lo man-kind.

■".'. jtv■■■■ ' Swiuwii ' h m

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if ip

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PLAGUES OF

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The first and most difficultplague was impossible to trapwith software debuggers.These were carnivorous bugswhich randomly overwroteprograms, data, even thedebugger. Nastiest were theones that slipped in once everyfew houis, or changed theirbehavior after each new com-pile. Forty days and fortynights of recompiling, tryingsomething else, caused manya would-be resident of the cityto run screaming into the wil-derness, never to be heardfrom again.

Second came the plague ofnot knowing where the pro-gram was, or where it hadrecently been. This com-pounded the first plague: Howcould anyone know whatcaused the random memoryoverwrites? Add to this ran-dom interrupts and timingdependencies, and you beginto understand The Fear thatgripped the city.

Then came the last plague,which brought the wizards totheir knees before they evenstarted debugging. Their tow-ering programs consumed so

much memory, there wasn't enough room for their symbol table, let alonedebugging software. Even if they could get past the first two plagues, thisone killed their firstborn software,

ENTER THE HARDWARE-ASSISTED SOFTWARE BUGBUSTERS

The Atron solution came as a revelation: Monitor every memoryreference and every instruction executed, by adding a hardware board tothe AT or PC with an umbilical probe to the processor.

The result? Wham! The PC PROBE'* and the AT PROBE™ savedcivilization as we know it. The first plague was cured with PROBE'Shardware-assisted breakpoint traps on reading, writing, executing, input-ting and outpulling. These could be done on single or ranges of addresses,and could include particular data values. All in real time. For a meresoftware debugger to attempt this, a 1-minute program would take 5 hoursto execute.

The second plague, nol knowing from whence you came, was curedwith PROBE'S real-time trace memory. The history of program executionis saved on-board, in real time. Once a hardware trap has occurred,

CopyriKhl 0 I'M by Alum Corp. PC PROBE*" and AT PROBE*" Altim. The other line companies mcnlio

PROBE displays the program execution in detail, including sym-bols and source code for C, Pascal, or assembly language pro-grams. Which shows how out-of-range pointers got that way.

The third plague, not enough room for thedebugging symbol table to be co-resident inmemory with a large program, was cured with[-megabyte of on-board, hidden, write-pro-teeted memory. System memory was then freefor the program, keeping the symbol table and' uggcr safe from destruction.

When the job of bugbustingwas done, the wizards usedtheir PROBEs as performanceanalyzers. So they could haveboth reliability and perfor-mance. So they could sendonly the best software into thefield.

IF Y00 AREN'T AN ATRONCUSTOMER, ODDS ARE YOUWON'T BE MAKINGTHE TOP-TEN LIST.

On any given week, at leastnine of the top ten best-sellingsoftware packages on the Soft-Sel Hotlisl come from Atroncustomers.

Ever heard of Borland?"Without Atron," says itspresident Philippe Kahn."there wouldn't be a Side-Kick1", Turbo Lightning1"would be light-years away, andTurbo Prolog™ wouldn't beshipping today."

Ever use a spreadsheet?From Enable'" to Paradox"',their bugs were busted byAtron products.

Into DBMSs? Everyonefrom Ashton-Tate to Oracleowns at least one Atron bug-buster.

If you use a product fromone of the companies in TheCity, you owe life as you knowit to Atron. Our guess is that99% of all PCs, XTsand ATshave at least one productdebugged with Atron bug-busters.

FREE 44-PAGE BUGBUSTING BIBLE COULD MAKE YOUA PROPHET, AND YOUR COMPANY A PROFIT.

We've written a complete tutorial on state-of-the-art bugbusting.And it's yours, free for the asking. Full of examples and illustra-tions, it will show you how the wizards work their magic.

If you're tired of suffering the wrath of program bugs, call Alrontoday. You could be busting bugs, and sales records, tomorrow.

THE BUGBUSTERS

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says he was 12 years writing it, andI believe that. He sure doesn't likeCicero much.

The computer book of the month isJeff Duntemann's Complete Turbo Pascal(Scott, Foresman S-Company, 1986).This is about the best introduction'tothe Pascal language I've yet seen. It'skeyed to Borland's Turbo Pascal andhas complete, specific, and compil-able programs. If you've been think-ing of learning Pascal, this is probablythe most painless way to start.

The game of the month has to beActivision's Little Computer People.That's not strictly a game, but it surehas consumed all the game timearound here this month. We had LittleComputer People running on both theAmiga and the Atari ST. The Amiga'sgraphics are preferable. I also learnedsomething about multiple-screen sys-tems: there's no easy way to handleerror messages, because where doyou display them? The programyou're running may have covered upthe "workbench" screen. That'sAmiga's explanation for what hap-pened, which was that the programblew sky-high whenever it tried towrite to a disk with the write-protectwindow open. The programmer issupposed to handle such problems.

I've been pondering that, and we'lllook at the problem next month. Itisn't a simple one, but I don't think thecurrent version of Amiga's operatingsystem has the answer.

I've been playing with Activision'sMusic Studio program, and all I cansay to that is wow! again. It's sure funto play around, spraying notes about,then listening to what I "composed."If I'd had an Amiga and this programback when my parents were makingme take piano lessons, who knows,maybe I'd have learned something.Anyway it's fun.

There's no point in your wishing meluck in Atlanta. See you on BIX. ■

Jerry Pournelle welcomes readers' commentsand opinions. Send a self-addressed, stampedenvelope to ]erry Pournelle, do BYTE, OnePhoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough. NH03458. Please put your address on the let-ter as well as on the envelope. Due to the highvolume of letters, ]erry cannot guarantee a per-sonal reply.

304 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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GAMES & EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE FOR YOUR IBM

(Please add SI shipping and handling lor each title ordered Irom below.)Wholesale

ATI Intro lo PC DOS Vol. I & II or BASIC 527.50'

Bluechlp MiHionaireOil Baron or Tycoon 28,99*

Broderbund Lode Runner 17.25*Comprehensive Iniro to Personal Computing 32.00'

Davidson Malh Blaster. Word Attack' 21.50*

Davidson Sftt>ed Reader II 36.00"

Edu-Ware Algebra 1.2.3 or 4 23.95*

Electronic Arts One On One 15.97"

Electronic Arts Music Construction Set 15.97"

Hayden Saigon III 26.00"

Individual Professor DOS 29.75*

► Inlocom Zbrt let Witness 19.95"

►inlocom OwadHns or Suspended 24.00'

Microprose F-15 Strike Eagle'Silent Service 18.50*

Wholesale

Microsoft Flight Simulator 527.00*

Mindscape TheMisl'ViewtoaKill lstBloodPt.2 21.00*

Mouse Systems PC Paint—Turn your PC

Into A Co'or Macintosh'Pinpoint Publishing Micro CookbookScarborough Muster TypeSierra On-Llne King's Quest llSpectrum Holobyte GATO►Spinnaker Aipnauet Zoo. Kinder Comp,

Story Machine. Face Maker. Hey Diddle. Diddle

Rhymes & Riddles►Spinnaker Delta Drawing or MosSubloglc JarSublogic Night Mission Pinball

59.95*

21.00*19.75"24.75"18.00"15.97"

20.75*27.50"

20.00"

BUSINESS SOFTWARE FOR YOUR IBM

(Please add 52.50 shipping and handling lor each title ordered from below.)S445.00' Microfilm RBase 5000

Ansa Paradox

► Ashlon-Tnle [ ( . ,- ■ , - — 365 00*Borland SideKick (Unprotecteo) 42.00"Borland SuperKey 34.50"Borland Turbo Pascal 35.00"BPI GL A Ret AP 275.00*Breaklhrough Timeline 203.00*

►Ccnlral Polnl Copy " PC 20.00*

Computer Associates Supercalc IV 239.95"

Super Project-

DAC Easy Accounting 39.80*

►Enerlronlcs ErttrgrBptttcs 147.00*

FGS Fasiback 85.00'

Funk Software Sideways 32.00*

Harvard Total Protect Manager 250.00*

► Hayes SffWfcOffl II—New VTlOO Emulator 68.00"

► Human Edge Mind Prober 45.00*Inlocom Cornerstone 65.00"Lilelree Voikswnter III 126.50*

►Lotus Developmenl Lome- 1-2-3 285.00-

Lolus Developmenl Symphony 385.00'

MDBS KnowiedgemarV2 229.00'

Meca Managing Your Money 92.00'

MicroPro Wordstar 2000 210.00"

MicroPro WordStar 2000+ 259.00"

S215.00'

Microsoft C Compiler 230.00'

Microsoft Word-Latest Version 3 0 229.00"

Mlcrosoft Multiplan 98,00*

Microsoft Mouse 107.00'

Mlgenl Ability 55.00'

► Monogram B5.00*

►Mulfimato AftflM 270.00"

►Multlmate Multimate (Latest I 190.00'

Norton Tne Norton Commander 36.00*

Norton Nonon Utilities 3 I 43.00"

Open Systems P'O Sales AR INV Q/L ea.395.00"

AP Team Mgr ■ Ver 3X

Rosesoft ProKey Version 4 65.00*

Ryan McFarland PM COBOL (Oev. System) 520.00*

►Samoa IVord + 340.00"

►Salelllle Software Ward P,-h-.i 185,00"

►Soil Logic Solutions Disk Optimizer Double DOS 29.00'

Software Group Enable 293.00'

Software Publishing PF$:F<le, Write Graph 68,00"

Software Publishing PFS Protesstonal File 132.00'

Software PubllshlngPFS: Professional Write 105.00'

Software Publishing PFS Report 59.50'

Symantec Q & A 230.00*

HARDWARE FOR YOUR IBM

(Please add shipping and handling charges found In Italics nexl to price.)

DISK DRIVES

IBM 380K DS DD Full Ht Disk Drive 585.00"

►lOmega BemouffiBw 1,710.00"Dual WMB Drives

► PCNetwork 10MB INTERNAL 1 2 289.00"

Height AutotSOOl Drive New loner pricePC Network WMB Tape Backup 395.00*

Same unit used in Compaq's DeskPro!PC Network/1 T 42MB Internal HD 1,050.00*

35MS Access Time-Comes CompletePC Network 20MB Tape Backup 520.00"

Hall Height Internal w.controller

► PCNetwork U.ill height DS DD Dhv.vj 75,00"llli 20 + 20 Combo Kit 20MB HD 699.00"

W.20MB !.-,,■•

► THE * 20MB Internal 1 .7 Height 357.00*

MULTIFUNCTION CARDS

Apparat 4 7 Ram Expansion Card S 139.00"AST SbtPakPwtltum "2MBMulli-OK 315.00"

► AST StxPBkPIUB Mth6sK 139.00"

► AST ■ IO Mini r Ser Clock Short Slot 107.00"».BT" Advantage lor AT" 325.00*Orchid Conquest OK 2MB-1SIP EMS 220.00*Orchid T-ny Turbo 286 Shod Slot 399.00'Orchid PCTurbo 286E w- 1MB RAM 720.00*Tccmar Captain Multi Card w.QK 109.00"

►nit -576K Pius mmofy Board m ok 35.oo-

► Mil: ' Mulll 384 A lunciional clone 67.00'

otASTs 'SixPakPlus '

■ ■ ton memo>v

l serial ' parallel l game port

■:.;.,■■ tjndard

► Mil Mulll WO Plus ll Clone 60.00*

Set Phi Gamt dock standi

(184)(36 94)

(8.94)(24 95)

MODEMS

Hayes Smanmooem 1200B 5315.00-

with New Smahcom II VT100 Emulator

Hayes Smadmodem 2400B 478.00*

THE'" internal 2400 2400 BPS Modem 259.00'

THK'Internal 1200 'Z008PS Modem 109.00' (2!

C Wl Hdyw Compatible w FREE PC Talk ill

VIDEO CARDS

Hercules Color Card w Parallel Port 5126.00" i2i(11.23) ►Hercules MonotiVOltW QtaaiOrchid Turbo EGA Card(168) Ouadram Quad EGA * Enhanced115 10) Graphics Adapter

►THE " EGA Plus F.GA Clone\7 "(1 wta\ 2SSK & pr,iitcr port

►THE "H720 Mono MrMO Graphics

■ ■ ". ■ . 11 . . ■

(2 50) ►[ HE Color Card nvrpintar port 60.00'

(2.50) iqo% IBM CcimpjUble'

(2 50)

12 501(2 501

(2 50)(2 50)

162.00"569.00*323.00*

220.00"

69.00" ZSOi

2 501

ACCESSORIES

(2.50) ►Brand Name DS/DD Diskelles 57.95"

(2 50) Guaranteed k>i Ltle' Not Generic'

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(2 50) Packaged m 50 with sleeves anc :.,■■■

(2 50) Guaranteed tor Life'

t2.5Q) ►PCNelwork Replacement 130 Wait 75.00"

(5 001

12 50) IBM-PC Power Supply - Gives yotn PC the same

1 -i as an XT Good tor add in Tape Dnves■-.-I targecapacity disk drivesSMAPCDocumaie Keyboard 9.99'ea. .'1001

Templates lor Lolus DBase Mullimale and outers

Wholesale

10* fJ.OO)

10" (3.00)

W (3 00)

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)C* 15.00)

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COMPLETE SYSTEMS

Apple Macintosh Base System► Central Point Laser I2B

Apple ff* and AAT&T 6300 2DR 640K.KB.DOS

Mono MonitorCOMPAQ DeskPro w256K

1 Floppy 20MB Hard Disk

CALL ►COMPAQ Herd t St.800.00'

S355.00" (*7.W3 20MB Hard Disk ' Flopny256K

p4BMPC8aeeSyatem2SDD FDC256X 1.025.00'1.725.00" {3834) ►IBM PC P HflrtlOtt* 1,337.00'

► IBM PI 2.204.00'

1,775.00' (38 34) Floppy 3S6H

IBM AT Professional System CALL

I 2MB Floppy20MB Hard D,sk 1 Ser 1 Par512K

PRINTERS

(22 >4-128 88>

(62 10)

Copyright^ 1985. PC NETWORK, INC

►Citizen MSPWNEW' 5259.00"

wocpsbocolf'ic - net

►Citizen M3P-15NEWI 340.00"

fSOCPS 132COLFiic * True

►Cllizen M$P.20NEW> 299.00'

200CPS80COLFi

►Clfiien MSP.-- 435.00-

.WDCF:. 133COL 1 ■:■■ ' T-M-

►Clllten Pu-mi,-;e 35 NEW' 420.00"

35CPS Datsywi ■ 1 r««

Citizen 120-0 125CPS W'Trac 169.00"

Epson OX 35 35CPS LO Model 590.00"Epson EX800 300 60CPS80COLPS 455.00'

Epson EX 1000 300 60CPS132COL 455.00'

► Epson 355.00'

► Epson Ft. SK '■ 440.00'Epson : ■ iBOCQLPm 519.00'

► Epson Ll? WOO NEW' 699.00

■"■-■s oOCPS NLQ

Epson LX 86 120 16CPS85'Par 219.00"

►NEC S030 30CPS LO ParaW 605.00'

(5 59) ►NEC 2050 20CPS Lelie'Quality►NEC 3530S3CPS LQ Pa/aBet

' ►NEC 3550 33CPSLO► NEC 8B50 55CPS(6 46) NEC P-6 216I180/65CPS W Par

NEC PmWnter P-7 180CPS 132COL(9 40) Okldata Color 20 80CPS 100 +

ColorsLO IBM Graphics <* More(9 07) (Requires interface}

Panasonic KX-W91 120?7522CPS(363) Panasonic KX-1092iBUCPSwTractoi112 74) Panasonic KX-P1592 180 33CPS 15'(9 83) wTractor

(9831 Panasonic KX-P1595 24051CPS1' tli ParSer wTrac I5K Butt

t%SQ} ►Toshiba P331 S1&73CP3 IQ~Pmt(11211 ►Toshiba P341 210CPS I32COL115 Wl Toshiba 351C 288 100CPS 15"Color P..(4 73) ►Toshiba P5S I P S 288CPS 132COL(13 05>

570.00"IMfl 00"

690.00-949.00"415.00"535.00*CALL

220.00"329.00"406.50"

449.00"

649.00-

i.ioo.oo-

(13 001

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• • ■(15 421

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COMPLETE SYSTEMS

(Optional local warranty service available in most major metro areas)

IBM PC BASESYSTEM

IBM PC W/256K

cloppy Drive Controller

2 Double Sided Double

Density Disk Drives

Mix and Match with

your Favorite Monitor

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IBM PCHARD DISK SYSTEM

IBM PC W/256K

Floppy Drive Controller

1 Double Sided Double

k Density Disk Drive

Halt Height Hard Disk

CUSTOM

CONPIGURATIONS

WELCOME

;:\^\\

,$1,337.00*

CALL FOR

LATEST IBM

ANNOUNCEMENTS

PORTABLEHARD DISK SYSTEM

256K/1Floppy/20MB Hard Disk

DESKPRO SYSTEM

256K CPU/1 Floppy/Hard Disk

comma

$1,800.00'

LASER 128

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$355.00*

ii

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W/20MB

MACINTOSH

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K IBM PC MEMORY EXPANSION KITSluantity Discounts Available.

Guaranteed for Lifg!. Mm JBk\

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INTERNAL PC HARD DISK

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mounting hardware and instructions

Full one year warranty'10MB

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20MB

$357.00'

Quantity Discount Available

WordPerfect

$185.00*

ea.

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EPSONFX-286PRINTER

132CPS/200CPSLetter Quality

Epson EX-800 NEW! 80COL/Par/Matrix $445.00'

Epson EX-1000 132COUPar/Matrix 629.00*

Epson FX-85 160CPS 10" Par 355.00*

Epson FX-286 200CPS/40CPS NLO 440.00*

Epson LQ-800 180COL/46CPS Par 519.00'

Epson LQ-1000 180CPS/60CPS NLQ 699.00"

Epson LQ-2500 180CPS/132COL Par/Ser 995.00*

Epson LX-86 120/16CPS 8.5" Par 219.00*

MAGNAVOX

12" RGB MONITOR

$250.00*

Amdek Video 310 Amber TTL $130.00'

Amdek Color 722 NEW! Enhanced 424.00*

Magnavox Amber IBM Type TTL 79.00*

Nee JC-1401 Multisync RGB Color 530.00*

Princeton HX-12 RGB 369.00*

Princeton Max-12E Mono or RGB 138.00*

Taxan 630 High Res RGB 383.00*

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A COORD IN

^o

WEBSTER

Season's Greetings

by Bruce Webster

I find that it's strange to bewriting a Christmas columnin late August, but such arethe vagaries of a three-monthlead time. At least I am final-ly settled into my new officein my new home: boxes areunpacked, papers sorted(more or less), desk organized.

Most of the products discussed this month are for theAmiga. I didn't plan it that way; that's just how it happenedto work out. But the Mac and the Atari ST are well repre-sented, so there is something for just about everyone.What? You say there are folks out there who own othermachines? Hmm, I'm going to have to look into this.

Memory for the Amiga

When the Amiga made its appearance last year, I—likemany others—commented favorably on its open architec-ture and the free space (8.5 megabytes) in the memorymap. Unfortunately for Amiga owners and Commodore,the third-party manufacturers have been slow to releasereliable products that take advantage of those features.I would guess that as of this writing, less than 1 percentof all Amigas have more than 512K bytes of RAM. Sincethe Amiga is a graphics-intensive machine—even more sothan the Mac—it eats up RAM quickly and that 512K bytesdisappears fast. So the ideal peripheral for the Amigawould be a cheap RAM expansion box, and I expectedto see them flooding the market within weeks of theAmiga's introduction.

No such luck. Some RAM boxes have come out, butthey've been expensive and often unreliable. To be fairto the manufacturers, part of the problem is the expan-sion bus itself. In order to pass the bus through for otherperipherals, you've got to deal with a number of head-aches, including the protection of your own componentsshould the next box down the line do things wrong.

Access Associates decided that the simplest solutionwas not to pass the bus through at all, and that's how theybuilt their Alegra memory expansion. The unit is a slimgrayish-brown box. It's about '/2-inch wide and hugs theside of the Amiga. The top, bottom, and rear of the boxare flush with the Amiga's main unit, and the front startsabout 'A inch back from the second mouse/joystick port.Installation is simple, though not necessarily easy. I foundthe best way to get the box to sit firmly on the expansionbus was to stand the Amiga on its side and push downon the Alegra.

New products

for the Amiga highlight Bruce'sChristmas column

The Alegra comes with512K bytes of RAM, imple-mented using 2 56K-bitdynamic RAM chips. Onboot-up under version 1.2 ofthe operating system, theRAM is automatically addedto the memory map; youdon't have to worry about anything. For systems runningversion 1.1, Alegra has supplied the necessary utilities forsystem configuration—but if you're still running 1.1, shameon Commodore! The Alegra's DRAM sockets are set upso that you can pull all the 2 56K-bit DRAMs and replacethem with 1-megabit DRAMs. That gives you 2 megabytesof extra RAM, instead of just another 512K bytes.

Does the extra 512 K bytes make the Amiga nicer? Verymuch so. First, you can now use more RAM for your RAMdisk. My boot disk copies all the command files (in direc-tory DF0:C7) into RAM:C/, then assigns that as the com-mand directory (ASSIGN C: to RAM:C). That way, bothfloppy disk drives are free for work disks, and 1 avoid theeternally annoying "Please replace volume WHAZ1T in anydrive" messages. It also speeds up system response sig-nificantly.

Second, applications can now run in the "fast RAM"memory space, that is, memory outside the bottom 512Kbytes (which is known as "chip RAM"). Running your pro-gram in fast RAM has two advantages. First, it frees upmore space for bit planes (graphics images) and any otherdata that has to be read by the Amiga's custom chips,since those chips can access only chip RAM. Second, itprevents bus contention from slowing down your applica-tion. Admittedly, you'd have to be doing a lot of chip work(high resolution with multiple bit planes, etc.) in order tocause bus contention, but it's nice not having to worryabout it.

Not passing the bus through isn't as much of a limita-tion as you might think. If you want to add otherexpansion-bus peripherals to the Amiga, you simplyunplug the Alegra, plug in the peripheral, then plug theAlegra into the peripheral that we're assuming does passthe expansion bus through. If it doesn't, then you're outof luck.

What's the cost of the Alegra? As of mid-July, it was $379.It might be cheaper by the time you read this. Even at$379, though, it's worth the price for the added power.

(continued)Bruce Webster, a consulting editor for BYTE, can be reached do BYTE,P.O. Box 1910, Orem. UT 84057, or on BIX as bwebster.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 305

Inquiry 153

NEW PRODUCTS FROM GTEK

The Model 9000 Eprom programmer is the newest addition to

our line of programming equipment. Faster than a speeding

bullet, the 9000 can program a

2764A in 8 seconds. More powerful

than a locomotive, it can program

megabit parts such as the 27010/

27210 and exotic devices such as the

87C51. ^ .

$749.00

ACCORDING TO WEBSTER

The Model 2010 Single Board Control Computer featuresmassive power in a small package. Available in a variety ofconfigurations, the 2010 has an 8031H or 8032AH MPU run-ning at 11 Mhz. 64K or 256K bytes of ram, up to 64K bytesof Eprom or EEprom, RS232, onboard regulator, 40 "bit" pro-grammable I/O lines and, anexpansion interface. Languagesinclude Assembly. Basic, C, andFourth, Call us for help de-termining a configuration tomeet your control or data log-ging needs.

Size 3.5" x 7 0"GTEK also manufactures and distributes a complete line ofdevelopment products such as PAL and GANG programmers.Support Software. Erasers. Macro Cross Assemblers and Simu-lators. CPM-Z80 Emulators, Programmable Parallel PrinterSwitches and Buffers.

TEK

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DRAWER 1346, BAY ST. LOUIS. MS 39520 USA

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neiRCorico

The quality source for Atari ST & Amiga software

CAMBRIDGE

THE SYMBOLIC LANGUAGEFOR ATARI ST and AMIGA

An interpreter/compiler providing a completeLISP development environment for $199.95.

—aLsn available—

Macro Assembler - Professional development system ST - $ 79.95

Amiga - $ 99.95

BCPL - NEW! Full standard BCPL compiler - ST. $149.95

Lattice 'C - The well known Lattice 'C compiler - ST & Amiga $149.95

Cambridge Lisp - The interpreter/compiler - ST &. Amiga $199.95

MCC Pascal - Fast ISO/ANSI standard compiler - ST & Amiga $ 99.95

Metacomco MAKE • NEW! UNIX-like MAKE utility for the ST . ..$ 69.95

MENU + - Best selling ST MENU genetator $ 29.95

Metacomco SHELL - NEW! Amiga's intelligent programming shell .$ 79.95

Metacomco TOOLKIT - Smartest tools available for the Amiga $ 49.95

Cambridge LISP is also available for CP/M-68K. Call for Sinclair QL products. Languagescome with full documentation, libraries &. screen editor. ST languages include MENU+ andprovide full interfaces to GEM VDI and AES functions. Metacomco provides experiencedtechnical support and keeps its customers informed of new products and upgrade releases.

METACOMCO

5353 #E Scores Valley Dr.Scotrs Valley, CA 95066

Registered trademarks: Lattice - Lattice, Inc; Atari ST -Atari; UNIX - Bell Labs; Amiga - Commodore Amiga.

Contact sour local dealer or call:(US) 800-AKA-META (CA) 800-GET-METABIX: mhill CompuServe: 75217,522Add 6V;% tax if CA resident

SS)

1 know that I'm hooked; 1 don't think 1 could stand a 512K-byte Amiga now.

MICROBOTICS MAS-20 HARD DISK

The other peripheral the Amiga has lacked is a fast, cheaphard disk. Unfortunately, cheap hard disks may be slowin coming for the Amiga, just as they were for the Mac.Two problems crop up here: first, the bugaboo of the ex-pansion bus again; and second, the perception by manu-facturers of a small, soft marketplace. The former hasalready been discussed; the latter means that manufac-turers aren't willing to commit to produce more than, say,a thousand units (into an installed base of about 90,000Amigas as of mid-August). Because of that, the manufac-turers can't get a great price on the drives, and that keepsthe price relatively high.

However, high-quality hard disks are finally coming outfor the Amiga. One such drive is the MAS-20 (20 mega-bytes) from MicroBotics. The unit is about 2 inches highby 5 inches wide by 12 inches long, and it is the samebeige shade as the Amiga. The MAS-20 avoids the prob-lems of the expansion bus by plugging into the parallelport. This allows you to place it wherever is comfortable(within the reach of the cable, of course).

The first time you set up the MAS-20, you must formatit and create a boot disk. To do this, you make a copy ofyour regular Workbench or CL1 boot disk, since the setupprogram will modify portions of the disk (like the Startup-Sequence file). You then run the setup program (providedwith the MAS-20). This updates the boot disk with theproper drivers, creates the needed start-up file, and doesthe formatting (which takes about 40 minutes). After that,you use your modified boot disk when you start up orreset, and the MAS-20 does the rest. All the commandfiles (your C directory) were copied onto the hard disk dur-ing the setup process, so commands operate more quick-ly; likewise, setup copies the device and library files tothe hard disk.

Having a hard disk on the Amiga was nice; as was thecase with the extra RAM, it spoiled me. It makes a bigdifference in what I accomplish when 1 have Aztec C, Lat-tice C, CSI MultiFORTH, and TD1 Modula-2 all on-line atthe same time. Twenty megabytes, while not as much asit sounds (about equivalent to 23 floppy disks), still cango a long way. And the access time—about three timesfaster than a floppy disk—helps a lot, too.

1 didn't have time to really wring out the MAS-20. Micro-Botics has just started shipping them and could lend mea unit for only a week or so. During that period, though,the unit was trouble-free; no crashes, no lost files, nomysterious happenings. The only major grievance I'veheard is that printing and disk accessing tend to interferewith each other since both are using the parallel port. Un-fortunately, I don't have a printer cable for my Amiga, so1 haven't been able to verify how much of a problem this is.

My only complaint with the MAS-20 is its price; $1495.Unfortunately, the dynamics of the Amiga marketplace willkeep that price up for quite a while. I'm not sure if that

{continued)

306 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 219

FREE! A S185.00 VALUE.With any order of SI,000 ormore, AMT will send you, abso-lutely FREE, a Micro brand dresswristwatch. Finest precisionJapanese quartz movement.Specif}' male or female size.

LAUGH, CLONE, LAUGH! Who

would guess that our AT jr. hasmore on the ball than his bigbrother?

AT jr. not only delivers fantasticfeatures at fabulous prices, butgives you top quality in design,components, materials, and con-struction!

And for reliability, every AT jr. isburned-in at the factory prior toshipment.

No IBM*' compatible systemgives you more capability andvalue for your dollar than ourincredible AT jr.

AT 11* ^is feature-packedJ4, __ f* _ model is based€CQQ on an Intel

WjJ J* 8088-2 (or NECV20-8) CPU, running at 4.77 MHzor 8 MHz, selectable; handlesPC DOSf MS DOSr XENIX? andother operating systems, plus a fullrange of IBM-compatible software.The standard system has a "0"wait state on memory, and operatesmany times faster than the IBMPC/XT* Offers 640 KB of RAM on

the motherboard; 360 KB floppydisk drive; eight expansion slots;LED indicator for the turbo mode;AT-style keyboard; 135-watt integralpower supply; and security keylock. Optional features include a40 MB hard disk (38 ms), EGA,and an 8087-2 math co-processor.

LAP TOP.

AMT'ss- -~ ^_ compact Lap

$1699.Topsysten;,,

*vr ■M-^*S Sm gives you fullIBM compatibility in less than 12.2pounds of high-powered computer.

Features an 80C86 microproc-essor, giving you twice the speed ofIBM's lap top; 640 KB of memory;two 720 KB, 3.5-inch disk drives;an 80-by-25 LCD display with640 x 200 resolution; RGB andprinter ports; and a 1200 baudinternal modem, optional.

AMT-286. ™'es2

$1199- "

price. Tagged "Best Priced" by PCWeek, March 1986 issue.

Our phenomenal AT has a16-bit Intel 80286 CPU running at8 MHz (10 MHz or 12 MHz optional);640 KB of RAM, expandable to 1 MB;1.2 MB floppy disk drive; accom-modations for 20, 30, or 40 MBhard disk drive; a socket for anIntel 80287 math co-processor; anda "0" wait state on memoryoptional.

DON'T WAIT—CALL NOW

Pick up your phone now andget full details or place your order.

outperformsthe IBM PC AT® at a fraction of the

"•Registered Trademarks—IBM, IBM PC, IBM PC/XT. IBM PC AT. PC DOS: International Business MacInquiry 25 for End-Users. Inquiry 26 for DEALERS ONLY.

AMERICAN MICRO TECHNOLOGY

14751-B Franklin Avenue

Tustin, California 92680

Phones: (714) 731-6800;

in LA call (213) 477-6320;in Bay area call (415) 490-7967TWX 5106003265 AMT USA

'Prices and availability subject to change withoutnotice. Dealer inquiries accepted.lines Corporation; MS DOS, XENIX: Microsoft.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 307

10 MHz

New Quantum 286 Turbo

Finally Performance thatExceeds Demand!

Full IBM PC-AT™ Compatibility

Both the Quantum Turbo™ and the Quantum XT Turbo™incorporate all the hardware developments of yesterdaywhile maintaining the vital link of total softwarecompatibillity through the Phoenix BIOS.

Quantum 286 Turbo 10MHz

Features:

• Quantum 286 Turbo MotherBoard (made In U.S.A.)

• 10-8 MHZ Clock Speed

• Phoenix BIOS

• 512K up to 1 MB onboard

• 1-RS-232 (Expandable to2 onboard)

One Parallel Port onboard1.2 MB Floppy DriveFloppy/Hard Disk ControllerKeyboardOne-Year Warranty

$1395.00

Quantum XT Turbo 8MHz

Features:

• Quantum XT Turbo MotherBoard (made In U.S.A.)

• 8-4.77 MHz Clock Speed

• 640K onboard

• Phoenix BIOS

• 1 360K Floppy Drives

• FDC w/Clook Calendar

• RS-232 Port & Parallel Port

• Game Port

• AT Keyboard

• One-Year Warranty

$745.00

IBM AT is a trademark of International Business Machines Corp.

AFT0N COMPUTER INC.

(714) 863-6951

24825 Calle El Toro Grande

El Toro, California 92630

Customer Service (714) 553-1701

Telex 756731

Prices, Configurations and Deliveries Subject To Change.

We provide instant response to TIPS.

You call, We call! See page 440.

ACCORDING TO WEBSTER

price is low enough to entice someone who has alreadyspent $2000 or so on the Amiga system to buy a harddisk. But if you can afford it, the MAS-20 is a great addi-tion to the Amiga.

Product of the Month: Instant Music

Speaking of power, a new package from Electronic Artsshows off the capabilities of the Amiga. Instant Music, writ-ten by Robert Campbell, truly provides "the triumph oftechnology over talent" (to quote BYTE's Gregg Williams).Briefly put, Instant Music turns the Amiga into an in-telligent electronic instrument that even an untalentedhack like me can play. It allows me to jam by moving themouse up and down and pressing the button. What'smore, it plays three other voices while I jam, forming themusical background for the piece. And what comes outsounds like real music.

The secret is in the "musical intelligence" of the pro-gram. By moving the mouse up and down, I pick the rela-tive pitch of the music I want to play, and Instant Musicgenerates accompanying chords. This can be limiting attimes—it's disconcerting to hold the mouse button downand get only occasional notes or chords—but the resultis pleasing to the ear (usually).

To play, you select the piece of music you want to hear.There are more than 40 different selections from 4 to 24measures long, ranging in style from rock to classical. Agiven piece has four voices, though often only three (theones the computer usually plays) are actually scored. Eachvoice represents an instrument: electric guitar, flute, organ,and so on. A total of 19 instruments are available, includinga "DoVoice" instrument that allows "do wah" vocals forsongs. You start the piece and play your part while thecomputer plays the others. A graphical display shows theentire piece, so you can see what each voice will be do-ing. You can switch voices and take over another part; youcan change instruments; you can change the tempo; youcan even make the program do less for you and gaingreater control over chords and rhythm.

Once you've gotten comfortable with all that, you canstart creating and editing pieces of your own. Composi-tion is almost as easy as playing; in fact, it's just like play-ing. First, decide how many measures long the piece willbe (up to 64). Second, pick the instruments for each ofthe four voices. Then pick a given voice and use the mouseand button to play what you want the track to be. Pickthe next voice and lay down the next track. When you'redone, you can play back your composition. You can also"step in" for a given voice and play it yourself.

My only complaint with Instant Music is that it's copy-protected. True, it's the key disk method, which does allowfor installation on a hard disk, and, also true, you can buyan unprotected version for another $20, but it's still a pain.Copy protection seems to be a dying trend in the industry;maybe Electronic Arts will see that and follow the otherfirms that are dropping protection from their products.

I've enjoyed having Instant Music to use, and my kidshave been fascinated by the ability to sit down and play

[continued]

308 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 13 for End-Users.Inquiry 14 for DEALERS ONLY.

AMT-286:

More Than AnIBM8Look Alike.

.**

AMT-286.

$1199.

The IBM PC AT® laid the foundation. AMTaccepted the challenge, and put its AMT-286into orbit. Now you can get the best of bothworlds at a fraction of IBM's price!

Speed. The AMT-286 cruises at 8MHz, with optional clock rates of10MHz and 12MHz. That's 30 % to 40 % faster than the IBM PC AT.

Main Memory. User-friendly programming takes lots of RAM. TheAMT-286 comes with 640K, but can be expanded to an incredible 6 MB.IBM can't say that.

Mass Storage. Up to 60,000 pages ofwords and numbers—a full 120 MB ofstorage—can be crammed into the AMT-286hard disks. That's twice what the IBM PC ATcan handle.

Other Goodies. Intel's fabulous 8028616-bit microprocessor chip on an American-made motherboard. 1.2 MB floppy disk; andaccommodations for an 80287 math co-processor. The system runs all softwareand accepts all hardware designed for theIBM PC AT.

For S1199. how can you lose?

A'T' 2^ This feature-packed model has an Intel 8088-2 running atAJ. II.* 4.77MHz or 8MHz, selectable—many times faster than/|)p/\/\ the IBM PC/XT®. Also has a "0" wait state onyk ^% 9 w memory, and provides 640 KB of RAM on the

" "^ S -^ motherboard. Offers eight expansion slots, an LEDindicator for the turbo mode, and a security key lock. Optional featuresinclude a hard disk, up to 40 MB (38 ms), EGA, and an 8087-2 mathco-processor.

REACH FOR YOUR PHONE.

An AMT-286 or AT jr. is yours by dialingone of our convenient numbers. All ordersfilled immediately, following complete systemscheckout and 72-hour factory burn-in.

FREE

A S185 Value.

"Registered trademarks IBM, IBM PC/XT. IBM PC ATInternational Business Machines Corporation

Case style may vary from photograph.

With any order of SI, 000 or more, AMT

will send you, absolutely FREE, a Micro

brand dress ivristwatch. Finest precision

Japanese quartz movement. Specify male or

female size. Only one watch per customer.

Inquiry 27 for End-Users. Inquiry 28 for DEALERS ONLY

AMERICAN MICRO TECHNOLOGY

14751-B Franklin Avenue

Tustin, California 92680

Phones: In Orange County call (714) 731-6800In LA call (213) 477-6320In Bay area call (415) 490-7967TWX 5106003265 AMT USA

'Dealer inquiries accepted

"Prices and availability subject to change without notice

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 309

ACCORDING TO WEBSTER

TIME IS MONEY. . .10 MHz IS FAST!!!

FULL IBM PC-AT* COMPATIBILITY

IF YOU ARE TIRED OF WAITING FOR A 'SOMEDAY' PRODUCT

OR YOU DON'T WANT TO BUY YESTERDAY'S TECHNOLOGY,

THEN TREAT YOURSELF TO THE PERFORMANCE & FEATURES

OF THE "WESTECH 286 TURBO™" 10 MHz

PHOENIX BIOS - THE MISSING LINK INSOFTWARE COMPATIBILITY - ON BOARD

LOWEST COST 10 MHz AVAILABLE

COMPLETELY DESIGNED, MANUFACTURED, ASSEMBLEDAND TESTED IN U.S.A.

• 8 I/O Slots

• Onboard Battery

• Parallel Port

• CMOS Clock Calendar

• Up to 2 RS-232 Ports

• Standard Power

• 1 RS-232 Included

Connector

• Phoenix BIOS

• Low Power Circuitry

• Up to 1 MB Onboard

• 10 MHz 80286

• 512K Included 120ns

• Socket for 80287

• 4 Layer Mother Board

• One-Year Warranty

HIGH SPEED INDUSTRIAL GRADE COMPUTER FOR:

• Industrial • Engineering

• Medical • University/Education

• Scientific • Artificial Intelligence

QUANTITY DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR QUALIFIED DEALER,OEM, UNIVERSITY AND CORPORATE ACCOUNTS.

$599.00 OEM Quantity Price

Call for other pricing

Westech, Inc.

474-6022

(714)

17781 Mitchell, Irvine, CA 92714

FAX (714) 553-0236 • TELEX 756731

Answer Back: Western CompWe provide instant response to TIPS.You call, We call! See page 440.

Prices and availability subject to change.' IBM AT is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.Westech 286 Turbo is a trademark of Westech, Inc.

real music without much effort. It's an outstanding pro-gram, and Robert Campbell should be commended.

The Hackers Corner

Every few weeks, I receive some piece of software thata solitary programmer working long hours has feverishlypieced together. Sometimes the programmer sends it tome; sometimes I get it by other means (downloaded frombulletin boards, etc.). In either case, the software itself iseither public domain (i.e., free) or it's shareware (i.e., freeunless your conscience bothers you enough to compelyou to send some amount of cash to the author). I planto periodically review some of the PD/shareware programsout there, calling attention to the fine efforts of kitchen-table hackers everywhere.

The two programs I'd like to mention this month are,at first glance, frivolous, but both illustrate the strengthsof the computers they run on. The first is a public domaindesk accessory for the Macintosh, known simply as Talk-ing Moose. It was written by Steve Halls, a doctor inCanada, who apparently had a great deal of fun puttingthe program together. When you activate the desk acces-sory, it installs itself in the system heap, then allows youto go back to whatever you were doing. However, if aninterval of time (user-adjustable) goes by with no activity,a small window with a moose's head in it appears nearthe upper left corner of the screen. The moose then makessome smart-aleck remark, usually (but not always) havingto do with your lack of work, and the window goes away.The moose head—somewhat reminiscent of Bullwinkle—isanimated while it talks, moving its eyes, ears, nose, andmouth.

At any time, you can bring up the desk-accessory win-dow again, which allows you to adjust the rate and pitchfor the voice, as well as the delay between comments. Youcan also click a box to remove the moose from the system,in which case the moose appears and makes some sortof plea or threat ("Oh, no! Don't do that!"). If you thenturn the moose back on, it replies with some expressionof gratitude ("Splendid decision!"). The desk accessoryrequires two support files: MacinTalk. Apple's speech syn-thesizer program: and Moose Phrases, a resource file fullof comments converted to MacinTalk phonetics.

Halls was offering the assembly language source codefor the price of a disk and postage (or for a disk with suf-ficient return postage). I don't know if the offer is still ineffect; you might want to write him (with a self-addressedenvelope and money for postage) to find out. The last ad-dress l have for him is Steve Halls, M.D., ll 13 5 50 Ave,Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6H 0)1.

The other program is for the Amiga, and it arrived inthe mail with a pair of the old red-and-blue three-dimen-sional movie glasses. The program, 3-D Breakout, was writ-ten by Tim Kemp of Columbus, Ohio. As you might guess,it's a variant of the old Breakout game in which you keepbouncing a ball off a paddle back toward a group of bricks.In this version, the "bricks" (one layer thick) line the ceil-ing and three walls of a room, with the screen forming

(continued)

310 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 382 for End-Users.Inquiry 383 for DEALERS ONLY.

—iTir

+■

Enhanced graphicswithout an enhanced price.

The Amdek 722 EGA monitor.

The Amdek 722 high performance color monitor is idealfor all enhanced graphics applications. Amdek engi-neered the 722 monitor to fully support both the IBMEnhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA: 640 x 350 lines reso-lution), and the IBM Color Graphics Adapter (CGA: 640X 200). In the EGA mode, you can use any combinationof 16 colors from a 64-color palette.

The result is an EGA monitor specifically designed togive you the ultimate in high resolution performance fora wide range of business graphics, engineering, educa-tional purposes, and similar applications.

Other advanced design features include a high quality

etched glass, non-glare screen, and a 3-position switchthat allows you to choose green, amber or full-color text.

Ask your computer dealer to show you some of theenhanced features of the Amdek 722 EGA monitor. Andthen ask to see the best feature of all—the price! TheAmdek 722 EGA is more monitor for the money. And it'sbacked by more warranty for your peace of mind—threeyears on the CRT, and two years on all other partsand labor.

Once you compare the quality and price, you'll focusyour attention on the best monitor for enhanced graphics-the Amdek 722 EGA monitor.

Clearly the finest in monitors.

IBM ta a registered trademark ofInternational Business Machine Corp.

2201 Lively Boulevard, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007, Phone: 312/364-1180, TLX: 280-803

Inquiry 20

Inquiry 337

I NEW! |

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Pascal Programmers

turboMAGIC turns your ideas into state-of-the-art programs.Your productivity increased, or your money back!

Lei your imagination run wild! It's easy with turboMAGIC, the slickestcode generator available for Turbo Pascal. Input forms. Report forms. Helpwindows. Pop-up menus. Pull-down menu systems. And more! turbo-MAGIC will turn 15 minutes of your time into code that would take youhundreds of hours to write. Whether you're a professional or just abeginner, you need turboMAGIC.

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Wouldn't you like some magic? Order turboMAGIC today. Only $99.00,You have nothing to lose with our 30-day full money-back guarantee.CALL NOW! 1-800-225-3165 (Outside Alabama, orders only) or 205-342-7026 (VISA & MC welcome, no PO, no COD)

Requires: Turbo Pascal 3,0 and an IBM PC/XT/AT or compatible 256k RAM minimum

Not copy protected.

#-

Sophisticated Software Inc.6586 Old Shell RoadMobile, AL 36608(205) 342-7026

Trademarks:

Turbo Pascal —Borland International

WordStar —MicroPro International

THE GENERAL DATACOMM

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$22652 Including SoftwareCall 1-800-523-1737

Order now and receive a FREEIntroPak Subscription to COMPUSERVE.

ja General DataComm

Offer valid through December 31, 1986.

ACCORDING TO WEBSTER

the fourth wall. The "ball" (which is square) bounces offthe ceiling and walls. It will, however, sink into the floorand disappear unless you bounce it off your paddle: asquare that you move around the floor with the mouse.

The three-dimensional effect is quite good. The programactually draws two versions of the game on the screen,one in red and one in blue. Each version corresponds towhat each eye would see if the scene were truly three-di-mensional. For the eye looking through red plastic, thepale red looks gray and the pale blue looks black; viceversa for the eye looking through the blue plastic. Thebackground is a light purple, which looks gray througheither color of plastic. The net effect is that the left andright eyes see two different two-dimensional images andyour brain fuses them together into a three-dimensionalscene.

The effect, while good, is not perfect. The "ball" is onlytwo-dimensional, a flat square that grows and shrinks ac-cording to its distance from the front wall (the screen). Thatflatness tends to nullify some of the effect. Likewise, theprogram needs some adjustment as to when the paddlehas actually hit the ball; the ball tends to sink through theback end of the paddle but easily bounces off the pad-dle's very front edge. Of course, that hasn't stopped meand the kids from putting in a fair amount of time on thegame.

Tim was willing to correspond about the program andto sell the plastic material for the glasses. I suggest youwrite him (with a self-addressed stamped envelope andsufficient money to cover his time and effort) at Tim Kemp,P.O. Box 23101, Columbus, OH 43223.

Stocking Stuffers

By the time you read this, there won't be too many moreshopping days until Christmas, and you may be wonder-ing what to get for the computerphile in your life (evenif that's just you). I don't talk much about games in thiscolumn, but I hope you won't mind too much if I makesome recommendations for your last-minute Christmasshopping. Since computer games are something of a pas-sion in this household, we've had a fair amount ofexperience.

My favorite game this year has been Major Motion, writ-ten by Philip MacKenzie and Jeffrey Sorenson for the AtariST and published by Michtron. It was inspired by the videoarcade game Spy Hunter and involves car-to-car combat.Your mission is to travel as far as you can, destroyingenemy (blue and/or black) cars and helicopters as you goalong while avoiding injury to civilians. Your car starts outarmed with just guns, and they work only against someof the enemy. As you drive along, a red semi appears fromtime to time; if you drive into it, you come out with a newweapon (oil, smoke screen, repulsor, missiles for thehelicopter, or turbo boost). Each new weapon is good foronly three attempts, and you lose one of those weaponseach time you crash. You start out with six cars and geta new one for each 10,000 points.

The enemy, of course, is not idle during all of this. One

[continued]

312 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 140

^v

TAS-BoolcsVS.

Dac-Easy

DAC

TAS-Books^

Full price including Payroll, G/L, A/R, A/P,Sales order/lnvoicing/P/O/lnventory & Tutorial

SI59.75

599

Written using 4th generation language

NO

YES

Source code included/modifiable

NO

YES

Easy-to-change file structures

NO

YES

Report generator

NO

YES

Multi-user option available

NO

YES

On-line help messages

NO

YES

3-yrs. GL data by month

NO

YES

Create mail/merge files

NO

YES

guarantee!

Try TAS-Books for 30 days. If it'snot exactly what you've beenlooking for in accounting soft-ware, just send it back. You'll geta full refund [less SI5 handlingfeel.

TM

Feature for feature, dollar for dollar,TAS-Books wins, hands down!

TAS-Books gives youmore for your money.

Before you buy DAC Easyaccounting software (or if youalready have), you should knowwhat you could have instead.

You could have software thatchanges — easily — to fit youraccounting system, instead of theother way around. You couldhave a program that includespayroll and a full-featured database at no extra charge.

If you've already bought DACEasy, you can still trade up to TAS-Books, and get an additional S30off the pricel

TAS-Books adapts tofit your business.

Accounting systems are not allalike. That's why TAS-Books iswritten using the popular TAS-Plus 4th generation language/rela-tional data base, with source codeincluded. So you can easily custom-ize TAS-Books to fit your business.

TAS-Books does somuch, so easily.

TAS-Books gives you full audittrails and integrated modules,with sales and purchase historiesupdated automatically. You canreview up to 3 years of GL databy month. Plus all the usualaccounting functions. And youget a tutorial, and on-line helpmessages in each field.

Here's what TAS-Booksoffers yous

General Ledger

3 years of data by month

Full audit trails

Post to previous periods and reclose

Budgeting by month

Flexible financial statement setup/printingAccounts Receivable

Open item

Mailing labels and rolodex cards

Detailed history of sales, costs, and net

Statements

AgeingsAccounts Payable

Easy to enter invoicesyvouchers

Enter checks written by hand and/or print outchecks automatically

Mailing labels and rolodex cards

History of purchasesPayroll

Easy to run %

Produces all necessary information

Prints vV-2 forms

Allows for employee reimbursement without taxInventory

Averages cost and tecords last cost

Adjusts physical quantity

Uses fractional quantity

Keeps track of non-mventoned Items

History of sales, cost, and net

Adjust cost

Each item can have its own SALES and COGS GLaccountInvoicing/sales order

99 items per order

Description lines added easily

Credits may be mixed on same order

Discount for any line

Ship to may be loaded from customer filePurchase order

99 items per order

Description lines added easily

Ctedits may be mixed on same order

Discount for any line

May order non-inventoried itemsPlus many reports and

other features too ,^ Iffl■*,f*,^*

numerous to ^^«4 . C2 "*"

mention! ~T /^

Full-featureddatabase gives youreal versatility.

No need to buy an expensivedata base to interface with TAS-Books: it's included at no extrachargel So you can easilygenerate customized reports andcreate mail-merge files. No needto preallocate files. TAS-Plus doesall the hard work foryoul And ifyou're already using DAC Easy,TAS-Books will translate your cur-rent files.

Order today1-800-648-62 58.

Call our Toll-Free Hotline. Useyour VISA, MasterCard orAmerican Express to order today.For information or Washingtonresidents call 1-206-644-2015.

TAS-Books is available for theIBM PC/XT/AT and fully compat-ible computers.

ITA S +

I NOT COPY-PROTECTEDI Trade up to TAS-Books.

■ Send us the title page from your DAC Easymanual. We'll send you TAS-Books at an additionalIS 30 off its money-saving price. Limit one discountcopy per customer. Offer ends January I, 1987.

I

^J^^J^MI want powerful, user-friendly

Trading in DAC? Subtract S30I

WA residents add 8.1% sales tax.

TOTAL(U.S. funds only)

,

?AS^—

IfeP*^

Im ^Mtm*u accounting software, with easy-to-customize coding and its own full-featured database. And I want to save money over programsI that offer me a lot less. Rush me TAS-Books nowl

I Quantity SubtotalI @S99ea.

■ Shipping: S8 U.S., S25 outside U.S.A.

II

III

■ City:

| State:

I Telephone:

■ Payment (circle one):

i

I Name on Card:

Shipping address:

.Zip:

VISA MC AMX Check

I Credit Card Expiration Date:Card Number:

The following are registered irademarks of these companies: TAS-Plus, TheAccounting Solution, TAS-Books. Business Tools, Inc.: IBM PC/XT/AT.international Business Machines Corp.: Dac-Easy. Dae Software. Inc

- 1986 Business Tools. Inc.

Inquiry 57

1

BUSINESSTOOLSINC.

4038-B 128th Ave SE.

Suite 266

Bellevue, Washington 98006

(206| 644-2015

V

ACCORDING TO WEBSTER

type of enemy car is equipped with tire slashers; if itbumps into your side, you're gone. Other enemy cars willtry to run you off the road while the enemy helicoptersdrop oil spots in front of you. If you go far enough, you'llencounter your "evil twin"; if you get past him, you'll soonrun into two of them. Somewhere past that you'll find thebridge is out, but. . .well, that would be telling.

The car, controlled by the mouse, handles very nicely,and the graphics are smooth and colorful. Also, the gameplays background music (themes from lames Bond. Batman.etc.) from time to time as you drive; a nice touch. Thegame has other features, like an abort key, pause andmusic toggles, and the ability to reassign the weaponskeys. And, best of all, it keeps a "Top Ten" list that pro-vides solid documentation for bragging rights.

I'm not sure why I like this game more than the othersI've played. I think it has to do with the way I drive or,more precisely, the way I'd like to drive. And Major Mo-tion had one welcome feature over the other two: it is notcopy-protected. That helps, because my kids have alreadycreamed one working disk, and it took me just a fewminutes to make a new working disk from the master. I'dhate to think what would happen if they messed up themaster disk for one of the other games.

Nevertheless, those two other games gave Major Mo-tion serious competition. Both are superior in one wayor another; I just didn't happen to get as hooked playingthem. One is Time Bandit, written by Bill Dunlevy andHarry Lafnear for the Atari ST and also published byMichtron. This is easily the finest all-around arcade gameto come out on a home computer to date. It is actuallya collection of 16 different arcade games, 15 of whichfollow the same basic pattern: Once you get into it, youcan't get out until you find the key(s) and unlock the gate(s)that bar your way. In the meantime, of course, all sortsof nasty creatures are trying to kill you by running intoyou. You can run, fire, or fire as you run. In an interesting

twist, the points you get for each creature you destroyvary according to your "bravery": If you just sit in a cornerand blast away, the points-per-creature value drops; if yourun at the things, the PPC value goes up. Each game has16 levels, which get tough fairly quickly.

Interwoven into all this is an adventure game that letsyou solve puzzles, find (and use) objects, and generallywork toward an eventual goal. This adds a depth to thegame that holds your interest even when the arcade ele-ments grow old. Other features include a pause function(press P) and a "Time Lord" list that keeps track of thetop six scores—the top five, actually, since it includes"Krazy Kev," who (allegedly) racked up more than 500,000points. The only complaint I have is that there is no "SaveGame" function, which is a significant shortcoming giventhe time it would take to completely solve the game. Evenso, all the great features, as well as the outstandinggraphics, make this game a must if you have an Atari ST(with color monitor).

The other competitor to Major Motion is MarbleMadness, written by Larry Reed for the Amiga and pub-lished by Electronic Arts. This is a licensed port of theAtari video arcade game, and the graphics are really amaz-ing. The basic theme is guiding a marble through a down-hill maze. You have so many seconds to complete eachmaze; any time left over is then added to the time youhave for the next maze. Various obstacles and enemiesconfront you as you proceed, the mazes get tougher, andthe time for each maze gets shorter. You can use eitherthe mouse or a joystick; for that matter, the game is de-signed to let you use a trackball if and when one becomesavailable for the Amiga.

I do have some gripes with Marble Madness. There's nopause function, so once you start a game, there's no wayof stopping even for a second until the game is over. Evenless forgivable, there is no "top scores" list, and once

{continued)

Symmetry Corporation761 East University Dr.Mesa. AZ 85203(602) 844-2199

Alegra Memory Expansion Box.

Access Associates

491 Aldo Ave.

Santa Clara. CA 95054

(408) 727-02 56

Instant Music

Items Di

$59.95

$379

[SCUSSED

Maior Motion

$39.95

Time Bandit

Michtron Inc.576 South Telegraph.Pontiac, Ml 48053(313) 334-5700

MAS-20 Hard Disk Drive

$39.95

$1495

$49.95

MicroBotics Inc.P.O. Box 85115Richardson, TX 75085(214) 437-5330

More

Living Videotext2432 Charleston Rd.Mountain View, CA 94043(415) 964-6300

$295

Marble Madness

$49.95

Electronic Arts1820 Gateway Dr.San Mateo. CA 94404(415) 571-7171

314 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

•"X

QNX: Other operating systems may never lift the PC to such heights.

QNX was the first operatingsystem with multi-tasking, multi-user capabilities for the IBM PCand compatibles (1982). QNX wasfirst to achieve the same cap-abilities for the IBM AT andcompatibles. Then, in 1984, QNXachieved integrated networkingcapability, something no othermulti-user, multi-taskingoperating system has achieved,or is likely to achieve, on IBMpersonal computers.

QNX consistently beats com-petitive operating systems toeach new height in PC perfor-mance. Unlike other multi-user,multi-tasking opeating systems,QNX is not UNIX-based. Beingrigid and monolithic, UNIXarchitecture is difficult to adapt.By contrast, QNX is modular,based on message-passing, andeasy to adapt. UNIX developershave had to preoccupy themselveswith merely getting UNIX to workon the personal computer, whileQNX.designed specifically for thisenvironment, has enjoyed rapidand continuous growth.QNX's superb performance andcompact size is the result of one

common purpose and completeunderstanding of both thesoftware and the environmentin which it must run. Quickand efficient on a PC, QNXsoars on an AT.

Of all multi-user, multi-taskingoperatings systems, only QNXprovides unrestricted communi-cations among all tasks anywhereon the network. Therefore, onlyQNX can implement true dis-tributed processing, distributedfile systems, and distributeddevices, with no need for centralfile servers.

No one wants to abandon thetremendous amount of DOS soft-ware available. QNX does not forcethat choice. DOS 2.1 and 3.1 runas single-user tasks under QNX,even on the AT in protected mode.

With over 22,000 systemsinstalled worldwide, QNX remainsunsurpassed in PC performance.

End Users, VAR's, OEM's andSoftware Developers - ask ushow QNX can add value toyour products!

Multi-User

10 serial terminals per PC, AT.

C Compiler

Standard Kernighan and Ritchie.

Multi-Tasking

40 (64) tasks per PC (AT).

Flexibility

Single PC, networked PC's,

Networking

2.5 Megabit token ring.255 PC's and/or AT's per network.10,000 tasks per network.Thousands of users per network.

single PC with terminals,networked PC's with terminals.No central servers. Full sharing ofdisks, devices and CPU's.

Real Time

2800 task switches/sec (AT).

PC-DOS

PC-DOS runs as a QNX task.

MessagePassing

Fast intertask communication betweentasks on any machine.

Cost

From US $450.

Runtime pricing available.

For further information or a free demonstration diskette,please telephone (613) 726-1893.

The only multi-user, multi-tasking,networking, real-time operating system

2?V\ n^for tne ,BM PC'ATand compatibles.

By Quantum Software.

dedicated design team With a UniK Is a registered trademark of AT.aT Bell Labs. IBM PC. AT. and PC DOS are trademarks of IBM Corp.

Quantum Software Systems Ltd., Moodie Drive High Tech Park. 215 Stafford Road. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2H 9C1

Inquiry 297

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 315

ACCORDING TO WEBSTER

you've run out of time, the game goes back to the start-ing screen after a second or two, making it difficult to evensee what your final score was. Even so, Marble Madnessis definitely worth having if you own an Amiga.

Outlining and More

The success of a product can be judged by the numberof imitators. By that standard, ThinkTank from LivingVideotext has done very well. The Winer brothers, Daveand Peter, managed to create an entirely new categoryof software: outline processors (also referred to as ideaprocessors). In doing so, they've managed to pull in nolittle amount of money while spawning the type of com-petition that forces products to get better and better. Tworesults of that competition: Acta and More, both for theMacintosh.

Acta, written by David Dunham and published by Sym-metry Corporation, is your basic no-frills outline processor."No frills" doesn't mean limited, though: You can quicklycreate outlines, rearrange the topics, add and delete items,cut and paste text, and generally do most of what you'dwant to do with an outline.

What makes Acta different—dare I say unique?—is thatit's not an application: It's a desk accessory. Once you'veinstalled it in your system file, you can call it up from withinany application that supports desk accessories, which isto say 95 percent of all Mac applications. You can be work-ing in, for example, MacProject, Excel, or Microsoft Word,and you can pull down the Apple menu, select "Acta,"and there you are. Acta brings up its own window and ap-pends its menu to the end of the current menu bar. Youthen create a new outline or load in an existing one. Youcan change it as you please, then save it out in one ofthree formats: Acta, MacWrite, or Text. And if you're usingit within Microsoft Word or MacWrite, you can copy (orcut) part of the outline, exit Acta, and then paste it intoyour document, where it will appear properly indentedand with bullets at the start of each line.

Acta is larger than most desk accessories—about 37Kbytes—but smaller than you'd expect for a program thiscomplete. I've found it very useful for doing outlines ofdocuments that I'm writing using Microsoft Word. I get

into Word and open the document (or start a new one).I then bring up Acta from the Apple menu. Having donethat, I can now switch between the two programs by justclicking on their respective windows. Cutting (or copying)and pasting works in both directions, so that 1 can inserttext from my Word document into the Acta outline andvice versa. And at only $59.95, Acta can provide all theoutlining capabilities that the majority of Mac users need.

At the other end of the spectrum is More, the new pack-age from Living Videotext. Written by Peter and DaveWiner and Doug Baron, More picks up where ThinkTankleft off and runs like crazy. You can convert outlines tobullet and tree charts, then print the charts if you desire.You can create documents (letters, memos, etc.) under agiven line of the outline, then print them out (indepen-dent of the line) as needed. You can open multiple win-dows, then ask More to tile them (lay them out with nooverlap) the way you want them. You can set up a seriesof screens as items in a "flip chart-style presentation. Youcan have More do math for you, time-stamp text, and sortentries. In short, you can do just about anything you'd like(or expect) to be able to do.

More has features and aspects that you may never use:on the other hand, its capabilities may lead you to trythings you might never otherwise attempt. The price issomewhat full-featured, too—$295—but if you have anyserious outlining needs. More may well be the way for youto go.

In the Queue

You would think that I'd learn not to predict what I'm go-ing to cover next month, since I'm so often wrong. Well,I'm a slow learner. Next month, I hope to review thepredictions for 1986 made in last January's column andmake some new predictions for 1987. I'll also pick someproducts of the year. These are meant more to reflect mypersonal preferences than any objective standards of whatthe most significant products of 1986 were. I'll also havea first look at the Apple IIGS, the newest offering fromCupertino, as well as whatever additional software prod-ucts I can squeeze in. Until then, Merry Christmas, andI'll see you on the bit stream. ■

The 3d Wave's II for File Maintenance.

Other SW Packages

The 3d Wave's Disk Doctor UtilityPackage is the cure for the problemsof file protection and maintenancefor IBM PC compatibles. The 3dWave's prescription for the recoveryof erased files and files fromdamaged disks, the Disk Doctorcarefully examines every byte andbit with TLC. At a price which makesthe competition look sick.

Magic Key-Runs color graphicsSW on Monochrome MonitorsEasy Graphic Arts-Electronics CADOR-Operations Research/ 0vtRSt^oRs

Statistical Analysis ov^o

GAME SOFTWARE. ^

Computer Go-From the Co-Sponsor of the World's RichestComputer Go Prize.

>*»BM*-«5iu<£>cMi«s • &«m • Kgim&mmmkn qfc.

#&m

■M&jgs

The Third Wave

A Division of MSC International

977. MIN SHEN E. ROAD. TAIPEI 10581.

TAIWAN, R.O.C.

TEL: 102)7630052(10 lines!

TLX: 29336 THIRDWVE

316 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 402

Aztec C... The Best C

Frees the genius in"you

You've got a great idea ...

. . . you're ready to write your programs.

You don't want to be sidetracked by all the paper-work. With Manx Aztec C and the ingenious makefunction, your creative processes won't get boggeddown in program administration and housekeeping.Manx Aztec C has the most sophisticated, hardwork-ing program administrator available to you. Onceyou've described your project, adding new features orenhancements is simple. You never have to concernyourself with the repetitive, tedious task of rebuild-ing your systems.

The development process moves quickly. Com-piles, assemblies, link edits ... all finish in recordtime.

Manx Aztec C is the fastest, most efficient C de-velopment system in the industry. Benchmarks showit.. . reviews commend it... users praise it.

You're ready to test the program. You're ahead ofschedule. The Manx Aztec C Source Level Debuggershows you the exact C language statement giving youa problem. You fix the problem quickly . . . you'restill ahead of schedule.

You've got some time for fine tuning.The Manx Aztec C Profiler examinesyour program, tells you where the slowspots are and validates your test pro-cedure. A few changes and it's exactlywhat you wanted.

You've made it!

Aztec C is available for MS-DOS/PCDOS. Call for details on Macintosh,Amiga, Apple II, CP/M-80,CP/M-86, TRS-80, ROM and others.

To order, or, for information

Call Today

1-800-221-0440

In NJ or outside the USA call(201)542-2121

30-day satisfaction guarantee. Special Discountsare available to professors, students, independentdevelopers, and on a "trade-in" basis. Site licenses.

"... a superb linker, a profiler, an assembler,and a set of development utilities are only the be-ginning of this package . .. performed admirablyon the benchmarks, with short compile times andthe best link times in this review . .. includes themost professional make utility . .. documentationis clear and complete. There is no doubt that thisis a valuable and powerful programming en-vironment." Computer Languages Feb. '86

"... execution times are very good, close to thebest on most tests ..." PC Tech Journal Jan. '86

" Easily one of the fastest compilers overall...library provides a lot of flexibility ... generatessmall .EXE files." Dr. Dobbs Journal Aug. '85

C'Prime (Compiler, Assembler, Linker) $ 99.

Aztec C 86-d Developer's System $299.

Aztec C 86-c Commercial System $499.

PC ROM (8086, 68000, 8080, or 6502) $750.

Third Party Software for Aztec C: HALO, PHACT, C-tree,PRE-C. Windows for C, PC-lint, PANEL, Greenleaf, db Vista,C-terp, Plink-86, FirsTime, C Util Lib,and others.

MS is a registered TM of Microsoft. Inc.. CP M TM DRI. HALO TM Media Cybernetics. PANEL TMRoundhill Computer Systems. Ltd . PHACT TM PHACT Assoc. PRE-C. Plink-86 TM Phoenix, dbVista TM Raima Corp., C-terp, PC-lmt. TM Gimpel Software. C-Iree TM Faircom. Inc.. Windows forCTM Creative Solutions. Apple II. Macintosh TM Apple, Inc., TRS-80 TM Radio Shack, Amiga TMCommodore Intl.

Inquiry 211

Manx Software SystemsOne Industrial WayEatontown, NJ 07724

BYTE

CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-382-2242

7 Trap Falls Rd. Shelton, Connecticut 06484 (See Below)

WE WILL BE/

TURBO PC

Inquiry 4I6

RUNS ALL MAJORSOFTWARE WRITTEN FORTHE IBM PC,™ XT,™AND COMPATIBLES.DUAL SPEED SYSTEM UNIT.[RUNS AT 4.77 OR 7.4 MHZ,KEYBOARD SELECTIBLE]640 KB MOTHER BOARDINSTALLED AND TESTED.360 KB FLOPPY DISK DRIVE[PRODUCED BY MAJOR INDUSTRYMANUFACTURERS]

AT STYLE KEYBOARD.

135 WATT POWER SUPPLY,

UL APPROVED.

S EXPANSION SLOTS

[FLIP TOP COVER PROVIDES EASYACCESS TO EXPANSION SLOTS].

MS DOS 3.1,™ USERSMANUAL AND 2 YEAR LIMITEDWARRANTY INCLUDED.ADDITIONAL CONFIGURA-TIONS AVAILABLE.

$775.00

TURBO 286

RUNS ALL MAJORSOFTWARE WRITTEN FORTHE IBM PC,™ AT,™AND COMPATIBLES.S MHZ SYSTEM UNIT.[6 MHZ SYSTEM UNITALSO AVAILABLE].640 KB MOTHER BOARDINSTALLED AND TESTED.1.2 MB AND 360 KBFLOPPY DISK DRIVE.

[PRODUCED BY MAJOR INDUSTRYMANUFACTURERS]

AT STYLE KEYBOARD.200 WATT POWER SUPPLY.8 EXPANSION SLOTSMS DOS 3.1,™ USERS MANUALAND 2 YEAR LIMITEDWARRANTY INCLUDED.TWO SERIALS AND ONEPARALLEL PORT.CLOCK/CALENDAR WITHBATTERY BACKUP.COMBINED FLOPPY/HARDDRIVE CONTROLLER CARD

S1945.00

WITH PURCHASE RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL 3% DISCOUNT ON ANYTHING ELSE WE SELL FOR A FULL YEARP«""i™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™~^S^mtT Personal and company checks allow 3 wmki to clear.

Send coupon and lisf of /ferns desired to ^S^' DISCOUNT BY MAIL DEPARTMENT ■—

7 Trap falls Rd Shehon CT 06484

[o be eligible for the SI 50 per item discount you must-

I fill out all items 2. Send in our ad with the items you hove ordered.

Nome

Addiess

City Stole Zip _

Phone No. at above address .

Check form of paymentVisa MasterCard C.O.D Personal CheckCertified Check Money Order

Exp Dote

Computer Model _

For laster delivery, send coshler's chock, certified checkor money order. Shipping-Software [S3.00 minimum),Shipping-Hardware (please call 203-375-3860). COD—Add on additional S2.00. Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, PO,APO, and fPO $5.00 minimum, foreign orden-SlS.OOminimum and 15% of all orders over SI00. MasterCardand Visa (please include card no. and expiration dale).Connecticut residents add 7.5% sales tax. Prices sub|ectto change without notice. All returns must have a returnauthorization number. Call 203-375-3860 to obtain onebefore returning goods for replacement Defectivemerchandise replaced with same item only. We do notguarantee compatibility. All sales are final. "Comporahleadvertised price" does not Include typographical errorson the pan of other vendors or prices that do notrelied higher shipping coirs, credit cord charges, ormembership fees, fhe SI off offer only applies loItems where Northeaslem's price is not already thelowest. Final judgment remains with the manager on duty.

BACKUP/DESKTOPSOFTWARE

STRATEGIC SIMULATIONS

flattie fot Normandy

SUBLOGIC

Jet

PRINTERS

PROGRAMMINGLANGUAGES

CENTRAL POINT TRUE BASIC

Copy II PC or PC Tools 18.50 True Bosk W/3-D Graphics 89.00

Copy II PC Option floaid 77.00 B0RUND

QIJAID Turbo Poscol 40.50 BROTHER

Copywiite 40.00 Turbo lightning 56.00 HR 35

FIFTH GENERATION SOFTWARE Graphics or Dulnbnse Toolbox.... 39.95 CITIZENS

Fostbock 94.00 Turbo Prolog 58.00 MSP-25 (200 CPS)

TRANSEC LIFEBOAT EPSON

Tronsec Module 0 65.00 lattice C Compiler 249.00 All Epsons

B0URBAKI MICROSOFT JUKI

1 Dli . 49.00 Quick Basic Compile! 65.00 6100 (15 CPS) ...

BORLAND C Compiler 287.00 NEC

Sidekick Non-Protected 47.00 Macro Assembler 96.00 P 760

EXECUTIVE SYSTEMS SUMMIT SOFTWARE OKIDATA

XTree 27.50 Better flask 118.00 All Okidoto

SPREADSHEET/WORDPROCESSING

. 36.00

PANASONIC

KXP-3151

SILVER REED

EXP550P

STAR MICR0NICSNX-10 (120 CPS) - -TOSHIBA

MICROSOFT

Window 61.00

PETER NORTON

ftsOFf*3'' 5''01, FUNK SOFTWARE

Mlnrir /4'°° PAPERBACK SOFTWARE

»llHft»" KMeUfl 52°° SttjLfi

5™ mi)** 2770° B0ARDS

PACKAGES Volkswiiter Deluxe III 144.00 AST

BPI MICROPRO SKfotk Premium 512K

General Acc./AkVAP or Payroll .. 283.00 Wordstar 2000+ 285.00 INTEL

CHANG UBS MICROSOFT fej?"ds

Rons to Riches Each 59.00 Word CALL PERSYST

GREAT AMERICAN SOFTWARE MULTIMATE INTERNATIONAL Bob tad

One-Write Plus 150.00 Mullimnle Advantage 320.00 0UAMAM

PEACHTREE SATELLITE SOfTWARE &±x#

Back to Bosks 184.00 Word Perfect 219.95 HERCULES

COMPUTER ASSOCIATES/IUS SIMON AND SCHUSTER Color Graphics Card

AR/AP/GL 295.00 Webster's Spelling Checker 34.50 Graphic Cord Plus

MECA S0fTWARE>UBllSKING PARADISE SYSTEMS

Managing Your Money 115.00 PFS: Ptofessionol Write 119.00 Aumswitch EGA Cord

MONOGRAM

. 99.00

EDUCATIONALSOFTWARE

. 55.00

Dollars & Sense W/Forecost

DATABASE SOFTWARE

ASHTON TATE BARR0NS

D Base III Plus 425.00 Computet SAT

BORLAND BIBLE RESEARCH

ReHn 86.00 Ibe Word 1.0 (KJV or NIV).

FOX & GELLER EOUWARE

Quick Code III 145.00 Algebra I, II or III 21.00 NEC

INNOVATIVE SOFTWARE HARC0URT BRACE J0VAN0VICH Mjftc..

Smart Software System 415.00 Computet SAT 47.00 ™"«™

MICRO DATA BASE SYSTEMS INDIVIDUAL SOFTWARE All Monitors

Knowledge.™ 11/2 285.00 Tutotiol Set 60.00 MrHlFMC.

MICR0R1M SIMON AND SCHUSTER fflUUEmi

RBase 5000 265.00 Typing Tutor III 31.00 ANCHOR AUTOMATION

STB

The Chauffeur

Ego Plus

TECMAR

Graphics Moster

MONITORS

155 00 AMDEK

Video 310A Ambet

Volksmodem 1200.

HAYES

Smnrrmodem 1200 (Extemnl).

NOVATION

Half-Cord 2400 W/Softwate..

PROMETHEUS

Promodem 1200

NANTUCKET RAMFC

Clipper 345.00 UAIYtti

POVVERBASE SYSTEMS ACCOLADE

Pcwetbose 188.00 Mean 18 30.00

SOFTWARE PUBLISHING ACTIVISI0N

PES: Professional File 155.00 Sriraiohoi. 25.00

GRAPHICS SOFTWARE/ Baron, Millkmorra. Squin 35.00 vEHTeT

iiirr BRODERBUND PC Modern'/t Cotd W/XTolk

„„ „„„„ Milt Ancient Art of Wor 25.50

BRODERBUND HAYDEN

MnlStjop 35.00 Snrapn III or Holy Grail 25.00

DECISION RESOURCES INFTKOM

Chortmosrei 225.00 Hitchhiker's Guide ot Zork I .... 24.00

ENER1R0NICS „0 „„ leather Goddess of Phobos 24.00

Energrophics W/Plotter Option... 228.00 tlinitv ol Fboby™ 28.00

LOTUS DEVELOPMENT CORP. Bo.™ 26.00

Free lance 195.00 MICROPROSE

HARVARD SOFTWARE w5 „ am Service 20.50

Presentation Graphics 235.00 MICROSOFT

MI™SFT , . „ ,-o ~> Fliflht Simulotor (New Version) .. 32.00

Mouse (Bus or Serial) 129.00 MfNDSCAPE

SPRINGBOARD Bolonce ol Paw 29.00

Newsroom or Certificate Moker ... 34.00 omcM SYSTEMS

HL ..,„,, Ultimo III 35.50

Click Art Publisher 105.00 p( SOFTWARE

UNISON WORLD, INC. tomchair qB „ Blockjock 24.00

™'*>s>»' 'CuV 3,0° SIERRA-ON-LINE

MOUSE SYSTEMS Kino's Quest I or II .. 29 00

PC Mouse W/Pnint S Ready.... 129.00 SIR.TECH

SUMMAGRAPHICS Wizardry 1 37.00

Summo Sketch 12 X 12 349.00 SPECTRUM HOLOEfYTE

Goto or Otbitot 22.00

DRIVES

ARCHIVE

60MB Cartridge Backup int .

PRIAM

60MB for AT (Internal) ....

SEAGATE

20MB Holf Height for XT Int

MAXTOR

120M8 for AT Int

123

CompuServe Starlet Kit iCrosstalk ot Remote |

Frnmewoik II

Intel 60287 Moth Co-PiocevKB 5151 Deluxe KeyboordMasterpiece PlusRuby Surge Suppressor

Northeastern Software Turbo PC is a trademark of Northeastern Software. IBM PC, XT IBM PC, AT are trademarks of IBM Corporation.

mnecticut Orders call 203-375-3860 In Canada 1-800-843-0074

tNY COMPARABLE ADVERTISED PRICE BY $l

3PLE

)PY PROGRAMS/BOARDS

18.00

Ids II/II+/IIE 40.00

16.0 56.00

BUSINESS

ED LOGIC SYSTEMS

rs 27.00

to. AR.AP.GL,PAY PRO DO . 208.00BUND

set VMM Series Eo 40.00

1.RAYS SOFTWARE

conntnnt IIC ot HE 38.00

US

ks" Programs 73.00

1 Your Money 104.00

Sense HE or IIC 68.00

(EE

Bosks 101.00

IT PUBLISHING

or Spelling Checker 34.50

igler or Cololysl HE 58.00

rVAGNER PUBLISHING

'rite 71.00

fE SOFTWARE

fed 83.00

E SOFTWARE

oi Sensible Speller 64.00

Giommor 54.00

ER ASSOCIATES

3A 98.00

RE PUBLISHING

ph or Write 68.50

& Report 72.00

SOFTWARE

ness (DOS or PRODOS).... 78.00

MATION/GRAPHICSSOFTWARE

iUND

ow 35.00

in or Print Stop 28.50

] Componion 23.50

Library 1,2 oi 3 14.50

tNSFORMS

51.00

OARD

ollect. Vol. lor 2 20.50

Exponder 23.00

i 31.00

ILITY SOFTWARE/LANGUAGES

BROTHERS

Aonkor Font Much 15.00

retro K or Triple Dump .... 20.50

cs or Beaole Bosk 18.00

ir Pronto DOS 14.75

I

Ml 38.00

IAGNER 56.00

EDUCATIONAL

SAT 35.00

UND

oHctr 35.00

I ASSOCIATES

er or Spell It 26.00

dor II 36.00

ck, Mothbloster 26.00

ARE

41.00

E/PEACHTREE

2,3. or 4 20.50

IT BRACE JOVANOVKH

IAT 44.50

3 COMPANY

tots or Robot Odyssey.... 28.50

3UGH SYSTEMS

r's New end Improved .... 23.00

kjo 51.00

ENTERTAINMENT

ACCOLADE

5050

50

00

00

00000000

0000

DO

00

50005000LL00

00

00

00

00

DO

DO

DO

00

DO

DO

0000

)0X)H

to

10

It

LL

3010

10

30

0X)LL

Hardball ..

n

AOIVISION

Alter Ego « Gomemokei

BLUE CHIP

Milliomilie, Baton or Tycoon ...

BRODERBUND

Where... is Carmen San Diego

ELECTRONIC ARTS

Autoduel or Moebius

28

35

...23.

35.

30

Ultimo III or IV

Chessmoster 2000 or Skyfox

EPYX

Summer 1 or II or Winter Games

33.24.

...23.23

HAYDEN

79

INFOCOM

A Mind Forever Voyaging

25.??

Speilbreaker oi Trinity

Fooblifzky or Wishbringer

Zork II or Zork III

22

76

r

Isathn Goddess of Phobos....MICR0PR05E

F-15 or Silent Service

MICRO LEAGUE SPORTS

Micro League Baseball

MINDSCAPE

Steven King The Mist or Rombo

ONE STEP SOFTWARE

23

20

23

...23

79

POLARWARE

Crimson down or OO-T0P0S...

SIERRA ON LINE

20.79

SIR TECH

?8

Wizaidry II oi III

SPECTRUM HOLOBYTE

22

70

STRATEGIC SIMULATIONSNorth Atomic 86

34.

13

Wor in Russia 46

ACCESSORIES/BOARDS

CH HAYES

Haves Modi III 32.

KOALA TECHNOLOGIES

Koala Pad

71

KRAFT

Kraft Joystick IIC or HE

SWEET MICRO

Mockingboard C

24.

113.123.

a

u

APPLIED ENGINEERING

Trans Warp Accelerator

Rom Works III

107.99.

69

Timemaster or RGB Option

ORANGE MICRO

STREET ELECTRONICS

154.

132.

349.

CA

MODEMS

HAYES

NOVATION

212 Applecat

PROMETHEUS

Prometheus Internal IIE/1I+ ...

SPECIALS

FUNK

Sutewoys Pro DOSBEAGLE BROTHERSBeagle Grpphks .KENSINGTON MICROWARESystem SowSPINNAKER SOFTWAREHomework Helper Morn/WirtingSUB LOGICFlight Simulator II

36.0030.50SB 5029 0030.50

MACINTOSH

DESK ACCESSORYPROGRAMS

BATTERIES INCLUDED

Battery Pock 28.00

BORLAND

Sidekick with Phone Unk 58.00

GRAPHICS SOFTWARE

ALTSYS

Fontostic 35.00

CRICKET SOFTWARE

Cricket Graph 129.00

ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES

Easy 3D 59.00

INNOVATIVE DATA DESIGN

Moc Draft 149.00

MANHATTAN GRAPHICS

Reody Set Go 103.00

SUMMAGRAPHICS

Mac Tablet 9X6 257.00

T MAKER

All Click Art 27.00

Click On Worksheet 45.50

ACCOUNTINGSOFTWARE

CHANG UBS

Rags to Riches Three Pock 248.00

MONOGRAM

Dollars 8 Sense 83.00

PALANTIR

GL/AR or Invent 89.00

PEACHTREE

Back to Basics GL/AR/AP 210.00

BUSINESS SOFTWARE

AEGIS

Doug Clopp's Woid Tools 44.00

8LYTH SOFTWARE

Omnis 111+ 275.00

BOSTON SOFTWARE

Moc Publisher II 125.00

BRAINPOWER

Slot View 512 179.00

CREIGHTON SOFTWARE

Moc Spell + 54.00

FORETHOUGHT

Filemokei 104.00

GREENE, JOHNSON INC.

Spellswell 32.00

IIABA SYSTEMS

Hobo Window Dioler 15.00

LIVING VIOEOTEXT

Think Tank 512K 98.00

More 150.00

LOTUS DEVELOPMENT

Jazz 299.00

MEACOM

Mac + ll 93.00

MICROSOFT

Excel 239.00

Chart 71.00

File 114.00

Woid 120.00

Fortran 169.00

Bosk 85.00

NOLO LEGAL SOFTWARE

Will Writer 27.00

ODESIA

Double Helix 299.00

PROVUE DEVELOPMENT

Overvue 148.00

SATORI SOFTWARE

Bulk Mailer 74.00

EDUCATIONALSOFTWARE

CAMDE

Nutticak 56.00

DAVIDSON AND ASSOCIATES

Math Blaster 26.75

Speed Reader II 36.00

GREATWAVE SOFTWARE

Concertwote + 39.00

PALANTIR

Moc Type/Word Ploy/Moth Flash .... 26.00

SCARBOROUGH

Moslertype 24.00

AMIGA

ENTERTAINMENT

AOIVISION

Alter Ego—Male or Female 35.00

Hacker or Shanghai 26.00

BLUE CHIP SOFTWARE

Squire. Baron or Tycoon 34.00

BRODERBUND

Ancient Art of War 26.50

ELECTRONIC ARTS

Deluxe Music Construction Set 31.00

One on One or Skylox 26.00

EPYX

Temple of Apshoi Trilogy 23.50

Winter Gomos or Rogue 23.50

HAYDEN SOFTWARE

Sotgon III 28.00

HENDERSON ASSOCIATES

Real Poker 20.00

INFOCOM

A Mind Forever Voyaging 25.00

Hitchhiker's Guide 23.00

leather Goddess of Phobos 24.00

Moon Mist CALL

Plonetfoll or Zork 1 22.00

Zork II or Zork III 25.00

MILES COMPUTING

Harrier Strike Mission 26.00

MINDSCAPE

A View to Kill or Rambo 23.00

Balance of Power or Brotocus 29.00

OejaVu 32.00

Stephen King's The Mist 23.50

ORIGIN SYSTEMS

Ultimo III 37.00

BULLSEYE SOFTWARE

Fokker Triplone 34.50

POLARWARE

Crimson Crown or Xyphus 23.00

PSION

Psion Chess 30.50

SIERRA ON LINE

Championship Boxing 23.50

SILICON BEACH SOFTWARE

Enchanted Scepters or Airborne 20.50

SIR TECH

Wizardry 1 35.00

SPECTRUM HOLOBYTE

Goto or Orbiler 26.00

ACCESSORIES

ENVIRONMENTAL SOFTWARE

Covers CALL

Moc Buffer 256K, 512K or 1MB CALL

INNOVATIVE CONCEPTS

Flip N Rle If/Mkro 17.00

KALMAR DESIGNS

Microcabinet-Double 20.00

Microcobinet 13.00

KENSINGTON

Swivel/lilt-Kensington 21.50

Disk Cose or Drive Clean Kit 18.50

Control Center-Kensington 59.00

Mouse Cleaning Kit W/Pocket 15.50

KOALA TECHNOLOGIES

Mac Vision 167.00

NEW IMAGE TECHNOLOGIES

Magic Digitizer 275.00

THUNDERWARE

Thunderscan 174.00

SPECIALS

AFFINITY MICROSYSTEMS

Tempo 60 00

ANN ARBOR SOFTWARE

Full Paint 55 00

GREAT AMERICAN SOFTWARE

Moc One Write Master or Pay 139 00

BORLAND

Reflex 59.00

TELOS

Business Filevrsion 198.00

TRUE BASIC

Tiue Bosk 89 00

SIMON 1 SCHUSTER

BUSINESS SOFTWARE

B.E.S.T.

Best Business Mgt Software 289.00

BYTE BY BYTE

Integrated Accounting System 245.00

CHANG UBS

GL, AR or AP 105.00

HARVSOFT

Infobase 33.00

MICROSMITHS INC.

Tx Ed 25.00

DESKTOP SOFTWARE

DIGITAL CREATIONS

Digital Unk 45.00

DISCOVERY SOFTWARE

Giabbit 27.00

ELECTRONIC ARTS

Maxi Desk 48.00

MAXICOMMCOMPUMEDThe Mirror 38.00

GRAPHICS/MUSICSOFTWARE

ACTIVISION

The Music Studio 39.00

AEGIS

Draw 119.00

Import 130.00

HOME/FINANCESOFTWARE

OUMIC SYSTEMS

2+2 Home Mgt System 82.00

PAR SOFTWARE

Par Biz I or Par Real I 95.00

Par Home 1 50.00

EDUCATIONALSOFTWARE

ACADEMY SOFTWARE

Typing Tutor/Word Invaders 19.00

FIRST BYT!

Kid Talk Speller Bee 36.00

QUEUE INTELLECTUAL SOFTWARE

Comprehensive Grammar I or II 44.00

French Giammor I 44.00

Spanish Grammar I, II or III 44.00

US Geography Adventure I 44.00

World Geo Adv 1,11,111 or IV 44.00

American History Adventure 44.00

World History Adventure 44.00

Prart Comp l,ll,lll,IV or V 44.00

College Aptitude Reading Comp 44.00

Reading Adventure 1,11 or III 44.00

Storting a New Business 44.00

Practical Vocabulary 44.00

Vocabulary Adv l,ll or III 44.00

MICRO ILLUSIONS

Discovery Spelling 30.00

Discovery Moth 30.00

MINDSCAPE

Holley Project 32.00

Keyboard Kadet 27.00

ENTERTAINMENTSOFTWARE

ACCESS SOFTWARE

Leader Board 24.00

Tournament Disk #1 12.00

Tenth Frame 24.00

AOIVISION

Borrowed Time or Hacker 27.00

Mindshadow 27.00

ELECTRONIC ARTS

Adventure Construction Kit 27.00

Arctic Fox 27.00

Chess Master 2000 32.00

Deluxe Point 55.00

Deluxe Paint Art Disk 27.00

Deluxe Print or Deluxe Video 60.00

Deluxe Print Art Disk 27.00

Golden Oldies 23.00

One on One 27.00

7 Cities of Gold or Skyfox 27.00

Marble Madness 27.00

Instant Musk 35.00

EPYX

Temple of Asphai Trilogy 33.00

Rogue 33.00

INFOCOM

A Mind Forever Voyaging 27.00

Ballyhoo or Cutthroats 24.00

Deadline 32.00

Hitchhikers Guide or Enchanter 25.00

Infidel or Seastalker 27.00

Plonetfoll or Sorcerer 25.00

Starcross or Spellbreokei 30.00

Susped 27.00

Witness or Zork 1 25.00

Zork II oi III 27.00

MINDSCAPE

Bralacos 29.00

Roder 29.00

PENGUIN

Transylvania or 00-Topos 24.00

Coveted Minor 24.00

PROGRAMMING/UTILITY SOFTWARE

MICRO SYSTEM SOFTWARE

Analyze 55.00

Scribble 55.00

UTTICE

Unicolc Spreadsheet 75.00

C Compiler 135.00

Dos X Compiler 190.00

Moc Library 75.00

Panel 145.00

Screen Editor 79.00

Text Utilities 58.00

D8C III library 115.00

MANX

Aztec C Compile 395.00

MEGASOFT

A Report

A Filer

A Copiei 27.00

A Disk 22.00

A Term 31.00

TENCHSTAR INC METACOMCO

Cambridge Lisp 245.00

ISO Pascal 75.00

TRUE BASIC INC

True Basic language System 95.00

TYCHON TECH

Utilih'es 37.00

INTERACTIVE ANALYTIC

Explorer 35.00

Expert System Kit 55.00

BUNK MEDIA

Centech 3.5" DS/DO 27.00

Maxell 3.5" DS/OD 28.00

Sony 3.5" DS/OD 28.00

COMMUNICATIONSOFTWARE

MICRO SYSTEM SOFTWARE

BBS-PC 57.00

On Line 43.00

SKE SOFTWARE

SKF term 1.1 37,00

SPECIALS

ELECTRONIC AITS

Moxrplan

DIGITAL CREATIONS

Gizmoz

DISCOVERY SOFTWAREMarauder' IIAEGIS

AnimotM/TmagesELECTRONIC ARTSFinancial CookbookSCARBOROUGH

Mean 18ABSOFT

AC/FomonTRUE BASIC INC

True Basic language System

Northeastern Software Turbo 386 is a trademark of Northeastern Software. MS DOS 3.1 is a trademark of the Microsoft Corporation.

Inquiry 416

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320 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 450

APPLICATIONS ONLY

Stocking Stuffers

by Ezra Shapiro

Time for a little holidaycheer. This month I've puttogether a batch of programsthat would make terrific gifts.Nothing too expensive,nothing that you can't livewithout, but all great fun.That's not to say that theyaren't useful products; they are-some of them spectacularly so. Beingfun to use doesn't mean a programis frivolous. I'd argue that all softwareshould be as entertaining as thepackages in this collection.

If I weren't receiving this stuffbecause I write this column, I'd behoping that someone would catch thespirit of the season and gift-wrap thelot for me.

Not a Joke

ComicWorks (Mindscape, $79.95) isyet another giant step in the evolutionof Macintosh art. The program startsfrom the basic toolbox offered byMacPaint, then adds object orienta-tion, sophisticated airbrush and mask-ing techniques, text handling, andlayout options that make it a topflightillustrator's kit. Although the nameand the promotional literature sug-gest the program is merely a toy forcartoonists, you can do some amaz-ing—and serious—things with Comic-Works.

Object orientation lets you build apainting piece by piece and then over-lay the pieces into a finished work. Ina pixel-based program like MacPaintor FullPaint, once a section of art ortext is moved into position, it obliter-ates anything underneath. WithComicWorks, you create each sectionon a separate layer, so you can editand rearrange to your heart's content.This strategy is the basis for manyCAD programs; it's new in a paintpackage. You can construct a scenethe same way you would decorate a

Some simulations,

a paint program, a mouse,

and even a game

room or dress a Barbie doll.

A ComicWorks object can be agraphics image or a block of text(usually enclosed in a border, like thestandard speech balloon in comics).You can work either on an opaquebackground or on a transparent planethat lets you see what's underneath.When you're through, you can decidewhether the overlay should mask thelower layer, or you can add to it,reverse the color of the underlyingpixels, and so on.

Most of the MacPaint tools havebeen preserved in this package; acouple have been enhanced. FatBits(blowing up a section to edit it a pixelat a time) has become SmallBits,MediumBits, and LargeBits, so youcan zoom in step by step down to thepixel level. ThinBits is an editable full-page view that allows easy reposition-ing of objects.

The airbrush tool is a thing ofwonder; you can adjust its diameterfrom 1 to 96 pixels in 1-pixel incre-ments, control the rate of spray, andtoggle between black and white bypressing the Backspace key. Coupledwith the masking options, you can usethis electronic tool much as youwould a real airbrush.

Layout and nomenclature aregeared to the comic-book artist—youbuild "balloons" (text) and "easels"(graphics) in "panels" located on"pages"—but I can see no reason whyyou should be limited to producingcomic art. The program comes withthree disks, of which two are librariesof comic-book objects. However, the

authors have also snuck insome eye-opening teasers;two greeting cards, arestaurant menu, a newslet-ter, and a blank TV story-board for advertising people.Mindscape is currently talk-ing about releasing a com-panion product, sold only through themail, called GraphicWorks. It will comewith libraries of business art (whateverthat is) instead of spaceships andmonsters. The basic program will bethe same, as will the price.

You can work on only one file at atime, but because of the structure,that file can include many individualpictures. A browse option lets youscan other files for objects you mightwant to import to your current proj-ect. Finished illustrations can bestored as ComicWorks files (whichpreserve the independence of ob-jects) or as MacPaint files for export-ing to other programs.

The program takes a while to learn.It's complex and not intended for theweekend doodler. And several thingsannoyed me. First, text attributes werehard to control, as they were in theearly days of MacWrite. Second, whenI had half a dozen panels open on thescreen, each with a few easels, screenupdating was disconcertingly slow.Mindscape's technical support personcommented that ComicWorks waspushing the Mac's poor 68000 to itslimit, and I'm sure he was right. (Thisshould be better on 1987's Macs.)Finally, I missed the enhancements ofFullPaint (see September's Applica-tions Only), like free rotation, precisemouse control, and exotic distortions.But on the whole, I was enchantedwith this program. At a price of

(continued)Ezra Shapiro is a consulting editor for BYTE.He can be reached at P.O. Box 170040, SanFrancisco, CA 94117-0040.

DECEMBER IS

IYTE 321

APPLICATIONS ONLY

$79.95, ComicWorks is worth themoney it costs.

Medical Marvel

Surgeon (ISM, $60) is an excellentgraphics simulation for the Macintoshthat lets you operate on a "patient"to remove an aortic aneurysm andreplace the defective artery with alength of Dacron tubing. You start bydiagnosing and prepping the patient,

then you perform the surgery usinga mouse to select and manipulateicons representing various instru-ments. An EKG scope in the upper leftcorner of the screen tracks the pa-tient's vital signs.

Deviation from correct medical pro-cedure is dangerous. If you make amistake, or leave out a step, or use thewrong medication, or cut in the wrongplace, the program informs you in a

rimal RS-IM or Internal Halliard Models Availablef Upgrades*!* a* 2400 Baud

iS Asynchronous and Synchronous Daia Formats\S Voice and Data (.oiiiinunicalions\S Switched or Leased Line Operations

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polite dialog box; you can attempt torepair the damage, but this is delicatesurgery and errors are costly. Whenthe trace on the EKG goes flat, youknow you've blown it. I supposeSurgeon has to be considered agame, but it's scary in its accuracy anddetail (it was designed by a physician),and there's only one way to win: suc-cessfully completing the operation.

It takes half an hour, or less, to playSurgeon through to its conclusion, butthe experience is unusually compel-ling; it's impossible not to take theoperation seriously. This is not a pro-gram for the squeamish—you're asclose to the heart as you can get with-out calling it "open-heart surgery"—and for once I'm glad the current Maclacks color.

Surgeon could be a magnificentteaching tool; think what it could havemeant in your high school health orbiology class. And it sure beats thecryptic explanations you sometimesget from the medical communitywhen someone you know is havingsimilar surgery. I'd love to seehospitals and doctors using the pro-gram to educate, and calm, patientsand their families. The people at ISMare currently thinking about turningSurgeon into a whole line of pro-grams, each dealing with a differentcondition. I hope they do; there's areal need for software like this thatdemystifies the subjects of our darkestfears.

BOP ON THE PC

Good news for any geopoliticalwizards out there—Balance of Power(Mindscape, $49.95) is now availablefor IBM PC-compatible machines.When I first wrote about it in March,I was ecstatic. I commented that ChrisCrawford's simulation of superpowerdiplomacy and confrontation was thebest game I had ever seen on anycomputer. But it was a Macintoshproduct, period.

Well, it's still the best game around,and owners of MS-DOS computers nolonger need sigh longingly. The newversion is one of the first softwarepackages to use the Microsoft Win-dows interface as a way to achieve aMac-like environment, and it's pretty

[continued]

?«

B YTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 15 for End-Users.Inquiry 16 for DEALERS ONLY.

z* —*—"'

South Seas Shipping Company

Movumtwi ?£>, tOllO

Ms. Cnlhy Lyons

Import OHlcor

[lolufiical noonafch LW.

46 Wawflh flontl

Morottiy, Pflpon, Now Olilnoa

fff'. Pfllfti PfUlt R»Mflfflh

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Thl» biter confirm, lite agrt.m*>l we «ach9CJ at our rioting lul weak kl S«n *incku».Ootenioal ftewarch. Lid. will reeomrmnd tlte optimal condition, lor shipping palm fruit «nd palm oil.

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YOU COULD PRINT EVERYTHING ONTHIS DESK FROM A BUSINESS PC?

The world's best-selling desktop laser printer hassomething in store for just about ever}'business that'sever dealt with the printed word.

Because the Hewlett-Packard LaserJet Printer isthe only printer of its kind specifically designed towork with over 300 software programs. And since ithooks up to almost any business PC, it's right for allkinds of users—not just the art department. So you

i print everything on this desk—from simplesmos to your life's memoirs. And get high-quality,professional-looking output.

Combined with our very fast, very versatileHP Vectra PC (it's IBM "PC/AT compatible) and thesoftware of your choice, the HP LaserJet is the cor-nerstone for a complete desktop publishing solution.One your whole company can easily use.

Of course, the HP LaserJet alsoworks with IBM PC's and compatibles.As well as software like Lotus 1-2-3,WordStar and diBASE II; And, foraround $3,000, it's the laser printeryou can afford.

We can't print all the reasons ourHP LaserJet is the printer of choice. But if you stop byan authorized HP dealer or call us at 1800 367-4772,Dept. 276G for the one nearest you, we'll show youwhy HP quality printing makes very good businesssense indeed.

Pnnl samples ptoduced on a LaserJet Plus with the tolklwinq software packages: Studio Software, Spelbmder» DesKtopPublisher MooPto WordStar X100* Lotus I 2-3* and r-ormMoker II.'" HP Veclra PC is a trademaik of Hewlett-PackardIBM PC is o registered trademark ot International Business Machines Corp Lolas I -?-3 is a registered trademark atlotos Development Corp WordStar is a registered trademark o! MicroPro international 0 BASf II is o registered trademarkotAshtonlaretfJ 1966 Hewlett PackardCo.

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Inquiry 158

PG601BTY

APPLICATIONS ONLY

good. You get three disks that enableyou to install Balance of Power andWindows on either a floppy disk or ahard disk (you can make only onecopy, but you can uninstall it if youwant to make changes to your sys-tem). Of course, if you already haveWindows running, you can avoid mostof the installation procedure.

The MS-DOS version is a bit of apain after using the program on a

Mac. With a CGA card, the graphicsare pretty rough-looking; they're bet-ter with an EGA card. You also haveto take extra steps that you can avoidwith the Mac. You can't just select acountry on BOP's world map by point-ing the mouse and clicking; you haveto choose a continent from a menubar and then pick the country froma pull-down menu. And 1 was sur-prised that the MS-DOS program

CONSIDERTHISJUSTABRIEFAUDITION.

ACTOR™ is a new, interactive pro-gramming system, the first with Micro-soft® Windows. You have Windowswhen you write a program, and usershave Windows when they run it.

Moreover, ACTOR is a new, object-oriented programming language. Wind-ing objects up and turning them looseis a lot easier, more productive, and morefun than old fashioned programming.

Thanks to a new method of "in-cremental garbage collection," ACTORnever has to slow down to clean upmemory like other advanced languages.You can even use it for real-time con-trol. It's that fast.

ACTOR offers all the features ofan ideal artificial intelligence language,but in a familiar, Pascal-style syntax.Which makes artificial intelligence pro-gramming easier. And what could besmarter than that?

From a brief audition like this, you really can't see how much better it isprogramming with ACTOR. ACTOR is more than just a research tool. It's aneffective language for developing real applications. For more information, writeus at the address below or call 312-491-2370. It'll help you appreciatethe performance.

TheWhitewaterGroup

Technology Innovation Center ■*•

906 University Place, Evanston, IL 60201

seems no faster than the Mac version,even though it makes use of fourtimes the memory (512K bytes versus128K bytes).

Anyhow, I'm still raving aboutBalance of Power. If you've got an MS-DOS machine and a Macintosh, buythe Mac version of BOP. But by allmeans, get the program.

Rat Report

This isn't strictly software, but if youwant to play Balance of Power, you'llneed a good mouse, even if they tellyou it's "optional." For the past monthand a half, I've been testing mouse-based MS-DOS software using theLogiMouse C7 (Logitech, $99), and ithas made my life a lot easier. On thehardware side, the C7 is an opto-mechanical rodent that uses CMOStechnology to get rid of the trans-former module; you just plug thething into your serial port and go.(Anything that cuts down on thejungle of wiring around my system isa real boon.) And resolution seemssharper than that of the opticalmouse it replaced.

On the software side, the Logi-Mouse comes with a driver thatdoesn't interfere with most other resi-dent software, a mouse driver com-piler that's as good as anybody else's,and interfacing routines for BASIC, C,Modula-2, and Turbo Pascal. For anadditional 20 bucks you can get Logi-tech's Plus package, which adds an ex-cellent menu builder (with useful ex-amples), a fast windowing text editor,and an outstanding Lotus 1-2-3 inter-face. Logitech also sells the mousebundled with a variety of applicationprograms, including PC Paintbrush,Reflex, and Generic CADD. Any oneis a bargain.

Note that there are two models ofLogiMouse, one with traditionalmouse buttons and one that has threelittle raised bars in place of buttons.I got the mouse with the strangeribbed thingies. Beware—go with thestandard-style buttons!

Practical Play

The last time anyone tried to teach mesomething about the way of the worldwas in my eighth-grade math class.

[continued]

324 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 388

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You save time every time you reserve with the exclusivecomputerized Wizard® reservation system. That's becauseWizard is your passkey to Avis Express®, Rapid RentalSM andRapid ReturnSM. These red hot Avis services let you bypass thelines when you're checking in and out of airports, to get you inand out of your car and onto business—fast!

Take a minute now to get a Wizard number and you can savehours down the road.

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Your free Wizard number starts with a complimentary book offive upgrade passes. Each one of these upgrades lets you rentone car group higher than the one you reserved to give you extracomfort at no extra cost. That's five additional red hot reasonsto get a time-and money-saving Wizard number. This offerexpires January 31,1987, so apply right away. Simply mail thecoupon to your right or call Avis toll free at 1-800-831-8000today!

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Inquiry 43

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DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 325

Zip

APPLICATIONS ONLY

Mr. Kebles took a couple of weeks toexplain stocks, bonds, and how check-ing accounts are managed by banks.Since then, I've had to negotiate the

minefield of personal finance entire-ly on my own, and there have beenmany moments when I've wished Iknew more about what I was doing.

Items Discussed

Balance of Power $49.95

ComicWorks $79.95

Mindscape Inc.3444 Dundee Rd.Northbrook, IL 60062(312) 480-7667

Blue Chip SimulationsMS-DOS and Macintosh . . .$59.95

Apple I! $49.95

Commodore 64 $29.95

Blue Chip Software

6744 Eton Ave.

Canoga Park, CA 91303

(818) 346-0730

Dark Castle $49.95

Silicon Beach Software Inc.

9580 Black Mountain Rd.Suite E

San Diego, CA 92126(619) 695-6956

LOGlMOUSE C7

with Plus software

Logitech

805 Veterans Blvd.Redwood City, CA 94063(415) 365-9852

Surgeon

ISM

2936 Paper Mill Rd.Phoenix, MD 21131(301) 666-2672

.$99.$119

.$60

The first Blue Chip simulation 1 en-countered was Millionaire. It's a stock-market model, and I played it on aCP/M-86 machine with 8-inch drivesI'd rather forget. But I learned a lotabout market trends, stock options,and portfolio strategy. You track per-formance of a particular stock, its in-dustry, and the overall market bywatching charts and graphs; read thebusiness news; and invest according-ly. On my copy, the graphs were builtout of standard text characters, butthey were effective. A few years later,Millionaire became the first razzle-dazzle simulation on the Mac by usingspreadsheet-like grids and fullgraphics.

Millionaire is still available from BlueChip, as are Tycoon (commodities)and Baron (real estate), on a widerange of machines. MS-DOS and Macversions cost $59.95; Apple II ver-sions are $49.95; and Commodore 64versions are $29.95. The newest offer-ings are Squire (MS-DOS and Mac)

Flick this switch and go beyond IBM compatibility

326 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

APPLICATIONS ONLY

and Managing for Success (MS-DOSonly).

Squire is a simulation of investingfor retirement. You can choose amongstocks, bonds, money-market funds,real estate commodities, tax shelters,and so on. The game period is 20years; you get to reassess your port-folio monthly, for a total of 240"turns." As with the other games, youwatch charts, graphs, and newsreports. The standard game is prettydull. Being an overview, it lacks therichness and complexity of the otherBlue Chip products. However, it doesoffer one significant plus: a "reality"mode that lets you configure the pro-gram for your own situation: age, cur-rent portfolio, cash flow, retirementage, etc.

This can be depressing. I fed in mypersonal statistics, went through thegame, and was informed that I wouldspend my retirement years "leechingoff relatives" (the program's words, notmine). Though any simulation of this

sort is necessarily going to have tomake some assumptions that hurt itslong-term validity. Squire does makeyou think. Note that the Macintoshport doesn't make use of the Mac in-terface like the other Blue Chip pro-grams: after clicking the game icon,you're dealing with characters only.

Managing for Success (originallysold as American Dream) is aimed atthe professional business manager.You're the CEO of a manufacturingfirm, facing decisions on personnel,marketing, production, R&D, materiel,sales, finance, and so forth. It's twodisks of exhaustive stuff, far moresophisticated than the rest of the BlueChip line. I wouldn't suggest it for anevening's entertainment; this baby istough. However, if you've got aspira-tions in management, this one willforce you to do some hard thinking.

Dark Castle

While I'm on the subject of fun soft-ware, I'm going to break from my stan-

dard policy and say a few wordsabout an unabashed, honest-to-good-ness game for the Macintosh. Set inmedieval times. Dark Castle (SiliconBeach, $49.95) is a variation on thetried and true Lode Runner/DonkeyKong theme; you have to pilot yourhero through .14 screens of obstacles,traps, monsters, and villains to aneventual confrontation with the ex-tremely nasty Black Knight. There'snothing newabout the basic concept,but the execution is impressive. DarkCastle is a wonderland of slick anima-tion and realistic digitized sound.You're constantly confronting squeak-ing rats, clanking chains, crackingwhips, sizzling lightning bolts, and thelike.

The program comes on two 400K-byte disks and will really put any ofthe 5,12K Macs through its paces. DarkCastle is a perfect way to fritter awaythose long winter evenings when youshould be doing something produc-tive. ■

The Canon A-200IIlets you choose the speed you need.

Our dual speed switch processes data at either thestandard 4.77 MHz or the superfast 7.16 MHz — and that's onlythe beginning. With the Canon Personal Computer A-200 IISeries you can custom design the perfect PC.

For starters, choose either floppy disk or 20 megabytehard disk. Then select either the standard PC layout keyboardor our special word processing keyboard. Next, pick your idealmonitor, either monochrome, color or full-page high resolutionfor word processing.

And when you want to spread out, you have six PC-compatible expansion slots to work with, three for high-speedprocessing.

Whatever combination of Canon components you choose, youcan use the thousands of programs designed for the IBM PC/XT.And your customized Canon PC will perform perfectly withCanon peripherals, including the laser beam and bubble-jet printers and our newly introduced image scanner. Formore information about the Canon Personal ComputerA-200 II Series call 1-800-441-2626. (In UT, 1-800-922-3131.)

Find out what lies beyond compatibility.

Cauoif

PERSONAL COMPUTERS /

Beyond Compatibility

:anon. U.S.A., Inc.. Systems Division, RO. Box 619865,)allas/Fort Worth Airport, TX 75261. ft 1986 Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Inquiry 61

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 327

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PRINTERS

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Toshiba 321 Parallel & Serial $455

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Maxell M2 S (Qty 100) $85

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Typing Instructor

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LANGUAGES

C Compiler (Microsoft)

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Enable!.1 $319

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$199

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$269$249

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$106

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Leading Edge Word Processor On SpecialLeading Edge W/P

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Clipper $329

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Knowledgeman il $249

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MONEY MANAGEMENT

Dollars & Sense w/Forcast $94

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Many other titles available.

Inquiry 90 for MS DOS Products. Inquiry 91 for all others.

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The U-MAN Potential

by Dick Pountain

1985 and 1986 have beenappalling years for Britain'smass-market microcomputermanufacturers. All the bignames of the early 1980s areeither gone or survive ingreatly reduced circum-stances, with the exception oflatecomer Amstrad. In the U.K.,though, a number of smaller com-puter manufacturers never went afterthe volume market. Firms like Comart.Positron, and MicroConcepts foundthemselves niche markets, often in thescientific and technical arena, and inthe main they thrive regardless of thecold winds blowing above.

I've recently been looking at amachine from one such firm called U-Microcomputers, U-Micro for short.The computer, the U-MAN 1000, isbuilt around the 68000 micropro-cessor. It's targeted at scientific andengineering users and designed forhigh-performance I/O in applicationslike data logging and instrument andprocess control, while still retainingthe capabilities of a general-purposepersonal computer.

U-Microcomputers was founded in1979 at Warrington by Dr. BillUnsworth, who has a Ph.D. in chem-istry, and it became one of the firstApple dealers in the U.K. Like manypioneering Apple dealers, U-Microgot into the business of designing andselling its own add-on boards that,given Unsworth's background, tendedto be A/D converters and other I/Odevices. This led to a series of full-scale Apple 11-compatible desktopcomputers and finally to the U-MAN1000. Recently, U-Micro has becomepart of the large VG InstrumentsGroup of scientific instrument makers(U-Microcomputers Ltd., WinstanleyIndustrial Estate, Long Lane, War-rington, Cheshire WA2 8PR, UnitedKingdom, (0925)-54117; in the U.S.: VG

A computer for

scientific users and a molecular

modeling system

Instruments Inc., 300 Broad St., Stam-ford, CT 06901, (203) 32 5-4090).

Inside the 68000 Box

At first sight, the U-MAN looks muchlike any of the Stride-style multiuser68000 machines that have sprung upin the business sector in recent years:a featureless box with a separatemonitor and keyboard. The U-MAN,however, differs from the averagebusiness box in that it comes with bit-mapped color graphics. In addition toa 10-megahertz 68000 micropro-cessor, it contains a 6809 micropro-cessor to handle I/O and drive whatamounts to a built-in graphics ter-minal. The two microprocessors com-municate via a dedicated 4 Kbyte areaof dual-ported static RAM.

Architecturally, the U-MAN is aclean machine. The standard modelcomes with 1 megabyte of no-wait-state RAM, which can be expandedto 5 megabytes of contiguous, linear-ly addressed memory internally andto 15 megabytes externally. The onlyfirmware consists of a boot ROM thatcan discriminate between the variousoperating systems available, plus theoperating firmware for the 6809 I/Omicroprocessor. The 6809's operatingfirmware doesn't reside in the 68000'saddress space and need not concernprogrammers (unless they are intoheavyweight system building andwant to modify it). Up to 512K bytesof user ROM can be supported if re-quired.

The video subsystem provides 27lines of 85 characters in 16 colors (or

gray scale), along withflashing, underline, andreverse-text attributes. Bit-mapped graphics are sup-ported at 680 by 288 pixels,but the number of colors ingraphics mode is hard tosummarize convenientlybecause of limitations on permittedcolor combinations in adjacent cellsdue to the way the video micropro-cessor works. Basically, you can put16 colors on the screen—but not justanywhere you like. Two 32Kbytepages of RAM controlled by the 6809are devoted to video and I/O buffers,and a standard character font isdownloaded from EPROM into one ofthese buffers at boot-up time. Softfonts (up to 16) can be stored here,and text can be mixed with graphicson the same screen. Any of thismemory that's not being used forvideo or fonts (in text mode, thatmeans most of it) gets allocated forprint spooling and other I/O buffering.The standard U-MAN includes a for-midable array of I/O devices. In addi-tion to two buffered serial ports (150to 38,400 bits per second) and a Cen-tronics printer port, the U-MAN hastwin 8-bit general-purpose parallelports and timers (controlled by a 6522chip), four channels of 10-bit A/D con-version, a four-slot expansion systemthat brings out the full 68000 bus andan Apple-compatible bus, and asound generator and speech synthe-sizer based on the Texas InstrumentsTMS5220. Apple cards can be usedon the expansion bus, but, of course,any ROM software in 6502 code willnot run on the 68000.These goodies are packed into a

[continued)Dick Pountain is a technical author and soft-ware consultant living in London, England.He can be contacted do BYTE, One PhoenixMill lane, Peterborough, NH 03458.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 329

BYTE U.K.

seemingly bombproof alloy case witha 100-watt power supply, two 800K-byte floppy disk drives, and the op-tion of hard disks with 20- to80-megabyte capacities. The key-board is an OEM version of the KeyTronic KB 5151, and you supply yourown monochrome or RGB monitor.A number of add-on boards areprovided for scientific I/O applica-tions. A floating-point coprocessor

board using the National Semicon-ductor 32081 fits piggyback-style in-to the 68000 socket and is supportedby many of the compilers supplied byU-Micro. A 48-line 1EEE-488 parallelinterface is available, as is a serialexpansion card containing eightRS-232C ports. For high-speed paral-lel data logging, a 16-bit parallel boardoperates at the full 10-MHz bus speedand can be configured as one to three

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channels depending on the protocolrequired. This board can acquire a16-bit word of data in 500 nanosec-onds. The system's A/D conversioncapabilities can be enhanced with arange of 12-bit A/D and D/A boardswith up to 16 channels. Finally, beinga relatively small company, U-Microwill build special single-unit U-MANconfigurations to order, with extraRAM or other features.

The prices for U-MAN 1000 systemsstart at £2760 for a machine with twinfloppy disk drives and 1 megabyte ofRAM and go up to £92 50 for a 5-megabyte machine with an 80-mega-byte hard disk.

A Variety ofOperating Systems

The biggest problem faced by any68000-based system is that no singledominant operating system hasemerged for the chip in the way thatCP/M dominated the 8-bit Z80 worldand that MS-DOS dominates the In-tel 8086 family. UNIX enthusiastsmight claim the chip as their own, butin truth the UNIX takeoff still hasn'thappened, and applications are fewby CP/M or MS-DOS standards. On aninstalled-units basis, the Apple Macin-tosh operating system could claim tobe more important than UNIX, but it'ssupported only by one vendor and onone machine. Atari and Commodorehave managed to further divide themarket by choosing two other oper-ating systems.

None of this is crucial to a special-ized firm like U-Micro. It is not chas-ing the user of packaged businesssoftware; typical U-MAN users willprobably write their own software, inFORTRAN, Pascal. C, or LISP. Alter-natively, they may want to buy scien-tific packages like the Reduce 3 sym-bolic math system. Accordingly, U-Micro has chosen to offer no less thanfour operating systems for the U-MAN, none of which is UNIX!

The two basic operating systems of-fered are the UCSD p-System andDigital Research's CP/M-68K, both ofwhich are single-user, single-taskingsystems. In addition, the Mirage oper-ating system (multiuser, multitasking,networking) and OS-9/68000 (real-

[conlinued)

330 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 379

Avocet puts you in the chips!

Now you can use your PC orVAX to develop software forvirtually any microprocessor.Quickly. Easily. Inexpensively.

Avocet Macro cross-assemblers,simulators, emulators and EPROMprogrammers will help put yourdesign ideas into more chips thanany other software developmentsystem on the market. You don'tneed a dedicated system. All youneed is a PC or VAX, a goodidea...and Avocet. It's as simpleas that.

Avocet has been creating toolsfor software development since1979 to help design engineers findeasier and more productive waysto develop software for virtuallyany microprocessor—withoutswitching development systems.

Our customers turn ideas intoreal products. From data entrythrough assembly, debugging andfinal EPROMs, Avocet has every-thing you need to transform yourpersonal computer into a fullyintegrated development system.

Cross-assembler capabilities.

No matter what the application,our AVMAC™ family of macrocross-assemblers runs on anycomputer with DOS orVAXT7UNIXT"and processesassembly language for mostmicroprocessors.

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Avocet AVPROM™ programmerswork with over 37 differentdevices including EPROMsthrough 27512, DMOS and E2PROMS, and MPU/EPROMcombos using fast "adaptive"algorithms. These intelligent,self-contained units work with anypersonal computer using Avocet'sGDX driver software.

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DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 331

Inquiry 87

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time multitasking) are offered. Ihaven't the space, nor would I taxyour patience, to describe all thesesystems in detail, let alone the myriadcompilers that come with them. Somebrief comments will suffice.

The UCSD p-System is well estab-lished among academic users, and itssupporters like it a lot. Its Pascal com-piler set the standard for extendingthe language into a useful form, andthere is a fair amount of softwareavailable under it. Its principal attrac-tion is portability of code acrossmicroprocessor families; its chiefdrawback is the slow speed of inter-preted p-code (though you canchoose native code and lose the por-tability).

CP/M-68K was Digital Research's at-tempt to repeat its Z80 success on the68000. But it didn't quite come off.CP/M-68K looks much like 8-bit CP/Mversion 2.2, which is to say that it'scrude and old-fashioned, but simpleto program under and reasonablyquick. U-Micro offers the high-qualitySVS Pascal and SVS FORTRAN 77from UniPress Software Inc. plus theC Compiler from Whitesmiths as de-velopment languages. Using CP/M-68K reminded me how awkward it isto manage a large hard disk withoutthe benefit of a hierarchical directorystructure; it has only "user areas," justlike 8-bit CP/M. However, CP/M-68K isquite suitable for putting up quick-and-dirty one-time programs. U-Microhas written its own screen-orientededitor for CP/M-68K (called USE) thatis powerful, easy to learn, and sup-ports all the U-MAN's video options;it's almost a full-blown word pro-cessor.

Mirage was developed by the U.K.software house micro-APL, originallyas a vehicle for the firm's APL com-piler on 68000-based supermicro-computers. It's a business-oriented,multiuser, multitasking system thatfeatures an indexed sequential-accessmethod filing system with full file andrecord locking. Written in assemblylanguage, it's small and fast, occupy-ing only 40K to 60K bytes of RAMand requiring no memory manage-ment hardware. Mirage can also runCP/M-68K as a task. One of its strong-est points is that system configuration

is easy, well within the capabilities ofthe average user.

In addition to APL, Mirage supports,as development languages, FOR-TRAN, Pascal, C and a heavily ex-tended business BASIC reminiscent ofthe one in Pick. The system has a fairlySpartan user interface, which I foundresembled VAX VMS. A certainamount of off-the-shelf business soft-ware is available under Mirage, includ-ing multiuser accounting, database,hotel management, currency arbi-trage, and statistical programs.

An interesting extra to Mirage that1 tried successfully is a package calledMITS/PC. This program runs on anIBM PC and enables it to serve as aMirage terminal via its standardRS-232C port. MITS is a memory-resident program. Thus, when you hitCtrl-Shift, a SideKick-style windowpops up in the middle of your currentPC application screen, and you canaccess a multiuser database or runprograms on the U-MAN under Mi-rage. Another keystroke and you'reback to what you were doing before.

It's also possible to upload anddownload files between the Miragesystem and the PC, to spool PC filesto the U-MAN printer, and to accessan IBM mainframe via Mirage. MITS/PC could provide a cheap and satis-factory way to share a moderatelyused database in a small office whilekeeping all the advantages of using in-dividual IBM PCs and avoiding expen-sive network cabling. It might not beadequate for heavy sharing, like atravel bureau application, but since Ihave only one PC, it wasn't possibleto test the package's real capacity.

OS-9, an operating system original-ly written for the 6809 microproces-sor, inspires almost fanatical devotionamong its followers; U-Micro put itonto the U-MAN in response to re-quests from users. It's a full 68000 ver-sion and doesn't run on the U-MAN's6809. OS-9 provides many of the fea-tures of UNIX (indeed, its shell isalmost indistinguishable from UNIX's),including multitasking and multiuseroperation. However, OS-9 is capableof responding to peripherals in realtime, a feat that UNIX's virtual mem-ory system completely precludes;

[continued]

332 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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Inquiry 354

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 333

14 IntensiveOn-Line UsersAt Same Time?

Accessing a Common Data Base?No Waiting At The Terminal?No Performance Degradation?

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Here's the best part: With the sameoperating system, the same applicationsoftware, you can start with the $5,995CompuPro 10 Plus" (4 intensive users atthe same time), move up to the $18,995CompuPro MP14, and go way beyondthat to the CompuPro MP42" (42 inten-sive users on-line at the same time, 24separate 286 and 186 CPUs, 19.5 mega-bytes of RAM, no waiting, no perform-ance degradation, $49,995!).

These superb multi - processor sys-tems are completely tested, are oper-ating today at customer sites, and will beshipped 23 days after receipt of order.The MP14 is available through Compu-Pro's 127 dealers. Third party mainte-nance is available through Sperry Corp.

The MP14 could be the answer to yourhardware problems. Call today, (415)786-0909, for the complete story of thisremarkable multi-processor system,and the telephone number of your near-est CompuPro dealer. OEMs and VARswho wish to port their applications to theMP14, please contact Bill Godbout.

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trademarks MP14. MP42, lOPIus,CompuPro: Viasyn Corporation.334 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

OS-9 is completelystructured, the sourcecode looking muchlike Pascal, and ismodular to anextraordinary degree.

under UNIX you can never be surethat the servicing routine hasn't beenswapped out in favor of another task.This feature makes OS-9 ideal forscientific applications where, for ex-ample, a background task might becontinuously monitoring an instru-ment while the user runs programs toprocess and display the results in theforeground.

1 had never played with OS-9 beforeand was pleasantly surprised at hownice it is to use. It provides all the bet-ter features of UNIX, like pipes, filters,and redirection (rather like a grown-up version of DOS 2.0), and includesa remarkable language calledBAS1C09. This is to Microsoft BASICas Robert de Niro is to SylvesterStallone (i.e., it approaches things withrather more finesse). It's completelystructured, the source code lookingmuch like Pascal, and is modular toan extraordinary degree, global databeing forbidden altogether. Individ-ually named procedures can be sep-arately compiled and even run andtested from the command line, thencalled from a main program.

It's perfectly possible to have allfour of these environments presenton the same U-MAN hard disk. Boot-ing without a floppy disk in the defaultdrive gives you CP/M, and putting ina boot disk for the other operatingsystems causes them to be booted in-stead. Some fairly tricky code in theboot ROM was required, since theydon't all share the same directory for-mat.

CHEMMOD

The main reason I borrowed the U-MAN was to look at a remarkable

molecular modeling system calledCHEMMOD, for like Bill Unsworth Istarted out as an organic chemist.CHEMMOD is a color, three-dimen-sional molecular modeling system ofa power that until recently would havebeen available only on a mainframe,and it makes all the other microcom-puter systems I've ever seen look liketoys.

For those of you who are not chem-ists, I should explain what a molecularmodeling system does. It's in effectthe research chemist's equivalent ofa word processor, but it manipulatesthree-dimensional pictures of mole-cules instead of words. You willremember from school chemistry thatmolecules are represented by for-mulas like H20 and NH3. Nowadays,organic chemists work with modelsthat depict the actual arrangement ofthe atoms of a molecule in space,known as its conformation. The atomsare represented as balls whose radiusrepresents the comparative size of theatoms. To make large, complex mole-cules easier to recognize, arbitrarycolors are assigned to different typesof atoms; for example, oxygens mightbe white and hydrogens red.

When I was at college, we used tomake these models out of coloredplastic balls held together by bendysprings whose lengths representedthe chemical-bond lengths. It's possi-ble to learn things about the chemicalproperties of a substance simply bymanipulating such a model, to seewhich atoms are near each other andhow they collide as the model istwisted and rotated. This is especial-ly true of large molecules found in liv-ing systems, like protein enzymes andpeptide hormones; the biological ac-tions of such molecules are largelydetermined by their shape.

Chemists in universities and phar-maceutical company laboratoriesspend much of their time manipulat-ing computer models of molecules. Inthis way it's possible to investigate theprobable properties of, say, a newdrug molecule that hasn't even beensynthesized yet. You can take thestructure of a drug that does exist(and whose properties you do know)and modify it on-screen, just like cut-ting and pasting in a word processor.

Inquiry 52 for End-Users.Inquiry 53 for DEALERS ONLY.

BYTE U.K.

CHEMMOD is a system of this sortthat runs on the U-MAN computerunder CP/M-68K and costs around£15,000 for the hardware and soft-ware. The U-MAN's built-in graphicsare not capable of the required per-formance, so a separate raster-graph-ics processor, manufactured by Digi-solve, is supplied in a slim box thatsits under the monitor. This gives 512-by 512-pixel graphics in 64 colors andcan write 1.5 million pixels per sec-ond. A separate high-resolution moni-tor is supplied to display molecularmodels, with all normal operatingsystem output going to the U-MAN'stext monitor.

The user interface to CHEMMOD isdriven entirely by a light pen ormouse, and you need the keyboardonly for entering the names of thefiles containing model descriptions.The version 1 used had a light pen, buta mouse might actually perform bet-ter. You choose options from on-screen menus by pointing with-thepen, as you do with a professionalCAD/CAM system. There are 20 pre-defined atom types (4 types of car-bon, 5 types of nitrogen, etc.), 20 pre-defined amino acid molecules, and 20ring structures to choose from, as wellas a disk library of whole molecules.

You can add new components of anysort (e.g., a new atom type) by build-ing parameter tables using an or-dinary ASCII editor.

Molecules can be shown either asstick models or fleshed out as coloredballs (see photo 1); the transformationis accomplished by one commandand happens almost instantly. Thestick version makes it easier to see thewhole molecule, whereas the ball ver-sion gives a feel for the actual mole-cular shape. Depth can be conveyedby making elements that are fartherfrom the observer appear dimmer. Ifthat still isn't realistic enough, you candisplay a red-and-green three-dimen-sional picture that's viewed throughcardboard spectacles like those thatused to be given away in comics.

Molecules can be rotated in anydimension, either as a whole or inter-nally by using chosen bonds as axes,and can be edited by moving bitsfrom one place to another or addingextra atoms. CHEMMOD scales themodels automatically to make themfit the screen; you can also zoomthem and pan across them. More thanone molecule can be displayed at atime, but screen and model sizes willimpose some limits here.

(continued)

Photo 1: As shown in this model of noradrenalin, CHEMMOD displays moleculesas three-dimensional colored balls that can then be manipulated.

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Inquiry 63

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Before now,

CHEMMOD's modelingand computation featureswere available onluon systems like a VAXwith Tektronix terminals.

Most important to the seriouschemist, though, are the computa-tional facilities offered. It's possible tohave CHEMMOD compute the mini-mum energy conformation of a mole-cule and to get an on-screen plot ofthe potential energy as a moleculerotates around various bond axes.Bond lengths, torsion angles, and in-teratomic distances can be measured.Vibrational energy levels can be dis-played as a Ramachandran map usingcolored contours. The distribution ofelectric charge over a molecule can becomputed, and steric congestion can bemeasured. This last measure is an ex-tremely important one; it shows howthe different atoms get in each other'sway as the molecule bends and twistsand can predict the probability withwhich reactions will occur. Hard copyof all these measurements can be ob-tained on a variety of plotters andprinters.

£15,000 might sound like a lot ofmoney to nonchemists, but the fea-tures offered by CHEMMOD havehitherto been available only on sys-tems like a VAX with Tektronix ter-minals, for which you are talking hun-dreds of thousands of pounds. What'smore, when several people are time-sharing on such a system, the perfor-mance is probably a lot slower thanon a single-user CHEMMOD system.

Of course, a CHEMMOD system canstill be used as a general-purposecomputer. It's possible that someonesomewhere might even want to dohotel management during the dayand design enzymes in their sparetime! It almost makes me wish I werea chemist again. I hated those plasticballs and bendy springs. ■

336 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 276 for End-Users.Inquiry 277 for DEALERS ONLY.

CHAOS MANOR MAIL

Conducted by ]erry Pournelle

Mind Mine No longer

I've been informed that Mind Mine,which had a clock and a memoryupgrade for the Atari ST (October, page288), is bankrupt. I have also heardfrom—and alas lost the letter from—theactual designers of the memory upgradeand clock kit furnished to me by MindMine.

Mind Mine no longer exists; I will domy best to find the real source of theproducts I recommended in the column.

Apologies. —Jerry

FASTBACK

Dear Jerry.

Regarding "painless" copy protection ala Fastback (Computing at Chaos Manor,July, page 325): No! It has continually beenshown that a quality product at a reason-able price is its own guarantee against ex-cessive loss of revenue by illegal copying.Borland is the most obvious example, but1 believe that Satellite Software Interna-tional is another good example with Word-Perfect. SSI has shown that its support isdesirable to the user, so that no one wantsto have an illegal copy and forego sup-port.

Another problem, although perhaps notwith this particular product, is speed. Harddisks were considered to be fast, but withthe inexpensive price of expanded mem-ory boards, I now dump all programs re-quiring repeated disk access to a logicaldrive in expanded memory and run themfrom the logical drive. Any copy-protectionscheme that requires access to a floppydisk becomes a bottleneck to such asystem.

And lastly, may I point out that you ap-pear to be giving up when the battle isalmost won? I took the pledge severalyears ago not to buy protected software,and, apparently, so did a significantnumber of others. If Fastback is a goodidea, there shall soon be a competingproduct—and probably one without copyprotection. Besides, as a proud owner ofmany floppies that eventually became gar-bage. I will not tolerate the time, effort,and delay involved in replacing a failedcopy-protected original when the underly-

ing premise for such protection is an af-front to my integrity.

Martin E. von LindenbergBaltimore, MD

Fastback is no longer copy-protected.I may or may not have had anything todo with it; last time 1 talked to the Fast-back people I was not polite regardingwithdrawing the "send in for a non-protected update" offer they used tohave.

Theirs was not the worst copy-protec-tion scheme I encountered, but all copyprotection is a bad solution to a realproblem.—Jerry

Dear Jerry,

I am sympathetic with your Fastbackproblems. After similar and worse (did youknow that the old copy-protection schemerefused to allow you to restore on amachine with a different A drive?), weswitched to DS Backup from Design Soft-ware and are delighted. The cost is aquarter that of Fastback, it is not copy-pro-tected, it can handle all types of files(system, hidden), it uses the archive bit in-telligently, and the publisher gave us a sitelicense. DS Backup is 10 to 20 percentslower, but so what? Try it, you'll like it.The address is Design Software. 2 North520 Prince Crossing Rd.. Suite 16, WestChicago, 1L 60185, (312) 231-4540.

Harvey H. Bundy IIIChicago, IL

Now that Fastback isn't copy-protected,speed and data recovery are the mostimportant factors. I like Fastback for bothof those.—Jerry

New Communications NotSo New

Dear Jerry,

While Donald L. Stoner's petition tocreate the Public Digital Radio Service(May. page 393) is attractive on the sur-face, his petition to the Federal Commu-nications Commission fails to take into ac-count several facts.

In the first place, a method for com-puters to be linked via radio already exists.Amateur radio operators have been work-

ing for a number of years with packetradio, to the point that most majormetropolitan areas have one or morepacket repeaters on the air. Direct com-puter-to-computer communication is alsocommon. Many of the hams who operateradio teletypewriters are using computersto do so.

A second point is that the "under-utilized" section of the 6-meter band thathe proposes is currently designated forrepeater service, including packet radio.As to lack of growth and utilization, 1 citethe American Radio Relay League's replyto the FCC. In 1971. there were 58 re-peaters listed in this segment. In 1978,there were 169, and in the 1986 repeaterdirectory, 250 were listed. This looks likeutilization and growth to me. It should benoted that direct comparisons of numbersof repeaters in the other bands in whichrepeater operation is authorized is not ap-plicable, due to the different propagationcharacteristics of the 6-meter band.

A third point is that the ham radio com-munity has the technical capability and ex-pertise and already has in place the struc-ture and discipline to ensure the long-termgrowth of digital communications.

Since you presented his side of the argu-ment, I would appreciate your making theopposite viewpoint also known. Hamradio operators have provided leadershipin exploring new fields of communicationsand electronics. I invite you and anyoneelse so inclined to get in touch with a hamradio operator and find out more aboutthis interesting hobby. Licensing re-quirements are minimal and informationis readily available through your local club,on CompuServe (GO HAMNET). orthrough many of your local bulletinboards.

William E. Buoy Jr.Houston, TX

Thank you. I have no strong views onthe subject. 1 do think it would be niceto have a "computer CB," but 1 confessI haven't thought much about how hard/easy that would be to implement, noreven what I'd do with it if it existed. I useBIX a lot, and I presume that any decentcomputer communications system is go-

{continued)

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 337

CHAOS MANOR MAIL

ing to require that someone invest in apretty big host machine and expensivesoftware—Jerry

Dear lerry,

Mr. Stoner's intention is noble, and onenot familiar with FCC actions might beenthused about reaching the status of aRulemaking docket (RM-5241), but it's notan item to get ready to make use of nextmonth—or even next year—or maybe ever.Reason: The radio spectrum is far more

crowded than many "outsiders" mightknow at virtually all except its highestreaches. It is "open frontier." where rangesare short and technologies are expensive,even to give you short ranges.

Further, the FCC is not sovereign aboutcontrolling uses of radio frequencies,because whatever we do must be in ac-cord with international treaty, which theFCC cannot make: that's the job of theState Department. Virtually every squareinch of frequency allocation has been

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planned out and has to go around a loopfrom the FCC to international "sugges-tion," then be approved by the StateDepartment before we can get licenses.

Finally, there are already uses of fre-quencies for data in Part 90, subpart K ofthe FCC rules. Indeed, some makers ofradio modems have fielded products thatclaim up to a 37-mile range. Under suchcircumstances, one will have to convincethe FCC that there is some overridingpublic need to do better than that, andif you want more range, you can bet thephone companies will be all over the casehollering that they can fill what smallpublic need they say there is. One alwayshas the phone industry to contend with,for they are sure everything is theirs!

As to amateur radio operators, they arenot authorized to use ASCII code, so oneway to get use of those nice, crowded (onHF, somewhat on VHF) frequencies is justto get a ham ticket and go to it! Rememberthat casual contact radio operations willprobably do 100 bps maximum. Takes awhile to transmit a 500K-byte file thatway—and the longer you're on the air, thelonger you expose your traffic to getting"hit" by somebody else. Transmitting datafiles by radio is a real trip!

There must be people doing it, for if youlook in the appendices of Hayes manuals,you'll find a section on how to use theHayes modems on radio—just be fore-warned that it's not for the faint-at-heartSunday dabbler.

Donald E. KimberlinSafety Harbor. FL

Advising hackers to get a ham ticket isfine, but it requires that they learn thedreaded Morse code. Now, you and I andeveryone else know that the only realreason the FCC requires Morse for a hamticket is to limit the number of amateurlicenses. I don't really complain aboutthis; 1 suppose there needs to be somekind of limit, and the Morse requirementhas been around a long time, so it mightas well be that. On the other hand,thanks to the Army. 1 learned Morse along time ago, and it wouldn't take meall that long to brush up on it.

Most hackers find Morse cruel and un-usual punishment—Jerry

Dear Jerry,

Concerning Donald L. Stoner's letter onthe so-called Public Digital Radio Service,such a service already exists. It allows thedirect or indirect connection of computersvia the airwaves using a variety of codessuch as ASCII, AMTOR, or even Baudotwith baud rates up to 19.6 kilobaud! The

[continued]

338 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 75

ATperformanceatanXTprice.

Introducing theTeleCAT-286.$2995.Complete.

With TeleVideo, youalways settle for more.

For some time, you've known exactlywhat kind of PC you could get witha mid-range budget.

But now, you can settle for a wholelot more. With the newTeleCAT-286,"from TeleVideo.

It starts you off with everything youneed. Including a high-resolution640x400monitor. 512KRAM.A 20MB hard disk. A 1.2MB floppyAnd an Intel 80286 CPU that runsat either 6 or 8 MHz. All standard.

To make even better use of internalspace, we socketed fheTeleCAT-286for one MB of RAM, and also includedserial and parallel ports on themotherboard. As a result, we can stillgive you three extra expansion slots.

And we didn't stop there. We've alsodesigned more ergonomic featuresinto theTeleCAT-286. Includingsculptured keycaps on a high-qualitykeyboard. LEDs right on top of thethree critical locking keys, wherethey won't get covered up by over-lays. And a footprint that's 28%smaller than the IBM AT's. So you get

more of your desk back, too.

There's a lot more we could sayabout the TeleCAT-286. But it's evenbetter to get your hands on it. Socall (800) TELECAT, Dept. 299, andwe'll tell you where you can try one.

TheTeleCAT-286. Our 20MBversion is S2995; 30MB, S3495.For high performance at a lowprice, don't settle for less.

ft TeleVideo

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IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines, Inc. © 1986 TeleVideo Systems, Inc.

Inquiry 148

CHAOS MANOR MAIL

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340 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

service has also created Packet Radio, anintegrated data communication systemthat allows local, regional, and even globalcommunication using fairly simple radioequipment and computer interfaces.There are on-the-air bulletin boards,automatic relay stations ("digipeaters"),relay satellites, and even a message-delivery service that operates free ofcharge!

Best of all, this digital radio service ispublic-service-oriented, allowing eventhose not directly using the system tobenefit from it. Groups and organizationsthat don't have the money for computersystems can still be helped by those manyindividuals who use the system for publicservice events and for emergency mes-sage handling during disasters. The ser-vice even allows the use of non-digitalcommunication modes (just in case yoursystem is down or your fingers get tired).

What does this service cost? At present,there is a one-time fee of about $5 for aspecial exam that the FCC requires tomake sure that the user knows enoughabout the radio aspect of things so as notto cause interference to other users or thegeneral public. The exam also requires theuser to know a primitive code used foremergencies and for weak signal condi-tions. 1 got through the exam before Iknew much about computers, so anyonewho has mastered something as compli-cated as hooking up an RS-232 cable theright way can probably pass the test.

If you haven't guessed what the realname of this service is by now, go find thenearest amateur, and ask him or her aboutthe Technician License. Better yet, howabout doing an article in a future issue ofBYTE on this fascinating digital commu-nication service? If you need more infor-mation, write The American Radio RelayLeague, 225 Main St., Newington, CT06111. Mention that you are interested indigital communications. I think you willfind that most of the users will go out oftheir way to help you.

PS—A citizens band for personal com-puters would probably end up just like thepresent CB has, namely, a mess!

David KniselyBeatrice, NE

Thanks. Since the Technical Licensedoes not require the dreaded Morse, itshould serve for the computer-hackertypes who want to play with remotes.—Jerry

V20 Problems

Dear lerry,

In your June column, there was a lot ofdiscussion about the merits of the NEC

V20 chip and its compatibility, so thefollowing may be of interest:

1 installed a V20 in place of the 8088 inthe IBM PC XT and attempted to copy awrite-protected disk with the CopyWrite 2program. Instead of the usual copy, Ireceived an abort message with someremark about a batch file. After a quickswitch under the hood to the original8088, everything was working properlyagain. It seems that write-protected pro-grams and the programs intended to copythem are very sensitive to the speed ofthe microprocessor. My machine had an8087 coprocessor installed, but 1 doubtthat this affected the results. It is, however,possible. 1 am sure other users can tell usmore about this matter.

Ken AffiasNew York, NY

The major difficulties I've heard aboutthe V20 are Z80 code and copy-pro-tected software.

Z80 code can only be run by softwareemulation; the V20 chip does only hard-ware emulation of the 8080. Softwareemulation on the best PC gives about theequivalent of a 2-MHz 180. Ezekial, myfriend who happened to be my first com-puter, was a 2-MHz machine, but alas, I'velearned to expect better since thosedays.

Copy protection is another matter. Yougo by trial and error. Worse, somethingthat usually works may not always work.This is the case with both CP/M softwareand, worse, PC-DOS software thatworked with the original 8088 chip butwon't work with the V20. Short of break-ing the protection scheme entirely, 1 haveno sure remedy— Jerry

The Right Tool

Dear Jerry,

1 would like to speak for what I think isprobably a large number of your readers.While the creativity-versus-structuredebate will undoubtedly continue (ChaosManor Mail, March and June), I'm con-vinced that the point is moot. With thesoftware firms going in their current direc-tion (i.e., falling prices and innovative lan-guage implementations), it is becomingpractical for hackers to own and utilizeseveral different languages, each suited todifferent tasks.

For large tasks, or those requiring a greatdeal of "polish." I use Modula-2. It allowsme to break tasks down into small chunksthat I can concentrate on. This frees mefrom having to keep track of organiza-tional skills, thus allowing a greater dealof creativity.

{continued)

CET

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Inquiry 342

DECEMBER I986 "BYTE 341

CHAOS MANOR MAIL

On the other hand, if I need to knockoff a quick Lagrange polynomial, I do itin FORTRAN (gasp!) because it is wellsuited to the "off the top of my head" style1 use when 1 need something now. This lackof structure also helps my creativity flow.

It seems to me that the "best tool forthe task at hand" approach is what themicro revolution is all about. While anygroup will have its factions, I think it is im-portant to remember what we bought thelittle buggers for: They help us solve prob-

lems and allow us a little fun at the sametime.

Tim NolanYpsilanti, MI

Oh, I have to agree. The Great Lan-guages Debate began, after all, backwhen few of us knew much about com-puters and even less about what to dowith them; and in those times, there wereno decent Pascal or FORTRAN compilers.Also, most of us learned BASIC and then

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wondered what to do next.

With all the tools available now, theproblem is to choose a couple; nobodycan learn all the languages, or at least noone but a real computer professional,which I, at least, am not.

I still tend to use BASIC for my "quickand dirty, run it once" programs. I havea fascination with APL; I keep thinkingI really ought to learn it, but I have nevermade the required modifications to myhardware so 1 could use it with its oddsquashed boxes and bent arrows andother symbols. I may get to it Real SoonNow. I may not— Jerry

CP/M Isn't Dead

Dear Jerry,

I read with delight your June column"Color and CP/M." For numerous reasons,I rely on a CP/M-based computer as myprimary system. I have accumulated thou-sands of dollars worth of really good CP/Msoftware that I couldn't bear to part withor afford to replace.

Last November, I put together an SB180-based system as featured in Ciarcia's Cir-cuit Cellar starting with the September1985 BYTE. I have found it to be very fastand powerful, and 100 percent compati-ble with all my existing CP/M software. Itis very compact in size and efficient in itsuse of electricity.

It comes with Echelon's ZCPR3/Z>Systemoperating system, which is CP/M upward-compatible, coded in Z80 (not 8080)assembly language, and configurable tohandle different peripherals. It comes withdozens of powerful, useful utilities, andhas fast, powerful, user-configurablevideo-oriented shells for operating systemfunctions. You can easily bypass these, viaControl-C, should the desire strike.

The whole system is greater than thesum of its parts. The added speed and theintegral RAM disk, coupled with the flexi-bility and power of Echelon's operatingsystem, make what I perceive as a superiortool compared to the Ampro boards thatyou've mentioned. It functions just like wealways knew it was supposed to when wefirst started messing around with thesemachines.

I love demonstrating my little box to theMS-DOS crowd, mostly average first-timecomputer buyers who learn just barelyenough about their machines to keepfrom crashing too often. They are jealousof the speed and ease of use. Even theMS-DOS whizzes are impressed. I sup-pose the moral goes something like: It'snot so much what you use that matters,but how you use it.

I recently received a 44-page catalog

[continued)

342 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

ThomsonIs About %Increase Your ,Workload. By 65%.

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m $133 $19 $1C $114 $31 $23 $113 $11! $M $2) $2(1 $32 $2,19

■IS 115Z312»2«3«!33IZH2133S3aX2!f3 »

I $1« $114 $19 $115 $3! $29 $282 $211 $221 $241 $212 $2H $2,95

$U) $111 $13 $14T $1H $113 $15) $111 $111 $JU $211 $222 $2,112

$2B$a$215$ai$HT$12l$2n$a4j3B$lH$BI$m $3.64141 1111 18S! 1245 1534 l«4 115! 1411 12] ISA lttl 1B1 fflH

H In In » MB $l2n 6.BS Slu 9.141 St.a a.a <L4S Saw

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High-resolution monitor. The 450A is ahigh-resolution TTL monochrome monitor.Which means 80-column text is larger and easierto read. Graphics are easier to edit. And eyestrainbecomes a thing of the past.

And speaking of graphics, you can havean inexpensive, crystal-clear alternative to colormonitors by using any IBM CGA or compatiblegraphics adapter. Which means more beautifulshades of amber. And at $250, a lot more green inyour pocket:1"

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Suggested retail price. Thomson is a trademark of Thomson S.A. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp.

Inquiry 358 for End-Users. Inquiry 359 for DEALERS ONLY

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 343

In companies where professional treatment for mentalillness is still viewed negatively, everybody suffers.

The employee, fearing how it will look on his record,suffers by not seeking treatment.

And the company suffers. From increased absentee-ism and loss of productivity.

But you can help change all that. By recognizing thatmental illness is a medical illness that requires medicaltreatment. And by looking into medical insurance coveragethat encourages employees to seek professional treatmentwithout fear or hesitation.

Today, many companies have successfully improvedemployee performance by structuring their health plans toinclude long and short term treatment.

Learn more. For an informative booklet, write:The American Mental Health Fund, P.O. Box 17700,Washington, D.C. 20041. Or call toll free: 1-800-433-5959.In Illinois, call: 1-800-826-2336.

Learn to see the sickness. Learning is the key to healing.

THE AMERICAN MENTAL HEALTH FUND MJ|

344 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

CHAOS MANOR MAIL

from Spite Software. These folks arededicated to supporting the not-insub-stantial installed base of CP/M systems.They have brought together hundreds ofprograms and a dozen or so vendors inan informative and tempting format.Everyone who plans to be productive withCP/M should be in contact with these folks:

Spite Software4875 Southwest 19th DrivePortland, OR 97201(503) 245-8102

All this adds up to the fact that I see noreason to change computers just to"follow the fads."

R. SCOTT TRUESDELL

Corona Del Mar, CA

It always does amaze the MS-DOS peo-ple when you show what a good CP/Msystem can do, doesn't it? I say this asI write on my ancient Z80. Zeke may bea bit tired, but he hasn't failed me yet.-Jerry

Dear Jerry,

1 can't believe I read what 1 think youwrote! I quote from the June issue ofBYTE: "The spiral is deadly [to CP/M|" and"CP/M isn't dead."

I respect you as an author. I enjoy yourscience fiction and your scientific non-fiction. But Jerry, you have a blind spot!Allow me to illustrate:

Question: Why are Latin and ClassicalGreek dead languages?

Answer: Because no original thoughthas been written in these languages forat least a thousand years.

Question: Why haven't Italian andmodern Greek become the languages ofthe modern world?

Answer: Because Italy and Greecehaven't been the center of entrepreneurialinnovation.

CP/M is dead because little or no newand original software is being written forthe CP/M environment. CP/M is dead be-cause the center of entrepreneurial in-novation is MS-DOS and/or UNIX based.Jerry, recant!

There is a spectrum of microcomputerusers from white-eyed new users to sea-soned veterans who eat tech manuals forbreakfast without salt. You (and I) arepretty far out on the latter end of the spec-trum. Do not assume that because youwrite for a living and are farsighted thatthe whole spectrum will see the lightabout CP/M with the emergence of VWeapons.

The availability of mass-produced booksdid not resurrect Latin or Classical Greek.Until new and commercially innovative

CHAOS MANOR MAIL

software is written for the CP/M environ-ment, nothing can save CP/M!

Charles H. PorterBothwell, WA

Well, we've had the other view too. . . .I'm sure you're right, CP/M will slowlyvanish: but it will be useful for a long timeanyway, and some will continue to loveit—Jerry

Dear lerry,

I own two Radio Shack TRS-80& a Model4D and a 4P. Recently, I acquired a CP/M2.2 operating system for them, so I couldrun KAMAS and Out-Think, byKAMASOFT. Previously I used RadioShack's TRSDOS 6.2 exclusively, and I havea substantial number of TRSDOS applica-tions.

1 must comment that CP/M as an oper-ating system reeks when compared to myTRSDOS 6. I have found it to be veryhostile to both users and programmers.(Perhaps I'm biased because TRSDOS letsme take more control of my hardware.) Iknow of ZCPR3, but this still doesn't stackup to TRSDOS. I know what you're think-ing—TRASHDOS! The Model 4 seems tohave inherited this reputation fromModels 1 and 111—undeservedly, I'll add.TRSDOS 6 was written by Logical Systems,unlike versions 1 and 2, which were ratherpoorly done by Radio Shack. TRSDOS 6compares quite favorably with anythingelse, including MS-DOS. Logical Systemshas even published the commentedsource code to it. You'll never see Micro-soft do that!

Anyway, what's the deal with CP/M thesedays? Can you steer me toward more CP/Musers groups or newsletters?

Jeff JosephMinot AFB, ND

I suppose that some day I'll forgetTRASHDOS and the millions of "zaps'' topatch it, but it won't be soon. I alsoremember LDOS, which is much better,and which, I gather, became TRSDOS 6.I recall Logical was an easy outfit to dealwith and I was pretty impressed withwhat they were trying to do; that was inthe days when I was still hoping to makesomething of my TRS-80 computer(which now gathers dust in a garage.)

A good place to start picking up CP/Msoftware is from Workman and Associ-ates, 112 Marion Ave., Pasadena CA91106. I haven't heard from the CP/MUser Croup for a while but there areseveral of them still going. SoftwareTbolworks (14478 Clorietta Dr., ShermanOaks, CA 91423, (818) 986-4885) alsopublishes low-cost CP/M stuff.—Jerry ■

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Symphony® is the one software product no business person can afford to be without. Based onthe 1-2-3® spreadsheet technology, Symphony pulls together five key functions in one program.Functions that help a marketing manager work smarter. Give a financial analyst a clearer picture.Run an entire company more effectively.

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<?

:st of BIX • Best of BIX • Best of BIX •

EIX

Best of BIX • Best of BIX • Best of BIX

BIX is the BYTE Information Exchange, BYTE's full-time computerconferencing system. The messages shown in this section are only asmall sample of the thousands of messages posted on BIX eachmonth. This month, Best of BIX features messages from the Amiga,Atari ST, IBM PC, Macintosh, Apple II, and Graphic Display con-ferences. For information on joining BIX, see the advertisement onpage 320.

AMIGA

The Amiga window begins with a question on how to rescue a diskthat suddenly reads "unvalidated." Next is a discussion of a possiblebug in the Trackdisk routine. Finally, there is a look at the possibilitieswithin the Resident command.

Unvalidated Disk Problems

amlga/maln #4488, from greggw (Gregg Williams, SeniorTechnical Editor. BYTE)

Help! During a normal disk access, something went wrongand now I have an unvalidated disk, which AmigaDOSwon't recognize in any way. This is not the first timethis has happened. I thought the file structure wasrobust enough to recover from such things. I've lost880K of data!

Are there any programs or techniques to repair adisk that's been declared "not validated"? SurelyAmigaDOS is not this fragile? Any help would beappreciated. Thanks.

(FYI—I was trying to "chop" a downloaded file using'fixobj', which reads the file and writes to a new one.The disk was less than half full.)—greggw

amiga/main #4489, from Inoland (Leslie Noland)a comment to message 4488

There is a program called Disksalvage (some placesshortened to Disksalv) that can rescue much, if notall, of your data. I believe it is in Listings, but ifit isn't, BlXmail me and I'll put a copy up there.

It isn't a perfect program - sometimes it seems torecover data from past versions of a file and includethose in the new file, or something like that. That'snot too critical in a text file, but it could probablymess up an object file pretty badly. But it usuallydoes a pretty good job.

There is an old Metacomco program (the name of whichescapes me at the moment) that allows one to manuallyrescue the disk, but that is an abhorrent task. It'srumored that they've produced a new program, calledDiskDoctor, which may well work better than Disksalvagebut it is probably only available to developers.

The big question is why your disk failed to beginwith. The only disks I've ever trashed myself were onesI popped out of the disk drive before it had finishedwriting to the disk. I've heard of Marauder (at leastearly versions) being capable of trashing a disk - butthat obviously isn't your problem. If you aren't beinga bit too quick to pop the disks from the drive, andyou're consistently getting this problem, you may wantto have your drive checked.

- Les Noland

amiga/main #4490, from ]lm_kont (Jim Kent)a comment to message 4489

Software crashes during a write can also do this. Ithappened to my hard disk the other day in fact. But Istill don't know if it was AmigaDOS or Aztec, or ...someth i ng else.

amiga/main #4491, from cheath (Charlie Heath)a comment to message 4490

But odds are pretty good it was AmigaDOS, one way oranother. I'd guess that 98% of disk crashes are causedby AmigaDOS, or perhaps Intuition in interaction withAmigaDOS. Argghhh.

amiga/main #4492, from rslmonsen (Redmond Slmonsen)a comment to message 4491

Does this mean that no matter what one does nor howskilled one is (editors, programmers, designers) thatAmmoDOS [AmigaDOS] blows you away eventually if you puta disk in its path?

Eeewwwwhhhhhh!

—Redmond

amiga/main #4493, from cheatha comment to message 4492

Wei IdiskforgreadI brto sexecpubldoneis seith

, I'd qualify that by saying I just got bit (had aget zapped). So I'm not in a particularlyiving mood re: AmigaDOS. My disk got zapped aftering a file into TxEd. The disk was still spinning,ought up an Open requester, and *bang*. Suffice itay I am fairly famiIior with the code beinguted and there is nothing I could have done usingished specs (and probably nothing I could have, period) to avoid a disk crash. Most likely thereomething happening at interrupt level which killser Trackdisk or AmigaDOS.

amiga/main #4494, from cheatha comment to message 4493

Also qualify that by two factors:

1) I was using V1.1 of DOS.

2) I have an old machine.

amiga/main #4496, from jim_kenta comment to message 4493

I know I just WON'T have any other processes goingwhile I'm compiling/linking anymore, 'cause this makesdisaster happen about 10 times as often. Shouldn't bememory either, 'cause my favorite was to run my littleitty bitty terminal program on BIX while compiling. NowI use the ST to communicate while programming on theAmiga and vice versa. Oh well, you're all quite tiredof my AmigaDOS flames even if most of them are true.

amiga/main #4498, from althoff (Thomas Althoff)a comment to message 4496

When I reboot the system, I have a habit of typing thedate, time, and a program name just as soon as thewindow is ready to take text. I just typed Manx's DBand, as the drives were churning (20 meg MAS20 andDF0:), got "DHO:not validated." After about 30 secondsof hard disk activity, everything seemed normal again.Next time I say anything about disk problems, I'm goingto "knock on wood"!

(continued)

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 349

best of bix • Best of BIX • Best of bix

EIX

• Best of bix • best of bix • best of b'i

A Bug in Trackdisk

amiga/softw.davlpmt f2541. from sjones (Scott Jones)

There seems to be a bug with the IOTDF_INDEXSYNC flognot working for ETD_RAWREADs from the Trackdisk device.I have been able to read in a track, but the track isread in starting at a random location. The flag doesn'tseem to do anything at alt. The way I understand it, ina synchronized read, the buffer should be filled inwith undecoded data starting somewhere in the pre-lndexgap (before the software index address mark). I've beenable to find and decode the index address mark, thesector I.D. fields, and the data fields from an IBM-format disk (it's not at all the same as Amigaformat...), but the buffer is filled with data startingin a random location in the track (not sync'd toanything, apparently!). Can any insiders at Commodore-Amiga shed some light on this? (I am a registereddeveloper - with 1.2 beta 4 software. (Where's my beta7??)) Is this just a bug in beta 4? ThankslScott Jones

amiga/softw.devlpmt #2543, from jdow (Joanne Dow)a comment to message 2541

This is normal with all raw track reads. The sync has aseveral-byte slop in it due to interrupt service timelags and sweep time and some other factors. Commodore-Amiga can account for all but 3 microseconds of it,they think (at least that's what the docs say).

amiga/softw.devlpmt #2544, from sjonesa comment to message 2543

There Is much more than a "several-byte slop." Ihaven't been able to see any difference between usingand not using the IOTDF_INDEXSYNC flag. The slop isoften 1/2 to 3/4 of a track. That is NOT 3 micro-seconds! (More like 1580 microseconds!) This is NOTsync'd. This is a bug. [Please C-A, if you haven'tfixed this, fix it before you go ROM wild.]Scott

amiga/softw.devlpmt #2545, from jdowa comment to message 2544

Perhaps the TD_RAWREAD is the correct one to use withthe INDEXSYNC request. The slop should be anywhere froma minimum of about 135 to 200 microseconds. 55 issoftware-interrupt service, 66 is one horizontal lineas reads and writes are sync'd to this, and the last isthe partial scan line to achieve the scan-line sync.This leaves 15 microseconds unaccountedfor, unfortunately.

Oh - you are using IOTDF?? The flag isIOTDB_INDEXSYNC. I wonder how the IOTDF got by thecomp i ler?<* _*>

amiga/softw.devlpmt #2546, from sjonesa comment to message 2545

Sorry, but IOTDF_INDEXSYNC should be the right one. Aswith all other flags used in the ROM Kernel, there are2 defines, one to define the bit POSITION (IOTDB_. orMEMB_) and another to use to actually test or set thebit flag (IOTDF_, or MEMF_). This is a standardconvention that Commodore-Amiga has followed in all ofthe include .h and .i files. Sorry, Joanne - this isstill a bug!Scott

amiga/softw.devlpmt #2547, from jdowa comment to message 2546

Let's check your value for IOTDB_INDEXSYNC. (I agreere: IOTDB/IOTDF convention - was grasping at straws andhave head cold mashing my ability to think clearly.) Myincludes have IOTDB_INDEXSYNC as 4 and the "F" as(1«4). Let me check the .i file for f uns i es . . . . 11agrees. Make sure your version agrees. Also, are youapplying it to IO_FLAGS field? Refresh me which versionof the Kickstart, Workbench, and includes you areusing, please. (I wonder if anyone at Commodore-Amigais having fun watching me semi-flounder here?)

amiga/softw.devlpmt #2548, from snow (Vic Wagner)a comment to message 2547

Recently I found out from a nice person named BobBurnes (who used to work for Commodore-Amiga) about

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this IOTDF_INDEXSYNC problem. It seems that DoIO isreally the culprit. It clears some flags. What yougotta do is

Beg in IO/Wa me-lt works fine for me on both the 3.5 and 5.25 disks.

The Resident Command

amiga/softw.devlpmt #2411, from cheath

Has anybody tried using the Resident command in v1.2?It is supposed to work with all the AmigaDOS CLI-typecommands - but should also work with any programs thatadhere to a couple of rules -

1) Code segment should not be modified.

2) Data segment must be addressed by relativeaddress ing.

Apparently, It is possible to do this with Manx-compiled programs, at least most of 'em. Has anybodytried this? (Also, it would work with Lattice programsif their new linker will support relative addressing -which Al ink doesn't.)

amiga/softw.devlpmt #2413, from w.volkaegis (WilliamVolk, Aegis Development Inc.)a comment to message 2411

Does Resident make the program stay in memory? Thiscould be GREAT!

amiga/softw.devlpmt #2414, from cheatha comment to message 2413

Resident loads the program into memory and then allowsmultiple invocations of the program to use the samecode. So even if you run the program multiple times itonly needs one copy to be loaded.

amiga/softw.devlpmt #2428, from jgoodnow (Jim Goodnow,Manx Software Systems)a comment to message 2414

Bad news for the Resident hopefuls! The Residentcommand seems to work okay on Aztec-compiled programs.However, the CLI-resident version of the CLI doesn'tmake a copy of initialized data segments. This meansthat programs share both CODE and DATA. This means thatif I have any initialized data that later gets changed,the next time you run it you get the last value beforeexi t ing.

Even worse, two invocations will use the same

var tab Ies .

On the bright side, this is fixable in two ways.First, I can have some special start-up and exit codethat allocates some memory and copies the data. Evenbetter would be if I could know that the program isresident and, if so, only do the copy. The second wayis to use a CLI replacement that is smart enough tomake a copy of the data. Question: Doesn't BCPL haveinitialized data? Or does it always make a copy beforeusing?? (Stay tuned to this station....")

amiga/softw.devlpmt #2443. from tking (Tim King,

Metacomco)

a comment to message 242S

Let me explain what Resident does. It simply loads yourprogram into memory using LoadSeg and then the ResidentCLI uses that copy If It can find one in memory. If youwrite code that is both reentrant and reusable, then

[continued)

352 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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EIX

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this works fine (BCPL does this, which is why itworks). If you are writing in C, then you must use PC-relative addressing and use a startup sequence thatallocates a memory area for your BSS; you must not useany static initialized data because that makes yourcode nonreusable. Local variables are allocated on thestack; you get one of these for each invocation. If youdon't use any global data then your code is OK;otherwise, you must use a compiler that can handle PC-relative addressing. [There is a big problem here inthat the current version of Alink does not cope withthe Xref(A5)-styIe of addressing so that Lattice users,at least, cannot use the two options that cause thecompiler to produce position-independent code.]

If you think the problem through you will realizethat simply copying the data area will, of course, notwork because there are essentially absolute referencesin the code (created by the relocating of the code) toareas within the data segments. And altering thesewould mean that the code could still be used by onlyone user at a time.

The entire area of producing pure code on a 68K iscomplex; some systems (e.g., 0S-9) require that allprograms are position-independent, which I find veryhard to take because the XXX(An) addressing mode limitsone to 64K address bounds, which sounds a little toomuch like the dreaded 808x for me.

amiga/softw.devlpmt #2451, from jgoodnowa comment to message 2443

Unfortunately, very few serious programs that doanything with windows or graphics can get by withoutsome initialized data structures. That's what Crunch'sgadget editor is all about.

amiga/softWidevlpmt #2455, from Inolanda comment to message 2451

Though I knowinitialized daby the programde-reference,it throws anywindow, requira project to areasonable, anto perform a fI inker and loawrite code thaand, hence, woJust a thought

this is

mes

to were

sto

i with LoadS

It's an

awf i

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tha

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unct ion

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sy at best: How about if thered as a separate file, loadedeg and addressed via pointerul way of doing things becausedata hiding completely out theion amongst all programmers ont goes beyond what isthe programmers and compilert ought be performed by theId, however, enable one toused with the resident featuremore valuable to the user.

— Les No I and

amiga/softw.devlpmt #2458, from jdowa comment to message 2455

Lattice is experimenting with residency using standardAmiga methods. Perhops some day soon. (BLINK seems toperhaps handle the necessary linking formats.)

amiga/softw.devlpmt #2476, from jmackraz (Jim Mackraz,Commodore-Amiga, Inc.)

a comment to message 2451

Question: If you don't _change_ your initialized data,isn't it OK to use it by multiple invocations?Intuition has a reference copy of each system gadget,which it copies to a dynamically allocated gadget whenit creates a window/screen. The only big-time reasonfor initialized data in Intuition users is probablyimage planes, and copying them to dynamically allocatedchip-mem isn't all bad (unless their size is too large

to duplicate). I think you can share image data thatisn't going to change,rambIe rambIe ...

amiga/softw.devlpmt #2460, from afinkel (Andy Finkel,

Commodore)

a comment to message 2443

Actually, one user at a time is *fine* for compilersand editors, and...(the stuff you've been putting inyour RAMdisks). Not keeping two copies around (one inRAMdisk, and one executing) is a win by itself (atleast for me!). So only the static data has to go,right?

andy

ATARI

This month's look at the Atari ST conference begins with a thread ofdouble-buffered animation techniques. The section continues with aquestion on controlling the RS-232 (serial) port and concludes with acomparison of graphics techniques for the Atari 8-bit and 16-bitcomputers.

Double-Buffering Techniques

atari.st/tech #706, from jim_kent (Jim Kent)

I was running some double-buffered animations on theST, switching screens with Setscreen. This seemed towork pretty well except for a glitch that happenedevery minute or two. I wanted to clear this up withoutresorting to a wait for vertical blank, which couldslow down the frame rate quite a bit. Well, if you makethe high-order word of the start address the same forboth screens (both screens in same 64K block of memory)then you don't get the glitch, which is apparently fromthe video register being half-updated when it latches.I had to shuffle around my memory management, but itseems to work, and no waits!

atari.st/tech #720, from cheath (Charlie Heath)a comment to message 706

Ah, good idea. So you just store the low word?

atari.st/tech #732, from jim_kenta comment to message 720

Actually, I still call Setscreen, but if you weretalking to the chip yourself you'd just store the lowword.

atari.st/tech #740. from mmallett (Mark E. Mallett)a comment to message 732

Does the ST have memory reserved for an alternatescreen buffer? The Abacus documentation sort of impliesthat it does, because its examples show default valuesfor a current and an alternate page. If not (Jim), howdid you go about allocating two 32K chunks of memorythot were both within the same 64K block, and not wastesome memory?-mm-

atari.st/tech #744, from jim_kenta comment to message 740

As far as I know, the ST doesn't have a reserved secondscreen. What do I do? Well, there are some routines I

[continued)

356 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

V %^ *v

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Inquiry 329

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posted in listings - alloc and mfree - that I use formy memory management. Basically I use Mailoc((long)-1)to see how much memory is there. I leave 32K for GEM,and malloc the rest of it for myself. Then I play somegames to extract two screens in the same 64K block outof the big continuous chunk Malloc has given me, andput what's left back on my free list. It is a bit of apain 'cause you can't use the start-up screen (in highmemory) as one of your double buffers. When DeluxeEggbeater ST crashes, it means that GEM thinks thescreens are in the middle of the memory that Megamaxuses for a stack. Scrolling the stack for a printfisn't a good idea. So I have to reboot after crashingwhen I use this memory method. However, now that I'vegot it to work, I went back to the old way fordevelopment.

Anyway, if you're very interested I can post thesource. It is a little kinky, but worth it not to put

waits into my draw loopl

atari.st/tech #747, from mmalletta comment to message 744

No, I was just interested in whether you had somereally elegant way of getting aligned allocated memory.I've had to use the some method that you described forother things as well.

-uim-

atari.st/tech #749, from sgrlmm (Steven Grimm)a comment to message 740

You can point the screen anywhere on the ST by usingSetscreenQ. Just allocate 32K (I think it has to be ona 512-byte boundary) and away you go!

atari.st/tech #770, from Jruley (John Ruley)a comment to message 749

Does that work with GEM (i.e., can you change thescreen pointer after GEM starts)?

atari.st/tech #777, from jlm_kenta comment to message 770

Yep, Setscreen works fine with GEM so long as you don'tchange resolution.

atari.st/tech #778, from Jruleya comment to message 777

Many thanks, Jim. That may just come in handy!

atarI.st/tech #782, from mmalletta comment to message 778

Does that imply that you cannot change resolutions in aGEM application, programmatically speaking? Why can younot do a Setrez, followed by appl_init, etc.? Whathappens? Doesn't this seem like a major deficiency? Sowhat else is new?

atari.st/tech #784, from jiro_kenta comment to message 782

Nope, can't change resolution with GEM about. It ismaybe the biggest deficiency in this machine.

[continued]

358 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 217

PROBLEM: There's just no easy way to move from onesoftware program to another,

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DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 359

• Best of BIX •

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RS-232 Handshake Control

atari.st/tech #802, from rchecketts (Rick Checketts)

How do I control the Atari ST RS-232 handshake linesfrom an application, notably the RTS line to make themodem hang-up, etc.? I have tried using Giaccess,Ongibit, etc., without much success. Can anyone give mea function call that will work?

atari.st/tech #805, from Jruleya comment to message 802

Use the Rsconf(this,that,the_other)... this will letyou turn handshaking on and off (it has a handshakingparameter) and will give you very tight control usingthe MEP registers. Hope that helps! John

atarI.st/tech #811, from rcheckettsa comment to message 805

I have looked up Rsconf and, while I can see how to setit up to do the handshaking for you, I still cannot seehow to control the lines myself. How, for instance, doI turn DTR on or off? Thank you in advance. —Rick—

atari.st/tech #812, from sgrimma comment to message 811

To turn DTR on:

Offgibit(0xffef ):

and of f:

Ongibit(0x10);

You have to ^include <osbind.h>, of course.

8-BiT-TO-ST Graphics

atari.st/tech #831, from stevesmith (Steve Smith)

As an avid fan of the old Atari 8-bit computers and apossible future owner of the new, I am particularlyinterested in the machine's graphics capabilities. Iknow basically that hi-res color is 640x200 with 4colors, and that lo-res has 320x200 with 16 colors, butwhat else is there? Is any of the older hardwarecarried over, such as player/missile (sprite) graphics,etc.? Is there a 16-bit Antic display processor? How isthe display memory configured? At a fixed location(like IBM) or can it be moved around anywhere inmemory, like the old 800?

Please forgive all the ignorant questions, but I'mbasically a video-game programmer who's been locked upin a Mess-DOS world for the last two years!

Any insightful comments would be most appreciated.

atari.st/tech #832, from bwebster (Bruce Webster,Consulting Editor, BYTE)a comment to message 831

Steve:

I'm certainly not the most experienced ST graphicsprogrammer (OK, guys, stop snickering), but I canprobably give you the basics. No, there is no hardwareassist (missile graphics, display processor) forgraphics. There *are* a series of low-level graphicsroutines that you can call, which may save you thehassle of writing them yourself. Display memory can beconfigured on any 256-byte boundary and always takes up32K. The graphics mapping is an interesting interlaceapproach. For hi-res (640x400x2), each bit representsone pixel on the screen, starting in the upper leftcorner and going across and down, i.e., the first 80

(continued)

360 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 102 for End-Users.Inquiry 103 for DEALERS ONLY.

BALANCE OF POWER.

Introducing the new power in AT-class personal business computers. The NEC Advanced Personal Computer IV

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DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 361

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bytes represent the first row. The very first pixel(upper left) is the high-order bit of the first byte.For med-res (640x200x4), each pair of words represents16 pixels; corresponding bits in those two wordsrepresent pixels. Confused? Well, if the screen islocated at, say, $78000, then the upper left pixel isrepresented by the high-order bit of the words at$78000 and $78002. Those two bits yield a total of fourvalues, which are looked up using a color table. Forlo-res (320x200x16), groups of four words are used; theupper left pixel is represented by the high-order bitsof the words at $78000, $78002, $78004, and $78006.

..bruce..(Did I get it right, guys? Huh? Did I? :-) ..bfw..)

atari.st/tech |833, from jim_kenta comment to message 831

Yes, we have no sprites, or no hardware sprites atleast. There's no real equivalent of the Antic displayprocessor. You can set up horizontal blank interruptsand do some of that stuff with the processor. Basicallythe ST is just a real solid 68000 machine with 16colors out of 512.

The display memory can be put on any 256-byteboundary. You can double-buffer. Scrolling is a littleharder; in fact, you can only scroll horizontally 16pixels at a time and vertically about 5 pixels at atime (or is it 8?). This is without moving data inmemory. The 68000 will scroll vertically by movingmemory at about 100 frames/sec, though.

The screen layout is "interleaved bitplanes." In 16-color mode this means that a pixel will be a bit ineach of 4 consecutive words, 16 pixels in 4 words, thenext 16 in the next 4 words. The color selection is 16colors out of 512. The way this works is 8 levels eachof red, green, and blue. Try to check out Neochrome anda couple of video games at a computer store.

atari.st/tech #834. from Jsan (Jez San)a comment to message 833

Jim -

How on earth do you hardware-scroll *ANY* amount onthe ST!?-

You say that you can scroll 16 pixels at a time, andvertical 5 pixels at a time?

I know how to do it in assembly code, but are you'saying there is a hardware function that scrolls thescreen!?— Jez.

atari.st/tech #835, from jim_kenta comment to message 834

Jez, I am sleepy. Come to think of it you can't scrollhorizontally without moving memory, and even then youcan only do it quickly 16 pixels at a time. To scrollvertically you have to figure out the least commonmultiple (or is it greatest common denominator) of 80(bytes per line in the screen) and 256 (the screenalignment BS) and just set the screen pointer where youwant. If I hadn't been up all night I'd figure out ifthis was 5 pixels or not.

atari.st/tech #836, from jim_kenta comment to messoge 835

Actually in a color mode it's 160 bytes/line. 8*160 =1280 = 16*16*5 = 256*5 ... so moving the screen pointer8 lines down will also be on a 256-byte boundary, 16lines in monochrome. Sort of course scrolling, but notmuch overhead. Lets see, 200/8 =25 ... so 25 steps toscroll off the screen. If you timed it so it took lessthan o second it'd probably look pretty smooth even.

atarI.st/tech #837, from mpack (Don Milne)a comment to message 835

Aw, and I hoped you were going to give me a hardwaremethod. Is there any quick way to scroll portions ofthe screen (i.e., without moving every word yourself)?Restricting it to byte or word boundaries is noproblem.—Don MiIne.

atari.st/tech #841. from chrlskuku (Christoph Kukulies)a comment to message 837

There is no way to scroll by hardware on the ST. Youhave to do it all by yourself (MOVEMs) or use theappropriate GEM or bitblt line—A functions. See earlierdiscussions in this topic. There is also a way tomanipulate the video controller register, but I haven'tgone happy with that. You cannot scroll portions bythis means and screen wraps are difficult to handle.I've written a VT100 emulator that also emulates thesingle- and double-width characters, three differentfonts (one copied directly from the VT100-characterROM), and I did all scrolling, full screen and partial(in windows), by hand, by using assembler mixed withGEM, line-A and AES functions. The resulting scrollingin the windows still doesn't look overwhelming, so Iwished we had a hardware scroll, too.Chris

atari.st/tech #866, from dmlchael (DeCorte Michael)a comment to message 831

If you are into games, wait a little while until abigger selection comes out. By then the prices may comedown some more and there will be a bigger selectionfrom programmers that have had the benefit of hackingon the ST for a year or two and can teach it to do somereally nice things. (To see what I mean take a look atthe old Atari 800 games, then look at the newer ones.There is a big difference, right? It comes from hackinga long time on a computer.)

atarI.st/tech #869, from jimomura (Jim Omura)a comment to message 866

Well I I I. It also comes from the fact that memory gotcheaper so more people started to buy bigger computers.Some of the early stuff for many of the early homecomputers were actually quite amazing when you look atthem in detail. Just a couple of examples that I don'tfeel have *ever* been surpassed within the confines ofthe hardware they were designed for are the originalStar Raiders, Tandy's Skiing for the Color Computer,and Tandy's DinoWors, also for the earliest ColorComputer.

IBM PC ANDCOMPATIBLES

The IBM section begins with an unusual problem: A user finds that hisIBM isn't compatible with his clones! BlXen quickly come to his rescue.The section continues with a look at the issue of "parking" the heads ofhard disks. An assembly language program for parking heads, with in-structions on compiling it from Debug, is included.

The Clone Wars

ibm.pc/hardware #1137, from jsprowl (Jim Sprowl)

I ran into an interesting headache today. A programthat has been running happily for several weeks on

[continued]

362 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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Compaqs (8088 and 80286 models) and Zeniths (Z-151s andZ-158s) suddenly bombed at one point when tested on anIBM PC XT. The program accesses the screen exclusivelythrough ROM BIOS interrupt 10h, doing such things aspositioning the cursor, writing character + attribute,scrolling, and clearing windows (by using scroll andsetting the number of lines to zero). Are there any"traps for the unwary" in INT 10h that might betripping me up on the true-blue product but permittingme to run on the clones? I shall be tackling this oneon Friday, and would welcome any suggestions.

ibm.pc/hardware #1138, from dmick (Dan Mick)a comment to message 1137

One that comes to mind quickly, Jim, is the hardwarescrolling of the Zeniths; but I don't know if theCompaqs do that or handle it gracefully or what. Makesure the "set scroll mode" isn't called, is all I cansay (AH=100), though the IBM BIOS looks like it'd justignore that call. Otherwise you got me.

ibm.pc/hardware #1141, from dondumitru (Donald Dumitru)a comment to message 1137

It seems to me that there was a problem with the BIOSscroll function trashing the BP register. I haven't runinto it personally 'cause I use Fansi-Console (whichcompletely replaces the BIOS video functions). Itshould be easy to verify whether BP gets trashed or notfrom the BIOS listing in the Tech Ref.

Dona Id

Ibm.pc/hardware #1145, from jsprowla comment to message 1141

>INT 10h problems on IBM PC

So scroll may clobber BP, eh? That is where C instructsme to save a pointer to the stack that is restored asthe stack pointer after an assembly language programruns. That could very well be the problem. Thanks forthe tip. I shall begin by checking for a clobbered BPregister whenever the "scroll the window clear"funct ion is calIed.

Ibm.pc/hardware #1146, from dondumitrua comment to message 1145

If you wiolder XT)pushes toThen arouby both sstuffed wprocedure(or restorout ines.Oops.

P.S. Thislanguagesvar iabIesto a "ranhow long

II look in the Tech Ref BIOS listing (for the, you will see around line 3356 a bunch of

save registers (BP being noticeably absent),nd line 3858 (in a procedure that gets calledcroll_up and scroll_down) you see BP gettingith something useful (which gets used when the

returns to its caller). Nowhere is BP savedred) by the scroll_up and scroll_down

Donaldis particularly insidious because high-levelalmost always use BP to keep track ofon the stack. If you trash BP, it will pointdom" place in your stack segment. Just thinkit could take to figure out what's going on...

ibm.pc/hardware #1151, from dmicka comment to message 1146

Yeah, I'd heard of this. Someone (perhaps even on BIX)wrote a little routine to intercept INT 10h and save BPlocally, then pass on the call. Was that you, Don? Goodidea for IBMs, anyway, it would seem, in particular ifyou're using some kind of driver anyway. I wonder ifANSI.SYS contains a BP save to isolate me fromproblems? I've used ANSI on the XTs almost since weunpacked them..

Ibm.pc/hardware #1155, from Jsprowla comment to message 1146

>BP clobbered by IBM PC INT 10h bugSure enough — that was the problem. Today I simplywent through all the assembly language listings andsearched for all calls to "int 10h." I simply inserted"push bp" ahead of "int 10h" and inserted "pop bp"following "int 10h" everywhere, and my IBM PC and XTproblems disappeared completely.

This one "tip," which probably saved me 4 to 6 hoursof debugging and testing, has more than paid me backfor all the time I have spent helping others on BIX. Iam really grateful for this assistance. Thanks to allof you.

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A Parking Problem

ibm.pc/driv«s #367. from amaib (Andy Maib)

I was under the impression that the Seagate ST225parked the heads properly on power-down and that thiswould not be a problem. Am I correct? If not, whatwould be a good way to park the heads before the systenis turned off?Thanks.Andy

ibm.pc/drives #368. from barryn (Barry Nance)a comment to massage 367

Andy, the following assembler program will park thehead of drive "C." You can enter it via Debug (do youneed the procedure?) or you can assemble it with MASM.

; copyr

ight (c)

1985 Barry

Nance

code

segment

para

assume

cs:code, ds

:code

org

100h

;wi11 be a .com file via

;exe2bin

park i t

proc

far

start:

mov

ax,

1100h

;ah 11 = reca1i brate

mov

dx,

0080h

;select first hard drive

int

13h

;do the reca1ibrat ion

movint

ax,13h

0800h

;ah 08 = get disk parms into;CX/DX

mov

ax.

0C00h

;ah 0C = seek

mov

dx,

0080h

;select first hard drive;CX still contains max cyl,;max sector from get-disk;-parms

int

13h

;do the seek

int

20h

;al1 done...exi t

park i t

endp

code

ends

end

star

t

ibm.pc/drives #369, from mhaas (Mark Haas)a comment to message 367

You might also try TIMEPARK.COM in the archive filecalled HAASUTIL.ARC in the IBM.ARC section of Listings.It'll park your drive's head automatically after aspecified number of minutes (i.e., TIMEPARK 5 takes 5minutes) of inactivity.

ibm.pc/drives #370, from petewhite (Pete White)a comment to message 367

There are numerous programs available to park the headson an ST225. If you have a problem, BlXmail me and I'llsend you a few. What system? (Say "Leading Edge.")

ibm.pc/drIves #371. from petewhitea comment to message 369

Just be a bit careful on TIMEPARK. It says it doesn'tinterfere, but it could cost you keystrokes in certainapplications if the timing is right. But use it with"TIMEPARK 1" and wait a minute. I like barryn's better.

Ibm.pc/drives #372, from bbrown (Bob Brown)a comment to message 370

Pete, I'd be interested in a discourse on head parking,in theory and in practice, as it applies to the ST225.My early experience is with mainframe-type drives,which unload the heads (i.e., move them completely offthe disk surface and out of the way) when power is

[continued)

366 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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removed. I think there are micro-sized hard disks thatdo this, too, but I think the ST225 isn't one of them.

As I understand "parking," it means moving the headassembly to a "landing area" on the disk so that whenpower is removed, the heads touch down there instead ofwherever they happened to be. Does the ST225 have adedicated landing area? If not, isn't it better to letthe heads land in a random (more or less) place insteadof in the same track every time?

ibm.pc/drives §374, from petewhltea comment to message 372

There is a dedicated parking area. Leading Edge has a"park" program that handles several drives (believe itor not, "color coded" by a dot on the rear of thesystem). But they also had the "park" capability whenthey had the older systems, which were almostexclusively Seagate. Seems I remember seeing a "Debug"park command also. But let's not get too carried owaywith parking heads; it's usually necessary only whenyou're going to move a drive or move the system whereit might get a bump. The "voice coil" drives parkthemselves on power-off, some by backing the heads to aplatform so the heads NEVER come near the platter (andlet's not play with the definition of "near"). I makeit a habit to park the heads on two of my systems allthe time as they are the ones most likely to be rippedapart at a moment's notice to test a board that"dropped by." I don't like the "did I or didn't I?"feeling when I have to backhand the sucker to get thecover off!

ibm.pc/drives #375, from skluger (Sigi Kluger,Deflnicon Systems Inc.)

Just thought I'd add my 5 cents' worth to the parkingsubject (insert nickel, turn knob).

Most low-cost Winchester drives do not have alanding zone or head retractors. They were designed notto get damaged when the head comes in contact with thesurface due to power-down. High-quality drives thesedays have automatic head retractors, brakes, andspindle locks. When power is removed, a spring movesthe heads to the landing zone, a brake slows down thespindle, and once it stops, the spindle is locked inplace. Those drives clearly don't need a park utility.

If you don't cause any physical shock, there is noneed to move the heads anywhere since, on the "cheaper"drives, they are designed and tested to do no harm tothe media. It is, however, a good idea to move theheads into the least-used area on the disk (usually theinnermost track) if the computer is to be moved.

As for as TIMEPARK and such utilities go, I'd rathersee them all "mv'ed to /dev/null since they serve nopractical purpose other than to cause a significantdelay in access time after they have done their evildeed. Harmless or not, I'd be wary of anything thatinstalls itself in RAM and once in a while goes andmoves the heads.

Ibm.pc/drIves #376, from mhaasa comment to message 375

I think there may be some merit to parking disk headsif you leave your computer on all the time and don'twant to worry about power glitches wiping out gooddata. I have been using TIMEPARK for many monthswithout problems. I set it to the maximum time of 9minutes. That way, if I'm doing anything remotely disk-intensive, it doesn't degrade performance. Most of whatI do is not disk-intensive, even less so with the 2Kbuffer on the controller, so it's nice not to have to

remember to move the heads manually every time I get upfrom the machine.

ibm.pc/drIves #377, from mhaasa comment to message 376

Let me clarify one thing about TIMEPARK. It parks theheads after n minutes of inactivity. Thus, TIMEPARK 9will park the heads after 9 minutes of no accesses. Ifyou haven't accessed your disk in 9 minutes, then theshort delay to "unpark" the heads should not matter toyou. If you do access the disk more often than once in9 minutes, the heads will never park and you will notbe inconvenienced.

ibm.pc/drIves #378, from nickbaran (Nick Baran)a comment to message 375

I know that the parking program I use with myMicroscience 20-Mb drives porks the head on cylinder639, which is the next-to-last cylinder on the insidetrack. The problem with generic parking programs iswhether they can tell which track number is the insidetrack since this varies with different disk drivemodels. For example, the first program I used wasparking my heads on track 305, which is fine if youhave a 10-Mb drive but is right smack in the middle ofmy 20-Mb drive.

ibm.pc/drives #379, from geary (Michael Geary)a comment to message 378

A park program that doesn't check the disk size is justsloppy programming. All it has to do is issue the"Request Drive Parameters" BIOS call and find out howmany cylinders the disk has!

Ibm.pc/drives #380, from barryna comment to message 379

The short program posted in message #368 does exactlythat.

ibm.pc/drives #390, from amaiba comment to message 368

Barry, I would appreciate the procedure to assembleyour program. I've had limited experience usingassemblers and the one in Debug just laughed at me. Icurrently have 7 Seagate ST225s in use and would feelmuch better if the heads were in their proper placewhen not in use. I have also downloaded TIMEPARK.COMand the doc file and will start experimenting with itsoon.

Thanks for all the feedback!Andy

ibm.pc/drIves #392, from barryna comment to message 390

Andy, here's what you do. Capture this message as adisk file and use an ASCII-based editor to "cut out"the marked area. Name the resulting file "park.dbg".Then invoke the Debug program like this:

debug <park.dbg

The result will be a file PARK.COM that you can runanytime you wont to park the head on the "C" drive.

(The blank line before the "R CX" line is important;leave it in.)

cut here

N PARK.COM

[continued]

368 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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A 180

mov

ax.1180

mov

dx.0080

int

13

mov

ax,0800

Int

13

mov

ax,0C00

mov

dx.0880

int

13

Int

20

R CX

64

W

Q

— cut here

Ibm.pc/drIves #393, from cdonderson (C. David Anderson)a comment to message 392

Can this program be made to park the "D" drive as well?

Ibm.pc/drIves #394, from barryna comment to message 393

Sure. For a "D" drive parker (I've named it "PARK-D.COM" below), just give the following AutomaticResponse File to Debug, as outlined in message 392:

N PARK-

-D.COM

A 100

mov

ax,1100

.

mov

dx,0081

int

13

mov

ax,0800

int

13

mov

ax,0C00

mov

dx.0081

int

13

int

20

R CX

64

W

Q

cut here

Ibm.pc/drives #395, from cdandersona comment to message 394

Thanks very much. Two questions. First, why does ittake so much longer to execute the second time youinvoke the program (1 second vs. 10 seconds). Second (Imay be pressing my luck), can one version do bothdrives at once?

ibm.pc/drtves #396, from barryna comment to message 395

1. It takes so long because the program does a"recalibrate" operation before actually sending theheads out to the lost cylinder. Sometimes it'snecessary to do the recalibrate; sometimes not. It'ssafer to leave It In.

2. Sure, one program could park the heads of all thedrives. In fact, one of the drive parameters returned(the second call to Interrupt 13) is the "number ofconsecutive acknowledging drives attached..." So addinga little code to the program would make it work for anynumber of drives. (It already works for any size drive,(10 Meg, 20, or whatever.) It always sends the heads to

the last cylinder, regardless of how many cylinders areon the device.)

THE MACINTOSH/APPLE II

The Macintosh/Apple II window opens with a discussion of the effects(and desirability) of screen-blanking programs for the Macintosh. Mov-ing into the Apple II world, the Bl command parser and a problem withMouseWrite are discussed. Finally, there is a brief tutorial on com-munications programming.

SCREENBLANKERS

[Message #506 is an announcement that Autoblack, an automaticscreen-blanking program, is now available on BIX.]

macintosh/news #507, from frankb (Frank Boosman)a comment to message 506

What happens when you run software that uses thealternate screen buffer while Autoblack is installed?Crash-O-Rama?

macintosh/news #510, from dpallen (David P. Allen)a comment to message 506

I just don't understand the need for Screensaver/blanker programs. What's the trouble with just turningdown the brightness control? That's what I do.Uncle David

macintosh/news #511, from rschnapp (Russell L. Schnapp)a comment to message 510

The same reason we have spring-closed doors: Why shouldyou have to remember to do it? The computer can figureout when to blank the screen quite nicely. I've used ascreen blanker on my (shudder) PC clone for years....Russ

macintosh/news #512, from tom_thompson (Tom Thompson,Technical Editor. BYTE)a comment to message 510

What happens is this: I'm working away at my Mac whensomeone needs some tech help (usually a MacBinarydownload or something). I go help them, and someonejumps me about a desk accessory. That leads to someoneI need to check a tech ref with on a manuscript, and...I've been away from the Mac for one-half to two hours.I had not planned to be away that long! No matter: theMac's taken care of itself by neatly blacking away fiveminutes of activity. That's what screensavers are for. torn

macintosh/news #513, from tom_thompsona comment to message 507

I don't know. Only thing I know that uses the alternatebuffer is Megaroids. I'll try it out and see. (Heyguys, 1 use my Mac for serious work! :-) ) tom_thompson

macintosh/news #514, from dpallena comment to mascage 512

[continued)

370 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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IBM. PC/XT and EGA are registered ttadematks ol International Business Machines Corporation

MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsolt Inc

Phoenix is a trademark ol Phoenix Technologies Ltd

Inquiry 407

DECEMBER 1986 'BYTE 371

best of bix • best of bix • best of bix

EIX

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My observation is that the fear of screen burn isvastly overblown, especially in black and white. I canremember, when I first got into this business thirtyyears ago, that the old Vidicon film chain would sitthere for hour after hour on the same I.D. slide. Wewould comment how amazing it was that it did not burnin ... not in the monitor screen, but on the target ofthe Vidicon. We were real used to the sticky imageOrthicon, which would burn in very badly in only a fewseconds on a high-contrast seen*. But I never recall_ever_ seeing any significant after-image retention ona TeIec ine moni tor.

I was going to plop onto my 11+ to try out what youexplained. I've done that exact same thing before, andsuccessfully. But I did it from a BASIC program.Something like this:

CMD$ - "CATALOG"

BE03 - 48643

FOR I • 1 TO LEN(CMD$)

POKE 511+I.ASC( MID$(CMD$,I))

NEXT

POKE 511+1,13 :REM put C/R in there at end

CALL BE03

I sometimes go off and leave the Mac on the sameimage for hours and have yet to see _any_ sign ofafter-image. In the old days if you had after-image itwas generally from the pick-up tube and not the monitorscreen. The remedy was to defocus the camera on a high-brightness flat field for a couple hours. That wouldgenerally erase the image.

I am not denying raster burn on a picture tube;

however, that takes years to produce and results from a

general deterioration of the picture tube phosphor.

UncIe Dav i d

macintosh/news #515, from dwlner (Dave Winer, Living

Videotext Inc.)

a comment to message 514

But monochrome PC screens are a different story. I have

a PC that had ThinkTank left on so many nights that the

two white bars at the bottom of the screen have become

permanent. Now we just keep the monitor on a BBS

machine and leave it turned off most of the time.

I've gotten into the habit of turning off monitorsat night before I leave, but, like you, I don't worryabout it during the day.

macintosh/news #516, from ccrawford (Chris Crawford)a comment to message 514

My Lisa, which has automatic screen-dim as part of thehardware, clearly shows the menu bar for the editorwhen in other programs. My original Mac also shows theApple, "File," and "Edit" items from the standard menubar in just about every application that doesn'totherwise cover that section of the screen.

Of course, the mere fact that such burn is visibledoes not make it a problem.

ProDOS BI Command Parser

apple/software #302, from jtlerney (John TIerney)

I have been trying to use the BI (BASIC Interpreter)from machine language and have run into a problem Ican't explain. For example, let's say I want to do acatalog from assembly thru the BI. These are the stepsthat I thought I should follow:

1. Put the command 'CATAL0G'+$8D in the input buffer($200)

2. JSR to BI command parse ($BE03)

3. Check $BE0F for error (00 = no error)

4. CLC and RTS

The steps outlined above do actually produce a

catalog but then I get a "Syntax Error" (sometimes

two). Is there something else I must do before RTS?

$BE0F is returning $00, so the error is after theroutine is finished. Anybody have any insight on thisproblem?John

apple/software #303, from mdavls (Morgan Davis)a comment to message 302

It worked just fine. The "Syntax Error" that youget is telltale. What this usually means is thatApplesoft's text pointer has fallen upon something thatit doesn't like. If, say, your routine that puts"CATALOG" into the input buffer and calls DOSCMD($BE03) is at location 768 ($300) in memory, and youtyped

]CALL 768

from immediatethe text pointethe 768 (whichgoes out and juNow, when yourbuffer, it justfrom within theterminator thatmode command soinstruct ions. Awill polI it b(or is it 16?)— this would afoI lowed i t.

mode in order to execute it, guess wherer is? Right, it is pointing right afteris in the input buffer). BASIC happilymps to $300 to execute your routine,routine stuffs "CATALOG" into the inputtrounced the "CALL 768" (or even a 300Gmonitor!), and probably the nullBASIC puts at the end of your immediatethat it knows when to stop parsingI so, if you have a clock card, ProDOSfore each DOS command and stuff 17 bytesinto the input buffer starting at $200I so munge your command and anything that

After the catalog is displayed, Applesoft returns tocontinue parsing commands at its text pointer which (ifin immediate mode) is pointing somewhere inside theinput buffer. Of course, you can guess the results:SYNTAX ERROR.

Try doing the call to your routine from deferredmode:

]10 CALL 768

]RUN

See if that works. If so, your problem is solved.And you might want your routine to save the first nbytes of the input buffer before calling $BE03, andthen restoring them when done so that immediate modeusage is okay.

Of course, this was all "on-the-fly" speculation. SoI could be very, very wrong about all this. But I'vehad this sort of thing happen before with DOS calIs andsuch.

apple/software #304, from jerryh (Jerry Hewett)a comment to message 303

You might also want to try sending low-order ASCII (bit8 clear, including the C/R) to the input buffer — BIor ProDOS might be fussy about that.

apple/software #305, from jtierneya comment to message 304

I think you are right about the problem in theimmediate mode. I still had a problem in the deferredmode ond solved it by putting a 00 in $BE0F beforecalling DOSCMD. Thanks for your help.

apple/software #307, from mdavlsa comment to message 305

[continued]

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VP Planner is a trademark of Paperback Software International. Program copyright Synex Systems Corp.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 373

Inquiry 367

Inquiry 120

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That's Interesting. I don't think the contents of $8E0Fshould be significant prior to making the call. If,however, you are testing that location after the callto DOSCMO. it would be. But I don't think you ought todo it that way. From what I've read about it, the carryflag is your indicator of an error occurrence aftercalling DOSCMO. That would make sense since ProDOS doesthe same thing. You might want to try:

JSR DOSCMOBCC NO_ERRORLDA $BE0F

;A-reg now has error code

If BASIC.SYSTEM is as consistent with errors asProDOS is, I'll bet you don't even need to load the A-register with $BE0F after a JSR DOSCMO. If an errorhappens, the carry should be set, and the accumulatorshould contain the error code for you. (Might help tocut down on some of the code in your program to takeadvantage of this circumstance.)

apple/software #308, from jtlerneya comment to message 307

Well, I'm not sure, but I am beginning to think that$BE0F is not reset after an error occurs. Putting a 00there before the call works fine. I wiI I look into thecarry flag. My primary source of info on this isBeneath Apple ProDOS (by Don Worth and Pieter Lechner,1984, Reston Publishing) and they don't mention thecarry flag to detect an error. Makes sense though.John

apple/software #309, from mdavisa comment to message 308

I'm sure that $BE0F will change *0NLY* if an erroroccurred, otherwise BASIC.SYSTEM probably leaves italone. I've always used the carry flag status after MLIand DOSCMD calls to indicate an error. It seems to workflawless Iy.

Mouse and MouseWrite

apple/hardware #497, from rbracken (Rick Bracken)

Is anyone out there using MouseWrite? I hove version1.5.7 and the revision C of the Apple Mouse. Everythingworks fine execpt printing. When I go to print I onlyget part of my document prior to MouseWrite crashing. Ihave the Mouse in slot 4, a Super Serial Card in slot2, and the FingerPrint Plus parallel interface in slot1, connected to a Panasonic dot-matrix printer. Anyhelp or suggestions would be appreciated.Rick Bracken

apple/hardware #498, from Jerryha comment to message 497

The problem might be the FingerPrint Plus card — Iwas recently talking to a developer who was havingtrouble getting this card to work correctly with hisprogram. You might want to try it with another card(borrow one from a friend, or try it at your localcomputer store) and see what happens.

apple/hardware #499, from mdavisa comment to message 498

Right. I could not get my version of MousePaint toprint through Apple's parallel printer interface,though it worked great with the SSC and Imagewriter.

(Does It have a printer-install option or anythingI ike that?)

(continued)

374 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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appl e/hardware #500, front rbrackona comment to message 499

I can get MousePaint to function properly with myPanasonic printer and the FingerPrint Plus card butstill no go with MouseWrite. I am borrowing analternate card tomorrow.

apple/hardware #501, from rbrackena comment to message 498

Back again. I think I have the solution to theFingerPrint card problem. Evidently the FingerPrintPlus does not handle interrupts properly. I'm going tocall Thirdware Computers about a possible fix that Iheard about. Will let you know.Rick B

PS: MouseWrite worked great with a Grappler card.

apple/hardware #503, from mdavisa comment to message 501

MouseWrite requires interrupts in order to printtext?!? (hooo! heee! haawww! ooo! har har har!!!)Strike another point for old Roger.

You ought to ask them why MouseWrite's pull-downmenus kind of "crawl" down the screen... "It's becausewe wanted to give the impression of the menus actuallybeing pulI I I I I I I led down the screen, so we put in somefalse delay loops to slow them down."

Jiminy Crickets, that's rich!

Status Register: location: $C0A9

This register contains status Information about the6551. Bit 4 is set at 1 when the Transmit Data registeris empty and cleared and at 0 when data is written intothe Transmit Data register. Bit 3 is set when theReceive Data register has received data and clearedwhen the data is read from the Receive Data register.

Command Register: location: $C0AA

This register controls various transmit/receivefunctions. Normally, bits 0 and 3 should be set andbits 2 and 4 cleared. Bit 1 enables receiver interruptsand is set to disable interrupts and cleared to causean IRQ' interrupt when a character is received. Bits 5-7 control parity checks as follows:

Bit 7 6 5

- - 0 No parity

0 0 1 Odd parity

0 1 1 Even parity

1 0 1 Mark parity

1 1 1 Space parity

Control Register: location: $C0AB

This register sets the mode of the 6551. Bit 4should normally be set. Bit 7 selects the number ofstop bits, set for 2 stop bits and clear for 1 stopbit. Bits 5 and 6 control word length as follows:

Bit 6 5

0 0

8 bits

0 1

7 bits

1 0

6 bits

1 1

5 bits

apple/hardware #524, from rbrackena comment to message 501

Back again. Short update on my FingerPrint problem.Called Rafael Landers at Thirdware; he sent out a newROM - no charge.Rick B

Bits 0-3 set the baud rate as follows:Bit 3 2 1 0

0 110 300 baud

10 0 0 1200 baud

I hope this is helpful to anyone writing a terminalprogram for the 1200A- John.

apple/hardware #525, from jerryha comment to message 524

Did they tell you what the problem was in the firstplace? A brief description of the situation and whatsteps Thirdware took to correct it might help someoneelse down the road. ("Oh yeah! I remember seeing asolution to that on BIX!")

ACIA 6551 Technical Information

apple/long.msg #2, from jemurray (John Murray)

Writing communications programs for the Promodem 1200A

For anyone interested in writing a terminal programfor the 1200A (Super Serial Card compatible) internalmodem, here is a brief description of the 6551 ACIAused in the 1200A and Super Serial Card. In thefollowing description, it is assumed that the 1200A isin slot 2. In register descriptions, bit 7 is the mosts ign i ficant bit.

The 6551 has 5 registers, which are mapped to 4Apple memory locations. To write a program to controlthe 1200A, it is necessary to directly read and writethese registers:

Receive/Transmit Data Registers: location: $C0A8

These registers contain the characters sent to andreceived from the modem. Writing to this locationwrites data into the Transmit Data register and readingfrom it reads from the Receive Data register.

APPLE IIGS

The IIGS section of the Apple conference has received a great amountof traffic from the day the IIGS was announced. The following are ex-cerpts covering resets, sound, graphics and assembly languageprogramming.

Reset Inconsistencies

apple/gs.compat #27, from rbradford (Rex Bradford)

Does anyone know why my OpenApple-Control-Reset onlyworks some of the time? I cannot detect any pattern.Although usually if I bang on it a dozen times it seemsto catch. This is on my Product Validation Unit; Idon't know if this is me or real or what. Any commentsfrom the guys at Apple?

apple/gs.compat #28, from ericeldred (Eric Eldred)a comment to message 27

Yes, same thing happens in my PVU. I was told it is inprograms that do not allow interrupts (the Control-Command-Escape uses an interrupt to call the classicDesk Accessory and won't work in a lot of programs inDOS 3.3, and even in one under the new ProDOS I saw

today). But I thought that was hard-wired more thanthat in the lie for copy protection reasons. (??)

apple/gs.compat #29, from gs.softteam (Apple Computer)a comment to message 27

[continued)

376 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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If you have a 1-meg memory expansion card, OpenApple-Control-Reset will cause all RAM not configured as aRAM disk to be zeroed. This takes some time. If you hitthe reset again, it restarts the zero process. If thisis the problem, be patient. If not, bring it up againand we'll try to find an answer.

R. Montagne (IIGS software)

apple/gs.compat #30, from gs.softteama comment to message 28

It is true that programs that disable interrupts alsodisable access to the control panel via OpenApple-Control-Escape. OpenAppIe-Control-Reset is not aninterrupt, and should always work. See my comment tomessage 27.R. Montagne (IIGS software)

apple/gs.compat #31, from gs.softteama comment to message 27

I would guess that you have keyboard buffering enabledfrom the control panel. There is a bug in the versionof the keyboard micro used in the PVU units. Quitesimply, Control-OpenAppIe-Reset is buffered. If youhave anything in the keyboard buffer and try to reset,nothing will happen. A quick work-around is to flushthe buffer if reset doesn't work. The keystroke forthis is Control-OpenAppIe-Delete.John Worthington (IIGS Software)

apple/gs.compat #32, from Jerryh (Jerry Hewett)a comment to message 27

> ...why my OpenAppIe-Control-Reset only works some ofthe time?

Same thing happens on my lie. The solution is easy,thank ghu . ..

1) Press OpenAppIe-Control-Reset simultaneously.

2) Release the Reset key, but *NOT* the OpenAppleand Control keys

Works every time. I guess the reset code isperforming all sorts of stuff like bank resets, codeswaps, etc., and when the routine checks to see whatkeys are pressed further into the routine it has tofind the OpenApple and Control keys down.

apple/gs.compat #38. from rbradforda comment to message 30

I just tried OpenAppIe-Control-Reset from the Monitor.The first two times I just got a ] prompt; the thirdtime it went to boot off the disk. I have no memoryexpansion and was very patient (it does hesitate abouta second when it works correctly). Perhaps I'm stillmissing something... Rex

apple/gs.compat #39, from rbradforda comment to message 31

Thanks for the information. Still, on my PVU just nowI was inside a game called H.E.R.O. I hit Control-OpenAppI e-De I ete followed by Control-OpenApple-Reset,and it took a few times. Perhaps the buffer-flusherkeystroke is itself buffered or locked out?

apple/gs.compat #40, from rbradforda comment to message 32

GREAT SCOTT!! It's true! Pressing OpenAppIe-ControI-Reset and releasing the Reset before other keys makesIt reset every time. Rex Bradford

apple/gs.compat #42, from mdavls (Morgan Davis)a comment to message 27

Make sure you release the Open-Apple key *last* whendoing a Ctrl-OA-Reset sequence. If you don't, thereset routine is called and it sees that the OA buttonis not down, and causes just a standard reset.

apple/gs.compat #43, from cheath (Charlie Heath)a comment to message 39

H.E.R.O uses interrupts to synchronize the display -perhaps somehow the interrupt servicing is interactingwith the reset function?

apple/gs.compat #44, from cheatha comment to message 40

Then again, perhaps not.

apple/gs.compat #45, from gs.softteama comment to message 38

OpenAppIe-Control-Reset Is a sequence-sensitiveoperation. Try holding the OpenApple and Control keysdown. Then press Reset. Release Reset. Then releaseOpenApple and Control keys.Ray Montagne (IIGS Software)

apple/gs.compat #46, from gs.softteama comment to message 42

The Reset key should be released first (before theOpenApple and Control keys).Ray Montagne (IIGS Software)

apple/gs.compat #47, from gs.softteama comment to message 43

Reset is an independent function, and should not beaffected by interrupts. See message 45 for the propersequence of keys to reset.Ray Montagne (IIGS Software)

apple/gs.compat #48, from ericeldreda comment to message 47

Yes, on my PVU, I have had no trouble since I wascareful to use the sequence described above. Actually,I gave it some thought and seemed to remember that Ihad to do that on my lie as well; it was just a littlemore noticeable here. Thanks for the tip about thekeyboard buffer disable.

Graphics Mapping

apple/gs.other #82, from bwebster (Bruce Webster,Consulting Editor, BYTE)

I got the impression from Gregg-and-Rick's preview thatthe super hi-res graphics screen is in a fixed locationin RAM and (I may be misremember ing, but I'm too lazyto go back and look) that there's only one. Is thistrue? I sure hope not...bruce..

apple/gs.other #94, from rbradforda comment to message 82

It appears from my reading of the docs that. Vn4««4graphics memory is fixed in memory. It's a shamebecause display double-buffering was invented (onmicros anyway) in the Apple II. The display interruptsare helpful in synchronizing screen updates, but it'sjust not the same.

I am beginning to think that the 256 on-screencolors (with some layout limitations) from a palette of4096 will make for quite nice displays. Has anyone seenthe AT&T board that has resolution of only 256 by 256but produces stunning displays because of its 32,000colors?

Also, the byte layout (pixels contained within

(continued)

378 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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Inquiry 270

SuperpowerCompatibility

The POWER SYSTEM™ from PECAN has set a new standard for comprehensiveness inprogram development environments that you won't find anywhere else:PORTABILITY: Whether you're an ardent beginner or a seasoned pro, THE POWER SYSTEMlets you design software that can run on virtually any mini or micro without having to rewritethe program. The program you write on the computer will operate on another—even if the twohardware systems are incompatible. Your software never becomes obsolete—even if yourhardware does.

INTEGRATABILITY: The versatility and flexibility of THE POWER SYSTEM enables differentusers to exchange program modules freely with one another, even though the modules maybe written in different programming languages.

LANGUAGE INTERCHANGEABLE: THE POWER SYSTEM lets you customize the modulesof your application in the most appropriate of Pecan's powerful languages including UCSDPASCAL, BASIC, FORTRAN-77, ASSEMBLER, or MODULA-2. Once you're created your multi-language program, the modules are linked automatically. The application then runs as if you'dwritten it all in one language.

THE POWER SYSTEM Only $99.95

For PC-DOS, MS-DOS, AMIGA, ATARI ST, MACINTOSH, RAINBOW, TANDY, STRIDE, as wellas most popular 8/16/32 bit systems. Also available in VAX, UNIX, PDP-11 OS's & others.

THE POWER SYSTEM includes the language of your choice: UCSD PASCAL, MODULA-2,BASIC, ASSEMBLER and FORTRAN-77. Choose an additional language for only $79.95.Buy three and we will send you a fourth one F R EEI

ATTENTION CORPORATIONS: Call and ask about our training seminars.SCHOOLS: Special Educational Discounts

NOT COPY PROTECTED

Mail Your Check Or Money Order To:Pecan Software Systems, Inc.

B4ro0oklyn!hNewe?ork 11218 The UCSD Pascal Company

(716)851-3100 Credit Card Orders H Qflfl R'i DCPAM

ITT TELEX NUMBER: 494 8910 ,IITIIt 1-OUU-D J"K LL-AN

COMPUSERVE CODE: 76703,520 ua" l0" "ee (NYS) 1-800-45-PECAN

Please add S250 lor shipping wilh Ine US Foreign orders add $1000 and make paymeni by bank dratlpayable in U S dollars on U S bank New Vfark residenis add appropriale sales laiUCSD Pascal is a trademark o! The Begems ol University ol California

• Best of BIX •

GIX

• Best of BIX

Expansion Chassis/Tape Back-up

Specification

ModelNo.

No. ofSlot

Space for'/, Height Drive

Power Supply(Watts)

DimensionDXWXH(cm)

Price

M-r

0

1

50

30x15x6.5

S139

M-2

3

3

100

42x25x16

S299

M-3

5

3

100

39x30x15

S239

M-4

12

2

100

40x49x14

S299

M-5

0

2

45

39x18x15

S149

M-6

0

1

50

26.5x18x13.5

S169

M-7

5

2

100

38.5x30x13.5

S299

M-8

0

2

45

39.5x18x13.5

S149

M-9

0

2

60

38.5x49x9

S249

M-10

8

4

135

43x49x14

S239

' Extra space for a stand alone controllerEXT and RCV Adapters (Interfacing Computer & Chassis With Slots)..Tape Back-up (With Controller 8c Cable)....S499

ORDER TOLL FREE: (800) 826-0267

In California Call (408) 434-0877

SOURCE ELECTRONICS CORP.

2380 Qume Drive, Suite E

San Jose, CA 95131

Telex: 279366 Fax: (408) 434-0539

bytes) Is much better for software than bitplanedisplays. Bitplanes are popular in high-end systemsbecause fancy graphics hardware can cope with bitplaneseasily, but software has a dickens of a time updatingpixels which are spread across several bytes. Not toomuch fast animation seen on the Atari ST yet, ferinstance.Rex Bradford

apple/gs.other #100. from cheatha comment to message 94

Say it ain't so! A single video display area, in an 8-meg address space?

How fast can the 65816 copy an entire displayscreen? Make that: What Is the fastest way to move a16-bit word from one indexed location to another?

apple/gs.other #154, from rbradford

TITLE: Coping with the single video bankSince the IIGS has only one hardware bank of displaymemory in super hi-res mode, it is of interest to knowabout writing to an off-screen "bank" and copying theresults to the real screen. Quickdraw II does supportwriting to a "screen" anywhere In memory; next task isto copy it to the real screen memory. The MVN and MVPinstructions will do block moves at 7 cycles per bytemoved; since the screen is 32,000 bytes, this is224,000 cycles. At 2.8 cycles per microsecond, this is80,000 microseconds, or 80 milliseconds. This Is 5video fields at 60 Hz, which does not exactly make fora clean screen update. Anybody have any thoughts onthis matter?Rex Bradford

apple/gs.other #155, from cheatha comment to message 154

That sounds about like the speed to copy a screen onthe original lie, except of course the lie does havean alternate bank. That is about five times *slower*than Atari ST and Amiga's; and both of them *do* allowbank switching.

apple/gs.other #163, from gs.softteama comment to message 154

Actually, the block move instruction is not the bestway to move data onto the screen. The block move doesa false read of the destination address. Since thedestination address is slow video memory, it costs 1microsecond. The fastest that I have moved data ontothe screen is about 8.5 frames per sec. If the paletteand screen brightness bytes are not being changed. Itwill be faster. I think that over 9 frames per sec isdoable. The Empire Strikes Back demo (for those whosaw it) was 8.5 frames.Rich Williams (IIGS Software)

Multiple Keyboards

apple/gs.other #151, from dbetz (David Betz. SeniorEditor. BIX)

Does anyone know if software on the IIGS can tell whichof several keyboards a keystroke originates from? CanI hook up two keyboards and have my program treatkeystrokes from each keyboard individually or are theyindistinguishable?David Betz

apple/gs.other #152, from cheatha comment to message 151

Interesting Idea. I've often wished, whenmultitasking, for alternate sources of input withouthaving to select a new window or something. Drives mebatty when I start typing and the data goes into the

[continued.

380 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 339

10 MHz 286 TURBO

The Code of the West

The Good

Western

286 Turbo™

Western Computer Corp. has builta strong reputation in the Micro-computer Industry by sticking to afew basic principles. We call it the"Code of the West" and it goessomething like this:

MAKE IT BETTER.

with added features like 8-10 MHzswitchable, 512K of RAM expand-able to 1MB, Standard RS-232,Parallel Ports and 1 year Warrantyon parts and labor.

MAKE IT NOW.

it doesn't matter how good a dealyou make if you have to waitforever to get it!

MAKE IT CHEAPER.

and pass the savings on to theBuyer.

MAKE IT COMPATIBLE.

we can't think of anything worsethan getting a good deal on a newsystem, but not being able to runyour favorite Software! By theway, we use Phoenix Bios for totalcompatibility.

MAKE IT IN AMERICA.

Please!

The Bad

$5295?°

What could a Personal Computerwith fewer standard features, actual-ly do for you that would compel youto part with an additional $3,300.00.Will it pick-up the kids from school,wash the car or walk the dog? Thinkabout it!

& The Ugly

Regardless of what you pay for it,a Foreign Import can be one biggamble, with no guarantees of com-patibility, service, or support.

Inquiry 384 for End-Users. Inquiry 385 for DEALERS ONLY.

Western Computer Corp. has a fullline of personal computers andperipherals designed around yourneeds and your budget including:WESTERN COMPUTER XT TURBO™WESTERN CARRY-ON™and.... . .Coming soon-WESTERN 80386™

Call one of our salespersons at(714)553-1611 to find out how tohang-on to more of your money!

V/estetn Computer

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Phone (714) 553-1611

Customer Service Only (714) 533-1705

Telex: 7566731

Answer Back WESTERN COMP

FAX (714) 553-0236

Western Computer Australasia Limited

4-82 Abbot Street, Ascot Brisba

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#(07) 268-6589 - Telex: AA144746

FAX: #(07) 2685256 - Answer Back MCGUIR

Western Computer Spain

Diputacion, 238-6° Despacho 8

08007 Barcelone, Spain

Tele: 317 7128

Western Computer Greece - Busisoft Ltd.

102 Syngrou Ave., Athens 11741, GreeceTele: 902 4248 - TLX: 210364

We provide instant response to TIPS.You call, We call! See page 440.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 381

Best of BIX • Best of BIX "Best of BIX •

EIX

• Best of BIX • best of Bix • best of b'i

wrong window! What do you want to use multiplekeyboards for, David?

apple/gs.other |153. from dbetza comment to message 152

Game programs. I thought it would be interesting todesign a game program for the GS that would allow two(or more) players to interact with the machine (andeach other) at the same time. I suppose that multipleindependent keyboards could be useful for educationalsoftware also. The teacher could be the copilot readyto take over the controls but also have some commandoptions that the student doesn't have access to.David Betz

apple/gs.other #161. from gs.softteama comment to message 151

By talking to the keyboard micro you can tell whichkeyboard is sending the keystroke. We had a game goingin the lab with 6 keyboards. Everyone would type fasterto make their character win a race.John Worthington, (IIGS Software)

Sound Capabilities

apple/gs.graphsound #6, from nlghtlight (PatrickMurphy)

Saw the IIGS today...pretty neat. Questions about thesound:

The Ensoniq chip that runs the sound provides 15voices (oscillators). I presume that these aredigitized waveforms.

1) What are the limitations on the waveforms? Afixed number of bytes per waveform, or fixed total ofbytes for all 15, or something else?

2) Why is there 64K of RAM for the sound chip? Is ita convenience (a scratchpad) or a limitation (only 64Kof samples total)?

3) The sound is mono, but a company makes a stereoboard which seems to demultiplex the mono. How doesthis wo r k ?

4) This question is crucial to my interest, which isin running laser light shows with the IIGS: Is itpossible to get two or more non-demultiplexed outputsfrom the chip? For example, if I open it up, are all 15of those voices/oscillators coming out of the chip, orare they mixed internally? (Mono would be useless; themore fully independent digitized waveforms, thebetter.) Thanks for any info on the IIGS sound

capabiIi t i es.

—Patrick Murphy

oppIe/gs.graphsound #8, from robmoore (Rob Moore.Manager. IIGS Hardware Design Group, Apple Computer)a comment to message 6

The Ensoniq DOC includes 32 oscillators. Our soundtools use these in pairs and reserve one pair togenerate time slice interrupts so we end up with 15voices. With the right software you could do 32vo i ces.

Waveforms are stored in a dedicated 64K section ofRAM and start on page boundaries. They can be up to 32Klong.

Stereo or multi-channel sound is possible and stereocards have been built. Each oscillator can bespecified to be assigned to a particular channel number(0-15) and the least significant 3 bits of this channelnumber are available on the little DOC connector on theboard. So an 8-way analog mux [multiplexer] etc. willlet you have 8-channel sound.— Rob M

apple/gs.graphsound #20, from nlghtlighta comment to message 8

So to get eight independent sounds I would have to getthe channel number off the DOC, and switch the signalcoming from the D/As into the channel I desire,correct? Does this mean that all signals must run atthe same speed (or by only grabbing every nth signal atno more than 8 (15?) multiples of a given speed)?

apple/gs.graphsound #21, from robmoorea comment to message 20

You'rusedchannosci Ieye I eMHz,to COout tf requenablconstmax s

e apprto vecel ci rlatorss. Itso wi tmpIeteo abouency ted isant, samp I e

ox imatetor thecu i try.

(if 32steps thallo

a passt a 26.hat canabout 1o enablrate an

ly correctunf i I tereThe DOC gare enabl

hrough the

sciIlatorsthrough t

4-kHz sampbe genera,

3.2 kHz.

ing fewer

d output f

thed outpenerated) anosci Ienablhe oscle outted wiThe ouosci I Irequen

channut toes outd twolatorsed itiIlatoput rath 32tput satorscy.

el number isthe selectedputs for 32dummy refreshat about 7/8takes 34 cyclesrs. This workste, so the maxosciIlatorstep rate isincreases the

apple/gs.graphsound #24, from gs.softteama comment to message 6

1 . The Ensoni q ch i pwaveform playback,has linked adjacent"Generators." The rinstead of 16 is thThe Sound tools aresections: free-formsequencer, and speetools the waveformf i rmware wiI I takethe 64K of DOC RAM.played by the free-

has 32 osciI

The architec

pairs of osc

eason there a

at Apple is r

broken down

sound, note

ch tools. Wi

can be up to

care of movin

The smalIes

form tools is

lators avaiture of theiIlators inre only 15eserving thinto four msynthesis,thin the fr16 megabyteg data as nt waveformone page (

lable forSound Toolsto

generatorse last pai r .ainsoundee-forms wide. Theeeded intothat can be256 bytes).

2. The DOC chip requires memory that can be accesseddirectly. The chip can access up to 128K of RAM butdue to cost constraints some limitations had to bemade. This memory can be used by an applicationprogram to load waveforms which any of the generatorscan reproduce.

4. The DOC chip time-domain multiplexes the outputfrom each of the oscillators depending on the number ofoscillators enabled, it will cycle through all of theosciI Iators.

apple/gs.graphsound #27. from rbradforda comment to message 24

I have sRAM. Whof 64K)i ts ownsubjectavailab Ibe Iievet i ny i soetc.. oritself ausable.manufactgreat st

een severe doebe alio64K RAMof memoe? Mythat aflated pe al Ind FindIs Appurers (uf f era

eral references to the 64K sound chip

this exist? Can any 64K area (or partcated to it? I assume it doesn't have

hanging around, does it? On thery, how much of the 256K is actuallycursory reading of specs makes meter sound RAM, graphics RAM, shadow RAM,ieces that are a pain to make use of,ccounted for (not to mention ProDOSer and all), precious little is actuallyle repeating the mistake all computerincluding Apple) have made in the past—mmed into a closet?

GLU Help

appIe/gs.graphsound #26. from sgrant (Steven Grant)

HELP!! If I can get my boss details of the sound GLUquickly, he'll sign the check for a GS! What he wantsIs a description of the memory locations and registersused by the sound GLU chips. I've already looked atwhat's been posted re: the sound chips and maybe thatwill be enough. What he asked for specifically was

(continued)

382 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

"Double Strength" Solutiondelivers a high performance*^ computer and power graphics!

10FX and GT180 not shown actual size

You've needed a computerthat's smaller, faster andpacks more memory. And you'vewanted the best of today's graph-ics. Well, now you can have bothaffordably. Micromint brings you itsnewest single board computer, theSB180FX and its piggy-back colorgraphics board the GT180. Nowwith this "double strength" combi-nation you can take industry stan-dard Z-80 compatible software andadd colossal graphics like theones you see on this page. That'sright — graphics like these with yourZ-80 software!

The GT1S0 has 38commands

including 23 graphics drawing

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polyline, polygon, circle,

ilijise, arc, ellipse arc,

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So don't wait any longer for thecomputer size, speed, memoryand graphics you've been wait-ing for. The SB180FX andGT180 team not only givesyou the latest features you'relooking for, you can havethem for a great low price.

Three horizontal split screensand one window screen. Sizeand position fully program ma hie.

Software: Modula 2 byBorland Internationalincluding SB 180/GT180Grufix Toolbox.

Resolution of the GT180 is640x480x16 colors with apalette of 4096.

The SB180FX is only 5.75" x 8". Itgives you a Z-80 compatible CPUrunning at 6, 9 or 12 mHz. Youalso can get 512K bytes of RAM,up to 32K bytes of ROM, two38.4K baud serial ports, a parallel

port, a peripheral expansion bus,three bi-directional parallel portsand an industry standard 765A-compatible disk controller for upto four disk drives (any combina-tion of 31/2", 51/4" or 8" drives).An on-board SCSI expansion buslets you connect directly to a harddisk drive or additional computers.

To order or fo~ technical information call

SB180FX* .. .starting at $409.00

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Add up to 96Kabove 640K to allprograms, includingPARADOX and 1-2-3.

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iark of International Business Machines Corporation, 1 -2-3 and Symphony are

MAXIT is a trademark of McGraw-Hill CCIG software. IBM is a registered Iradei

registered trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation. Sidekick is a registered Irademark of Borland International, Inc. PARADOX is a trademark of ANSA

Software.

st of BIX • Best of BIX • Best of BIX

EIX

Best of BIX • Best of BIX • Best of BIX

info from the technicol reference manual. We arecertified (but not registered) developers at theUniversity of Delaware, if that helps....Steve

apple/gs.graphsound #42, from robmoorea comment to message 26

The info on the sound GLU IC is available to developersbut we're trying to discourage people from talkingdirectly to it. We have provided some very low-level,fast-access entry points in the sound tools to accessthe DOC sound chip and would really prefer that peopleuse them. Otherwise it will be really tough to everimprove that stuff in the future without losingcompatibility. In other words, IF YOU TALK DIRECTLY TOTHE NEW HARDWARE. YOU WILL PROBABLY NOT BE COMPATIBLEWHEN WE COME OUT WITH A NEW MACHINE.

apple/gs.graphsound #43, from robmoorea comment to message 27

The sound chip (the DOC) has its own dedicated 64K ofRAM which is separate from the system RAM.

apple/gs.graphsound #51, from sgranta comment to message 42

OK, fair enough. But could you briefly describe whattools are available and how they are used? Also whatis the sampling rate, i.e., bandwidth, for sound outputand input, and can the voices be combined?

apple/gs.graphsound #74, from robmoorea comment to message 51

The DOC includes 32 uncommitted oscillators that tendto be most usable when used in pairs per voice. With 32oscillators enabled, the output sample rote is about26.4 kHz giving a max output freq of 13.2 kHz or so -higher with less osc enabled. Voices and/or oscillatorscan be combined in numerous ways depending upon thesoftware.

BRA Limits

apple/gs.deveIopmt #18, from sgrant

The biggest problem I see is the limits on the branchinstructions. If they are limited to a 64K bank, andwrap around on an overflow, does this mean that allprogram modules are limited to _exactly_ 64K? Thiscould be a real problem for compiler writers, and areal nasty kludge for assembly programmers. Or maybe Iam missing something here? I mean how can you be surethat your code wiI I not cross a 64K boundary and whatdo you do if it does?....Steve

apple/gs.deveIopmt #20,

Computer)

a comment to message 18

from sglass (Steve Glass, Apple

Indeed a single segment of code is limited to 64K bytessince it cannot cross a bank boundary. This does not.however, limit an application to 64K bytes.Applications can be segmented and using the newdevelopment environment, tools and OS, this is veryeasy to do. The development environment for the IIGS ismore powerful than anything we've had on the Apple IIin the past. Code can be assembled and linked inmultiple segments that are loaded by the system loaderon an as-required basis. Intersegment references areresolved as segments are loaded. The loader calls thememory manager to find an appropriate-sized piece ofmemory for any segment being loaded.Steven Glass, IIGS Software

apple/gs.deveIopmt #24, fro« gs.softteoma comment to message 18

You're right about the branch instructions. All of theshort branch instructions are still limited to 1 byte.BRL takes a 2-byte operand. This can make things messy,but not too bad, since a code segment can't be largerthan 64K. I don't know of many compilers that try to dobranches between segments.John Worthington, IIGS Software

apple/gs.deveIopmt #32, from sgranta comment to message 20

I still don't see how deoling with a segment of codethat turns out to be 68K in length can be handledwithout major problems.

apple/gs.developmt #33. from sgranta comment to message 24

So how do you make sure before you get deep into yourcode, that it won't require a branch across segments?And if it does, is it back to the drawing board?

apple/gs.developmt #34, from cheatha comment to message 33

bra

go_forther:jmp

go_farther

where_I_RealIy_wonted_to_go

apple/gs.developmt #38, from mdavisa comment to message 33

If the GS has any kind of decent assembler system, itshould be able to report 64K boundary crossings foryou. This would let you know where you should place aJML (in order to change the code segment) to the next64K segment.

f^rj a nuircOIv/\ P rl IL* 3

In this thread from the Graphic Display conference, requirements for aIBM PC-based graphics system and possible upgrade paths for currentIBM PC owners are discussed.

grafic.disp/other #42, from mhaas (Mark Haas)

Robert, I'd be very interested in hearing what yourcriteria for a graphics system are. What do you expectfrom the software? The hardware?

graf led I sp/other #43, from rtlnney (Robert TInney.

BYTE cover artist)

a comment to message 42

In answer to your question, Mark (keeping in mind thatI'm not describing the ULTIMATE system; merely one withusable features and moderate price based on today's"state of the art"):

* 256 simultaneous colors, minimum;

* 600 x 400 res. or thereabouts;

* PC Paintbrush-type functions: various zoom levels,brushes, the ability to easily save the metamorphosingstages of a piece, etc. More sophisticated functions,such as pixel averaging, would be nice, but may rely onhaving many more colors available.

* The ability to produce a disk that is readable bycolor separation equipment. (This is generally alreadytrue of IBM PC-type systems, via third-party servicessuch as ImageSet in San Francisco.)

Anyway, this is a good start; obviously this listwill be quite obsolete in 2 (1? 1/2?) years, insofar assystem capabilities are concerned (it already is if youhave an AT and about $5000). But from anotherperspective, the system described above is very capableof producing genuinely moving artwork, in the righthands. And, of course, at some point during the march

(continued)

DECEMBER I986 -BYTE 385

Best of BIX • Best of BIX • Best of BIX •

BIX

Best of BIX • Best of BIX • Best of Bl

into the future one has to jump off the continuum andtaste the fruit of what already exists, even if thestop is only a temporary one, before moving on.

grafIc.disp/other #44, from mhaasa comment to message 43

I think you'll be seeing a lot of boards coming on themarket in the next 6 to 12 months that have anywherefrom 640 by 480 with 256 colors to 1280 by 1024 with256 colors (out of 16 million). Prices will probablystart off high, though. And monitor prices seem a lotmore sluggish than board prices. Figure on about $3 perK byte for the board and monitor for the higherresolutions and colors. My suspicion is that for yourwork, the number of colors is more important than theresolution. I would think 640 by 480 with 256 colorswould be OK.

grafIc.disp/other #46, frombllln (Bill Nlcholls)

Bi I IN

My current system is a nice piecI was not programming, it would pupgrade. Recently I have been usiextensively and have finally figumultitasking. It only took six weare the other things I want to domore tasks under Windows and morerequires a faster CPU and a largeresolution. But the higher-res dimore cycles to refresh and this rperformance. One solution would bdisplays supported by the new graIntel and TI. (I'll be doing somechips in grafic.disp shortly.) Buexpensive solution for another yethe lottery, that solution will hMeanwhile, here is a rough feel frefresh problem:

of equipment, and ifrobably not need anng MS Windowsred out how to useeks of daily use. What? For starters, run

concurrently. Thisr display of h ighersp lay i tse If will takeeduces systeme to wait for the newphics processors from

analysis on theset that will be anar or so. Unless I winave to wait too long,or the graphics-

IBM CGA:

Here monographic:IBM EGA:Wyse/Amdek 700:

640 x 200 x 1 = 16K bytes

720 x 348 x 1 = 32K bytes

640 x 350 x 4 = 112K bytes

1280 x 800 x 1 = 128K bytes

To get the resolution I would like to have (Wyse700) would mean eight times as many pixels to refresh(for full screen). This is not to say eight timesslower. One big unknown is the speed/efficiency ofpixel access. It may be that the Hercules is no slowerthan my CGA and the W700; much less than eight timesslower. But until I test it or get info from thegraphics display code writers, there is no way to tell.This is one part of the dilemma, and an important one.

Another part of the dappearance of 386-basedAT-class system (8-12 MHexcept that those machin386-based systems, ESPECthere's the imminent appMT system. What wiI I beconfiguration? Will it rmove before it appears,full MT without anotherwait for DOS 5.0, wiI I tto wait for them? GAK! Isystem, it will slow tounacceptable. But I needARGH! echoing around ins

ilemma is the imminentmachines. To upgrade now to onz) would be an obvious choicees will be quickly surpassed byIALLY in multitasking. Finally,earance of MS-DOS 5.0, the fullthe required hardwareun as is on current ATs? If II risk not being able to runupgrade. AAARRRGGGHHH!I! If Ihe 386 machines be close enoughf I add much more to my currentthe point of beingto do something! [Sound ofide of head.]

I hope that the above explanation will begin toconvey the dilemma I face. Another aspect, well knownto me, is that waiting for the latest (and greatest)stuff can be an infinite wait process as time andtechno fogy march on. One must take a stand somewhere

and say "Hold, enough." I have a fairly good idea of

where I want to be but what is the "best" upgrade path?

More on this later. Keep in mind that a good display is

an essential part of the solution.

grafic.dlsp/other #51, from billn

TITLE: Finding the Right Upgrade Path, Part 2

Given the series of linked dilemmas mentioned in myprior message, what might be done about it? One of thekey but unstated issues here is user interface.Controlling multitasking (MT) needs some kind ofability for the user to "see" (in some sense) what ishappen i ng.

Under MS Windows, the method required is to have atiled (non-overlapping) window active for each taskwith enough data showing so that the user can figureout what is going on. In my case (a CGA 640 x 200), aone-quarter screen is about the smallest practicalsize, either a quadrant or a narrow horizontal slice.Since most of my work requires the equivalent of 80columns of text for comprehension, I usually slice thescreen horizontally and move the boundary of the part Iam using down until it has 75% of the screen.

This has two implications. Since a full screen isoften needed for easy comprehension, working on 3/4 canbe a minor problem. More importantly, I can really onlyrun two programs effectively with my current display.The upgrade path referred to above *must* address thedisplay capability as top priority since that will bethe limiting factor in the human - machine interfacefor mu11 i task ing.

Nodi scuDispl1280fourresolhas is I owespeedreso Iremaidlff iassumfunds

Thdiffeignoradvanfourthe ddisplarounarounthe dand aTherereso IchoosNOT gsys te

w that we have wandered around the barn inssion, we can get to the question of "Whatay?" Given the above explanation, my desire for ax 800 screen may now be better understood. That istimes the horizontal and twice the verticalution I currently use. Unfortunately, resolutionts price - $1500 and slower refresh. How muchr? Hard to tell until I can experiment or get

reports from other (reliable) sources. Sinceution and speed are both issues, let's look at thening two display options that illustrate theculty in making a decision. In this process, Ie that other people are like me and have limited

for upgrades.

e two remaining choices are Herence in resolution is small ee that for the moment. The bigtage of color vs. the performatimes as many bytes to updateollar cost difference, both coay. A Here clone and display wd $250 to $300, an EGA clone ad $800 to $1200, with most ofisplay cost. Another option ismonochrome graphics display (is a patch to run Windows onution. Given these three optioe between them? Right off theoing to be acceptable for anyThat is the color EGA.

rcules and EGA. Thenough that we can

difference is thenee cost of almost

A second issue isntroller andiI I set you backnd di splay will costthe difference in

the EGA controllerabout $400 to $500).the EGA with Here

how can webat, one of these isPC- (8088) based

Between the number of pixels and complex updatingcode required, EGA will simply be too slow. Based onCGA performance on my 8-MHz PC clone, EGA would beslower by two to four times, even allowing for notwaiting for retrace to avoid snow. Even twice as longis too long for me, regardless if the window is bigger.

(These estimates are not based on experimentsest imates.)

just

There is another reason an EGA is not recommendedfor PCs. That is the potential compatibility problemsbetween some speed-up boards and separate EGAcontrollers. Since multitasking will take as muchperformance as you can get at least some of the time,it makes no sense to further slow the system with

{continued)

386 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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excessive display overhead. Adding an EGA board and88286 board makes little sense if all you net is afancier display (at the cost of a base AT system!).Given that, even the EGA controller/monochrome displaymay not be the choice for 8088 systems.

By logically eliminating 2 of 3 choices, it lookslike the test to run is the Here card and monochromedisplay for better MT display. But the key advantagewill be based on whether the display will allow greaterthan 80 x 25 effective size thru the use of smallercharacter size. I'll try to line up a borrowed Herecard and display to run that test along with somecomparative display speed tests. Stay tuned for thenext episode of "As the Display Turns." :-) BiI IN

grafIc.dlsp/other #66, from bllln

TITLE: Finding the Right Upgrade Path, Part 3

While I line up the Here/monochrome test, there area few other issues. The two primary ones are diskstorage and processor speed. While these problemsaffect everyone to a greater or lesser degree,multitasking (MT) and large graphic displays create thelargest loads. Let's take a brief look at the long viewto see where we're headed.

Clearly, MT systems will be based on both 286 and386 processors. The larger demands will migrate to 386systems while smaller may stay on fast 286 systems.With the advent of 16-MHz 286 systems (and with 20- and24-MHz systems in development), there is more potentiallife In the 286 than was apparent at first. The 386will overlap the high-end 286 and take off from there.A 16-MHz 286 runs five to ten times as fast as astandard PC, twice as fast as a standard AT, enough forthree or four tasks with minimal delays.

Also, In the longer view are graphics processorssuch as the Intel and TI chips that will offloadgraphics refresh and update from the main processor,allowing better performance even for current (slow) 8-MHz ATs. Until they arrive, graphics update willcontinue to burden the main processor.

To the rescue for disk performance and capacity cometwo relatively new tools. Disk caching is a way toreduce access time to repeated files on disk. Run-length encoding will add 50% to the capacity of disksthat have quality-plated media. And CORE has a very(expensive) high-performance 250-Mb disk that uses acustom controller. These developments will convergeinto a new set of higher-performance disk hardware andsoftware that will become available in the near future.

In the future, then, all of our problems will besolved, right? Well, most of our current ones anyway.But there will be new challenges then to keep thingsfrom getting dull. [Who's that I hear screaming in theback "Whaddoo I do NOW?" I'm getting to that.] Afterthe above, an 8-MHz AT doesn't look so hot anymore,does it? Based on memory speeds, the 20- and 24-MHzversions, when available, will have to use either cachememory or static RAM, both of which will raise thecost.

So it is likely that the 16-MHz version will be themost cost-effective system with large memory for thenear future. Since the first one of those is nowbecoming available from PC's Limited (this is *not* aplug), that may be an optimum option for the next twoyears or so. The processor option for the short termlooks to be something like the breakthru 286, an 8-MHzhalf-length board with 16K cache that runs atapproximately three to six times the speed of the PC.

With the Compaq 386 just announced, let's look at therange of options available:

Systemtype

IBM PCTurbo PCBasic ATStd. ATBrk 286Turbo286AT - 10AT - 12AT - 16CQ 386

Processorc lock

8088/4.77

8088/8.00

80286/6.00

80286/8.00

80286/8.00

80286/8.00

80286/10.0

80286/12.0

80286/16.0

80386/16.0

Cost Performance Cost/Memory (base ratio Perf(ns) system) (approx) ratio

200

150

150

150

cache

120

120

100

70

100 +

$600-800

$800-1000

$1200-1400

$1400-1600

$400

$900

$2300

$2700

$3000

$6500

1.01.62.02.52.53.03.13.75.08.0

600500600560160300740720600700

Note:* Marks expansion cards for PCs, one short, one long.+ Static memory

Some interesting things appear from the above table.Except for the expansion cards, the cost/perf ratio is♦remarkably* constant in the range of 500 to 740 over avery broad range of systems. Though not quite assurprising when you consider that costs involved innewer products offset some of the economy ofscale/higher integration used.

Another surprise - a base or turbo PC plus a shortexpansion card ($400) gives the best cost/perf ratiosof 400-480. This does overlook other issues but appearsvalid for a first cut. Note that the PC ratio improvesby 200 but the turbo PC only by 20. So an inexpensive286 card will help my performance but not mycost/performance, while it helps both if you have astandard PC.Finally, if you gotta have performance, the Compaq 386is a buy, but costly to expand (static memory).Otherwise, an AT at 16 MHz looks good. For upgrades, ifyou have a PC, get an inexpensive 286 speed-up card.For turbo PCs and basic ATs that cannot be speeded up,the 16-MHz AT represents a big jump at a reasonablecost.

One last warning. As I said some months ago, 1986-87will be similar to 1981-82 in the amount of change/newproducts that we see. The dam has broken on 386products, the flood will be here soon.

This information is as accurate as I can puttogether right now. I'll update this periodically;meanwhile it's food for thought. Stay tuned for more onthe upgrade path question. BiI IN

Communications Programs for BIX

One of the most common questions asked of the BIX staff concernscommunications programs that work with BIX. The following list, com-piled by George Bond, Executive Editor of BIX, shows some of the pro-grams that, according to people using BIX, work for uploading anddownloading with BIX.

blx.business/tips #5, from gbond (George Bond,Executive Editor. BIX)

This is a list of telecommunications programs that BIXusers have reported work reliably for file transfers toand from BIX.

Work OK PC/BIX

Crosstalk XVI Ascii-Pro

*PC-TaIk MDM740

MEX *1RD

♦Mini Term (sometimes) *Procomm

♦RedRyder Mack

♦TICOMM *FastTerm

Access *QModem

MITE (Framework II version, at least)* «■ In list ings area

This list is not exhaustive. If you are using aprogram not listed here to upload and download fromBIX, please send BlXmail to sysmgr so that the name ofyour program can be added to this list.

388 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

1||fORTRON CORPORATION

3225 Seldon CourtFremont, CA 94538

Information & CA Res. (415) 490-8171Technical Support (415) 490-8403

Orders Only (800) 821-9771

FORTRON PRESENTSTHE DEPENDABLE ONES

While some power supply importersreduce their selling prices by usingcheaper and fewer materials, we atFortran do not jeopardize our discrim-inating customer's faith in our standardsof quality by such compromises.

Here are some visible differences Fortranuses:

• Burndy [U.S. made) connectorswhich provide error-free connectionsfrom power supply to CPU board andperipherals.

• A shielded power cord insuresminimum AC line interference.

• Built-in EMI filter maintains aconductive emissions level specifica-tion to greater than 6 dB/uV belowFCC Class B.

• All U.L. recognized materialsand circuit layout to ensure com-plete safety.

In addition to our high quality materials,our testing facility in the U.S. and ourtechnical support from five full timepower supply and system applicationengineers has made Fortran's PC/XTand AT power supplies tops in their field.

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Mono/Graphic/Printer 65.00

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Inquiry 702.

Inquiry 788.

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Self-Inking Printer Ribbon

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390 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

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VT102/52 TEK4014 VT220

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P.O. Box 6719

San Jose, California 95150

(408) 265-5411

TWX 910-379-0014

CONVERT

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COMPUTER FURNITURE

DATA/DISK CONVERSION

DOCUMENTATION

MULTI-USER BBS (PC AT)

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HAL SYSTEMS

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IN OHIO (614) 262-0559

CONVERSION SERVICES

Convert any 9 track magnetic tape to or from over700 formats including 3%° 5'A", 8" disk formats &word processors. Disk to disk conversions alsoavailable. Call for more info. Introducing OCR Scan-ning Services.

Pivar Computing Services, Inc.

165 Arlington Hgts. Rd., Dept. #BBuffalo Grove, IL 60089 (312) 459-6010

FLOW CHARTING II HELPS YOU!

Precise flowcharting is fast and simple with Flow ChartingII. Draw, edit and print perfect charts: bold and normal fonts,24 shapes — 95 sizes; fast entry of arrows, bypasses & con-nectors; Fast Insert Line; shrink screen displays 2O0-columnchart; 40 column edit screen for detail work, much more!

PATTON & PATTON

340 Lassenpark Circle. San Jose. CA 95136

1-800/672-3470, ext. B97 (CA residents)

1-800/538-8157, ext. 897 (Outside CA)

408/629-5044 (Outside the U.S.A.)

Inquiry 760.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 391

The Buyer's Mart-

HARDWARE

HARDWARE

HARDWARE ADD-ONS

68020 COMPUTERS

Up lo 14.5 Mbyte RAM, 258K ROM. 30 users. DMA flop-py and SASI (SCSI), calendar/clock w/bat. backup, timer,real time multi-tasking, multi-user op. sys., basic,assembler, screen editors, spreadsheet. Fits PC typecabinet. Mem. Prot. option, more.From $2195.00.Other 68XXX computer systems from $995.00.

AAA Chicago Computer Center

120 Chestnut Lane - Wheeling, IL 60090(312) 459-0450

SANYO 550/555 USERS

TURBO BOARD-7.2 MHZ

S 95.00

20 MEG EXTERNAL HARD DISK SYSTEM

S749.95

SANYO VIDEO BOARD (ORIGINAL)

S1T4.95

RS-232 BD

S 49.95

HARD DISK C0NT W/CABLES 8 SOFT (ST-506). ..

S249.95

768K MEM, CLK, 5 EXPANSION BD-

(FREE RAMDISK, SPOOLER, S SOFTVIDE0-RUNS

IBM PROGRAMS)

$199.95

TAMPA BAY DIGITAL

1807 Gulf-tc-Bay Blvd., Clearwater. FL 33575

813-443-7049

APPLE COMPATIBLE PRODUCTS

He RAM/80 Column Boards, 64K $39. 256K $10*.512K $139. 1.0MEG $238. 256K-1.0MEG in-cludes XMe PLUSWORKS Sfwr. II + 80 Col Bd$49. He Keypad w/16 Keys $39. II + /e Cooling Fanw/surge protect $29.95. Add $3 Shipping. Writefor complete list.

NEXO DISTRIBUTION

914 East 8th St., Ste. 109, National City, CA 92050

(619)474-3328

Inquiry 650,

Inquiry 737.

Inquiry 713

? ? ? PC WON'T TALK ? ? ?

If your IBM-PC or compatible won't say a word, il needs aMouthpiece, the synthesized-speech development system!

- half-slot plug-in synthesizer

- menu driven software

- text-to-speech capability

DWK Research

22458 Ventura Blvd Suite E

Woodland Hills, CA 91364

805-584-8123

Introductoryprice: $119

Z80™ / 64180/CP/M™ CO-PROCESSORS

Plug-in co-processors for PC, PC/AT.Blue Thunder (5 mhz) 3199.50

Blue Lightnin' (9 mhz) $595.00

D64180 w/SBX Connectors $445.00

Run CP/M software on PC as if MS-DOS software.Diskette conversion included. Can run Intel ISIS soft-ware. We have cards for PDP-11 and VAX too.

Z-WORLD 408-980-1678

2065 Martin Ave. #110, Santa Clara, CA 95050

PC I/O BOARDS

• Four Port RS-232 w/software «349M

• RS-422/485 Serial >149»

• RS-232/422 with 24 Parallel I/O »199°«

• RS-422 Synchronous «299»

• EPROM/RAM M99"

• A/D & Digital I/O «299"

Call About Custom Designed Boards

Sealevel Systems Inc.

P.O. Box 1808, Easley, SC 29641

(803) 855-1581

Inquiry 677.

Inquiry 750.

Inquiry 727.

HARDWARE/BLDG. CONTROL

MEGABYTES OF MEMORY

Lowest Prices Guaranteed in US. Dealer Inq. InvitedFully Populated 2MB Memory BoardsTALLTREE SYSTEMS — JRAM BOARDSJRAM 2 $134 OPEN 7

JRAM 3 Aboveboard 183 DAYS A WEEK

JRAM AT 183 M-F 9-8

JRAM AT Aboveboard 239 S-S 9-6

JDISKETTE 135 VISA, MC, AE, CHOICE

JLASER I 275 703-847-4740

JMODULES CALL 80M4M39B

Information and Technology Services, Inc.

EPROM/EEPROM PROG. $250

Programs 2716-27512, 25xx and 68764/66 epromsvia RS-232. Also 874x micros and 28xxA & 52BxxEEPROMs. Automatic baud rate select, built in helpmenus, no personality modules!

16 BIT I/O MODULE $75Low cost control via RS-232. Expands to 512!

INTELLITRONICS

P.O. Box 3263, Tustln, CA 92680(714) 669-0614

Inquiry 696.

CHIP CHECKER

• 54/74 TTL & CMOS • 14-24 Pin Chips

• 14/4000 CMOS • Two 24 Pin ZIF sockets

• 9000 TTL • .3" and .6" IC widths

Tests/Identifies chips with ANY type of output in

seconds. Inexpensive software updates will be offered

as new chips became available. For C128 and C64.

$129 plus $3.50 s + h.

DUNE SYSTEMS

2603 Wills Dr., St. Joseph, Ml 49085

(616) 983-2352

LOAD CELL INPUT & CONTROL

Local/remote control of plant processes via multi-dropbus from single serial port; compatible with all com-puters. Basic software included.

• Load cell input • 8 channel AC output •

• 24 channels AC/DC I/O •

• Count up/down/dispense •

SCALE-TRON INC.

P.O. Box 424, Lachine, Quebec, HBS 4C2 Canada(514) 634-7032

POWERLINE MODEM

CASH REGISTERS, ELECTRONIC SIGNS, PC'S

communicate over POWERLINE

RS232C, GE/EIA Consumer Electronic Bus Protocol,Hayes Compatible, 64,000 units on network, Data Com-pression, 1000 bps (Homenet™ spec), 40 powerlinecommands, User Programmable Client Layer $395.

AISI RESEARCH CORPORATION

Discovery Park, University of Victoria 3771A Haro Rd.

Victoria BC CANADA V8W 2Y2 (604) 477-1415

Inquiry 771.

HARDWARE GRAPHICS

HOUSTON INSTRUMENTS PLOTTERS

Houston DMP-40/41&42: A-B/C-D-si2e S966/$2577

loline LP3700 A-E size, 1 pen $4175

DIGITIZERSSummagraphics MM1201. pow, cable $374

GTCO MD7-1212 compiele $602

Hitachi HDG-1111B Tiger II w/stylus $735

GRAPHICS BOARD/MONITOR COMBOSOrchid TurboEGA & NEC Multisync $1220

Artist 1 & Mitsubishi 19" monitor $3113

Large corp, & institutional PO's accepted O.A.C.ARDEN SYSTEMS, INC. (213) 479-6707 «t.2»12335 Santa Monica Bl. #240. Los Angeles, CA 90025

LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR

PC WHOLESALE CENTER

F.C.C. APPROVED BASIC KIT

• 640K Mother Board (OK)

$94.00

' 5150 Keyboard

S46.00

• 150W Power Supply

$56.00

' Case

$34.00

• Disk I/O Card

$70.00

' Color Graphic Printer Card

$60.00

ALL FOR J230.O0, CALL FOR OTHER ADDON CARD

•TTL Monitor $60.00

• MGP. . .

$60.00

SANFORD INC.

(713) 879-0068

10413 Rockley Rd.,

Houston, TX 77099

Inquiry 725.

PANASONIC PRINTER

Connection

■ ' Panasonic printers otter a two year warranty * '

New KX-P 1080-1. .$239.00 KX-P 1092 $315.00

KX-P 1592 $450.00 KX-P 1595 $615.00

KX-P 3131 $270.00 KX-P 3151 $395.00

C.C.C.C, Inc.

CHERRY CAPITAL COMPUTER CONNECTION, Inc.

336 E. Fronl St. Traverse City, Ml 49684

(616) 947-7275

Inquiry 664.

INTERCHANGE HEWLETT PACKARDFILES ON IBM PC

LIF Utility (or the IBM PC allows IBM PC's and compatiblesto read and write files written by Hewlett Packard Series70, 60. 200. 300, 1000, 9000 computers. Call (or datasheets, config diagram, pricing Oswego Software Incspecializes in HP disk file copying, program translators

Oswego Software Inc.

507 North Adams Street, Oswego, Illinois 60543 USA(312) 554-3567 TELEX 851757

HARDWARE ADD-ONS

MACHINE TRANSLATION

USED APPLES & IBM's

Laser 128 (new) — $385.00

Apple II+ and lie — call

Imagewriter I — $275.00

Motherboards & accessories — call

We buy, sell, & horsetrade — Apple, IBM, & CBM.

SHREVE SYSTEMS

845 Lark Ave., Shreveport, LA 71105318-865-6743 4-9 p.m. C.S.T. VISA/MC

Inquiry 729

392 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSOR

The Model 10 coprocessor board (or IBM PC/XT/AT is basedon the 16/32 bit Tl TMS 32010 and is designed (or applica-tions in communications, speech, instrumentation, andnumeric processing. A 1K complex FFT takes under 90ms.Offered with onboard 12 bit A/D and D/A. Includes all util-ity and applications software $650 - $850.

DALANCO SPRY

Suite 241 2900 Connecticut Ave NW

Washington, DC 20008

(202) 232-7999

The TurboTranslator

Chinese <=> English. Eng/Pinyin in.Chinese/Eng/Pinyin out. Edit (char needsmouse)/export/import diet. 350+ chars hi qual,6200+ (2.3Mb) lo. No copy prot. IBM/Herc/etcgraph card. IBM-PC & compat. 256K, 2 (loppies.Aust $85 (+$10 overseas). AMEX/MC/Visa.

Savage Software

Box 81, East Caulfield 3145,Victoria, Australia

Inquiry 726.

The Buyer's Mart

MAILING LISTS

SOFTWARE ACCOUNTING

SOFTWARE/A.I.

Professional List Management

ArcList — mainframe mailing list managemeni for thePC/XT/AT. Capacity 20 million names, automatic zipand slate verification, print any label, custom chartsand reports, merge-purge with excellent near-duperecognition, match codes, postal presorting, Nthsampling, much more $595. Demo disk availableTake control of your list. Call for free brochure.Arc Tangent, Inc.

232 Anacapa Si., POB 2009. Santa Barbara. CA 93120800-843-5928 (in CA. 805-965-7277)

dBASE BUSINESS TOOLS

' General Ledger ' Purch Ord/lnvntory

' Accounts Recvbl. ' Accounts Payable

" Order Entry ' Job Costing

' Sales Analysis " Job Estimating

S99EA + s&hw/dBASE2. 3 or 3+ SOURCE CODEdATAMAR SYSTEMS'Cred Card-Check-COD

6809-B Convoy Court. San Diego, CA 92111800-223-9963/CA 800-221-9964/(619) 278-8222

EXPERT SYSTEM LANGUAGE

If you can use a spreadsheet, you can useKNOWOL, the Knowledge Oriented Language, toguide people in solving problems.

KNOWOL + (Complete) S99.95

KNOWOL (Introductory) S39.95

Intelligent Machine Company

1907 Red Oak Circle. New Port Richey, FL 33553(813) 844-3262

Inquiry 674.

PROGRAM GENERATORS

SOFTWARE/BASIC

WINDOW.LIB

$99.

An easy !0 use complete windowing system for programmersana *Ming in

• BASIC IBM MS CB86 • C LATTICE. MS

• COBOL MS RMF . PASCAL MS TURBO

• FORTRAN MS RMF dBase Clipper

Window editor includea Create callable pop-up menus nelpscreens The line selector leatures aulo reverse highlighting andcursor control No royalties Ask about our BIOS/DOSLIBVISA/MC

GLENCO ENGINEERING (312) 392-2492

3920 Ridge Ave., Arlington Hts., IL 60004

1986 TAX PREPARATION

Fast, easy to use package prepares and prints 1986Federal Income tax returns using form 1040 Fully interac-tive, menu driven Follows IRS iorms Supports 28 lormsplus multiples Fully integrated MS/PC-DOS. 86 ProlS349, Pers S59: 85 Prot $30.

Dunphy Systems, Inc.

P.O Box 326. Worthington, OH 43085-0326614-431-0846

FINALLY! MODULES

Add class to your compiled BASIC programs with FINALLY!MODULES Use pull-down WINDOWS, horizontal menus, pop-uo help screens, input screen and directory managers For usewith FINALLY' library and QuickBASIC 2 0 or IBM Compiler2.0 30 Day Money-Back Guarantee. VISA/MC/Check/MOFINALLY! MODULES is S99.00 + 54.00 S&H

KOMPUTERWERK, INC.

861 Parkview Blvd.. Pittsburgh. PA 15216(412) 782-0384

Inquiry 700

PUBLIC DOMAIN

SOFTWARE/BUSINESS

IBM, CP/M, MAC SOFTWARE

Over 2500 disks covering IBM/ PCDOS/ MSDOS,CP/M and Macintosh. All major public domain usergroups represented. Priced from S6 (US) disk (evenlower in quantity). Fast service, shipped around theworld. Call or circle inquiry #663 tor our FREE 32page minicatalog of highlights.

CANADA REMOTE SYSTEMS LIMITED(1-100-3*7-1901) (1-416-231-2383)

INCOME TAX SOFTWARE

TAXWORKS-" software to enter, calculate, and printFederal Form 1040 and 17 supporting schedules. 1986marks 4th year of production. Free telephone support.For IBM, MS-DOS, CPM-80. Federal S400. CalitorniaJ100

TAXWORKS®

881 Alma Heal Dr., Suite T-2

Pacific Palisades. CA 90272

(213) 459-2746, In Calif. (800) 232-"1040"

PC-Write™ Shareware Ver. 2.7

Fast, powerful word processor/text editor for IBMPC. Spelling checker, screen clip, mailmerge, splitscreen, ASCII files, macros. Supports proportionalprinting. laserJet. 300+ printers. S16 for all soft-ware, tutorial/guide on diskette. OK to copy.Register for manual/support. S89. Full 90-dayguarantee.

Quicksort (206) 282-0452 Vtsa/MC219 First N. #224J, Seattle, WA 98109

► SOFTWARE FOR PENNIES -*

GET BEST AND LATEST PC-DOS. CP/M-80 ANDCP/M-86 PUBLIC DOMAIN PROGRAMS FORBUSINESS. PERSONAL EDUCATION. SOFTWAREDEVELOPMENT. MODEMING. SCIENCE, AND MORE.AT LOW COST OF COPYING 3-VS, 5-Vi AND 8" DISKFORMATS ARE SUPPORTED SEND $5.00 FORCATALOG

MULTIPATH, INC.

Box 395, Montville, NJ 07045

(201) 575-5880

► TIME & BILLING -+

400 clients'20 partners/80 job & 40 out of pocket

categories/20 areas of practice'fixed fee or hourly/

more' Prints billing/stalemenls/aged rec's/more! Free

phone support S149 (VISA/MC/AMEX) MS-DOS/

CPM-80 Other original software.

FREE catalogue.

MICRO-ART PROGRAMMERS

614 Alameda Padre Serra. Santa Barbara, CA 93103

(805) 962-0922 (24 hours)

PC-File III™ Version 4

Search, sort, browse, global changes, macros, mailinglabels, lormat reports with selection & calculations, sub-totals, totals, averages, encryption Exchange data with1-2-3. WORD. WordStar Over 190 000 users $59.95 +$5 s/h. For IBM PC.

ButtonWare, Inc.

P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue, WA 980061-800-J-BUTTON

Inquiry 704.

Inquiry 658.

THE BEST OF THE BEST!

Public Domain & User Supported Software for IBM PCor compatible. Word Processing, Database, Spread-sheets, Utilities, Games, Accounting, etc! 50 diskpackage S205.00, or rent 2 wks. $75.00. Info S SuperSampler Disk Sfi.50, Deluxe Word Processor $6.50, both$12.00. MC/VISA

BLUE CIRCLE GROUP, INC.

Box 23502, Minneapolis, MN 55423(612) 823-4111

CUSTOM PAYROLL

All systems have multiple pay categories, calcula-tion of all taxes, user defined deductions. 40l(k)handling, many reports, paychecks. W-2 forms, andmuch more Custom features are available. Pricesstart at S695 for system, manual, and PC Basicsource code,

Datasmith, Inc.

Box 8036, Shawnee Mission, KS 66208(913) 381-9118

PC-File/R™

All the power of PC-File III plus. Relational link toother databases, integrated letter writing & mail-merge, context sensitive oop-up help windows. Newbinary search retrieves data hundreds of times fasterS149.95 + $5 s/h.

ButtonWare, Inc.

P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue, WA 980061-800-J-BUTTON

- PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE «-

50 AMIGA DISKETTES — S8.50 each. 25 ATARi-ST DISKET-TES — S8.50 each. 490 IBM DISKETTES — S4.25 each.60 SANYO 550/555 DISKETTES - S4.25 each,SAMPLE DISKETTE & CATALOG: AMIGA or ATARI-ST SBppd IBM or SANYO S5 ppd

All prices include FREE SHIPPING! Visa/MC - No ExtraCharge' 48 hr Turnaround! Phone Orders Welcome! Quali-ty Media Used'

Computer Solutions

P.O. Box 354 - Dept. B, Mason, Michigan 488541-800-874-9375 (M-F 10-5 EST) 1-517-628-2943

1986 INCOME TAX PROGRAM

PC-TAX-MASTER, the complete 1986 Federal Income Tax prepara-tion program lor IBM-PC. XT, AT, PCjr and compatibles lor onlyS95. Form 1040 wilh 22 schedules and lorms Menu driven, last,integrated, easy to use. Prints terns Free telephone support Yearlyupdales, and 15 day money back guarantee. Free pop-up scien-tific calculator wilh order.

VISA. M C . COD call 1-800-628-2828 Ext 820Questions and info call: 1-718-417-0165

DATAX

1923 Linden Street, Ridgewood, NY 11385

DATA ENTRY SYSTEM

Heads-down data entry with two-pass verification lorIhe PC/XT/AT & compatibles. Loaded with featureslike: Aulo dup & skip, verify bypass, range checks.& table lookups. Fully menu driven only $395Call for free 30 day trial period

COMPUTER KEYES

21929 Makah Rd., Woodway. WA 98020(206) 776-6443

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 393

The Buyer's Mart-

SOFTWARE/BUSINESS

SOFTWARE/CHURCH

SOFTWARE/GENERAL

dFELLER Inventory

Business inventory programs written in modifiable dBASEsource code.

dFELLER Inventory $150.00

Requires dBASE II or III. PC-DOS/CPM

dFELLER Plus $200.00

with History and Purchase Orders

Requires dBASE III or dBASE III Plus (For Stockrooms)

Feller AssocistGS

550 CR PPA. Route 3, Ishpeming, Ml 49849 (906) 486-6024

ROMAR CHURCH SYSTEMS™

Membership-61 fields plus alternate address; labels,letters, reports any field(s) Offering-256 funds; optionalpledge; statements; post to 255 x/year Finance-G/L withbudget; up to 500 sub-totals & 99 depts: month 8, YTDreports anytime for any month. Size 2000 people/flop-py; 25000/10 meg. Ad too short! Write!

Romar Church Systems, Attn: BMB

P.O. Box 4211, Elkhart, IN 46514

(219) 262-2188

FREE DISK CATALOG PROGRAM

Let DISKombobulate keep track of your disks. Complete pro-gram. On-line database keeps track of all your files by tilenames, sizes, dates and times. Display, print, or store reportsof all or selected files in alphabetical or disk order. IncludesFREE demo (disk #3) of our other products. Specify IBM-PC,DEC Rainbow or Zenith Z-100. $4.99 s&h.

Newline Software

P.O. Box 289, Tiverton, Rl 02878(401) 624-3322

Inquiry 683.

Inquiry 752.

SOFTWARE/CHURCH

SOFTWARE EDUCATION

LP88-LINEAR PROGRAMMING

A powerful menu-driven system for solving linear programs w/up to 510 constraints & 2510 variables. Features include in-teractive & batch operation, spreadsheet-style input & editing,storage of problems & bases. Simplex Algorithm restart, reportgenerator, sensitivity analysis. Ren IBM PC, 192K $99 w/8087support, user's guide. VISA/MC.EASTERN SOFTWARE PRODUCTS INC.P.O. Box 15328, Alexandria, VA 22309(703) 549-5469

Best Christmas Gift

Our exciting Math Games is designed to make yourkid THE TOP MATH STUDENT in his class. SendCheck/MO, specify IBM PC or APPLE IIC/E.$21.50 ea. + $2 S/H.BLACK BELT-ADDITION -SUBTRACTION

-DIVISION -MULTIPLICATION

ROBIN SOFTWARE

P.O. Box 1053, Cupertino, CA 95015(408) 255-7458

PRO FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL

POINTSPREAD ANALYZER database-software includesall NFL games since 1978, with won-ioss stats and point-spreads. Basketball version has all NBA games since1983 In seconds, see stats and patterns. Developed byPh.D. statisticians. $50 each. iBM PC. compatibles.MC/VISA.

BEST BET SOFTWARE

3104 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705(415) 540-5072

Inquiry 678.

Inquiry 786.

SOFTWARE/GENERAL

OFFICE AUTOMATION SOFTWARE

Order Entry, Inventory $49.95 each. Independent or in-teractive. Fast, accurate- Database sizes: 150 to 1000.Monitor up to 15 whse. Other configs avail. Orderacknowledgment forms, inventory listings, & reorder levellistings printed. Min, req: IBM PC or compatible, 1 DSDD360K drive, 128K RAM memory. DOS 2.10 or later.MC/VISA, free shipping in continental U.S.

FutureSoft (216) 753-1336

P.O. Box 23005, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223-1100

—SOFTWARE ORGANIZER—

CYBER_CAT will catalog all those disks for You.—FAST and EASY to use! —MENU SCREEN driven!—Catalogs Floppy and Hard disk Root & Sub-dir.—Prints neat attractive Diskette Labels. —Finds anyfile in seconds. . MS-DOS 2.0 2 DRV $24.95 +5%tax in Florida. Visa/MC or Check.

CYBER_WARE Corp.

4411 Bee Ridge Rd. Suite S251, Sarasota, FL 335831 -800-237-8400 x86 In FL 1 -800-282-1469 x86

US$6 .. . INCLUDING DISK

Over2,900+ software titles for IBM-PC. Apple II. Macintosh,Latest titles. Lots of hi-quality manuals. VOLUMEDISCOUNTS.

• IBM-PC Light Pen c/w software: $65

• 640K motherboard c/w full RAM: $200

• PC mouse compatible: $65Lots of bargains, ram chips, etc. . . . Specify your computertype with $1 note for our air-mailed catalog to:-

MICRO-WORLD, Dept BYTE

Towner POB 310, Singapore 9132

REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE

Inquiry t

Inquiry 770.

SAVE LEGAL FEES

157 time tested legal forms on disk, complete with menudriven system and editing and printing capability. Freecopy of PC-Write word processor included. Forms writ-ten by a noted attorney and applicable nation-wide.S129.95 plus $7.50 shipping and handling.

LegalEase HDG Software, Inc.

54 Whitney St., Sherborn, MA 01770

617-651-1881

800-628-2826 x 706 for credit card orders

NEW Turbo Pascal'" Programs

Outstanding software. Full source code included!KEYMASTER, DESKMASTER: Pop Up deskorganizers Editor, macros, alarms, addr book/dialer,calculator, more! $49.95 + $2 s&h each IBM PC &Comp. DICTIONARY TOOLBOX: Library to pro-duce/manage bit compressed diet. $39.95. Any MS-DOSComp. CHESTER: Full featured Chinese checkers gameusing heuristic search. $22.00 IBM-PC & Comp. Visa/MC

A. I. SOFTWARE 512-928-2009

2200 Rogge Ln., Austin, TX 78723

GREAT SOFTWARE, CHEAP!

Absolutely Smashing User Supported Software$4.95 per disk. PC-Outline, PC-Write, DOSamatic,Commercial Unprotect, File Express, CheapAssembler, Chess, utilities galore, many more.Money-back guarantee. IBM PC, PC Jr, or com-patibles FREE CATALOG.

PLUS SOFTWARE

33495 Del Obispo, Suite 160 M.Dana Point, CA 92629

Inquiry 764.

DOWN TO EARTH SOFTWARE

AuIoDos ($34.50) works from a menu to run programsand DOS functions. OmniTask ($99,50) is a word pro-cessing system. Does autoform, mail merge, reports, etc.CorpForm, GenForm ($74.50 ea)—form corporations andlegal documents. Free information,

TSC

P.O. Box 872687 Wasilla, AK 99687(907) 745-6267

FREE FIRSTUP MENU PROGRAM

Simplify your MS-DOS system with FIRSTUP. Completeprogram. You configure FIRSTUP to do all the commandsnecessary to start your programs. FIRSTUP then worksas a Menu Interface to access your applications with asingle key Includes FREE demo (disk #1) of our otherproducts. Specify IBM-PC. DEC Rainbow or Zenith Z-100.$4.99 s&h.

Newline Software

P.O. Box 289, Tiverton, Rl 02878

(401)624-3322

NEW INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAl FOR THE IBM PC

topsi is a full version of ops5 which runs

under ms-dos, unix or cp/m. a fast, efficient

expert system development tool.

prototyping: $125 production: $250

professional: $375 shipping, add $5

Dynamic Master Systems

POB 566456, Atlanta, GA 30356(404) 565-0771 Telex #282923

Inquiry 782.

Inquiry 762.

Church Package

Parishioner Time, Talent and Treasure System pro-gram is written in modifiable dBASE source code.• Contributions • Disbursements • Ledger• Names with mailing labels• Personal information database.Requires dBASE II or III. PC-DOS/CPM-80 $200.

Feller Associates

550 CR PPA, Route 3, Ishpeming, Ml 49849(906) 486-6024

Inquiry 682.

394 BYTE • DECEMBER ]986

FREE CHECKBOOK PROGRAM

Let Check Processor balance your checkbook. Complete pro-gram to maintain your checkbook and credit card accounts.Classify entries into 1 of 31 categories. Print reports on entirecheckbook or individual categories. On-disk docs. IncludesFREE demo (disk #2) of our other products. Specily IBM-PC,DEC Rainbow or Zenith Z-100 $4.99 s8h.

Newline Software

P.O. Box 289, Tiverton, Rl 02878(401) 624-3322

Inquiry 783,

► BIBLIOG2 M

Software for the accessible library. The technology ex-plosion has made journals a major source of informationBIBLIOG2 makes that information accessible. Easy touse. Quick to retrieve. Especially made for the IBM PCand IBM PC compatibles. MS-DOS 2.0. Price $49.50Check/MC/VISA

MICRO-DYNAMICS OF TEXAS

P.O. Box 40691, Houston, TX 77240713-896-9957

The Buyer's Mart

SOFTWARE/GENERAL

SOFTWARE/GRAPHICS

SOFTWARE/LANGUAGES

SongWright IIIMusic Processor for IBM Compatibles

Prints quality lead sheets, songs, scores with text andsymbols, multiple staves; transposes to any key; playstunes Screen graphics editor; IBM/Epson/Star printers.Send S49.95, $2 s&h or write for free sample output.

SongWright Software

Box 61107. Cherry Creek, CO 80206

(303) 691-4573

Tl PRO + TURBO + GRAPHICS

TIGraltx = graphics, tunlegraphics music, scr and curs con'rols. + more Use basic pics tvio reprog Source & doc in-cluded TIGraft* S89.95, + TURBO w/8087 & BCD - S169.95,NEW- TUHBOFIX patches IBM TURBO 3 OIA to run on Tlwmoows plot S oraw S39.9S or with TIGrafix or TURBO530.00. Specily IBM or MS DOS TURBO

ProWare, Inc.

1023 SE 36th Ave , Portland, OR 97214

VISA/MC/CHECK 7AM-7PM MON-FRI

(503) 233-4465

MACINTOSH DEVELOPERS

Dramatically decrease developmen! lime- Elegantlycrafted compiled library routines for easy implementa-tion of Mac interface Graphics scrolling and printing, textediting, zooming wincfcws and much more1PASCAL EXTENDER" S89.95C EXTENDER* S129.95

INVENTION SOFTWARE CORPORATION

P.O. Box 3168, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106313-996-8108

Inquiry 698.

CONTROL YOUR PROJECT!

Describe tne work MtcroGANTT' project managementsystem calculates the schedule and budget. Optimize theschedule and resource loading interactively Customizethe reports, including Gantt Chad and Network DiagramBuy only the modules you need. MS-DOS, PC-DOS &CP/M-80 Free catalog

Earth Data Corporation

P.O. Box 13168, Richmond, VA 23225(804) 231-0300

FAST! 3D GRAPHICS EDITOR

Rotate 4000 planes in 3 sees. Mouse/keybd. Enterplanes, swept surfaces, spline curves/surfaces. Multi-ple views. Copy, mirror, rotate, translate, scale. DOS-like hierarchy. Hidden surface removal. Read/write todisk, much more. S39.95

Graphics lib for DOS lattice c $99.95Money-back guarantee, HERCVCGA

SOFT VISIONS

609 Trowbridge. Santa Rosa. CA 95402(707) 579-2871

BASIC = > C, PASCAL

Accept Apple, Tl, IBM BASICA, etc. Transformspaghetti code to structured statement (REPEAT,WHILE, IF, CASE) by rearranging the statementsequence. Scoped, indented modules at top-downfashion. Generate many vendor's C, PASCAL. Allautomatic. MS-DOS. $85 each.

GOTOLESS CONVERSION

P.O. Box 5006B, Denton, TX 76206PH (214) 221-0383

SOFTWARE/GRAPHICS

POPULAR HGRAPH"

SCIENTIFIC 2D & 3D graphic routines for IBM PC.Powerful, easy to use. Multiple fonts, device in-dependence. Uses max resolution. Support formost popular devices. Links with MS-Pascal, FOR-TRAN; Logitech Modula-2. Support for TurboPascal. S189.

HeartLand Software, Inc.

234 S. Franklin, Ames, IA 50010 (515) 292-8216

SCIENTIFIC GRAPHS

SCI GRAF produces high-res graphs (1680 x 17t2pixels) on Epson or IBM graphics printers Supportslog/linear scales, error bars overlays, batch-mode opera-tion Very flexible data entry from disk or keyboard Usercustomizable Requires DOS 2 or 3. 256KS99.95 (Sorry, no credit cards)

Microcomputer Systems Consultants

32 West Anapamu. Suite 190, Santa Barbara, CA 93101(805) 963-3412

SCREEN PROGRAM GENERATOR

SPG I creates BASIC program code Quickly and easily Designyour screen directly and SPG I will generate toe BASIC pro-gram code to nandle the d splay and input of data Controlsuse ol color, edmng. graphics, cursor movement and functionkeys Generated code easv lo modify / mergeIBM PC & compatibles 128K$75 + $3.00 S&H (CA + tax)

Treebeard Software

5901 Warner Avenue. Suite 428

Huntington Beach. CA 92649

(714)840-6939

GRAPHICS PRINTER SUPPORT

AT LAST' Use the PrtSc key to make quality scaledB& W or color reproductions of your display on anydot matrix, Inkjet, or laser printer GRAFPLUS sup-ports all versions ol PC or MS-DOS with IBM. Tec-mar, and Hercules grapnics boards. $59.95.

Jewell Technologies, Inc.

4302 SW Alaska St., Suite 207. Seattle, WA 98116(206) 937-1081

THE DGI SIGNMAKER

creales preservation quality lexl signs and overheadtransparencies using your IBM or APPLE II computer andmost plotters it provides automatic or manual selectionof charcater size, pen selection, starting location and Nor-mal or Italics letters Data can be saved, retrieved, editedand plotted in a matter of mmules S75.

DECISION GRAPHICS, INC.

P.O. Box 2776-B. Liltleton, Colorado 80161

(303) 796-0341

HYPER C COMPILERS/TOOLS

Apple II ProDos Professional compiler, CDOS com-piler, ProDos enlry level compiler. 65C02 AssemblyLanguage Dev. System, Macintosh compiler, fullsource code for both Apple I! and Macintosh pro-gramming tools.

For further information/catalog contact:

WSM GROUP, INC. (602) 298-7910

P.O. Box 32005, TUCSON, AZ 85751

nquiry 699.

Inquiry 749,

FORTRAN PROGRAMMER?

Now you can call 2-D and 3-0 graphics routineswithin your FORTRAN program.

GRAFMATIC: 75 callable routines for

screen output. S135.PLOTMATIC: Pen platter driver. S135.For the IBM PC. XT. AT and compatibles. We sup-port a variety of compilers, graphics boards andplotters.

MICROCOMPATIBLES

301 Prelude Drive, Dept. B

Silver Spring, MD 20901

(301) 593-0683

MetaWINDOW/TurboWINDOW

Advanced graphics toolkit provides Xerox Star/Apple Macin-tosh Slyle graphics on your IBM PC Supports most populargraphics cards. Allows you to create pop-up menus, windows& icons; use proportionally spaced fonts: rubberband & raglines, text or bitmap images: supports mouse-cursor track-ing. Tightly optimized for use with Turbo Pascal. IBM Pascal,C, Fortran. MetaWINDOW/TurboWINDOW awarded as PCTech Jrnl's Product of the month.

Metagraphics Software Corp.

4575 Scolls Valley Dr , Scolts Valley. CA 95066(408) 438-1550

NEW LOGO FOR PC'S

• ZLOGO features advanced turtle graphics

• LISP-like equivalence ol data and code

• Numeric, string, and list objecls

• The command sequences of the built-ineditor are user-definable

• There are over 130 commands

• ZLOGO can be easily converted to otherlanguages such as French

192K S65 S&H S3

COLORWORKS" (602) 323-9674

Dept. BE 367. 5337 E. Bellevue, Tucson. AZ 85712

SOFTWARE/LANGUAGES

SOFTWARE/SCIENTIFIC

FORTRAN GRAPHICS LIBRARY

MicroGlyph/SciPlot" provides (MS/IBM Pro/F77L)FORTRAN graphics on any IBM PC/XT/AT. Featureslin/log axes, labels. Hershey fonts, hi res plols on(IBM/Epson/Apple LaserWriter) printers, or graphicson (IBM color'EGA/Hercules'mono/Tecmar'GM)displays. $69.95 plus $3.00 shipping.

MicroGlyph Systems

P.O. Box 474, Lexington, MA 02173

Minnesota

SNOBOL4 La"9^ge

Powerful siring & data handling facilities. Interpreter com-patible with mainframe SNOBOL4. 32K strings. 32 bit in-tegers. 8087 for float & large memory model. Sample pgmsinclude ELIZA. For >128K IBM PC & DOS or equivalent.Definitive "green" book by Griswold et al available.Guide +5V,," SSDD diskette. S44.95

Guide + diskette + "green" book $59.95

"Green" book only.. . S26.95

Postpaid in USA. In NY add tax. VISA/MC (914) 271-5855BERSTIS INTERNATIONALPOB 441. Millwood. NY 10546

► MATRIX 100 m

Perform multiple regression, solve simultaneous equai.ons in-vert matrices, etc in BASIC or Fortran very sounanumerically very powerlul and very easy to use" — OR/MSToday 2/85 Stanford Business So'lware deserves congratula-tions — PC Mag. 5/14/85 Price S80. 8087 support S125compiler support $250. Fortran library $175 ($4 s&h)

STANFORD BUSINESS SOFTWARE, INC.

2672 Bayshore Parkway, Ste. 304

Mountain View, CA 94043

To Order Call (415) 424-9499

DECEMBER I986 • BYTE 395

The Buyer's Mart

SOFTWARE/SCIENTIFIC

SOFTWARE/SCIENTIFIC

SOFTWARE/SYSTEMS

DATA ACQUISITION ANALYSIS

New Irom Lolus MEASURE for dala acquisition Atlaches !o123 FOURIER PERSPECTIVE II wilh graphics lor analysisFFT/IFT and 30 more linear calculalions in 1 S 2D PRIME FAC'TOR FFT. a precise subroutine library Use wilh your applica-tion program written in any language including Turbo Pascal.C Fotlran. and Basic Borland's TURBO PASCAL and LotusMANUSCRIPT, a technical word prpcessor also available Calltor prices/package deals

Alligator Transforms Scientific Software

P.O. Box 11386. Cosla Mesa, CA 92627 (714) 662-0660

Inquiry 652

Affordable Engineering Software

CALL OR WRITE FOR FREE CATALOGCircuit Analysis • Rool Locus • ThermalAnalysis • Plotter Drivers • Graphics • SignalProcessing • Filter Design • Report Proof-reader • Transfer Function Analysis.BV Engineering

2200 Business Way Suite 207. Riverside. CA 92501(714)781-0252 VISA/MC

CROSS ASSEMBLERS forVAX VMS and PC/MS DOSNew Low Prices

Relocatable Macro Cross Assemblers,

Linkers, LibrariansTargeted to almost all Microprocessors

ENERTEC, INC.

BOX 1312, Lansdale, PA 19446

215-362-0966 MC/VISA

MATRIX CALCULATOR v.2.0

Matrix manipulations. Linear Programming, Sen-sitivity, System of Eqns, Multilinear Regression,Diff Eqn Solver, Programmable. Spread Sheet LikeEditor/Printer w/built-in Calculator, W/160+ pg.manual at $59.95. Turbo Pascal source add S60.

SoftTech Inc.

14640 LaBelle, Oak Park, Ml 482371-313-544-8544

ORDINARY/PARTIAL

DIFFERENTIAL EQN

SOLVER

FOR THE IBM PC & COMPATIBLES

MICROCOMPATIBLES INC.

301 Prelude Dr., Silver Spring, MD 20901

(301) 593-0683

Inquiry 707.

ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT ANALYSIS

Has AC, DC, Transient and Fourier. Includes worst-case, Monle-Carlo, component sweeping. Macromodels, transmission lines.

Electronic Circuit Analysis $450.

EC-Ace $95.

Tatum Labs

POB 698. Sandy Hook, CT 06482(203) 264-3755

CPM-80 LIVES on your PC

CP/Mulator puts a <lmhz 8 bit CP/M emulator in your IBM-PC tor $99. ($3 s + h).

- A great 8 bit development system

- Saves expensive CPM-80 applications

- Increases PC speed 10% for 8088 programs

- Priced less than mosl software only products

- Uses no valuable board slots

Source Information

P.O. Box 2974, Warminster, PA 18974VISA Phone (215) 441-8178 M/C

SOFTWARE/TOOLS

STOP BURNING PROMS

Burn n' Learn is out. . The ROM' Simulator is in.Plugs into your PC development. sySlem and simulates ihe27xxx series ROMs Features allow you to A(ssembly),U(nassembly) and E(nter) changes lo code under dev direct-ly in your system, trap and locale execution addresses. No needto burn ROMs, code executes in RAM The besl low-cos! devtool you will ever buy Use with any microprocessor ormicrocontroller Increase debug productivity 10 times or moreDEBUG utilities avail for all microprocessors Pays lor itself thefirst lime you use ft. Ofder now at only S695.00.Protostar Instruments (714) 662-7910

749 Grayling Bay. Costa Mesa, CA 92626

PC-Type +

The ultimate tool for writing! PC-Type + comesequipped with the essentials, PLUS many advanc-ed features—Mail Merge, 100,000 word spellingchecker, & a Labels program. Works hand in handwith PC-File and PC-File. Open up to 10 filessimultaneously! S69.95 + $5 s/h. For IBM PC.

ButtonWare, Inc.

P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue, WA 98006

1-800-J-BUTTON

Inquiry 680.

Computer-Aided Circuit Design

CompDes is a menu-driven electronic circuit design programthat has selections from basic electricity to circuit design.The program will calculate values of circuits for attenuators,amplifiers, active and passive filters, power supplies, etc.It has calculators for resistance, resonance, reactance, dBratio's, VSWR, and more. Design manual included. IBM andDEC Rainbow compalibles. $49.95

Esoft Software

P.O. Box 072134, Columbus, OH 43207(614) 491-0832 Visa/MC

FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS

Full-featured SAPIV finite element program for 3Dstatic structural analysis. All original elements-beams, plates, 2D plane, 3D solids, etc. Solves upto 700 nodes. IBM/PC or compatible. Complete foronly S295! Try the 70 node/3D frameversion—$39.

Applied Science & Development, Inc.

Suite 141, 169 Southeast Cary Pkwy. Cary, NC 27511

(919) 467-4614

MODULA-2

REPERTOIRE is the fastest selling M2 toolkit Newrelease includes DBMS, screen system, editor, &much more. $19 for all LNKs & SYMs; $89 with full(440K) source and 250p printed manual.MC/VISA/AMEX/COD. Call for free demo & manualon disk.

4536 SE 50th, Portland, OR 97206(503) 777-8844 (24 hrs); BIX: pmi

In Europe: +47-6-97-00-40

PMI

Inquiry 681.

Inquiry 757

POP UP SCI CALCULATORCOMPLEX is everything sci. calculator can hopefor plus complex algebra, integer & bit manipula-tion, Boolean Logic, Polynom, eqn, FFT transform,computer graphics, curve fitting, extensiblelanguage like FORTH, w/50 pg. manual $25. Tur-bo Pascal source add S60.

SoftTech Inc. 1-313-544-8544

14640 LaBelle, Oak Park, Ml 48237

► SCIENTIFIC CALCULATOR <

Memory resident emulation of Ihe HP-11C plus directinsertion of results in foreground program, graphi-cally presented, decimal, hex. binary, & octal opera-lions, boolean functions and more. Mouse support.8087 or Standard versions $49.95 + 3.00 s&h.

K SOFTWARE HOUSE

Rt. 2, Box 83B1 Unionville, TN 37180

(615) 294-5090

dBDOCGEN'"dBASE" DOCUMENTATION GENERATOR

dBASE owners easily document your dBASE ap-plications. Documents .DBF (with structure andfield names), NDX (with index). .CMD, .FRM, andFMT files. Only $99.50 + $4 UPS Gnd or + $6Blue S&H VISA/MC

CALL TODAY (503) 233-8676

TOP PRIORITY Data Products, Inc.

1731 S.E. 55th Ave., Portland, OR 97215-3396

Inquiry 740.

SOFTWARE/SORT

STATISTICS

forMath® text-formatter

• Equations, matrices, ratios, integrals, diagrams

• Macros, fonts, Greek/math symbols

• Hyphenation, secn/eqn/ref numbering

• Indexes, table of contents, footnotes

• Dot-matrix, daisywheel. laser printers, all monitors

$400. $50 for demo

Shantha Software Inc.

50 West 97th St. Room 11N. New York City 10025

(212) 222-SNIPTouchtone toll free: 950-1088-walt-FORMATH

Inquiry 728.

396 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

OPT-TECH SORT/MERGE

Extremely fast Sorl/M erge/Select utility Run as anMS-DOS command or CALL as a subroutine. Sup-ports most languages and filelypes including Btrieveand dBASE. Unlimited filesizes, multiple keys andmuch more! S149.

(702) 588-3737Opt-Tech Data Processing

P.O. Box 678 - Zephyr Cove, NV 89448

SL-MICRO

Tabulate survey results or analyze ex-perimental data using SL-MICRO. It hasFrequencies with statistics, Crosstabs,Anova, Multiple Regression & Correlation.Data Editor & Data Transformations.Only $250 for PC-DOS, MS-DOS or CP/M

QSC, Box 778, East Lansing. Ml 48823(517) 641-4428

The Buyer's Mart

STATISTICS

TYPESETTING

UTILITIES

NUMBER CRUNCHER STAT SYS

Menu-driven. Multiple & stepwise regression.ANOVA, time series, discriminant cluster and facloranalysis, principal components, scatter plots,histograms, t-tests, contingency tables, non-parametrics. Import export data. Spreadsheet, sort,join, merge. $79. IBM PC/Macintosh. Quantitydiscount. NCSS-B

865 East 400 North, Kaysville, UT 84037801-546-0445

DESKTOP PUBLISHING

Laser Printer composilion software to drive Cordata L30Owith 76 PS Ints $495. With add 14 PS Lndscp fonts $695.For Canon LBP-6 A2. NCR, or HP LaserJet* with 41PS Prt or Lndscp fnts $495. H & J, merge graphics, mixface & pt. size anywhere on any line, mult tab & coljustification Boxes & Rules

Micro Print-X, Inc.

P.O. Box 581, Ballinger, TX 76821(915) 365-2343

CONCURRENT DOS BACKUP

BackPack™ runs like BACKUP/RESTORE and sup-ports DOS and CP/M media as well as users. Backsup and restores up to 1000K/min. on an AT and360K/min. on an XT. Supports release 4.1. Alsoavailable on CP/M-80 and CP/M plus $150.

Bright Light, Inc.

520 Fellowship Rd. #C301, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054(609) 778-0772

Inquiry 712.

Inquiry 766.

TERMINAL/EMULATORS

UTILITIES

STATISTICS CATALOG!

If you need statistics for IBM PC or Apple II, callus and let our technical advisors help you find thestatistics programs you need.Write or call now to get a FREE catalog of statisticsand quality control software.HUMAN SYSTEMS DYNAMICS

9010 Reseda Blvd., Ste. 222Northridge, CA 91324

(800) 451-3030 (818) 993-8536 (CA)

SOURCE CODE LIBRARIAN &REVISION CONTROL SYSTEM

TUB™ keeps ALL versions of your program in ONEcompact library file, even with hundreds of revisions.

• 5 times faster than SCCS • LAN compatible

• Free public domain MAKE (with source) by L. DyerMS/PC-DOS 2.x & 3.x. $99.95 + $3 S&H. VISA7MC

BURTON SYSTEMS SOFTWARE

POB 4156, Cary, NC 27511 (919) 469-3068

WARP-TEN or RAMback - 9.95

WARP-TEN is a programmable disk cache that speedsup your PC disk access's. RAMbak automates the sav-ing of new or changed RAM disk files to floppy disksand/or hard disk subdirectories. PC. XT, AT, com-patibles with 256K DOS 2.0 +. Introductory price is only9.95 each. {MN Res. + 6%). Visa/MC/CHK

Software Brewing Company

P.O. Box 12094, St. Paul, MN 55112612-636-2727

Inquiry 693.

Inquiry 777.

Inquiry 758.

STATISTIX™

$75 - Satisfaction guaranteedA comprehensive, powerful, yet easy-to-usestatistical analysis system for IBM PC/XT/AT's, Applell's, and MS DOS machines. Clear 200p manual.Write for information.

NH Analytical Software

801 West Iowa Ave., St. Paul, MN 55117(612) 488-4436

EditingTools

An elegant DOS shell with a superb text editor. Loadmultiple directories in table formal as menus. Edit multi-ple tiles circularly. Many innovative features and only 38Kin si2e. Incredible value at $10 with 36 page manual. Add$25 for source code in Turbo Pascal. Add $2 for s/h.

Dr. Jiann Jou

P.O. Box 460969, Garland, TX 75046

214-495-8862

7WHAT DOESN'T IT DO?

Resides under any soflware. print multi-fonts to anydot matrix & daisy wheel (Epson, Toshiba, etc.), apop up 10 mem calculator, DOS services, printablecalendar, date/time note pad, help pages, all usermodifiable, 70Kb $60 and IBM PC.

LCS (514) 279-5678

P.O. Box 956, Outremont, QuebecCanada, H2V 4R8

Inquiry 714.

Inquiry 775.

RATS! Version 2.0

RATS, the best selling Econometric software package,now includes daily and weekly data, a new easier to use500 page manual, and many advanced features. UseRATS for time-series and cross-section regression, in-cluding OLS. ARIMA, VAR, logit, and proM. IBM PC orcompatible. $200. MC/VISA, Call for brochure.

VAR Econometrics, Inc.

P.O. Box 1818, Evanston, ll_ 60204-1818(312) 864-1910

MEDIA MASTER PLUS

READ. WRITE, and FORMAT over 150 CP/M disks andrun most CP/M-80 programs on your IBM PC! Two pro-gram package includes ZP/EM, a CP/M-80 emulator pro-gram that transforms your IBM PC into a 1 -2 MHZ CP/M2.2 computer, $59.95 + $3.00 S/H (CA 6%)

Intersecting Concepts, Inc.

4573 Heatherglen Ct„ Ste. 10

Moorpark, CA 93021

(805) 529-5073

HANDS OFF THE PROGRAM"

• Locks Hard Disk. - Restricts Floppy Use.

■ Protects Subdirectories,

■ Normal Use of DOS Commands and Application Software.

• IBM PC. XT, AT and TruB Compatibles.

- DOS V2.0 and Higher. Hard Disk System.

- Keep Other People HANDS OFF Your System

- S89.95 VISA/MC/MO/CK

SYSTEM CONSULTING, INC.

314 Canterbury Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15238 (412) 963-1624

Inquiry 745.

Inquiry 697.

Inquiry 735.

The Statistician

includes: Multiple Regression (Stepwise, ridge, allsubsets, backward elimination)

• Time series analysis * descriptive statistics

• transformations • survey research • nonparametrics

• X-Y plols • ANOVA • random samples • data base

• data editor • search & sort • hypothesis tests

For IBM, MS-DOS, XENIX, CPM. TRS-DOS.

QUANT SYSTEMS Please ca"

uunni oioicmo TOLL FREE

Box 628, Charleston, SC 29402 1-800-334-0854803-571-2825 (Ext. 814)

Automenu * version 4.0

Create one menu system to run all your programs, balch files& DOS commands "Insulates" novices; many options forpower users On-screen help, password protection, user-defined prompts. Written in assembler 16K size. Over 8,000satisfied users Money back guarantee. $46 + $4 s/h.CnkTVisa/MC. Call or write lor brochure.

Magee Enterprises

Dept. B13, 6577 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.

Norcross, GA USA 30092-3796

404/446-6611

IBM - TOSHIBA PRINTER INTERFACE

• all extended capabilities of the TOSHIBAS available

• bit mapped graphics supported

• Prints all IBM extended ASCII characters

• screen dumps in text and graphics

• escape sequences supported

• popular software supported directly

• "Sideways" and "Pyxel Visuals" support

• dealers welcome $79.95 {$2.50 SSH)Integrated Data Technologies, Inc.4775 Bunchberry Lane, Colorado Springs, CO 80917

303-597-5547 MC/VISA

Inquiry 703.

Inquiry 694.

DataTerm 8220

Now you can conned your PC with any Datapoint com-puter Full 8220 emulation. File transfer, with DOS orRMS, under user or host control. Supports 50 to 19.2Kbaud, directly to MPCA or modem. Requires only an IBMcompatible with an async comm adaptor. $179.95Visa/MC. Datapoint 8242 or 3600 terminal emulator &8086 Assembler source is also available.

LAN Comp Systems

14524 I.H.R., Issaquah, WA 98027206/391-3725

PADLOCK/PADLOCK II DISKS

PADLOCK furnishes the user with a method for providingprotection against unauthorized duplication Irom DOScommands $99. PADLOCK II disks come preformattedwith linger-print and serialization, PADLOCK II disks of-fer superior protection. Ask about our HARD DISK pro-lection with uninstall capability. MCA/ISA

Glenco Engineering

3920 Ridge Ave., Arlington His., IL 60004(312) 392-2492

PAL FOR SIDEKICK!

Personal Appointment Locator automatically showscoming appointments, searches your file, maintainsto-do list, automatically repeats appointments, ex-amines multiple tiles. Resident alarm too! Only$49.95. Cheap at twice the price!

PAL SOFTWARE

Ste. 12B 110 Green St., New York, NY 10012

212-334-9172 1-800-541-0900

(In CA.) 1-800-334-3030

DECEMBER I986 -BYTE 397

Inquiry I

0ompu$ave

Call Toll Free: 1-800-624-8949

A DIVISION OF ADLANKO CORPORATION

PRINTERS

Citizen 120DCitizen MSP10Citizen MSP15Citizen MSP25Cordata Laser .Panasonic 1080iPanasonic 1091 iPanasonic 1092Panasonic 1592Panasonic 1595 .Toshiba: All

179275375472

2159199

269

299

415

565CALLDiconix: 150 cps Portable/4 Lbs.Fujitsu 2100: Color/220 cps/AmigaCIE/Data Products/Diablo/Epson .Genicom'Juki/Tally/Televideo/TI .Buffers Cables Sheet Feeders . .Stands/Switch Boxes/Tractors . .MONITORS

Aydin 19" EGA . . 1995 Amdek310A1995 Amdek 730

Alps P2100 .CanonA60Canon Laser .NECP6 . . .NECP7 . . .NECCP6NECCP7 . .Okidata 192Okidata 192 +Okidala 193 +Star LV1210

Mitsubishi 6920.NEC Mullisynch .SamsungTTL ..Teco14"EGA . . .Wyse 700 W. CardZenith 1230

579.8943970992

PGS SR12 .PGS MAX12Taxan 760 .Wyse640 .Roland RGB

Hitachi Nanao Thomson Tatung

1199

469

1935

439

599

549

729

306

.365

.549

. 179

. 339

. 475

CALL

CALL

SAVE

SAVE

. 143

. 719

499

.155

CALL

525

289

CALL

COMPUTERS

AT&T 6300:640K/1 Drive 1295

Cordata400: Port.& Desk 2 Drives ... 899Cordata400XT:Port.&Desk/20M .. 1465

Cordata AT: Port./20M Drive 2265

Corvus PC: 640K/2 Drives/Monitor ... 845

Laser 128: Apple HE Compatible 382

Sharp PC7000: Portable/2 Drives . . . .1125SharpAT:6&8MHz/20MDnve .... 1949

Sperry IT: 512K/1.2M Drive 1965

Sperry IT: 512K/44M Drive 2799

TeieCat 286:512K/20M Dr/Monitor ,. 2249Toshiba 1100 1 & 3100 Portables . . . CALL

Wyse Turbo PC: 256K/1 Drive 799

Wyse286:10MHz640K,20MDrive . . 2149Wyse 286:10 MHz/640K/40M Drive . . 2699Zenith 181: Portable 512K 2 Drives .. 1675Altos/NEC/Olivetti/Others . . . LOW PRICES

TERMINALSIBM 3164 Color . 899 Altos IV ... 355KimlronKT7 ... 435 Ampex232 . 485Liberty Freedom 1. 385 Wyse 30 .289Qume101G ... 293 Wyse 50 .... 369Televideo905 .285 Wyse 60 ... 469Televideo 955 .399 Wyse85G ... 432Televideo9220 . . 452 Zenith 49 .565Adds DEC Hazeltine Link Visual CALL

PLOTTERS

1 Houston Instruments DMP 51/52 ..

3295

1 Houston Instruments DMP 56 ...

4195

I HP 7570 4495 Roland 880

. 899

1 HP 7475 1595 Roland 980

.1175

1 Roland 800 ... 375 Ioline3700

3895CALL

DIGITIZERS

PRICES

Houston;AII Models... THE LOWEST

KurtaPenmouse. 185 Hitachi 11x11

589

Kurta8.5x11 . 299 GTC0:All .

CALL

SummaMac12..349 Summa 12x12

.355

SummaMouse...82 Summa 12x18

...699

Mice: Microsoft/Mouse Systems/Etc.

SAVE

MODEMS

Anchor Volksmodem 12

. 119

Anchor Lightning 2400: W'Software

299

Anchor Volks 1:1200 W/Software . .

. 119

Hayes Smartmodem 1200

. 349

Hayes 1200B: W/Soltware

. 325

Hayes Smartmodem 2400

. 555

Hayes2400B: W/Soltware

. 505

Incomm 2400: Upgradeable 4800 1

. 295

PrometheusPromodem2400G ...

. 345

Prometheus Promodem 1200A: Apple

185

Prometheus Promodem 300C: Apple

. 75

Racal-Vadic 2400V & PC

399

UDS 208A/B: 4800 Baud

. 935

US Robotics Courier 2400

. 378

ASTCodex,Practical.Rixon/Zoom . .

. CALL

BOARDS

Artist 1:1024 - 768 (Interlaced! .... 1449Artist I+ : 1024x768 (Noninterlaced) . 1795

AST Rampage: PC-XT 256K 242

Hercules Monochrome Graphics .188

Orange Grappler . : Apple 69

PC 576K RAM Board: OK 55

PC Monochrome Graphics Card 85

PC Multifunction Card 79

Photon: Graphics/800 > 600 799

Sigma 400L: Graphics 395

Tecmar EGA: Graphics 265

Video 7 Vega Deluxe 365

Intel/Microtek, Orchid Practical CALL

Persyst/Quadram'STB/Taxan-Vutek . . CALL

WE ALSO CARRY MANY OTHER PRODUCTLINES 81 MODELS. CABLES. SOFTWARECHIPS, KEYBOARDS, POWER DEVICES

DISK DRIVES

Apple Drives . . 112 Teac55B 95

Maxtor 140M..2995 CDC 40M ... .1145IOMEGA Dual 20M Bernoulli - 80M . 3995Miniscribe20M Drive &10M Controller... 440Seagate 20M Hard Drive & Controller . 372Tandon 20M Hard Card (#1 Rated) .. 449

OTHER FLOPPY AND HARD DRIVES

Alloy • CMS • Corvus • Fujitsu • IrwinMaynard • Mitsubishi • MountainPriam • Rodine • Sanyo • Tallgrass -TeacTecmar ■ Toshiba • Western Digital

HOURS: MON - FRI7AM - 6PM/SAT 9AM - 2PM

IN ARIZONA CALL (602) 437-4855

CompuSave: 4207 S. 37th St., Phoenix, AZ 85040/Prices Relied CashDiscounts And Subject To Change Without Notice. Major Credit CardsAnd Selected PO's Are Accepted. We Cannot Guarantee Compatibility.

To Explore,Etyoy, andProtect

You and I share a great love of thisearth.

The ocean's pounding surf, Springcovering the earth with that season'snewness, a bird's song reachingout.. .and we are moved.

We enjoy the earth's beauty, itsgrandeur. The endless sweep of colors,and sounds, and everywhere, theexcitement of life.

And we of the Sierra Club jointogether to protect the earth.

We invite you to join with us. Toexplore, to enjoy. To protect thiswondrous earth. For all ofus... forever.

For membership information, writeSierra Club, 530 Bush Street, SanFrancisco, CA 94108, (415) 981-8634.

Bruce Bambaum

SierraClub

398 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

8MHz SUPER TURBO SYSTEMS

SUN-ST MONO SYSTEM S» mis ?™ $*65

Dealers and Computer GroupsCALL FOR SPECIAL PRICE

A-

0 Two 360KB Disk DrivesD 640K RAM

□ Hercules Compatible Mono Graphic Card (720x348)

□ 12" High-Resolution TTL Mono MonitorD 135W Power Supply

□ AT Style Keyboard

□ 4 Layer 8MHz CPU Board

□ Keyboard Switchable to 4.77MHz

□ Parallel Printer Port

□ FCC Approved

□ Fully Assembled & Tested

□ 1 Year Limited Warranty (Parts & Labor)

2 Disk Drives135W Power Supply640K RAMAT Style KeyboardEGA Card(CGA+EGA+MDA)■ 14" R.G.B. EGA Monitor(EGA+CGA)

COLOR ^9999SYSTEM

■ 2 Disk Drives

■ 135W Power Supply

■ Color G Card

■ 640K RAM

■ AT Style Keyboard

■ 13" R.G.B. Color Monitor

SPECIAL SALE!!

■ SUN-ST CPU (8MHz) $165(4 Layers, Switchable to 4.77MHz)

■ Multi I/O Plus Card $95

(Serial, Parallel, Clock, Calendar,Game Port, RAM Disk, Spool)

SUNTROIMICS, INC

1-800-421-5775

(orders only)

213-644-1140

STORE HOURS

MON ■ IKI 'liw.ni., I. (Klp.iiSAIUHDM lilllll.im . ViHIpm

Dealer & OEM Inquiries Invited

8MHz Turbo CPU

1 Disk Drive

135W Power Supply

256K RAM

AT Style Keyboard

(Call for other configurations)

SUN-286SYSTEM

$1295

AT Compatible 6&8MHz CPU

640K RAM

1.2MB FDD (V5 HT)

HDD/FDD Controller

w/Cable

200W Power Supply

Keyboard 5151 Compatible

Assembled & Tested

■ EGA CK.AO "

PACKAGE YWy

EGA Card (EGA + CGA + MDA)w/250K Display Buffer, 14"R.G.B. EGA Monitor (640x350,0.31mm Dot Pitch)

- BYTE CONNECTION INC. -<7i4,778-649

BOTTOM LINE POICE ELSTEPS! - "Whc you senna call?** •

• * * PERSONAL COMPUTERS * * *

UBM + MIBM XTComp), W/640K, 2 Drives. KB., Graph Card. Monitor $ 825

UBM*IV (IBM ATComp.), w/8 MHZ 640K. 1.2 MB Floppy. 20 MB HD. Graph Card,

Monitor & Keyboard $1995

IBM PC XT, W/640K, 360 K Floppy. 20 MB HO, Enhanced KB, Graph Card, Monitor.... $2349IBMPCAT, W/512K, 1.2 Ft. 20 MB HD ... S3150 IBM PROPRINTER XL... $ 599IBM PC AT #339, 512K, 1.2 Floppy, IBM 30MB HD $4375

COMPAQ PORTABLE PLUS, W/256K, 2 Drives $1695

COMPAQ PORTABLE II with 640K, B0286 Processor, 360K Floppy, 20 MB HC $2795

COMPAQ PORTABLE 286, with 640K. 1.2 Drive. 20 MB HD $3749

COMPAQ DESK PRO 286, with 640K, 1.2 FL, 20 MB HD. Graph Card. Monitor $3495

LEADING EDGE, 1 Drive, 30 MB. Graphics Card, Monitor & S/W $1749

AT & T 6300 PC, w/640 K, Two 360 Drives, AT & T Graphics Card & Monitor $1795

SHARP PORTABLE, w/320K, Two 360K Floppies, DOS $1149

SPERRY PC-IT, with 640K, 1.2 MB FloppV, 40 MB, KB.. 60287, DOS $2995

VICTOR V 286, W/640K, 1.2 Floppy. KB, 20 MB HO, DOS $2475

• * * PLOTTERS • * *

CALCOMP1043(A-E)...

HI DM P 56 (A- E)

HI DMP42(A-D)

HP Color Pro 7440 (A, 8).

HP Data Pro 7570

IO LINE 3700 (A - E)

$7359 CALCOMP 1044 (A-E, Roll)...

$4575 HI DMP 51/52 (AD)

$2575 HI DMP 695 (A-B, 4 Pen)..

$ 995 HP 7475 (A - B, 6 Pen)

$4475 HP 7580B (A - D, 8 Pen)

$3895 Western Grop GP 9001 (A-E).

* * * DIGITIZERS * * *

CALCOMP 12 x 12

HITACHI11 x11

Houston Ins. TG 1011

KURTA 12x12

SUMMAGRAPHICS12X12.

$ 709 CALCOMP 44 X 60

$625 HITACHI15X15

$549 Houston Ins. 8017

$580 KURTA12X17

. $ 475 SUMMAGRAPHICS1 2x17.

• • • GRAPHIC CONTROLLERS & MONITORS • • •

Mitsubishi C6920LPAG & Artist I, (1024 x 76BI)

Mitsubishi 8918NB & Verticom H-16, (1024 x 768N)

Samsung CD1452 EGA, Monitor Vega EGA

Mitsubishi 1341 & Sigma 400 (640 x 400)

BNW 1 51 (1024 x 10241) $1 245 Artist 10 (1024 x 1024N)

• * • SOFTWARE* * *

AUTOCAD 2.5 (ADE3) $21 95 T & W VERSACAD $2099

COMPUTER ASSOCIATE (IVS) A/R, A/P, G/L, l/G EACH $ 385

CYMA ACCOUNTING A/Ft, G/L, A/P, l/L EACH S 349

CYMA Medical, Chiropractic, Orthodontic, Dental Package $1625

Wordstar & Correct, Mailmerge $ 295 Wordstar 2000 + $ 329

d-BASE III+ $ 439 LOTUS $ 339

IBM Doctor Officer Manager II $2950

SPECIAL OF THE MONTH - CAD System, Sperry IT, 640K,40 MB HD, 80287 M.C., EGA Card, NEC 1401, AutoCAD,Summagraphics, HI DMP40 $6985

• * • PRINTERS * * *

$2050 CORONA LASER .$ 950 INKJET4020 D ..

BLAZER LASER PRINTER $1995

CITOHLQ24 $ 899 D10-40 $ 750

CIT0H8510SP $ 399 C-10 $ 475

CITIZEN PREMIER 35 $ 515

CANON LASER PRINTER ... $2050 CORONA LASER $2350

DIABLO 635 $ 950 INKJET 4020 D $1145

DIABLO LASER $3795

HEWLETT-PACKARD LASER JET $2250 HP Plus $2995

HEWLETT-PACKARD 500 Plus. $4150

NEC P560 $ 995 P760 $ 650

FUJITSU DL 2400 .... $ 959 DM 2400 .... $ 859 2200 .... $ 499OKI DATA 193+ ... $ 549 292 ... $ 599 OKIDATA 293 ... $ 639TOSHIBA P351 $1095 P341 $ 750

* * * HARD DRIVES & BACK UP SYSTEMS * * *

BERNOULLI BOX 10 + 10 / 20 + 20 $1 595/S2195

SEAGATE 4038 $ 695 SEAGATE 4051 $ 850

SEAGATE 4096, 96 MB $1 595 HARD CARD 20 MB $ 599

TEAC 20 MB Tape B/U $ 595

ARCHIVE 60 MB Tape B/U $ 850

CALL FOR WHAT IS NOT LISTED, WE GUARANTEE THAT YOUR CALLWILL NOT BE A WASTE. LEASING AVAILABLE.

$2250 HP Plus.

$ 859 2200 .OKIDATA 293

Open*9 ■ 6 PST C714) 778-6496 NoXEd

107 West Cerritcs Ave., Anaheim, CA 92805

No charges for testing and configuring equipment. Pricesand availability subject to change without notice.

Inquiry 58

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 399

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT

AND CIRCULATION

(Act of August 12, 1970, Section 3685, Title 39,

United States Code)

1. Title of publication: BYTE

2. Date of filing: September 9, 1986

3. Frequency of issue: Monthly

3A. Number of issues published annually: 133B. Annual subscription price: $21.00

4. Location of known office of publication: OnePhoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458- 9979

5. Location of headquarters or general business of-fices of the publisher: 1221 Avenue of the Americas,New York, NY 10020

6. Names and addresses of publisher, editor, andmanaging editor: Publisher, Harry L. Brown—OnePhoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458;Editor, Philip Lemmons—One Phoenix Mill Lane,Peterborough, NH 03458; Managing Editor,Frederic Langa—One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peter-borough, NH 03458

7. Owner: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1221 Avenue of theAmericas, New York, NY 10020. Stockholdersholding 1 percent or more of stock: Donald C.McGraw, Jr.; Harold W. McGraw, Jr.; John L. Mc-Graw; William H. McGraw; June M. McBroom;Elizabeth McGraw Webster; all in care of McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York,NY 10020; College Retirement Equity Fund c/oBankers Trust Company, 280 Park Avenue, NewYork, NY 10015; Public Employees RetirementSystems of Ohio, 277 East Town Street, Columbus,OH 43215; Northern Trust Company c/o Kray &Company, 50 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL60675; Teachers Retirement System of Texas, 1001Trinity Street, Austin, TX 78701; New Jersey Divi-sion of Investment c/o First Fidelity Bank N.A., 570Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07192.

8. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and othersecurity holders owning or holding 1 percent or moreof total amount of bonds, mortgages, or othersecurities: None

9. Not applicable.

10. Extent and nature of circulation:

Average No.

Copies Each

Issue During

Preceding

12 Months

A. Total No. Copies Primed .. 496,625

B. Paid Circulation

1. Sales through dealersand carriers, street

vendors and counter sales 95,703

2. Mail subscriptions 307,894

C. Total Paid Circulation 403,597

D. Free Distribution by Mail,Carrier or Other Means;Samples, Complimentary,

and Other Free Copies .... 5,674

E. Total Distribution 409,271

F. Copies Not Distributed

1. Office use, left over,unaccounted, spoiled

after printing 13,796

2. Return from news agents 73,558

O. Tolal 496,625

Actual No.Copies ofSingle IssuePublishedNearest toFiling Date

500,000

187,177298,752

5,847491,776

8,224none to date

500,000

11. I certify that the statements made by me aboveare correct and complete.

—Harry L. Brown, Publisher

400 BYTE ■ DECEMBER 1986

Flow Charting II™

FAST. SIMPLE. SPECIFIC.

Now build, update and print process flowand organizational chartseasily, confidently.

• Readjust chart Immedi-ately after addition or deletion

• Travel quickly across a 120or 200-column screen

• Move a single character orhalf a chart ■ Instantly.

Present the true, current picture. UseRow Charting II on your IBM».pccompatible system. General Motors,Bechtel, Touche Ross, Fairchild and500 other major (JS corporations use it

1-800/672-3470, ext. 897 Calif.1-800/538-8157 ext 897 National408/629-5044 International

PATT0N & PATT0N

340 Lassenpark CircleSan Jose, CA 95136

IBM is a registered trademark ot InternationalBusiness Machine Corp.

Inquiry 264

DATA

• Multi-user Database!

• Powerful!

• Multiple OperatingSystem Compatibility!

• Attractive DealerPricing!

• Full Dealer Support!

D^taflex r, ri trademark of D^ta Access

Dealer Inquiries Invited

24000 Telegraph Road

Southfield. Michigan 48034 USA

|3I3| 35^-2345

Inquiry 76

FORMATTED DISKS

Ready to use in yourIBM PC or compatible.

69

<t

ALF formats brand-namefactory certified disks, anddouble-checks them fordefects. You save the timeand hassle of formattingdisks yourself, and pay nomore than lor ordinaryblank disks!

Call today, toll-free, for complete information:

1-800-321-4668

in Colorado 303-234-0871ALF Formatted Disks on these line brands:

Nashua 3M

a w r, 1315 F Nelson St.

A.JLit' Denver. CO 00215

Get the whole

story on graphics

terminal emulation.

To find out more about softwarethat lets your PC emulateTEKTRONIX™ 4105/6/7/9 andDEC VT100™ terminals,call or write:

<| GRAFPOinT

4340 Stevens Creeks Blvd., Suite 280,San Jose, CA 95129 (408| 249-7951

Inquiry 151

J- PC/XT USERS!

r COGTREE Utilities by

Cogitate . . . . :

$129.95

# LYNC by Norton-Lamber...

. S 199.95

# DATAFLEX by Data Access.

. . Varies

# RM/COBOL by Ryan/

McFarland

. . Varies

# Universe by Omnitrend...

S 98.50

1 Blue Macl by Cogitate. . . .

S 599.00

# CadPower+ by Trilex

S995.00

*" Softext Teaching Aids

$ 95.00

# PrintSet by Cogitate

S 79.95

f CogiTAPE by Cogitate

. .CALLII

# Anti-Static Products

. .Varies

_#~ Uninterruptible Power

Backups

. . Varies

J~ TeleVideo Software

. .CALLII

site

"A Higher Form of Softwa

re"

24000 Telegraph Road

Southfield. Ml 48034

(31 3) 352-2345/Telex 386581

VISA/MASTERCARD ACCEPTED

Dealer Inquiries Welcomed

Inquiry 77

Real-Time Multitasking Executive

■ No royalties

■ Source code included

■ Fault free operation

■ Ideal for process control

■ Timing control provided

■ Low interrupt overhead

■ Inter-task messages

I Resource Manager

■ Buffer Manager

i Integer Math Library

AMX for 8080

8086

6809

68000

Manual ispec'ty

■ Language Interfaces:C Pascal

PL/M Fortran

i DOS File Access :CP/M-80IBM PC DOS

$ 800 US

950

950

1600

75

JL KADAK Products Ltd.

(604) 734-2796

Telex. 04-55670

206-1847 W. Broadway, Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6J1Y5

Inquiry 17

Inquiry 180

520STSYSTEM

Includes 520ST computer with modulator,disk drive, mouse, Basic, Neochrome, andmonochrome or color monitor.

Monochrome

Color

$599 $779

Peripherals for ATARI

800 XL Computer $79.99

65 XE Computer 89.99

130 XE Computer 139.00

1050 Disk Drive 129.00

1020 Color Printer 29.99

1025 Dot Matrix Printer 149.00

1027 Letter Quality Printer 109.00

Atari XM801 XL/XE Dot Matrix 189.00

Atari XM804 ST Dot Matrix 199.00

Epson Homewriter 10 w/PIC 149.00

Multi-Tech 13" Color Monitor 159.00

NAP 12" Green Monitor 79.99

Atari XM301 Modem 39.99

Atari 835 Modem 29.99

Anchor Volksmodem 59.99

Supra 1200 AT Modem 159.00

Supra 1200 ST Modem 159.00

Supra 1150 49.99

ICD PR Connection 59.99

Atari 850 Interface 109.00

Atari 20 Meg Hard Drive for ST...729.00

Atari 820 Printer $10.00

Axiom GP 550 Parallel NLQ 89.00

CBM 132 Column Printer 199.00

Diablo 620 Serial Printer 299.00

Epson FX-85 NLQ, 160 cps 299.00

Epson HI-80 4 Pen Plotter 329.00

Epson JX-80 Color Printer 229.00

Epson LX-80 NLQ 199.00

Comrex CR-220 Atari Printer 59.00

ES600 Six-Shooter 6 Pen 599.00

8C Bus Consultant $139.95

2C Slim Financial 74.99

MONITORS

SCRATCH & DENT PRINTERS

Hush 80 Printer 49.00

IBM Quietwriter "R" Mod-2 910.00

Juki 6000 LQ Daisywheel 179.00

Juki 6100 LQ Daisywheel 389.00

Mannesmann Talley 180L P/S 399.00

Okidata 192 Parallel 249.00

Okidata 193 IBM P-N-P 399.00

Okidata 92 IBM P-N-P 299.00

Star SG-15 Dual Mode 339.00

Star GRAF II Apple 59.00

15C ADV Scientific 74.99

41CX ADV Feature 199.00

SCRATCH & DENT SALE

COMPUTERS

Atari 520ST Computer $339.00

Apple Macintosh 128K 1099.00

Apple lie Computer 499.00

Apple He 128K CPU 499.00

Amiga 1000 Computer 749.00

Commodore 32K/40 col 199.00

CBM Super Pet 299.00

Commodore 16 69.00

Commodore Plus 4 49.00

Compaq Portable 2 DD 1299.00

Compaq Portable 286, 1 3099.00

Eagle PC-1 399.00

Epson PX-8 Geneva 649.00

IBM PC 256K, 2 DD, KBD 799.00

ITT 256K, 2 DD, P, S, KBD 699.00

Kaypro PC 256K, 1 DD, P/S w/Soft799.00Sperry IT 512K, 1.2 DD, 44.6 2799.00Zenith 138 256K, 2 DD, 7" mono1099.00

Zenith 148 256K, 2 DD 929.00

Zenith 162 Port, 2 DD 1249.00

Atari 124 Hi Res Mono (ST) 169.00

Amdek 310A Amber TTL 109.00

Amdek 300G Green Composite 89.00

AT&T Monochrome 179.00

BMC 12" Green Composite 59.00

Commodore 1902 RGBI 13" 249.00

Compaq Dual-Mode Green 179.00

IBM PCjr. Color RGB Monitor 299.00

ITT 14" Amber TTL 109.00

Magnavox 8562 RGB/Composite..239.00Quadram Quadchrome 8400 RGB399.00Quadram Amberchrome 12" TTL.129.00

Taxan RBG I Monitor 299.00

Zenith 1230 Green 12" Composite79.00

COMMODORE

AMIGA

SYSTEM

PACKAGE

Includes: Amiga 1000

CPU, 512K, Mouse,

Amiga RGB Monitor, Amiga DOS

Basic, Tutorial, Kaleidoscope, and Voice

Synthesis Library.

SYSTEM PRICE

*1199

Peripherals for COMMODORE

Commodore 128 Package: CB128,CB1571 Drive, Magnavox 8562

RGB/Comp. Monitor $759.00

Commodore 64C 199.00

Commodore 64 Package: CB64,CB1541 Drive, Taxan 220

Color Monitor 479.00

Amiga 1020 5%" External 199.00

Amiga 1010 3V2" External 229.00

Magnavox RGB/Comp 289.00

NEC 1216 12" RGB 299.00

CBM 1660 (C-64) 59.99

CBM 1670 (C-128) 179.00

Okidata Okimate 10 Printer 199.00

Star SL10C Printer 219.00

PPI Printer Interface 34.99

Xetec 8K 69.99

Micro R&D MJ350 44.99

Commodore 1541C 199.00

Commodore 1541 Drive 199.00

Commodore 1571 Drive 249.00

Sanyo 5000 Letter Quality 199.00

Silver Reed 550 LQ Parallel 259.00

Toshiba 1340 Printer 279.00

Toshiba 1351 Printer 339.00

C.ltoh A10-30SP 229.00

C.ltoh 1550 BCD 419.00

C.ltoh F10-40 Parallel 40 cps 729.00

C.ltoh F10-55 Parallel 55 cps 979.00

C.ltoh 7500P 149.00

HEWLETT-PACKARD CALCULATORS

11C Slim Scientific 44.99

16C Prog Scientific 92.99

OMPUTER MAIL ORDER

Inquiry 88

When you want to talk computers. When you want to talk price.

Call toll-free: 1 800 233-8950

Outside the U.S.A. 717 327-9575 Telex 5106017898

Educational Institutions call toll-free 1 800 221-4283

CMO. 477 East Third Street Dept. A114, Wllliamsport, PA 17701

All major credit cards accepted.

POUCY: Add 3% (minimum $7.00) shipping and handling. Larger shipments may require additional charges.Personal and company checks require 3 weeks to clear. For faster delivery use your credit card or send cashier'scheck or bank money order. Pennsylvania residents add 6% sales tax. All prices are subject lo change andall items are subject to availability. Defective software will be replaced with the same item only. Hardware willbe repaired or replaced at our discretion within the terms and limits of the manufacturer's warranty. We cannotguarantee compatibility. All sales are final and returned shipments are subject to a restocking fee.

DECEMBER 1986 'BYTE 401

Mail Order Electronics-Worldwide

"Villain

ELECTRONICS

74QO

Part No.

1-9

10+

Part No.

1-9

10+

7400

. . . .29

.19

7485

... .65

.55

7402

. . . .29

19

7486

. . . .45

.35

7404

. . . .35

.25

7489

. . . 2.05

1.95

7405

. . . .39

.29

7490

... .49

.39

7406

. . .39

.29

7493

... .45

.35

7407

... 39

.29

74121. . .

... .45

.35

7408. . . .

... .35

.25

74123. . .

... .59

.49

7410

... .35

25

74125. . . .

... .55

.45

7414

... .49

.39

74126. . .

... .75

.65

7416.

. . . .45

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74143. . . .

. . . 4.05

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7417

. . . .45

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74150. . .

... 1.35

1.25

7420

. . . .35

.25

74154. . .

. . . 1.35

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7430

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74158. . .

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7432

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74173. . .

... .85

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7438

... .39

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.. . .65

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7442

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7445

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74176. . .

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7446

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7447. . . .

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74189. . .

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7448

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7472

... .75

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74198. . .

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7473

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... .49

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... .69

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... .45

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.. 1.09

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. . 4.59

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. . .29

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74LS191-. .

.. .59

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. . .29

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.. .79

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74LS14 .

.. .49

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. . .69

.59

74LS27. . .

. . .35

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74LS240.. .

.. .79

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74LS30. . .

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74LS243.. .

.. .79

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74LS32. . .

.. 35

.25

74LS244.. .

.. .79

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74LS42. ..

.. .49

39

74LS245.. .

.. .89

.79

74LS47. . .

.. .99

89

74LS259.. .

.. .99

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74LS73. . . .

.. .39

.29

74LS273.. .

.. .89

.79

74LS74. . . .

.. .35

25

74LS279.. .

.. .49

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74LS75

.. .39

29

74LS322.. .

. . 4.05

3.95

74LS76. . . .

. . .55

.45

74LS365.. .

.. .49

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74LS85. . . .

.. .59

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74LS366...

.. .49

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74LS86. . . .

.. .35

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74LS367.. .

.. .49

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74LS90. . .

. . .49

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74LS368.. .

.. .49

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74LS93. . .

.. .49

39

74LS373.. .

.. .79

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74LS123.. .

.. .59

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74LS374.. .

. . .79

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74LS125.. .

.. .49

.39

74LS393.. .

.. .89

.79

74LS138.. .

.. .49

39

74LS590.. .

. . 6.05

5.95

74LS139.. .

.. .49

39

74LS624.. .

. . 2.05

1.95

74LS154.. .

.. 1.09

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74LS629.. .

. . 2.29

2.19

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. . .45

35

74LS640..

.. 1.09

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. . .45

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74LS645..

.. 1.09

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74LS163.. .

.. .59

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74LS670..

. . 1.09

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74LS164. . .

.. .59

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74LS688..

. . 2.05

1.95

74S/PROMS'

29

1.69

2.49

74S240.

74S244

74S32

35

1.49

74S74

45

74S253

79

74S85

1.79

74S287'

1.49

74S86

35

74S288*

1.49

2.95

74S373

1.49

74S374.

74S472'

74ALS

.35

74ALS174

89

.39 39

74ALS08

74ALS240

1.49

74ALS10

39

74ALS244

1.49

74ALS27

39

74ALS245

1.49

74ALS30

39

74ALS373

1.69

74ALS32

39

74ALS374

1.69

74ALS74

49

74ALS573

.... 1.69

74F

89

74F157

95

39

74F193

3.95

74F10.

39

74F240

1.39

74F32

39

74F244

1.39

74F74

49

74F253

99

1.39

74F374

CD-CMOS

CD4001

19

CD4081

.25

19

.25

CD4013

29

CD4093

.35

CD4016

29

CD4094

.89

55

2.49

CD4503

CD4510

.35

CD4020

59

.69

CD4024

49

CD4511

.69

CD4027

35

CD4515

.89

CD4030

29

CD4518

.75

CD4040

65

CD4520

.75

CD4049

29

CD4522

.79

CD4050

29

CD4538

.79

CD4051

59

CD4541

.69

CD4052

59

CD4543

.79

CD4053

59

CD4553

4.95

C04059.

3.95

CD4555

.79

CD4060.

65

CD4566

2.49

CD4066

29

CD4572IMC14572]

.. .39

CD4069

25

CD4583

.89

CD4070

25

CD4584

.39

CD4071

. .25

CD4585

.89

CD4072

25

MC14411P

8.95

CD4076

65

MC14490P.. ..*

4.49

COMMODORE CHIPS

Part No. Price

Part No.

Price

Part No.

Price

8701 Clock Chi[>

251104-04 Kernnl ROM.

325572-01 Logic Array.'82S100PLA(90fi114-01)

901225-01 Char. ROM..

901226-01 BASIC ROM.

901227-03 Kernnl ROM.

901229-05 Upgrd. ROM•No spec, avail. 8721 and 82

■*NOTE:82S100PLA-U1

6508 MPU w/RAM SI/0.. 8.95

6569 VIC PAL

6572 VIC PAL-N

14.9514.95

24.95

8360 Text Editing. .

10.95

8563 CUT Conlr. . .

. , . 15.95

(C-61)

NEC V20 & V30 CHIPS

Replace the 8086 or 8088 in Your IBM-PC andIncrease Its Speed by up to 40%!

Part No. Price

UPD70108-5 (5MHz) V20 Chip (Replaces the 8088) $ 9.95

UPD70108-8 (8MH2) V20 Chip (Replaces the 8088-2) $11.95

UPD70116-8 (8MHz) V30 Chip (Replaces the 8086 or 8086-2) $14.95

UPD70116-10 (10MHz) V30 Chip (Replaces the 8086 or 8086-2) $34.95

MICROPROCESSOR COMPONENTS

MICROPROCESSOR CHIPSPart No. Price

D765AC 4.49

CDP1802CE 4.95

2661-3 5.95

Z80. Z80A, Z80B SERIES

Z80-DART.

4.95

Z80A-CTC

ZSOA-DART

1.494.95

Z80A-SI0/0

4.95

Z80B-CTC

3.49

6500/6800/68000 SER.

65C02 (CMOS) .

.. 8.95

6840

. 3.95

6500/6600/68000 Cont.Part No. Price

68O00L8

11.95

8000 SERIES

80C31BH

14.95

8087 (5MHz)8087-2 {8MHz).

125.00.159.95

8228

. . . 2.49

8000 SERIES Cont.

Part No. Price

8250B(ForlBM).

... 6.95

8259-5

1.95

DATA ACQUISITION

ADC0804LCN 3.19

ADC0808CCN 5.95ADC0809CCN 3.95ADC0816CCN..., 14.95ADC0817CCN 8.95DAC0808LCN 1.95

AY-5-1013A....

. . 3.95

Part No.

Function

- DYNAMIC RAMS -

4116-15 16,384x14128-20 (Piggyback) 131,072 x 1

4164-150 65,536x1

4164-200 65,536x1

TMS4416-12 16.384x4

8118 16,384x1

41256-150 262,144x 1

50464-15 65,536x4

2016-122102

2102-2L

2114N

2114N-L

2114N-2

2114N-2L

21C14

2149

5101

6116LP-2

61 16P-36116LP-36264P-126264LP-126264P-15

62 64 LP-15651443256- 15L

2048 x 81024 x 11024 x 11024 x 41024 x41024 x41024 x41024 x41024 x 4256x42048 x 82048 x 82048 x 88192x88192x88192x88192x81024 x 432,768 x 8

1702A

TMS2516

TMS2532

TMS2564

2708

TMS2716

2716

2716-1

27C16

2732

2732A-20

2732A-25

2732A-45

27C32

2764-20

2764-25

2764 A-25

2764-45

27C64

27128-25

27128A-25

27C128-25

27256-25

27C256-25

27512-25

68764

68766

74S387

74S471

N82S123

256x82048 x 84096 x 88192x81024 x 82048 x 82048 x 82048 X 82048 x 84096 x 84096x84096 x 84096x84096 x 88192x88192x88192x88192x88192x816.384 x 816,384x816.384x832,768 x 832,768 x 865,536 x 88192x88192x8256x4256x832x8

(150ns)

(200ns)

(150ns)

(200ns)

(120ns)

(120ns)

(150ns)

(150ns) (4464) (41464)

- STATIC RAMS

(120ns)

(350ns)

(250ns) Low Power (91L02). .

(450ns)

(450ns) Low Power

(200ns)

(200ns) Low Power

(200ns) (CMOS)

(45ns)

(450ns) CMOS

(120ns) Low Power CMOS. .

(150ns) CMOS

(150ns) Low Power

(120ns) CMOS

(120ns) Low Power CMOS. .

(150ns) CMOS

(150ns) Low Power CMOS..

(350ns) CMOS (UPD444C). .

(150ns) Low Power.

PHOMS/EPROMS —

(1MB). ■

4.49. 1.15. .95

4.25. .69.2.95.4.95

.. 1.95.. .99..1.09.. 1.05.. 1.49.. .49. . 495.. 1.95.. 2.95.. 1.89.. 1.95. . 3.89. . 4.25. . 3.59.. 3.75. . 4.49. 24.95

(450ns) 25V

(450ns) 25V

(450ns) 25V

(450ns)

(450ns) 3 voltage

(450ns)

(350ns) 25V

(450ns) 25V (CMOS)

(450ns)

(200ns) 21V

(250ns) 21V

(450ns) 21V

(450ns) 25V (CMOS)

(200ns) 21V

(250ns) 21V

(250ns) 12.5V

(450ns) 21V

(450ns) 21V (CMOS)

(250ns) 128K21V

(250ns) 12.5V

(250ns) 21V (CMOS)

(250ns) 256K (12.5V)

(250ns) 256K (CMOS) (12.5V).

(250ns) 512K (12.5V)

(450ns) 25V

(350ns) 25V

PROM O.C

PROM TS.

PROM T.S

. . 695.. 4.95. . 5.95. . 8.95.. 4.95.. 9.95.. 3.75.. 4.95. . 6.49. . 3.95.. 4.25. . 3.95.. 3.75.. 6.49.. 4.25. . 3.75.. 4.25. . 3.49. . 5.49. . 4.25. . 4.95. . 5.95.. 5.95. . 8.95. 19.95. 15.95. 16.95. . 1.29. . 4.95. . 2.49

SATELLITE TVPESCRAMBLER CHIP

The MM5321 is a TV camera sync generator designed tcsupply the basic sync tunctions for either color or monochrome 525 line/60Hz interfaced and camera video recordeapplications. COLOR BURST GATE S SYNC

ALLOW STABLE COLOR OPERATION

MM5321N $11.95

INTERSIL Also Available!74HC HI-SPEED CMOS

Part No.

Price 25

Part No.

Prio

74HC00

74HC175

6!

74HC02

25

74HC221

.9!

74HC04

29

74HC240

T

74HC08

29

74HC244

7!

74HC10

29

74HC245

8'

74HC2S3

74HC259

74HC30

29

6:

74HC32

29

74HC273

7'

74HC74

39

74HC373

7'

74HC75

39

74HC374

7'

74HC76.

45

74HC393.

7

74HC85

79

74HC595.

1.1!

74HC86

39

74HC688

7

89

8'

74HC125

49

74HC4049. . . .

5

49

5

74HC4060

49

^2

74HC4538

74HC4543. . . .

74HCT — CMOS TTL

.292929.29.29.2949.49

74HCT02

74HCT157

.6

74HCT10

74HCT32

74HCT74

74HCT86

74HCT240

74HCT244

74HCT245

74HCT37374HCT374

.9

.91.11.1

74C-

CMOS

.. .7

... .7

74C04. . .

29

74C221

... 1.4

74C08. . .

35

74C240

...1.2

74C10. ..

35

74C244

...1.2

74C14. ..

49

74C373

. . . U

74C32. ..

35

74C374

... U

74C74. . .

59

74C912

... 7.;

74C85. .

1.39

74C915

... 1,5

74C86. . .

35

74C920

... 9.?

74C89. .

5.19

74C921

... 9.E

74C90. . .

99

740922

... 3.E

74C923

74C925

LINEAR

1.95.89

, ,99

f

TL084CN

DS14C88N(CMOS)

V

LM307N

LM309K

.451.25

DS14C89N(CMOS)

LM1496N

MC1648P.

LM1871N

LM1872N

LM1896N-1

ULN2003A

XR2206

XR2211

XR2243

DS26LS29CN

DS26LS31CN

DS26LS32CN

DS26LS33CN

1.J

LM323K

LM324N

LM338K

LM339N

LF347N

LM348N

LM350T

3.95.39

4.95.39

1.79.69

2.95

3.2.1.4.

1.1.

.49.79.791.09.492.191.79

LF355N

LF356N

LF357N

LM358N

LM360N

LM361N

LM2907N

LM2917N(8pin)...

MC3419CL

MC3446N

MC3450P.

MC3470P

MC3471P.

MC3479P.

MC3486P.

MC3487P

LM3900N

LM3905N

LM3909N

2.1.9.2.2.1.

LM386N-3. . ..

LM387N

LM393N

LM399H

.99.99.392.95

4.

1.1.

1

TL497ACN 2.69

NE540H (C540H).... 2.95

NE555V 29

XR-L555 .75

LM556N 49

NE558N 89

LM565N 99

LM567V 69

NE592IM 89

LM3916N

NE5532

NE5534

7805K (LM340K-5).7812K(LM340K-12)7815K(LM340K-15)7805T (LM340T-5) .7812T(LM340T-12)7815T(LM340T-15)7905K (LM320K-5)7905T (LM320T-5)

75472

75477

76477

MC145406P

1

. f.1.1

LM747CN

, .59

.1

■,

i

IC SOCKETS

Low Profile

8 pin LP. 11

14 pin LP 12

16 pin LP 13

24 pin LP. 25

28 pin LP. 27

40 pin LP. 29 | 40 pin WW

Soldertall Standard (Gold & Tin) & Header Plug Sockets Also Anil

Wire Wrap (Gold) Level8 pin WW

14 pin WW

16 pin WW

24 pin WW 1

28 pin WW 1

PARTIAL LISTING • OVER 4000 COMPONENTS AND ACCESSORIES IN STOCK! • CALL FOR QUANTITY DISCOUNTS

402 BYTE • DECEMBER !986

Inquiry 174

UPDATE: Our 1987 Product Selection GuideHere! 94 Pages of Components, Peripherals

Mail Order Electronics -Worldwide

iliiilllllllilltil i

IS

& More!

fciuyyy

^Ii'iM*

ELECTRONICS

COMMODORE COMPATIBLEACCESSORIES

MSDMl£in!M2v

HESWARE 300 Baud ModemFor VIC-20 and C-64

• Connects directly to User Port ■ Manual Answer/Dial • Function keys defined for convenience

• Includes Midwest Micro Associates communi-cation software.

CM-1 (For VIC-20 and C-64). ..... $34.95

RS232INTERFACE

Allows connection of standard serial devices.JE232CM (ForVIC-20,C-64&C-128) $39.95

External Power Supply

CPS-10 (For C-64) $39.95

Parallel Printer Interface

2K Buffer. Expandable to 10K!MW-350 (ForVIC-20,C-648C-128). ■ ■ ■ $54.95

Input/Output Card

16-Channel Analog Multiplexer

MW-611 [For C-64 and C-128) $199.95

TRS-80/TANDY COMPATIBLEACCESSORIES

E-X-P-A-N-D TRS-80 MEMORY

All kits come complete with documentation

TRS-80 MODEL I, III 16K EXPANSION

TRS-16K3 200ns (Model III) $5.95

TRS-16K4 250ns (Model I) $5.49

TRS-80 COLOR AND COLOR II 64K EXPANSION

TRS-64K-2 $7.95

New models only —TRS-Co-Co-lncl. 2-50464's (41464's). . . $10.95

TRS-80 MODEL 4.4P, & 4D 64K/128K EXPANSIONTRS-64K-2 $7.95

expands Model 4 Irom 16K-64K or Model 4 (Gale Array

Version). 4P and 4D from 64K-128K

TRS-64K-2PAL. $14.95

expands Model 4 (Non-Gate Array Version) from 64K io 128K

TRS-80 MODEL 100 8K EXPANSION

V11008K. $19.95 ea. or 3 for $54.95

TANDV MODEL I02 8K EXPANSION

"11028K. $9.95

TANDY MODEL 200 24K EXPANSION

M200R $59.95 ea. or 2 for $109.95

TANDY 1000 Expansion MemoryHalf Card

Expand the memory of your Tandy 1000 (128K Version) asnuch as 640K. Also includes a DMA controller chip.

TAN-EM256K Includes 256K RAM $ 99.95

TAN-EM512K Includes 512K RAM $129.95

Options for TAN-EM256K/512K

TAN-C Plug-in Clock option chip (only) $39.95

TAN-D RAM Disk Printer Spooler Software (only) $39.95

TANDY 1000 Multifunction Boardwith Clock Calendar

Expand the memory on your Tandy 1000 (128K Version) to asnuch as 640K. Complete with an RS232 port, clock/calendar.1AM Disk Printer Spooler and on-board DMA controller chip.

UTAN-256K Includes 256K RAM $179.95

UTAN-512K Includes 512K RAM $209.95

UV-EPROM ERASER

rases all EPROMs Erases up to 8 chips within 21 minutest chip in 15 minutes). Maintains constanl exposure distance11". Special conductive foam liner eliminates static build-up.■uilt-in safety lock to prevent UV exposure. Compact - 9.00"L3.70"W x 2.60"H, Complete with holding tray for 8 chips.

)E-4 UV-EPROM Eraser. . . . $69.95

JVS-11EL Replacement Bulb. . . . $19.95

NEW PRODUCTS!

ProModem 1200/300 BaudHalf-Card Modems

For IBM PC, XT, AT & Compatibles

• Auto-answer/Auto-dial ■ Extensive diagnostics ■ Built-in speaker/vol. control • Auto redial on busy • Ability toaccess Corn-port 3 - Hayes compatible • 2 yr. warranty

PM1200B-2 without software . . $129.95PM1200B-2S w/Mirror "Software..$159.95

2 yr. warranty! ZOOM 300 Baud Modem

for Apple II, II+ and lie

• Auto-dial/Auto-answer • Hayes com-patible ■ Includes call progress monitor,speaker, Zoom Communications software

and manual • Made in U.S.A.

ZM300 $89.95

m'

ProModem 1200/300

for Apple II, II+, lie and II GSFully Compatible with the NEW APPLE II GS!

■ NEW, single card version - Built-in soft-ware in ROM ■ Comes with ProCom-A disk-based communications software • Hayescompatible • Compatible with ProDOS

■ Auto-dial/Auto-answer • Auto redial onbusy ■ Built-in speaker and volume con-trol • 2 phone jacks with exclusion switch-ing ■ 2-year warranty

PM1200A-2 $199.95

ProModem 2400/1200/300Baud Modems

For Any Computer W/RS232 Serial Port

Hayes command compatible • Call progress lone detection• Auto redial on busy ■ Internal power supply ■ Voice/data switch-ing ■ Second phone jack for voice handsel ■ Auto-answer/Auto-dial • Touch tone and pulse dialing ■ Speaker with volume control■ 8 LED status rights • 1 -year warranty

PM1200G H200/300 baud) $199.95

PM2400G (24oo/i2oo/3oo baud). . . . $379.95

ProCom-B (Communication Software . . . $34.95For IBM PC and Compatibles)

BIG BOARD

1MByte RAM Card

for Apple II, II+ and lie

BIG BOARD comes complete wilh RAMDISK software for DOS 3.3, ProDOS. Pascal 1.2, and CP/Mfor Microsoft's Soflcard. A separate driver is available lor the AppliCard (StarCard - $39.95). Youcan choose the active addressing mode both via a jumper on Ihe BIG BOARD or through softwarecommands.

BIG BOARD-1M 1 Meg ram $299.95

PLUS-WORKS™ XM (Software tor Apple II andll + l $49.95

PLUS-WORKS'" XME (Software tat Apple »e) $49.95

TTX 14" RGBColor Monitor

for IBM PC, XT andCompatible Computers

• Input: RGB TTL Level ■ Scanning Freq.:(Hor.) 14.5KHZ to 17.8K • Video Bandwidth:18MHz • Resolution: 640 x 200 • Connector:DB 9-pin (incl.) ■ Power Consumption: 70W■Size 14.6"H x 15.5"W x 13.6"D -Weight:27 lbs. ■TTX-1410 is compatible with theIBM-ICB and the IBM-EGA Cards(above, right)

$299.95

IBM COMPATIBLEACCESSORIES

83-KEY KEYBOARD

- Identical layout as original IBM PC Keyboard ■ Highlydesirable case wilh palm rest ■ Complete wilh cable and dala■ JUST PLUG INi

KB83 SALE.

$29.95

Build an IBM PC/XT" Compatible!

IBM-64K (2) 64K RAM Chips (18) $ 19.90

KB83 83-Key Keyboard $ 29.95

IBM-FCC Floppy Controller Card. ... $ 39.95

IBM-Case Case $ 39.95

IBM-MCC Monochrome Card $ 69.95

IBM-PS Power Supply $ 69.95

FD55B Disk Drive $109.95

IBM-MON Monochrome Monitor. ... $ 99.95IBM-MB Motherboard $129.95

Regular List $609.50

IBM'"-Special (Incl. 9 items above) . ■ $549.95

Additional Add-Ons Available!

IBM-KB 83-Key Keyboard $ 69.95

IBM-ENH Enhanced Keyboard S 89.95

IBM-ICB Integrated Color Board ... $ 99.95

IBM-EGA Enhd. Graphics2S6K RAM .. $259.95

IBM-20MBK 20MB Hard Disk Drive. . . . $449.95

IBM is a registered trademark ot IBM Computers

Universal 64K/256KPrinter Buffer

S

IOHNATHON FREEMAN DESIGNS

The UBUFFER Universal Printer Buffer is a hi-speed databuffer that accepts data at a high rate, and then outputs thisdata to your printer. You save valuable computer lime. TheUBUFFER can be connected to practically any computer orprinler. There are four possible combinations: 1) Serial toSerial. 2) Serial to Parallel. 3) Parallel to Parallel. 4) Parallelto Serial. Manual included. Size: 9-1/3"Lx 4VWx 1VH

UB64K $199.95

UB256K $239.95

,t

IBMCompatible!,t DISK DRIVES

DocumentationIncluded

FD55B Teac 5V«" DS fe-Height $109.95

JU-455 Panasonic 5% DS '/j-Hetght. ... $109.95TM100-2 Tandon SW' DS Full-Height. . . . $119.95

DATA BOOKS

30003 National Linear Data Book (82) $14.95

30009 Intersil Data Book (65) $ 9.95

30013 Zilog Data Book (85) $14.95

30032 National Linear Supplement (84) $ 6.95

210830 Intel Memory Handbook (86) $17.95

230843 Intel Microsystem Hndbk. Set (86) $24.95

MUFFIN/SPRITE-STYLE FANS

MUF60 $9.95

Torin Industries (4.68" sq., 60 cfm)

SU2A1 S8.95

EG&G Rolron 13.125" square. 20 cfmj

$20 Minimum Order - U.S. Funds OnlyShipping: Add 5% plus $1.50 Insurance

California Residents: Add 6%, 61/2% or 7% Sales Tax

Send stamped,

self-addressed envelope

to receive a Quarterly

Sales Flyer - FREE!

12/86

EEEHaEB

I©

ameco

ELECTRONICS

Spec. Sheets - 50C eachPrices Subject to Change

Send $1.00 Postage for a

FREE

1987JAMECO

CATALOG

©1986 Jameco Electronics

1355 SHOREWAY ROAD, BELMONT CA 94002 • PHONE ORDERS WELCOME 415-592-8097 Telex: 176043

Inquiry 174

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 403

Inquiry 113

DISK-KING

igilBliC Modia KingsIncredible Value!

WHY RISK THE UNKNOWN...when you can get

premium quality disks from the Leader andInventor of magnetic media....lor less!!

* 100% tested & cerlilied at 65% or higher clipping level** 10 mil sturdy |acket * LIFETIME WARRANTY *

5.25" SS-DD-RH 48 TPI 38'

5.25" DS-DD-48 TPI 38"

5.25" DS-DD-RH 48 TPI' 54*

5 25" DS-HD-96 TPI J1 29

3.50" SS-135 TPI J115

3 50" DS-135 TPI S139

Factory seated in lots ot 25 All 5 25" diskettes are supplied with Tyvek ■sleeves user 10 labels w/p tabs and teinlorced hub rings Multiples ol100. lesser quantities add 10% COS-DD-RH in Lois of 125)

FREE! Flip n File

with each order, while they last!

79«

99'

FREEI Scotch CX-60 Cassette

SS-DD-RH plus S2 00 rebate certificate DS-DD-RH

inside each 3M 5V4" box

.... 5.25" M8 TPI...

s139 3 50"/135 TPI M"

DS-HD for the "AT" !Z°8

^^^^" (Quantities less than 5 bx add 10%)

plj The Technology Whose Time Has Come

»«» 3M Data Cartridges

DC-100A s11" DC-300XL/P.. '18ss

DO1000... .. s12d° DC-600A s2065

BASF

.. FlexyOcK

SUPER LOW PRICESBASF "Boxed Products"

SS-DD Qiy less than 10 BX. add 10% DS-DD

Oo . . 5 25"/48TPI-10/reg. cardboard box.. IU

5.25748 TPI DS-DD 10/plaslic storage case 79e

5129 3.5"/135TPI s187

DS-HD for the "AT" s195

I UNBELIEVABLE PRICES!

W? Nashua

SS-DD Qty less than 20 BX, add 6% DS-DDPrice per Factory Sealed Box ot Ten

$595

5.25"/48TPI .

$579

DS-HD for the "AT" »16"

COLOR Premium Quality U.S.A. Made

Available in Rainbow &DISKETTES many other color options

LIFETIME WARRANTY5.25" DS-DD 48 TPI . .

Bulk Boxed*

59' 72'

5.25" DS-HD 1.6 MB for the "AT".. .. M75 'l893.50" DS-135 TPI C-IT0H Rainbow Coloi .. *179 *18>

'Boxed - pre-packaged 10 to a clear plastic library case.Bulk - Polybagged 25 ol a solid color Includes Tyvek® sleeves,user 10 labels, w/p labs and hub rings. We've gol your colorCALL FOR 00R SUPER LOW PRICES OH WOE RAH6E OF PRINTERRIRR0HS. 0ISK STORAGE. COMPUTER TAPES S 0ISK PACKS.

ORDER TOLL FREE 1-800 523-9681

TERMS: VISA. MasterCard, American Express PO's accepted Iromcorporations rated 3A2 or better, governmenl and schools on 2% prepaidcash discount. Net 30 basis (minimum order on credit terms is 5100 00)No sales lax outside Utah

Shipping; Add $3 00 lor 100 or fewer diskettes Diskettes with Flip 'n Fileadd S3 00 for 50 or lewer disks COD orders add 55 00 AFO.FPO.AK.HI. PR and Canada orders add 10% Overseas orders please call for exactIreighl & insurance charges, or add 20% (approx) Orders placed before4 00 p m (Mountain lime* shipped via UPS same day

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!Toll-Froe Order Line: Telax Inquiries Line:

1-800 523-0681 9102404712 1-801-942-2273

n DISKCOTECH

DISKCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

2034 E. 7000 So. Salt Lake City, Utah 64121

Hours: 8 AM-6PM (Mtn. Time)-Hall day Saturday

404 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

9-TRACK MAG. TAPE SUBSYSTEMFOR THE IBM PC /XT/AT AND...

For inlormalion inlerchnnrio. backup and archival storage,IBEX offers a9-1rack, IBM formal-compatible V?" magnetictape subsystem for the IBM PC, leaturing:

■ IBM format 1600/3200 and 800 cpi.

■ Software for PC-DOS, MS-DOS.

■ Also for DEC, VAX, VME,S-100, RS-232, IEEE 468

•r TWX lor information.

mxi

IBEX COMPUTER CORP

20741 Manila SiChalswoith. CA 91311IBIS) 709-B1OOTWX 910-493-2071

Inquiry 164

NEC PRINTERS

(1 Year Factory Warranty)

Pinwriter P5 $ 930

Pinwriter P5XL $1075

Pinwriter P6 $ 450

Pinwriter P7 $ 615

Elf 350/360 $ 380

3510/15/30/50 $ 715

8810/15/30/50 $1040

Optional Forms HandlingDevices CALL

QUALITY PRINTERS8415 Cement City RoadBrooklyn, Michigan 49230Phone: 517-592-3749

Inquiry 295

BULKDISKETTES

MAXELL

51/4 DS/DD 59*

Price based on quantity of 250Includes sleeves, labels and tabs

Quantities Limited Call Today!

800-222-0490

(In N.J. 201-462-7628)

Full service duplication facility24 Hour Shipment /~i

mesh h

P.O. Box 710 ^Freehold, N.J. 07728

Inquiry 2I6

DYNAMIC RAMS

41256

41256t>41256

4164j>4164

4464

00ns $4.85

20ns _$2.95_

50ns 4£J3:X20ns SJk40

50ns %JUUJX150ns S3.95

I PROCESSORS

80B7-2

8087-3B0287-3

V-20V-30I STATIC RAMS6264LP-15 150n

8mH*5mHi6mHzBmHz8mHi8mHr

S 159.00

S115.00S1G9.00S CALL$ 12.75S 1-1.00

I E. PROMS

27C2S6 250ns272SG 250ns

2732A 250ns

18000s

I.C.EXPRESS

15358 Valley Blvd., City ol Industry, CA 91746

Phone: 818369-2588 IMon-Fn • 8 5)

ORDER TOLL FREE

(800) 892-8889 • (800) 882-8181

Outside Calitorma Inside California

I CALL FOR CURRENT PRICES & VOLUME DISCOUNTS.!Price Shown lur Casn • MasterCard'VISA add 3% morePrices are subject to change Minimum order S1000

Inquiry 165

ijLROSE DATA SWITCHES

iSISr ELECTRONICS Pi_,.r,r-

SHARE computers, printers,any parallel or serial deviceELIMINATE cable swappingINEXPENSIVE way to networkCOMPATIBLE wilhall computers

Businesses, Schools. HomesWE ALSO OFFER:Data Buffers, Line Drivers.Modems. Protocol Converters,Parallel - Serial Converters.Cables. Compulers. Printers,Disk Drives, and more.AUTOMATIC • CARETAKER is ideal (or a business orschool lo share a printer or modem among many computers,Operation is fully automatic wilh no software required.Parallel or Serial 4 channels - $295 8 channels • $395MANUAL - HARDSWITCH is operated with the flip ot aswitch. 2:2 and 2:4 models allow simultaneous commun-ication

Serial 1:2 $59 1:4$ 99 2.2-S109 24-$169

Parallel 1:2 ■ $79 1:4 - $139 2:2 - $119 2:4 - $199LED and spike protection on serial models add $20CODE ACTIVATED - PORTER connects one computer tomultiple peripherals. A software code selects the peripheral-Parallel or Serial 4 channels • $295 8 channels - $395Buffer option 64K - $100 256K - $250REMOTE - TELEPATH connects multiple computers lomultiple peripherals. A selector at each computer or terminalchooses up to 4 peripherals and displays busy status.4:4-$495 4:8 - $795 selector - $39.

: (fiuc a !<o-l£ to t/aux compute* -

HOSE ELECTRONICS (713) 933-7673

P.O. BOX 742571 MC & VISA Accepted

HOUSTON, TX 77274 Dealer Inquiries Invited

CALL US FOR ALL YOUR INTERFACE NEEDS

Inquiry 308

PORTABLE ADDITIONS

DISK DRIVE3'h". 13/> lbs., battery oper. orA/C adaptor (incl.). WOK storage. With TS-00Ssoftware $229 Drive without sottware $17924K RAM CHIP-Tandy 200 $65, 2/$59 ea.8K RAM CHIP-Model-102 $9.95Model-100 & NEC 8201/S23 3/S19 ea.SIDESTAR-NEC Starlet $399 $199128K Ram Disk CartridgeSIDECAR-NEC PC-820IA $259128K cartridge (lour 32K banks)

CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-732-5012

Calif: 805-987-4788

Canada: 604-856-8858. Australia: 02-419-8899

f^J COMPUTING

420 Constitution Ave.. Camarillo. CA 93010

VISA MIC &AMER.EXP.

Inquiry 286

f*

wmmmmm

■j

I

PROVEN

SUPERIOR

TO IBM XT

1

IL

" ' i -'-'•

.

•FSEF"!

FROM THE ACPCIRCUIT SELLER

Advanced 286 M39500■ I Advanced PC/XT s54900

PROVENSUPERIORTO IBM AT

(::'

v3V

Advanced PC/XT

• FCC/UL Approved

• IBM PC/XT™ Compatible

• (1) 360K Floppy

• 256K Expandable to 640K

• Serial, Parallel, LCD

• RGB Color Graphics

• Composite Video

• Mouse & Keyboard

• 10Mb Hard Disk (Add

30000)

HARDWARELargest Selectionl

A210 Color/Prinler/Graphics S88.00

A220 Color/Graphics/Video/Mouse .. 95.00A230Mono/Color/Graphics/132Col .. .149.00A231 Color/Mono (Runs 2 Monitors) ... 149.00

A240 Mono/Printer/Graphics 79D0

A250 Mono/Printer/Graphics/132 Col .. 119J»

A260 Mono/Printer 75.00

A271 EGA/256K RAM - Short Card ... 229.00

A320 384 Multi-function Card -OK 99.00

A330 Multi-function - Short Card 99.00

A340 Multifunction/Floppy 119.00

A350640KRAM Card -OK 59.00

A410 Floppy Card - 2 Drives 39.00

A420 Floppy Card - 4 Drives 49.00

A5I0 Parallel/Serial. Optional Serial .. 69.00

A520 Parallel Card 35.00

A530 Serial Card 49.00

-OK

139.00139.00

159.0059.00

249.0055.00

A610 AT 2Mb Multi-function

A612 AT 2.5Mb RAM Card

A620 AT 3Mb RAM Card

A630 AT Parallel/Serial. Optional Ser.A640 AT Floppy/Hard Controller ...

A650ATI/OCard-Ser/Par/Clk

A950 AT Motherboard - OK 499.00

A955 XT Motherboard - OK 119.00

A960 XT Turbo Motherboard -OK 139.00

AST - (1 to 2 Year Warranty)

AST5251-11 595.00

AST5251-12 495X10

RAMpage Expandable to 2Mb Call

RAMpage AT Expandable to 2Mb Call

(Both boards support EMS & EEMS)

Advantage 128K 365.00

AST SPECIALS

REDUCED TO MOVE LIMITED SUPPLYSixPak Plus W/64K Only $166.00

Including Sidekick 1.5 & DESOview

SixPak Plus 384K Only 219.00

Combo Plus - OK Only 66.00

Combo Plus - 64K Only 79.00

(Makes superior I/O Device)

Reach Modem 1200 Baud 199.00

AST Colorgraphics Card 99.00

(Original Factory Box)

HAYES - (2 Year Warranty)

Smartmodem 1200 S385.00

I HARDWARE

'Smartmodem 1200B 349.00

Smartmodem 2400 (Int) 575.00

Smartmodem 2400B 535.00

Hayes Comp. 1200 (Ext) 16955

Hayes Comp. 1200 (Int) w/SW 149.95

Hayes Comp. 2400 (Ext) 349.00

HERCULES

Hercules Color Card SI66.00

Hercules Plus Graphics NEW 239.00

INTEL-(5 Year Warranty)

Above Board PC, AT, PS New Price

FREE OFFER Windows thru 12-31

KEYTR0NICS

5150 Keyboard $159.95

5151 Deluxe Keyboard 169.95

5153 w/Touchpad 2B5.00

PC Jr. Numeric Keypad 29.95

NEW 101 Key Call

MICROSOFT

Microsott Mouse $139.00

Microsolt Bus Version 155.00

MOUSE SYSTEMS - (3 Year War.)

PC Mouse w/Paint Plus $138.00

PC Mouse w/Ready & Painl 148.00

ACP Mouse w/Keyboard SALE 149.00

PROMETHEUS - (1 Yr. Warranty)

ProModem 1200 w/Mite (Int) $299.00

ProModem 12008 259.00

Alphanumeric/Options Processor 79.00

TECMAR CL0SE0UTS

Call for Complete List List ACP

Speechmaster $395 $195.00

1st Mate w/64K 389 169.00

Voice Recognition 995 269.00

3rd Mate 445 195.00

Powerlink 3270 1099 399.00

Phonegate 24O0 695 295.00

PRINTERS

BROTHER

M1109 Dot Matrix $249.00

M1509 Dot Matrix 399.00

DIABLO/XEROX

620 Serial LOP was 1495 now $299.00

620 D36 (36cps) 399.00

Tractor was 395 now $125.00

F-21 Sheel Feeder was 896 now 199.00

630 Sheet Feeder 219.00

Cable lor 620 (to IBM) 29.00

Diablo P-11 or S-11 100cps 129.95

Diablo P-31 or S-31 Wide 199.95

EPSON - (1 Year Warranty)

FX85 160cps NLO $365.00

FX286 160cps Wide 449.00

TOSHIBA

P321 "3 in 1" LQ Printer sale $515.00

P351E 24 Pin w/Serial & Parallel Call

New Toshiba Color Printer Call

8 PEN PLOTTER - Limited Special

Roland's DXY-B00 Flatbed X-Y Plotter.Formerly sold lor S995.00. While Supplylasts your price only $499.00

Inc. Parallel/Serial Interlace IBM Compatible.DXY 101 Pen Plotter 299.00

MONITORS

Samsung TTL IBM Green $88.00

Samsung TTL IBM Amber 98.00

ACP 12" Soflwhite TTL IBM 139.00

TECO EGA Monitor 399.00

Roland's CD240 HiRes Color 359X10

PRINCETON GRAPHICS

HX-12 RGB (640x240) $445.00

MAX-12E Amber TTL 175.00

SR-12 575.00

HX-12E (690x350) 545.00

Advanced 286

• FCC/UL Approved

• IBM AT™ Compatible

• 6/8 MHz SW Switchable

• 640K, 200 Watts

• 1.2 Mb Floppy Controller

• Floppy Controller

• Phoenix BIOS

• MS-DOS 3.2 (Add s85°°)

• GW Basic (Add S95D0)

• 30Mb 35mS HD (Add s700<"

EGA SPECIALS

EGA UPGRADE KITIncludes:

NEC Multisync OAI IACP/EGACard UMLL

NEC Multisync $599.00

ACP RGB Color/Teco. Tatung 399.00

RIX EGA Painl 59.00

Paradise Autoswitch 375.00

Genoa EGA 295.00

Orchid Turbo EGA 585.00

Quad EGA Plus, Ouadram 365.00

Advanced EGA. 256K. Short Card 229.00

EGA Mouse 119.00

PGA SPECIALS

IBM Professional. Limited Quantity

IBM PGA Card, Regular $2995 . .. Sale 1195.00

HARD DISK CARDS

20Mb MEGA Card $479.00

Call for 30Mb Card

BEST BACK-UP

Use same back-up device we use at ACP.

AlphaMicro VCR Back-up Card $399.00

AlphaMicro VCR 699.00

DISK DRIVES

Toshiba FDD44033WW/5W Bezel ... $129.00

Toshiba ND04D PC, XT 360K 95.00

Toshiba ND04E-G AT, 360K 105.00

Toshiba NO08DE-G 1.2Mb 129.00

TEAC FD-55B 99.00

DISKETTES (Box of 10)

DS/DD for PC/XT (40tpi)

• ACP Generic $6.00

• Verbatim Datalife 16.00

• Maxell MD-2 . 19.00

• Fuji 16.00

OS/Hi-Density lor AT (96tpi)

• Verbatim $32.00

• Maxell 35.00

• Fuji 26.00

SS/DD for Apple II etc.

• ACP Flippy (Use both sides) $6.00

• Verbatim 14.00

• Maxell MD-1 17.00

• Fuji 14.00

Macintosh/IBM Conv. 3'/?"

• Maxell MF-2DD $52JJ0

Fuji MF-2DD (135lpi) 52.00

Flip-Sort (75 Disks) 14.00

ACP 5'/." Disk Holder 9.00

ACP 3'A" Disk Holder 12.00

Head Cleaner 5Vi" or 8" 9.00

Perfect Compulercare Kit 29.00

/t^~-~:

ii ii,j;iii«*iBMPnii ini

■L1LI1LLUH

20 Mb «J J JQ 20 Mb * AnnUpgrade $449 Mega card $4/3

Package (1 Yr War) Plug-In 1 Yr War)

SEAGATE FOR AT

(Linear Voice Coil Activator)

20 Mb for AT $499.00

30Mb for AT $599.00

40Mb for AT $799.00

(Inc. Cable & Mounting Rails)

IRWIN TAPE BACK-UPfor AT $399.00

_r

PC UPGRADE SPECIAL

SET OF (9) 64K RAMSSET OF (9) 256K RAMS

$1495$3595

$13995 8087 COPROCESSOR$ 16995 8087-2 COPROCESSORs19995 80287-680287-8

OO

s269

S44900 80287_10

1200 Baud Hayes" Comp. Modem$1QQ00

List $299 ACP I03

1200 (Ext.) $149.00

2400 Baud (Int.) $249.00

10Mb HARD DISK$189.00

SYSGEN 20/20

• 20Mb Hard Disk

• 20Mb TapeBack-up

■ New/Factory Box

• PC/XT/AT Comp.

• External Complete

Reg. Retail $3300

s„,py $888

SEAGATE ST225

20Mb Hard Disk $349.95

II IIIIIIUMlV.il I 11**

ACP SUPERLOW PRICE

$2ggoo

OP

MS-DOS LAPSharp PC5000

Formerly sold for $1995

2800 in stock new in

box w/factory warranty!

Vol. discounts available.

128K Bubble $79.00 Supercom 59.00Printer 150.00 Superwriter 88.00

Wordstar 129.00 Color Plotter 149.00

Modem 300 Baud 99.00

PFS File/Report 129.00

Soft Carry Case 10.00

Soft Key Plotter SW 35.00

SEAGATE ST4038-30MbHi-Speed, 40 mS, AT ecnn fin

Compatible Drive Qu99.UU

i r i i i i*m i i i i i i i i i i i r r r i ti

TOLL FREE

800-854-8230

CA Residents 71 4-558-881 3

OUR POLICY Inquiry 12

•No Surcharge for VISA or Mastercard.

•Volume purchasing agreements available.

•Orders subject to availablity. »Supply limited on certain items.

•Pricing subject to change without notice.

•ACP Retail Store pricing may vary. Not responsible for typos.

I

Mail Order: P.O. Box 17329 Irvine, CA 92713Retail: 1310 B E. Edinger, Santa Ana, CA 92705

CORPORATE BUYERS - CALL

GILLES, PHIL, MIKE or DAVE

Inquiry 225

5j? SANYO

FULLPOWER!

9SANYO

MBC 4000

FREE SOFTWAREFROM MICROPRO

• 8086 Microprocesser

• Runs MS DOS & CP/M 86

• Floppy disk drive with 640Kcapacity

• RAM expansion to 640Kavailable

• Utility pack including BIOS &schematics option

$499

Special pricing for printers

EDUCATIONALDISCOUNTS

805/393-2247

Z^j

For our catalogwith completedetails and prices,

MICRO sMends$2t,o:

Micro Supply

<—\ II )|—II \S Organization, Inc.

' " ! *—' 4909 Stockdale Hwy .

ORGANIZATION INC. #180

Bakersfield, CA 93309

15% Restocking onRelumed Orders

Visa & M.C. Accepled

406 BYTE • DECEMBER I986

TURBOUNK +

TURBO Pascal hackers \& t>/will like this program."Jerry PournelleByte Magazine

• Add 512K of TURBO Pascal' to your code

• Call up lo 8 memory residenl TURBO Pascalmodules from programs written in:—BASIC. BASICA. Compiled BASIC—MS Pascal, C. MS FORTRAN—Standard, 8087 and BCD TURBO Pascal—TURBO Prolog

• Add TURBO Pascal's 8087. BCD and graphiccapabilities to other languages

• Automatically generate TURBO Pascal com-patible inline machine code.

• Use all TURBO Pascal variants in a singleprogram

• Add Al capability to your Pascal programs

• For IBM PC and compatibleSCQ95 Foreign orders

O" add $10.00

S&H included

VISA/MC: 1-800-835-2246 x123KANSAS CALL: 1-800-362-2421 x123Inquiries and Technical Information (303| 971-0729

PATHFINDER SOFTWARE, INC.

P.O. Box 43. Littleton, CO 80160' fURBO Pascal .mil TURBO Pining .iin nadonlarti ol Borland tnWmHiuiwl

Inquiry 263

SEAMLESS

File Transfer

Softerm PC provides a transparent

Micro-to Mainframe link using

Virtual disk drive specifiers

accessible from any DOS application

program. Memory resident.Transfers files in background using

customizable communicationsscripts. Includes 32 exact terminal

emulations.For IBM PC/XT/AT, DG, NEC, HP,Wang, TI, Gridcase, Tandy, Zenith

$195- Visa, MC, CODCall 800-225-8590 orders/info.

•O

7899 Lexington Dr., Ste 210

Colorado Springs, CO 80918

(303) 593-9540 Telex #450236

Inquiry 330

J* EPROMV PROGRAMMER

APROTEK 1000

ONLY

*"_--!'- $265.00

c|Ba

COMPLETE WITHPERSONALITY

MODULE

11 7 AC POWER-RS-232 CONNECT

-6 BAUD RATES - HANDSHAKE TO HOST

ALLOWS READ, WRITE, VERIFY & COPY

Comes complete with IBM-PC, Apple, or CPM(Specify Computer) Driver Program on Disc.

Programs the following 5 Volt 24 or 28 pindevices: 2716 series through 27512, 25xx series,68764 plus others. Please Specify PersonalityModule desired with order. Additional PersonalityModules only $15.00 ea. Full 1 year warranty.

TO ORDER: CALL 1-800/962-5800 OR WRITE

APROTEK

1071 A AVEMIDA ACASO Add

CAMARILLO. CA 93010 S4.00 Shipping USA

Into: 18051 987 2454 VISA or MC Add 3%

We Accept Govt.. School & Large Corp. P.O.s

6809

Single Board Computer

Am Mfil, 2 Wrlat pprti, 4 r^'aBeiipdftsA \RAM.' EPROM, real-time clock; watctiddg ■timer, 44-pin 4.5" » 6.5" PCBEXPANSION MODUUS: RAM, EPROM, CMOSRAM/battery, analog I/O, serial I/O,parallel I/O, counter/timer, IEEE-4B8,EPROM programmer, (loppy disks,cassette, breadboard, keyboard/display.

Wl | H nji 17 Mr I 1801 South StreetI I lit I li K I Lafayette. IN 479C

Lafayette. IN 17904

317-742-8428

Inquiry 391

$150

COLOR

VT220

"plus your PC, XT, AT, or compatible

ZSTEMpc-VT220 Smart Terminal Emulator

Double high/double wide characters

Full line graphics. Smooth Scrolling

2-way file transfers incl. XMODEM & KERMIT

Full keyboard softkeys/MACROS. DOS access

Data rates to 38.4 KB. High throughput

CGA, Hercules. MDA, & EGA support

8-bit mode, downloadable fonts.

user defined keys, full national/multinational modes

ISO and attribute mapped color

ZSTEMpc-VT220 $150. 4010/4014 option $99.

Also available VT220 Style replacement keyboard

ZSTEMpc-VT100 $99. - Choice ot the U.S. A/F

30 day money back guarantee. MCA/ISA

KEA SYSTEMS LTD.

#412 - 2150 W. Broadway

Vancouver, B.C. CANADA V6K 4L9

Support (604) 732-7411

TELEX 04-352848 VCR

Order Toll Free (800) 663-8702

Inquiry 397

mericanSemiconductor

THE BARE

XT TURBO

SYSTEM

399 ba»g

tfes, and acts like an ■■■■"

"Looks, tastes, and acts tike anIBM, AND it's TtW/o compatible

8087 $119.00

80287-3 175.00

80287-8 239.00

64K 99

41256K-150 2.39

41256K-200 1.99

BABY AT $499.00

AT 1100

V-20 14.00

FLOPPY DD/DS . . 75.00XT & AT ADD ON CARDSFor AT, XT, Compaq, & Corona:

«»»« 30MB Hi-Speed ...20MB Hard Drive «299 RLL KIT . $449

TO ORDER TOLL FREE CALL

1-800-237-5758, EXT. 819

Inside Florida Technical Line813-961-9444 1-813-961-5584 -16520 N. Florida Ave., Lutz, Florida 33549Add 3.2% tor VISA/MC purchases.

Inquiry 34

Inquiry 31

IBM COMPATIBLE

HARDWARE

Multifunction card 384K, S, P, CLKS139AT Multifunction card OK-3MB. $175

MONOCROME graphics card

Color Graphics card

ComBo CARD ser, par, clockEXPANSION CHASIS 7 slotsMULTI SERIAL F/D 4 PORT..

$79

$69

.$69

$569

$89

DRIVES

20 MB Seagate drive $369

30 MB Seagate for XT $469

30 MB drive for AT $649

360 K Floppy for AT $110

Teac55B $109

20MB Hard Card $429

TAPE DRIVES

10 MB Irwin $379

20 MB Irwin $429

Everex Stream 20 $569

Everex Stream 60 $899

Peachtree CALL

Franklin 20MB $399

GENOA 20MB $AVE

IBM SOFTWARE

LOTUS 123 CALL

Symphony CALL

SPREADSHEET Auditor 89.00

ENABLE 359.00

VP Planner 55.00

ASHT0N TATE Framework CALL

dBASEII CALL

dBASE III Plus CALL

REVELATION 499.00

MDBS Knowledgeman 2 299.00

POWERBASE 199.00

CLIPPER dBASE III Compiler 355.00

LATTICE C COMPILER 265.00

LET'S C Compiler 49.00

SUPERCALC IV 275.00

MULTIMATE 249.00

MULTIMATE ADVANTAGE 269.00

SORCIM SUPERCALC III 199.00

MICROSOFT Multiplan 119.00

EXCEL 245.00

Word CALL

Windows 65.00

Projecl 239.00

DOS 3.2 W/GW basic 69.00

MACRO ASSEMBLER 95.00

Quick Basic 65.00

FOX &GELLER Quickcode 149.00

Ouicklndex 76.00

dUTIL 3 76.00

B0RELAND TURBO PASCAL 42.00

Turbo Pascal W/BCD 60.00

REFLEX CALL

LIGHTENING 59.00

SUPERKEY 41.00

SIDEKICK (unprolecled) 50.00

NORTON UTILITIES 55.00

FASTBACK 95.00

ASCII PRO Comm Software 55.00

CROSSTALK XVI 99.00

MIRROR Comm Soltware 49.00

PEACHTREE Back to Basics 199.00

BPI GENERAL ACCOUNTING 299.00

OPEN SYSTEMS CALL

REALWORLD CALL

ONE-WRITE PLUS 149.00

ACCOUNTING PARTNER 199.00

MONOGRAM DOLLARS & SENSE 99.00

TOBIAS MANAGING YOUR MONEY , , .99.00

DAC EASY ACCOUNTING 45.00

PFS Professional Write 115.00

PFS Professional File 145.00

Websters New World Writer 79.00

SATELLITE WORD PERFECT 209.00

MICROPRO WordStar PRO 249.00

WordStar 2000 PLUS 299.00

SAMNA WORD III 279.00

RBASE5000 359.00

RBASE System V 370.00

SUPERPROJECT PLUS 255.00

£

BUSINESS SYSTEMS

Multitech Accel I 900 . . .$1550

6/10Mhz Switchable speeds89286 AT Compatible

20MB Turbo XT Compatible$999.00

2 Floppy XT Compatible$699.00

IBM AT 30MB $3200

6MHZ, 512K, Seagate 40MSIBM XT 20MB $2200

Seagate, 256K, DOS, Monitor

COMPAQ COMPUTERS CALL

LEADING EDGE CALL

SPERRY IT 44MB CALL

LASER 128(7/c Compatible) .... CALLLOCAL AREA NETWORK CALL

PRINTMASTER 35.00

BREAKTHROUGH TIMELINE 235.00

DECISION RESOURCES CHRTMSTER219.00ENERGRAPHICS w/plotter opt 289.00

FUNK SIDEWAYS 36.00

LIFETREE VOLKSWRITER 3 ... 149.00

HARVARD TTL PROJECT MNGR . . .285.00TH1NKTANK 110.00

IBM HARDWARE

AST6PackPlusw/384k

6 Pack Premium

STB Companion PC 0-2 MB LIMS

ChauMeur monographics

EGA - Plus Color Board

JRAM 3

JRAMAT3

HERCULES Mono Graphics Plus. .Color Card .

215.00

CALL

189.00

229.00

279.00

CALL

CALL

199.00

149.00

INTEL Above Board 64K 229.00

ABOVE BOARD lor AT 359.00

ORCHID Tiny Turbo 469.00

Turbo 286EW/1 Meg 749.00

Turbo EGA CALL

QUADRAMEGA+ 379.00

PARADISE Modular Graphics Card. 199.00

Autoswitch EGA 388.00

Plus Hard Card CALL

130 WAT Power Supply 79.00

Thesys Fastcard III LIMS 0-2MB 169.DO

TALLGRASSW/Tape CALL

MOUNTAIN CALL

ALLOY CALL

GENOA SAVE

MOUSE SYSTEMS Mouse 119.00

MICROSOFT Mouse w/sllwr 117.00

KOALA KAT 137.00

MODEMS

ANCHOR Lightening 2400 .Express 300/1200 . ...

Volksmodem 1200 (5 yr wrnty)EXPRESS I 300/1200IINTERNAL)

HAYES 1200

1200B

2400

PROMETHEUS 2400

Promodem 1200

Promodem 1200B

Promodem 1200A

Promoden300 lie

MONITORS

AMOEK 300A

310A Hi-Res Amber

Color 600

Color 722 RGB 720X350 . .PRINCETON GRAPHICS HX 12

HX-12E RGB 720X350

SR-12

MAX-12

TAXAN: ALL MODELS

PANASONIC

DT HI03 10" High Res RGBIBM COMPATIBLE MonocromeColor RGB Monitor (640X200)

299.00199.00139.00149.00369.00349.00

CALL379.00245.00170.00189.00

79.00

139.00149.00389.00

CALL399.00489.00

GALL149.00

CALL

359.0099.00299.00

PRINTERS

PANASONIC (2 yr warranty)

KX-P1080i SAVE

KX-P1091I SAVE

KX-P1092 299.00

KX-P1592 419.00

KX-P1595 240CPS CALL

KX-P3131 17cpsDaisey 249.00

KX-P3151 22 cps Daisey 385.00

Citizen MSP-10 275.00

Call for catalog. Thousands of products available. Volume discounts.

MSP-15 389.00

MSP-25 CALL

STAR MICRONICS CALL

EPSON CALL

FX-286 tor

LQ-800 Best

LQ-1000 Prices

BROTHER-1509 369.00

M-1409 dot matrix CALL

M-1109 dot matrix 205.00

HR-20 Daisey wheel 370.00

OKIDATA- All Models Call

TOSHIBA All Models CALL

CANNON Laser Printer 1,999.00

HEWLETT PACKARD LAZER 2.199.00HOUSTON INSTRUMENTS Plotters CALLDigitizers CALL

APPLE

LASER 128 Computer CALL

APPLE Compatible Drive lie 99.00

lie compatible drive 99.00

MAC Compatible 3'A drive CALL

MICROSOFT Softcard II 259.00

ASCII XPRESS (Communications) .65.00

APPLEWORKS 215.00

SPELLWORKS 49.00

PRINT SHOP 35.OD

Mach III Joystick 35.00

SYSTEM SAVER Fan 69.00

VIDEO 7 lie Enhancer CALL

VIDEX Ultraterm 165.00

APRICORN (Liletime Warranty)

Super Serial Imager 75.00

Graphics Interface 65.00

80Column/64K 75.00

EXTEND IT 64K 55.00

KOALA SpeedKey 99.00

o

COMPUTERBANC

16783 teach Blvd., Huntington B«ach, Cfl 92647

©t!fl§8®[jLiu@[r §®irofi(g(i ©aDD fH^WMMHIM)

Orders Only

OUTSIDE CALIFORNIA

800/332-BANC

714-841-6160

Ciih prim indicated. Wb guarantee all Itemi lor 30 days. Within this period, defective, marchandiii raturna mult be accompanied by RMA number. All other return! will be tub|ectto a 15M restocking lee. For prepaid ordora, there will be a 3S ihlpplng charge; 5% lor UPS Blue Label; $5.00 minimum; aU ordara outside U.S.A. at 15% shipping. California

residents add 6% silos taa.

Prices subject to change without notice.©Copyright 19(5 COMPUTERMNC, All Rlghta Reserved.

Inquiry 93

DECEMBER I986 -BYTE 407

6±

21

HI

Inquiry 3

VAR's OEM'sRESELLER'S

Save 20 to 40%

818-889-1256

IBM-PC* Logic Boards

XT 640k Mother Board $78 &

(Fully IBM compatible, w/Ok RAM)

XT 640k Super Turbo $98 n

(Fully IBM compatible, w/Ok RAM)AT Turbo Mother Board $474 M-

(6 & 8 MHz AT, w/Ok RAM)

IBM-PC* Components

(Partial List)Mono/Graphics/Printer $50

(Here. Compatible interface card)Multi Disk I/O (2 Floppy $57

Ctrl.Par, Ser, Clk, Cld, Game)Hi Res Amber Monito (Tilt $66

swivel Base & Anti-glare Screen)Box/Chassis Flip Top $ 19

(IBM Compatible & Look-a-like)Power Supply (150w)

(FCC & UL Std.)

5160 Keyboard, AT style

(Hi-quality with great feel)Floppy Drive DS/DD

(Hi-quality w/Direct Drive motor)EGA Video Card $197 **■

(Now affordable)EGA Monitor RGB $368 n

(720 x350 Multi Sync.)

ACS Imports, specializes in buyingcustom and standard electronicscomponents to fit your specificneeds. We have years of expertisebuying and importing componentsfrom the Orient.

ACS will solve your sourcing needs.

Can: 818-889-1256

ACS Imports, 5311 Deny Ave.#A

Agoura Mills, CA 91301

TLX 5106018224

*IBM trademark International Business MachinesAll prices are FOB Taiwan - Import Quantities

408 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

$43^$48^$59^

with advanced features!

The RAMJET Print Bufler has the features you will needat a price you will like' Panel buttons allow COPY, CLEAR,BYPASS, PAUSE. RESUME. The RAMJET buffer comeswith your choice of 16K, 64K, 256K. User upgradable Op-tional card expands to 512K. Special programmable fea-tures. Available with Parallel/Parallel. Serial/Serial, orParallel/Serial ports. Parallel/Serial version can buffereither way Serial porls independently programmable upto 19.200 Comes with rugged solid aluminum case andreliable power supply Many more featuresRAMJET 16K - $169.00 RAMJET 256K - $269.00

RAMJET 64K - S199.00 RAMJET 512K - $399.00

(206) 624-4985

CALL TODAY! Specify Parallel, Serial, or Parallel/Serial.Information requests welcome. Omnilronix, Inc. is an ex-perienced custom hardware/software developer. We wel-come inquiries about customized bullers or controllersCall us about your application.

Omnitronix, Inc.

760 Harrison St. — Seattle, WA 98109

Inquiry 253

HELP IS HERE ! ! !

Quit wearing out the pages of your softwaremanuals! Mainframe and Mini users quit yearsago. Now they use on-line HELP -- so why notstep up and see what you've been missing?With mlcroHELP you can have on-line accessto the description and syntax for all your DOScommands and special programs. Novice DOSusers find it a real aid in becoming familiar withDOS commands. Experts enjoy the increasedproductivity of having command informationon-line.

• DOS 2.x and 3.x libraries supplied.

• Disk space requirements reduced usingHuffman compression algorithm.

• A utility for adding new subjects to the libraryor for generating new libraries is provided.

• Complete source code to the access rou-tines enable users to write programs that canaccess any library generated by mlcroHELP.Great for program messages.

• Requires MSDOS or PCDOS 2.1 or later and256k memory. Hard disk desirable but notrequired.

ONLY $60.00 Checks and COD

VITAL SYSTEMS

P.O. Box 61738 • Palm Bay, FL 32906(305) 723-1808

TRADEMARKS: mlcroHELP (VITAL SYSTEMS),PCDOS (IBM), MSDOS (MICROSOFT)

Inquiry 378

BAR CODESMADE EASY

PC B-Z-KEAOCR'

^JlKr

PERCON® E-Z-READER

FAST • ACCURATE • RUGGED

NO SOFTWARE CHANGES with PC/XT/AT.AT&T 6300/7300, TeleVideo 905/955 keyboard.multi-user RS 232 interfaces • Thousands m use

• Free phone support ■ 2 year warranty

• Bar code printing software available

Details or Questions? Call us.

(503) 344-1189

J190W 1 Itri Avt, Eugtnr, OR 97*02A LEADER IN BAR CODE READER ENGINEERING

PERCON

ZIMCO

. INTERNATIONAL, INC.

85-39 213 St.. Queens Villanc NY 11477

• FOU NT AIM PC/ AT Conma til) le 112S0 I

• IBM PC PACKAGE

UI.»JJ.MH.I.BH.|.l,',rTH!TlBIHa?a« LOTUS SIGNAL

• EVEREX Graphics Edqe

• HERCULES Graphics Card

□——■■ I In III I

20M.CardDrive$39920Meg. Drive $345

Complete w/cont., rails, software, cables

C—M^MI.nL'.. '.:m^^—]

• CANONLaserJetA-1 $1850 •

• OKIDATA 192/193

• IBM PnOPRINTER/XL S3S5/609 I

» IBMIAPPLE/HARDWARE/SOFTWARE/ASK US «• CALL for Cataloafi latest PRICES <

C\ -800-227-6647

For Technical Support & NYSCall 718-479-7888

FREE SHIPPING! b,i,ui

Inquiry 395

Provides Seal (Encryption) and Open (Reconstruction)of Private Data

• Hardware Key Plugs Into a PC or Compatible Parallel Port.Transparent to Printer Operations

• No Systems Work Necessary: Up and Running in Seconds

• Easy-To-Use Menu Driven Software; No PasswordRequired

• Data Files Encrypted bv Des or Rainbow Algorithm

• Compression Feature h -luces Files to 50% ol Original Size

■ Removal of Data Sentine' -'revents Access to Sealed Data

■ Can be Configured for Coiporate Needs

$195.00

Free Extra Matching Key Included, 30 Day Refund

o

RAINBOW

TECHNOLOGIES. INC

EVALUATION KIT AVAILABLE

lew.3ftffl7B

17971 SKYPABK CIRCLE SUITE E IBVINE, CA M7U

Inquiry 305

IEEE 488

(GPIB/HPIB)

D Controllers

□ Buffers f

□ Converters *D ExtendersD Interface Boards

for PCs, Macintosh, HP plotters,instruments, printers, etc.

Call or send for yourFREE Technical Guide

Dtech

(216) 439-4091

23400 Aurora RoadCleveland, Ohio 44146

Inquiry I7I

HARDWARE

SOFTWARE

Compatible Computer

Mullitecri 900 10/6 MHz

12 MB Floppy

MS DOS 31

One Vear Warranty

Serviced oy TIW NationwideMuliiiecn softwhite + CardMultitecli color * CordMullitecn EGA * CordMulliiecrt 3 MB RAM Exp OKPCA 8 MHz 640K 20 MBPCA 8 MHZ 640K ! floppy

Desktop Computer

IBM PC AT 512K 2675

Compaq Doskpro 286 512K 6193

IBM PC XT WOK 1899

IBM PC 256K 1095

Transportable Computer

Compaq Portable 286 3100

Compaq Portable Computer 1595

Compaq Port II Model 4 3B95

Compaq Portable Plus 1695

Lap-Size Computer

Floppy Disk Drive

Teoc 55BV. 360KTeoc FG, 1.2MBToshiba ND 040,360KTosblbo NDOBDEG, 1.2MBFujitsu 360K

Hard Disk Drive

Seagate ST4026.2OMBSoogate ST4038,30MBRodime 203E, 30 MBSeagate ST4051, 40 MBCDC 9415-86,80MBWestern Digilal WA2Western Digital WAHDisk Manager Software

Printer-Laser

H P Laserjet 500H P Laserjet ProlH P Laserjet PlusCannon LBP-8A-1PCannon LSP-BA-2P

38502350300021503000

Alternative Mass Storage

Bernoulli Box 20+20+80Everex Stream 60 extEverex 60 internalAlloy 60MB externalIrwin 10MB internal

Diskettes and Tapes

3MDC-6O0A cartridge3MDC-1000 cartridgeBernoulli 20MB cartridgeMaxell MD2-DM 10 disksMaxell MD2-HD10 disks

Color Monitor

Input Device

Microsoft MouseMouse System Mouse

Princeton HX-12Princeton SR-12Princeton SR-12 PMultilecn color RGBToxon 630Toxon 640

EGA Color Monitor

Princeton HX-12 E 539

NEC Multisync 569

Multilech EGA 419

Samsung EGA 399

Monochrome Monitor

Samsung omber^reen/TTLAmdex310ATTlomberPnnslon MAX 12 amberMultitech son wiite TTL

Printer-Dot MatrixNear Letter Quality

Hercules Graphics CordEverex Edge i

ATl...Mono<fcolor/nigh/res i

Clone monochrome graphicPersysl Bob/MG mono/RGB

Graphics Board Color

Paradise Mod Grophics '.

Hercules Color GrophicsB5 Clone Color Graphics

159 Graphics Board EGA

,?| Paradise EGA/Auto Switch :

Video 7 Deluxe/Auto i

Multilech EGA ',

Modem

Epson LG-1000 630

Epson FX-286 569

Epson FX-85

IBM Proprinter

IBM Proprinler XL

Citizen 120D 120 GPS

Citizen MSP 10 160 CPS

Citizen MSP 15 160 CPS

Okidota 182 120 CPS

Okidota 192+ 216 CPS

Okidota 193+ 216 CPS

Panosonic KXP1091120

Panasonic KXP 1092 180

NEC P5 290 CPS

NEC P5 XL 290 CPS

NEC P6 216 CPS

NEC P7 216 CPS

Nissho 24 wire, 540 CPS

Toshiba P-321 216 CPS

Toshiba P-341 216 CPS

Toshiba P-351 288 CPS

Toshiba P-351 C 288 CPS

CIE 3500 350 CPS 15E

Printer - Letter Quality

US Robotics Direct 1200US Robotics 1200 PC INTUS Robotics 2400 PC INTEverex Evercom 1200

415 Memory Expansion

1053

1192475665

1990442699949

1135

AST SixPakPlusClone SrxPacfcAST Rampage PCAST Rompoge ATTall Tree J-Ram 3Multitech 0-3MBP/S

I/O Board

2 Floppies P/S/C/G/AT I/O P/S

Seagate ST225,28MB KitSeagate ST238,30MB Krl

Brother HR-15XL17 CPSBrother HR-25 23 CPSBrother HR-35 35 CPSNEC ELF 18 CPSNEC Splnwriter 3550IBM Ouietwriter

369610

Chips

7991215

256K 150 Nana

256K120 Nano

64K150 Nano

8087

8087-2

80287-3

80287-8

Accounting

Integrated

Training

299399

Dac-Easy AccountingAccounting Software. BPIOpen System, Account SoftPCAmerlcan Accounting 169!

Time Line ' Breakthrough 265

Applications Integrator

Microsoft Windows, Microsoft 6J

Desqview, Quorterdeck 6E

Communications

Crosstalk XVI. MlcrostufSmartcom ll. Hoyes

Data Management

Investment

Andrew Tobias's MEGADow Jones Market ManagerDollars and SenseMarket Anolyzer, Dow JonesMarket Manager Plus, Dow Jones65 Spread Sheet Link, Dow Jones

M icro-to- Mainframe

jtg IRMA, Digital Commu nicotians 149989 Crosstalk XVI, Microsoft 119

Outline Processing

ThinkTank. Living Video 99

Reody. Living Video 52

Personal Management

Andrew Tobias'MECA 115

Dollars and Sense. Mono 99

Programming Language

Turbo Pascal. Borland 41

C Compiler, Microsoft 287

Basic Compiler Microsoft 227

Turbo Prolog, Borland 88Mlciosolt Quick Basic

Professor Dos. IndividualTeoch Yourself dBASE IIIPFS: First Choice SPWebstet's New World WriterCertiricote Maker. SpnngbPrint Shop. BoderbundTyping Tulor III, Simon & Simon

Utilities

Norton Utilities. NortonSuperKev, BortondSldeKick, BorlandTraveling SldeKickCarbon Copy. MeridianPC Tool, Centrol PntCopy II PC. Central Pnt1DIR+, BourboklV Feature, Golden BowSQZI Turner HallFasl Back, Fifth GenerationXTree, Execulive Systems

156 Word Processing

dBASE ill Plus. AshtonTR Base 5000, Micro rimRatten, BorlandParadox Ansa SoftwareClipper

Exl Report WriterCloul 2DGraph IIIQulckcode IIIQuick Report

Desktop Management

Sidekick. Borland

The Desk Organizer, Warn

Education

Study Program tor SATMath BlesterEarly Learning SeriesNewsroom, Springboard

File Management

PFS: File, Softworo PubPC-File III. Buttonwo re

Financial Modeling

1-2-3, LCus

Javelin. Javelin Software

Games

Scenery Disks Western USFlight Simulator, MicrosoftJet, Sjbbgin CommunicationSorgon III. Hoyden SoftwareZark I. II. ond III, Inf.F-15 Strike Eagle MicroProWinter Games EpyxTemple 01 Apshal TrilogyMovie Monster - The GameWorld's Greotesl BaseballComp Novel Construction SetBlock Cauldron, SierraSilent Service, Mlcroproso

Graphics - Business

Charter-Moster, Decision Re

Microsoft Chart, Microsoft

1-2-3, Lotus

Freelance Lotus

Harvard Presentation Graphics

Graphics-CAD

AutoCAD. Autodesk Inc. 3

ProOesIgn II. AmericanIn-o-Vlslon, MicrosoftGeneric CAD, GenericProDesIgn II AmericanSBC

1-2-3, LotusSuperCalc 3, Computer AsMuftlplan, MicrosoftLotus Report Writer

Tax Planning orPreparation

Tox Preporer, HawardSoffPC/TaxCut. Best Program

WordPerfect, WordPerfect 219

Microsoft Word, Microsoft 285

Wordstor 2000, MicroPro 277

Easy, MicroPro 75

Mulllmalo Advantage AshlonT 317

Most PromisingSoftware

Turbo Lighting. Borlond 59

Javelin, Javelin 549

Microsoft Windows. Microsoft 65

Q & A, Symantec Corp 299

Generic CAD. Generic 99

The difference betweenPCAmerlcan and other suppliersis our service. We guarantee lowprices, carry products that arefully backed by manufacturer'swarranties and offer customerservice and technical support.

Yes you can! It's easy to dobusiness with PC American. Weoffer terms to qualified institu-tions, accept major credit cards,wire transfers, checks, and cash.

Yes you can! Give us a call. Letus make it possible for you.

TERMS: We accept C.O.O., cashiercheck, Visa, Mosfer Card, 3% extraon American Express, wire transfers,approved P.O.'s. All equipment car-ries new factory warranty. Prices aresubject to change. Any return itemmust be accompanied by a returnauthorization number ond descrip-tion. IBM, Compaq, Seagate oreregistered trademarks of their re-spective companies.

HOURS

MONDAY — FRIDAY8:30 — 5:30SATURDAY10:00 — 2:00

[ppcAmerican

Marketing, Inc.

17151 Newhope St., Suite 104. Fountain Valley. CA 92708

1714-557-3903

CUSTOMER SERVICE

1-800-654-5365

SALES HOTLINE

1714-557-3904

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Inquiry 265

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 409

Inquiry 84

Discover TheDifference...

2 FOR 1 LIFETIME WARRANTY

* Performance exceeds ANSI specifications by 62.5"o

* Eachdisketle 100°o tested and certified errorjree

* 65% clipping tenet * Over 10 million passes per track» Reinforced Hubs * Tyvek" (not paper} sleeves

■ W/P labs and ID labels

.49

1.19

WW - 48 TPI DS-HD 96 TPI

DS-DD IBM-AT Compatible

Simply top Brand-Name Quality, made inthe U.SA. by a leading manufacturer. Fac-tory polybagged in lots of 25.

__ (B. America's

IICenTecIi Premium QualityColor Diskettes

»* TIMELESS WARRANTY

** Performance exceeds AH SI. specifications by 88%

V Each disk 100% tested and certified

S 14 COLORSfor data organization

\S Pkgs. of 10. tyvek sleeves, w/p tabs, and ID labels

SS-DD QTY. 10 BOXES OR DB.n

100 DISKETTES

.74

.981.95

.881.921.95

5% Color, BOXED, 48 TPI

1.39 3.5 Color, BOXED

.64 5V« Color, BULK, 48 TPI

1.30 3.5 Color, BULK

High Density, Color, 1.6mb,

IBM AT Compatible

Includes Tyvek sleeves, w p tabs, ID labels- .^ _— -'CallforexcellentpricesonotherCenTechproducts

America's No. 1

Name-Brand

Diskettes

V LIFETIME WARRANTY

(-"■ High quality and consistently reliable

i^ More rigid jackets than ever before

SS-DD QTY. 5 BOXES DS-DD

.74 5.25,48 TPI 97

1.35 3.5,135 TPI 1.90

DS-HD 96 TPI, IBM AT Compatible 1.95

Call tor best 3M prices on head cleaning and data cartridges.

Affordable QualityIncredible ValueBest Prices Ever!

^ LIFETIME WARRANTY

(** Factory Fresh in BOXES of 10 with sleeves, w/p

tab. ID labels

SS-DD QTY. 10 BOXES DS-DD

.54 5.25,48 TPI, box of 10 .57

1.12 3.5", 135 TPI 1.4B

High Density, IBM PC-AT Compatible 1.50

For every 100 name-brand diskettesFREE Shipping or ^_ _ _

a Diskminderfor only ^O -99

BULK

p fab MULTIPLESOF 100

35*

V LIFETIME WARRANTY*" Exceeds ANSI specifications*** includes Tyvek sleeves and iy Hub Rings'

S 100% tested find certifiedis Made in USA

5Va DS-DD

ORDERING INFORMATION

TERMS: Free use of VISA. Mastercard, and AmericanExpress, P.O. orders accepted from recognized corporationsrated 3A2 or better, government and schools on net30. SHIP-PING: Add $3.00 per 100 diskettes or fraction thereof, addS5.00 for COD orders,

PRICE PROMISE: We will better any lower delivered price onthe same products and quantities advertised nationally

Ton Free Order Line

Information Una

1-800-233-2477 1-801-561-0092

199 Cottage Avenue

omouter 5alt Lake City-utah 84070

_ MMsmt mm in** Hours: Bam to 5pmllTclirS, inC- (mtn.time)

AS APPEARING IN THE DECEMBER ISSUE OF BYTE410 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Memory BoardNOW COMPATIBLEWITH 10 MHz ATs

MRB 2010 memory board that expandsATs to run multiple programs for multitaskingoperations is now capable of running at 10 MHz.

These upgraded boards enable AT systemsto operate at higher speeds and are compatiblewith Xenix, Unix, and other multiuser systems.

MRS 2010 features include:

• 2 megabytes per board — use up to 3 boards

• Compatibility with many other memory boards

• 10 MHz operation with IBM ATs

• Installation in less than 10 minutesCall now for information

on how the MRB 2010can expand themultitaskingoptions of yourAT system.

33800 Curtis Blvd.

Eastlake, OH 44094

(216) 957-5922

Inquiry 343

NO SHIPPING CHARGESORDER TOLL-FREE 800-824-3432

In Callfomli Call (US) 341 -M33

DRIVES

V2 Hi. IBM* Compatible 89.99

Tandon 100-2 99.99

Tandon 100-4 (96 tpi) 129.99

SYSTEMS

PC/XT Compatible 499.99

• 640K on Motherboard • Slide-In Case

• 1-Vi HT. Floppy • 135 Watt Power Supply

• Mono Card w/Printer Port • 5150 Type Keyboard

-+ FCC APPROVED «-

CALL FOR

CUSTOM CONFIGURATIONS

AT COMPATIBLES — CALL!

We carry a complete line of electronic com-ponents. Call or write for our free catalog!

NICORN ELECTRONICS

ChalswOtin CA9131I

Inquiry 371

The PCT-100 is an in-line,user-programmable :

RS-232 protocol and datatranslator It can provide a simple, inexpensive solu-tion to your communications and compatibility problems

• Terminal & Printer Emulation

• Baud Rate Conversion 150 through 19 2 kbaud)

• Handshake Translations (XON/XOFF CTS/RTSENO/ACK)

• Code Conversions (ASCII, Modified ASCII. EBCDIC)

• Bidirectional Manipulation ol Data Slnngs Bytes Bits

• User Programmable

• User Programs are Easily Implemented

• Built-m Compiler. Editor and Debugger

• Programs via any RS-232 ASCII Device

• Only S495 Ismgle unit quantities,

• User's Technical Manual S25

IIIII Method Systems Incorporated

!!! " J 3511 Lost Nation Road

?3Z » Z Willounhby. Ohio 44094

I (216) 942 2100 or lolllreo Sprint local

■ II Wl number, then 666-0212

Inquiry 220

GAT-286COMPLETE SYSTEM—S219500

Includes one megabyte memory on board, 6 or 8MHz, zero wait state. Phoenix BIOS; Disk drive con-troller with 2 floppy disk drives (1.2 M.B. and 360 K)and one 20 M.B. hard disk; monochrome monitor withadapter, serial/parallel ports; 200 W. power supply,keyboard, case. IBM PC/AT compatible. Certified tocomply with FCC. class B standards.

XT COMPATIBLE SYSTEM—$795"

Includes 640K memory on board, 2 floppy disk drives,serial/parallel/game ports, real time clock; mono-chrome monitor w/adapter, 150 W. power supply, key-board; one year warranty.

PC/XT/AT COMPATIBLE PARTS

I/O Card for XT or AT $ 70.00

LOGIMOUSE $ 85.00

20 M.B. Hard Card $425.00

30 M.B. Hard Card $475.00

Modem (Internal or External) $149.00

Joystick $ 20.00

LUCKY COMPUTERS[214] 690-6110

1701 Greenville, Suite 602, Richardson, TX 75081IBM PC/XT/AT are Registered Trademarksof International Business Machines Corp.

Inquiry 204

STAND ALONEMICROCONTROLLERS

For engineers, designers,experimenters, and others!

Omnitromx, Inc. is now ottering a self contained stand-alone 8031 based microcontroller package tor your ap-plications development. The MSC-8031 Controller fea-tures two bi-directional RS232 ports, fully suppottingserial pins 1 thru 8, 12. 20. and 22. The serial ports are In-dependently selectable for up to 19,200 baud From panelhas two on/oft buttons (plus power) and two controllableLEDs The board supports one 2764 EPROM and one 8KSRAM Internal expansion bus permits additional memoryor I/O interfacing All contained in an attractive solid alu-minum case Controller package includes MSC-8031 con-troller, 8K SRAM, UL approved wall power supply, sche-matics, and programming examples Kit price S249 00.Quantity pricing available. Call us at (206) 624-4985 Sendfor our catalog of peripherals and controllers Omnitromx,Inc. is an experienced hardware/sollware developer formicrocontroller applications Call us for your customprogramming requirements on our sland alone controllersor other PC based applications.

Omnitronix, Inc.

760 Harrison SI. — Seattle, WA 98109

Inquiry 252

New Shugart Model 16105-Vi" Hard Disk ControllersEmulates: —

• Xebec S1410 (1610-3)

• DTC 510 (1610-1)

• SCSI (1610-4)

Works with:

• Micromint COM 180, SB180. Wavemat Bullet

• AMPRO All Boards

• Macintosh

• Apple lie

• ACS 1000

Full

90 Day

Guarantee

Manual &

Schematic

Only $8

Xebec S1410 HDC $95

IBM PC Controllers

• Adaptec 2010A $150

• Adaptec 2070 (RLL 2-7) $175

(Shipping & Handling $5.00)

222 Phelan Ave. • San Jose, CA 95112408-280-1740

Inquiry 89

ANNOUNCING .... a high performanceMC68000 based 32 bit APL interpreterexclusively for the IBM PC/XT/AT and

compatibles.... single or multi-user

total integration with DOS hardware andsoftware environment.

MumAPL

• 10-12-15 MHZ 68000 coprocessors

• Up to 6MB RAM per PC

• No object size limitation

• Full printer support

• Multi-user file system

• Local Area Network facilities

• 32081 floating point processor

• Other systems available for:Macintosh, Amiga, Atari ST, etc.

Single-user $995 • Multi-user $1495Coprocessor boards start at $1950

SPEIMCER ORGANIZATION. INCPO BOX 248 / Westwood, NJ 07675/ [20!) 666-60II

VISA / Mastercard I American Express accepted

v<»

&

Model 232CL2

Interface any RS-232 Port with standard 20 Ma.Current Loop Systems. High speed opticalisolators couple Transmit and Receive Datalines. Order now! Just $39.95. Optional PowerSupply $14.95. All cash orders ppd. (IL res.add 6'A % sales tax); we accept MC.VISA. FREE:new illustrated catalog of RS-232 interfaceand testing equipment. Phone: 815-434-0846.Make checks payable to:

;&H electronics

I mam manufacturing company

1500M B0YCE, OTTAWA, IL 61350

Single Board Solutions

Introduces

SBS-52 Controller

8052 Basic VI. I32 Kx8 Ram2 Real Time Clocks32 I/O LinesPrograms EpromsSmall 3.00x5.00 Size

1-10 $179.00Single Board Systems

P.O. Box 3788Salem, Oregon 97302Phone (503) 581-6570

Inquiry 341

Inquiry 45

Inquiry 323

SureWs insured?

SAFEWARE® Insurance provides fullreplacement of hardware, media and

purchased software. As little as $39/yr. covers:• Fire • Theft • Power Surges

• Earthquake • Water Damage • Auto Accident

For information or immediate coverage call:

1-800-848-3469

In Ohio call 1-614-262-0559

SAFEWARE, The Insurance Agency Inc.

MC68000 & MC68020 MPUCassette study courses

direct from Motorola

• MC68000 l6-/32-bit MPU—Self-teaching cassettes

— 3 hours of audio material

— Everything you need to understand thisprecedent-setting microprocessor

— Course manual and pertinent literature

— Only $60 plus your local sales tax

• NEW MC68020 32-bit MPU

— Advanced course for MC68000-literate designers

— Highest-perfomiance general-purpose MPU—Three 90-minute audio tapes

— Study guide, User's manual and otherpertinent documents

—Only $75 plus your local sales tax

Both great courses for only $115

(plus your local sales tax)Send your check or money order(no purchase orders, please) toMotorola Technical TrainingMail Drop HW-68 P.O. Box 2953, Phoenix, AZ 85062

M) MOTOROLA

To order:

courses

PROMPT DELIVERY!!! |

C SAME DAY SHIPPING (USUALLY)

CT QUANTITY ONE PRICES SHOWN (or OCT. 26, 1986

IC

OUTSIDE OKLAHOMA. NO SALES TAX

DYNAMIC RAM

', 1Mbit

loooKxi 100 ns

$40.00

i 4464

64Kx4 150 ns

4.10

j 41256

256Kx1 100 ns

4.85

I 41256

256Kx1 120 ns

3.30

i 41256

256Kx1 150 ns

2.75

i 41128

128Kx1 150 ns

4.99

j 4164

64Kxi 150 nsEPROM

1.35

■ 27512

64KX8 250 ns

$22.00

1 27C256

32Kx8 250 ns

6.50

= 27256

32Kx8 250 ns

5.25

i 27128

i6Kx8 250 ns

4.25

! 27C64

8Kx8 200 ns

4.75

S 2764

8Kx8 250 ns

3.95

■

STATIC RAM

j 43256L-12 32Kx8 120 ns

$23.00

■ 6264LP-

15 8Kx8 150 ns

3.05.

OPEN 6'/p DAYS, 7 am-9 pm SHIP VIA FED-EX ON SAT.

SUNDAYS 4 HOLIDAYS: SHIPMENT OR DELIVERY. VIA U.S. EXPRESS MAIL

SAT DELIVERYINCLUDED ONFED-EX ORDERS

RECEIVED BY:Hi StilAir SG<4 lbsFt P-0ne (13/2 tbs

MasterCard:VISA or UPS CASH COD

Factory New, Prime Parts juWoo

MICROPROCESSORS UNLIMITED, INC.

2£S?££T (918)267-4961

No minimum order

PkNise call lor curreni prm-i utx.-iu'j- fmca^ an: ■..L>-_-ci K, ■.-■\\i--y- Sf-.r-jw; i i^.M'XA' i?.:uC.lili diiCi'unl ima* ■■(»r/.rl Oft!.-=-. "M-.1.M :-V S PM (JSl ;.iiriife..r,-!v;wi:..i-r1,llo vo-.. tlwneit morning, via Federal Express Standard All III $6 00. or Priority One In $13.00!

Inquiry 313

Inquiry 237

Inquiry 232

3D INTERACTIVE GRAPHICS

CGS-3 Library for CGA Card

2D and 3D drawing, rotation, scaling, real-time animationMerge/Copy/Edit images, display images in real-time Con-slruciA/iew/Store/Retneve images Selective screen fill-ing/scrolling in any direction Keyboard support Read/Checkkeystrokes while program keeps running Sound/Musical ef-fects And much more

Required IBM PG/Comuaiibte/CGA/DGS 2 X 3 X SbppQfl 8087/80287Unable fiof M5.iB.'.5 ?o'i^r..Basic'P.iscai-'Proturl.AssemblerCGS-3 Library T 20/3D Tutor ♦ 100-page injnuai §26 95

EGS-3 Library for EGA/Hercules Card

Includes all functions lor CGS-3 Library plus. Screen pagecontrol Programmable color palette Display/Remove textwith down-loadable fonts Draw/Fill with Patterns sized upto 64X64 color pixels Graphics screen dumpRequired IBM PC/Com pat i bit 25GK EGA or compatible or Hercules CardSupport 8037^30287 Callable from MS.'lBM Forlran/PascaifPro-tpruAssembler EGS-3 Library + _,._ _

20/30 Tutor +■ 150-page manual SJ9.95

LlTE-3 Interpreter for EGA/Hercules Card

Interactive Graphics Command interpreter includes all abilitiesol EGS-3 Library Compiling/Linking not required Single-stepgraphic command facilities

Required Hi:.: fJOfJ'5!ii|MtOir.' ?5oK EGA ik compatible or Hercules CardSupport FtOft/HOPfi/ iiASIC'Viuiho P,;ic.(i MS/IHM r-onraiw'Uasic.'Pascal.'Profort/Assemblet LJTE-3 Interpreter » man me

2D>3D Tutor * 150par]E manual S49.30

Both EGS-3 and LITE-3 $59.95

i.i|i;iiit!.1 I

aid purchase!

S5.00

;ase add 6 I25'ja

P.oreBoxe82042h5 ^ (713) 556-5747

Houston, Texas 77282 MC/viSA/CHECK/MO

9-Track Tape Subsystem

Now you can exchange data files betweenyour IBM PC/XT/AT and any mainframe orminicomputer using IBM compatible 1600 BPI9-Track tape. Unit can also be used for diskbackup and archival storage. Transfer rateis one megabyte per minute on PCs and 100%compatibles. Subsystems include 7' or 10 Vz"streaming tape drive, tape coupler cardand DOS compatible software.Prices start at $3,555.

flUnLSTHRl

9015 Eton Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91304Telephone: (818) 882-5822

Serial ^tllWUlt^ Parallel

Convert What You HaveTo What You Want!

* RS232 Serial * Centronics Parallel

* 8 Baud Rates * Handshake Signals

* Latched Outputs * Compact 3^ x A% x V/2

No longer will your peripheral choices be limited by the typeof port you have available! Ouf new High Performance 700Series Converters provide the missing link. Based on thelatest In CMOS technology, these units feature full baudrate selection to 19.2K, with handshake signals to maximizeIransfer efficiency. Detailed documentation allowssimplified Installation. Order the Model 770 (Ser/Par) orModel 775 (Par/Ser) Today!

kiaartranics

only

E89

95

2734-C Johnson Dr.

Posi Office Box 3717

Ventura. California 93006

Op I Ion (10,00

CA flasldents5% ra>ups shipping woo

CALL (805) 658-7466 or 658-7467For FAST Delivery ,

Inquiry 130

Inquiry 296

Inquiry 360

TIMELINE INC.

CALL US FOR ALL YOUR NEEDS!

We have 10 Million I.C.'s in stock'.

Minimum I.e. Order: $200.00

Continental U.S.A

"Order Desk

1(800) 872-8878

Inside California L.A. & Technical Info

(800) 223-9977 (800) 217-8912

OEM INQUIRIESWELCOME

tVUCROSCIEIMCE

10 Mb 1/2

HARD

HEIGHT

*S* ml, \ j

□RIVE

* a>ooc r

$235.00

WITH OPTIONALCONTROLLER CARD

15 Mb System -$289.0030 Mb System - $419.00 Includes:(2) % Height drives & Controller cardwith cables.

WE HAVE A LIMITED STOCK OF THESEBRAND NEW % HEIGHT DRIVES. WE AREOFFERING THEM ON A ONE TIME SALEONLY AT THESE SEVERELY LOW PRICES.

TEC MODEL 1550

PRINTER $S79.QO

-Centronics parallel andRS232 Serial ports-15" carriage-120 cps

-Tractor and friction feed|-Graphics

One of the largest manufacturers in the worldhas 125 of these prestigious printers in theiroverstock. We are extremely fortunate to bedesignated as their representative to market them.

AMDEK 13" Color Composite

MONITOR

for Atari,Commodore & Apple ComputersModel: Color-I Plus-

Resolution: l260Hx320V *"!l""'

$129.95

Input Terminal:Video In: RCA phone-lackAudio ln:Minl earphone jack R.comm«,wiM ?i16HHx17»W«l5V,D" Dl.euy '

MOTOROLA

7" DIAGONALSCREEN

HIGH RESOLUTION

GREEN

SCREEN

MONITOR

F!c2t8o0rv%st $29.95

"V.rtrtjl Input ii 47 to

Ho(iiont»l Inour: 1S.7 KhiMS.7 Khi option* l|■ Vntto Input jtjfuIjPoiitl*. whin,

Inpul larminatton 470 ohmi ♦ ^ j*$ -.-, ,,.,-,

S*. 2.5V ,p 5.ov P-P - ~^^^^m- " *"l

Waight: 6lb*. tor ■P|rt »*« ITTL Inpuul oparalmn. ITPIC*l-

••w mn fl.,( compo|lT, „lH„ RiNnwinn

"■ BANDWIDTH

INFRARED REMOTE CONTROL

IBM PC/XTCOR JR.)

LIQUIDATION!

LIQUIDATION!

— —— m^r-m m B^VHWi «ta#aaT **■■» «*M# ■ «e^ '■fcee* ^m^mWmB^ M K ■ ■ .■VP'wa

We are proud that we have been awarded tne opportunity of offering these very unique keyboard!.The original factory list wea 259.00. We are blowing them out at an Incredible prlcel Alto, theia erairlcan made and not Taiwan clones. These can be oparatnd by remote or atteched to your computer

COMPLETELY IBM COMPATIBLE

ASTEC 65 WATT SWITCHING

POWER

Dual Input voltage 115/230 VAC - Ovarvoltaga protection -Short circuit protection • Dual iiolatad + 12V • Built-in EMIfilter • Vary compact liza -.UL/CSA/VDE approved ■ 100%thermal cycle Si burn-in - Nigh alficiancy - Veccum Impreg-nated traniformert • Convection cooling - Open PCB "L"bracket or bound construction.

Dimensions;8.0" • Length

4.4"-Width2.4" - Haight

SUPER DEAUJJ529-00

OUTPUTS:Condition No.l+ 5V DC<S>6.0A+ 12V DC© 1.5At12VDC»2.1A

Condition No,2+5V DC© 5,0A(wlth two + 12V outputt In parallel)+ 12V DCtwIth two + 12V output* In parallel)

(P3.5A (S.0A surge)

-12V DCIP0.2SA -12V Pets' 0.25A

■ HARD DISK DRIVESPERFECT FOR ' FLOPPY DISK DRIVESPERFECT FDR .MINICOMPUTERSPOWERING: . CRT»

PROGRAMMABLE SYNTHETICSPEECH GENERATION BOARD

SSB-APPLE

PLUG COMPATIBLE WITH APPLE IIMICROCOMPUTERS. Can be easily con-trolled by BASIC. Uses TMS5220 lor:Low-data-rate LPC encoding. *-5V & -5VSUDpllei only . TTL Compatible

INCLUDES: Software and Speaker

•'j• M9^-

Kodak-Teammate

HIGH CAPACITYDISK

Drive $129.00

Unformatted: 3.3 Mb Formatted: 2.78

Requires 8" controller and software (both available)

"Amlyn 1865 High Capacity drive : 119.00

TANDON 848-2

REMEX FD480

RICOH RP1200 (Daisy Wheel)

SERIAL MODEM CABLE

NASHUA Diskettes (box of 10)

4164-15 (min. 100 pes.)

TELEPHONE HEADSET

12V ADAPTER (250mA)

ULTRASOUND DEVICE

5" MONITOR (B&W)

199.95

59.95

349.95

7.95

8.00

.89

3.95

2.50

3.95

39.95

EPSON QX-10

MOTHERBOARD WITH VIDEOCARD & YOUR CHOICE OF -ASCII KEYBOARD (ENCLOSED)OR HASCII (BARE)

S 169.95

ONLY 250 SYSTEMS AVAILABLE'Will wDfh with any IBM compatible disk drive • CPUiiPD780AC- 1 I280A compatible. 4 MHz) • Memory-RAM256K on board. Video RAM 128K on CRT board C-MOSRAM 2K.EPROM-2/<]/8K|lorlPU Clock C-MOS real-timeclock Interlace Serial and Parallel DMA 7 channelsInterruol levels 15. Counter/limor 6 channels Card slots5 Compatible with any TTL monitor Weight 10 lbs withenclosed keyboard. 8 lbs with bare keyboard

KEPCO/TDK

SWITCHINGPOWER SUPPLY

$39.95

ONLY2S0 AVAILABLE'Model EFX I00T-3 100W • . 5V0 6A • -5V 8 I 5A • ♦ 12V 62 0A» !2Vfl 2 0A .Input Voll-age 10010 130Va-cor200lo260Va-c 47-440 H£Smglephase • Bfownoul Voltage 90Va-c/180Va-c • Fused Inpul/Oulpul protected against shorl circuit Dim 9VL x4'\eVJ«2VH. Weighl 3 IPS. Spec Included

MODEL DM8112CXHigh Quality - Solid State

12" SANYOMONITOR

MONOCHROME- For use in:Survei I la rice, Industry,broadcast,education & data display.AC 117V-60Hz-36W (0.4A)Re-conditioned& fully tested -Composite videosignal, sync,negative

$49.95

VllKlmp. bt'rrfwi.Jlh IfiUHl

Display format 1930 character* nvu. SO char, x 24 tinai 15 * 7 dot)Scanning Fracf«ncyHwitomiir.it 15.78 KHi. Vertical rata 60 Hi

10y2Hx13Wx14D"

"Spy In the Sky" Fairchild CCD122

1,728 ELEMENT *

Linear Image Sensor$29.95

"Tin Designed '°r page (canning application*Twilight including ficiimile, (Optical CharacterZona" recognition and other imaging application!which raquira high resolution and highMnaltlvity.

OB

C1ASSIC TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION

«* 286 SPEED PAK

FOR IBM PC S. XT

UP TO 10 TIMES PC SPEED

$695.00

-Increase* spoad of PC/XT to make it 33% failar than an AT

20- jC'\ falter than board* that uta cacha-Compatible with IBM Enhanced Graphics Adaptar and the

Lotus/Intel abova board

•Can run program) designed for tha AT'* and also PC/XT'*

■No software patchai needed

'mm°"Ts"1.""°' 3 Year Warranty

1490 W. ARTESIA BLVD., GARDENA, CA. 90247

Continental USA Inside California L.A. Araa 8. Technical Info

(800) 8728878 (800) 223-9977 (213) 217-8912

Inquiry 361

t^ffl ^W

Minimum Order: $25.00. Shipping & handling chargesvia UPS Ground: $.50c/lb. UP§ Air: $1.00/lb. MinimumCharge: $4.00. We accept cashiers checks, MC or VISA.No personal check COD's. Items reflect 5% cash or checkdiscount. California residents add &A% sales tax. We arenot responsible for typographical errors. All merchandisesubject to prior sale.Phone orders welcome.Foreign Orders

require special handling Prices subject to change without notice.

Top 100

Venture Capital

Investment Firms

We work with the top one hun-dred venture capital investmentfirms in America. Ninety eight per-cent of the multi-million dollars of in-vestment goes into high-tech,manufacturing and start up com-panies.

The amount can range from50,000 to 50 million.

Call today for further information(916) 362-2731

International Financial Co.

President Rayford R. Roberson

4056 Bairn Dale Way

Sacramento, CA 95826

Inquiry 170

»ower Control

110/220 AC by your IBM-PC

The boards allow you to Con-trol/Monitor high voltage AC/DCpower lines with your IBM-PC/XT/AT or compatible while pro-viding optical isolation.

®

QUA TECH, INC.

478 E. Exchange St. Akron OH 44304(216) 434-3154 TLX: 5101012726

Inquiry 290

WAVEFORM

SYNTHESIZER

For IBM-PC/XT/AT and

compatibles

Generates user-definable signal

Up to 2000 points per envelope

<J>

$795.00QUA TECH, INC.

478 E. Exchange St. Akron OH 44304(216)434-3154 TLX: 5101012726

Inquiry 292

RS-422

Communications Board

• For IBM-PC/AT/XT andcompatibles

•Dual RS-422/RS-485 interface

• Differential drivers to 4000 ft.

Fast DeliveryQUA TECH, INC.

478 E. Exchange St. Akron OH 44304(216)434-3154 TLX: 5101012726

o

Inquiry 289

MODULARDATA ACQUISITION

• For IBM & Compatibles

• Flexible and Inexpensive

• Money Back Guarantee

• Free Technical Support

Fast DeliveryQUA TECH, INC.

478 E. Exchange St. Akron OH 44304

(216)434-3154 TLX: 5101012726

O

Inquiry 291

72 Digital I/O

PXB721

Parallel Expansion Board

• For IBM-PC & Compatibles

• 72 Digital I/O Lines

• Simple Programming

• Uses One Expansion Slot

• Fast Delivery

$195

®

QUA TECH, INC.

478 E. Exchange St. Akron OH 44304(216) 434-3154 TLX: 5101012726

Inquiry 293

Inquiry II4

LIFETIME WARRANTY

Verbatim

. \ lO ENDS 12-31'86

c»e«^ 12WCK

**1 * 12 Pack Special 5VSSDD & DS-DO

5V Disks

7S

S-SideDDen.

BtlOf

D-Side96tpi

HIGH OA95DEN. £V-

18s

DigitalCassettes

T300..... 4.05R3O0... 3.85T450..... 5 55DC 30 ...6.60Ml 50 ..4 90HD10.. 7.95

HEADCLEANERS

5V"Kits... 4.75

5VRefills 7.00

8'Xtts... 5.05

8"Refllls 8.00

3l£Disks

SSk)e]2?5D Side 1395

8' Disks$& 15*2

,795

DDen.

D-Side AA95DDen ZUS

Connection"

•Delaware I-800-451-1B49

•Oklaliiirai 1-800'6M.4058-ttevada' V800 62l" 6221

IHlic-Ul) «QjM"C.it KV. BU005

tTTTpj ■JFr ~ LIFETIME WARRANTY

rami

Call For Quantity Discounts

64 Disks

S SideDDen

D-SideDDen

S-Side96tpi

D-Side

96tpi

HIGHDEN.

ad Reliable

"Diskette

Gonnec

7?5995

155

m

21*

Data CartridgesDC100A 12.95

dc 1000 12.95

DC 300A 16.60DC30OXL 19.55DC300XLP 19.85DC600A 22.00

HEADCLEANERS

127-5EA

30 Cleanings

3FDisksS-Side 13^5

D-Side 199J

8TDisks

KS 12$ifi 18*

•DelawareOklahomaton" -Hrrje

J 800 4511849

1-800 654.4058

5 * 10 box Quantity Discounts

I SUPER flOAUTYj

| DisKette-/,—

Connection"

S Side

DDen.

D-Side

DDen.

S-Side

96tpi

D-Side

96tpi

HIGH

DEN.

795995

1575

19*

2195

S-Side ]2^

D-Side

S-SideDDen.D-SideDDen

LIFETIME WARRANTY

I9OJ

8 DISKS19» S

21« I

I

•Delaware 1800 4511849»la*omi1JopSs4;4058

"■"i-WMaT-Ka

■unii) km. C"f. in Moot

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 413

Inquiry 68

PC's! PERIPHERALS

QUANTITY BUYERS ONLY

TURBO XT CLONE 64K

expandable to 640K, 135 wattsP/S, keyboard FDC, 360 K diskdrive fully burned & tested.

IJ>*jyy.UU (3 Units Minimum)

AT CLONE 10/6 MHz swit-chable, 80286 CPU, 1 MBboard U.S. made, 200 wattsP/S, AT style keyboard, burned& tested.

!|>yyy.UU (2 Units Minimum)

2400 Baud

Modem $189.00 (oty. omy)

1200 Baud

Modem $ 85.00 (oty. omy)

360 KB

Floppy Drive .... $ 67.00 <oty. only)

Color Graphics

Card ... $ 49.00 (Qty. omy)

Printer Cable $ 3.59 (oty. only)

XT Hard Disk

Cable Set $ 2.99 (oty. only)

20 MB Hard Disk Sub-System $359.00 (Qty. Only)

All of above prices are C.O.D. cash only.

Prices and availability subject to change

without notice.

(clone factory

(415) 656-5404 /(213) 477-0447(714) 731-5727TWX: 5106003265

This ad is for all those% who ever wonderwhy your company runs

a United Way campaign.

When it comes right down to it, you're probablythe best reason your company has for getting involvedwith the United Way.

You see, they know almost all of the money givento the United Way goes back out into the communityto help people.

So if you, or the people you work with, should everneed any of our services, like day care, family counselingor health care, we'll be right there to help. In fact, thereare tens of thousands of United Way-supported programsand services in cities and towns across the country. Thatmeans help is nearby wherever you are.

And your company knows that could mean the dif-ference between keeping or losing a valuable employee.

That's why they give. And that's why they askyou to give. Because there may come a day when youneed help yourself.

a

United WayThanks to you, it works, for ALL OF US.

'UKll A Public Service of This Magazine & The Advertising Council

414 BYTE- DECEMBER 1986

"THE PC PEOPLE'

800-528-3138 Orders Only

602-991-7870 Customer Service

S-100 DIV./696 CORP.14455 NORTH 79TH ST.SCOTTSDALE AZ 85260

TELEX 9103806778 SONE HUND

PC COMPATIBLE SYSTEMS

WE CARRY A WIDE RANGE OF DESKTOP, LAPTOP &PORTABLES DESIGNED TO RUN THE SOFTWARE THATFUELS TODAY'S BUSINESS.

'•BIG BLUE CLONE"

NOT JUST AN ECONOMICALLY PRICED PC ■

WERE DOWN IN THE DIRT ON PRICEI LET'S MUD

WRESTLE A DEAL FOR YOU ON A B.B.C. THAT'S

"FCC" APPROVED & ONE YR. LIMITED WARRANTY.

BASIC B.B.C.

256-640K, TURBO V20, 8 SLOTS, 360K FLOPPY, 150 WP/S, SLIDE CASE, SPKR, 8 SLOTS $449

CALL OUR SALES PROFESSIONALSFOR ADDITIONAL OPTIONS

BREAK THE SPEED LIMIT

Rev-up to 10 or 12 MHz withACS ET-286.

ACS ET-286 10 MHz, 1-4Mb,CLK-CAL, 2P & 3S PORTS,CABINET, 200W P/S, KEY-BOARD, 8 SLOTS, "FCC,"100% AT COMPATIBLEBIOS, + XENIX READY.

$1,395

{= cofckita

PC-400 512K, 2 FLPYS, 14" 640x400, 512K $979

20Mb HARD DISK SYSTEM $1,369

ATD-8-Q 8MHz 80286, 640K, S, P, 1.2 FLPY . . $1,549ATP-8-Q PORTABLE $1,629

^SPERW

PC/IT 8MHz 80286 EXPANDED w/1 MbRAM, 1.2 Mb FLPY& 85 Mb HARD DISK DRIVES, 8 SLOTS, MS-DOS 31, GW-

BASIC, & DIAGNOSTICS $3,575

PC/IT ENHANCED WITH 1 Mb RAM, 1.2 Mb FLPY & 44

Mb HARD DISK DRIVES & SOFTWARE $2,949

MICRO/IT BASIC SYSTEM $1,749

|.,™| 1086-50 1 Mb RAM, 50 Mb H.D./TAPE$10,695

l==i=i> 686-25 6 USER, 25 Mb H.D $3,395

2086-2 2 Mb RAM, 80 Mb H.D. & TAPE $14,395

WYSE

■ i i i

WYPC-286 40 Mb H.D, 10 MHz 80286 $2,849

WYPC-286 10 MHz 80286, 640K, S, P, CLOCK $1,875

NETWORKING

CALL FOR DEALER PRICING, INTEGRATION,AND/OR CONSULTATION.

[omPuPrOuvuam HUB $265

EARTH NET/PC ARCNET Vi CARD.$295Al I /"VC/PC-SLAVE/16 1 MB, 8 MHz, V20 . $655

/"•IA/T RTNX MSDOS 2.1 $145

ATNX MSDOS 3.1 $219

P LAN-PC ARCNET FOR PC's. . $369

ACTIVE HUB $519

PASSIVE HUB $ 40

iNOVELL

ADVANCED NETWARE STARTER KITS,

SERVERS, AND SOFTWARE CALL

PC/XT/AT BOARDS

-Z"J "J- RIO GRANDE 128K-1.5 Mb. PSS $195

~ CHAUFFER RUNS RGB IN MONO$189

ATTA-BYTE 0-384K FOR AT&T .. $159

TFOM/4P MAESTRO 0-2.5 Mb, S, P $295

^m CAPTAIN OK, S, P, CLK $155

EXPANSION CHASSIS $639

6 PACK PLUS $159

6 PACK PREMIUM $339

RAMPAGE-AT $429

ADVANTAGE $359

3G-PAK EGA CARD, 256K, S, P, CLK $359

^rf I PCMB-1120 ABOVE

■"©• BOARD PS/PC 256K $319

PCMB-2020 ABOVE

BOARD/AT 512K $419

MACROTECH MSR-AT 0-3 Mb RAM FOR IBM-AT ® 6, 8,10, & 12 MHz. NO WAIT STATES $185 - $625

CAD

CORDATA FASTDRAFT 640x480 w/32 COLORS . $969ACS GRAPHAX 20/20 x 2000 x 2000 RES., 32 COLORS,2.5 Mb, AUTOCAD COMPATIBLE $1,595

GaucQ@Qs®oa

inataimant

DMP 41/42 $2,449

DMP 51/52 $3,699

DMP 56 $4,399

DMP 29 $1,699

DMP 40 $899

TRUE GRID DIGITIZERS

TG/005 $289

TG7017 $509

713/017 $619

POWER SYSTEMS & ACCESSORIES

„, ,, \^j

ALL CABLES SOLD AT DEEP DISCOUNT

S4 CIRCUIT SURGE SUPPRESSOR $19

S10 6 CIRCUIT SURGE SUPPRESSOR $29

P15 MONITOR BASE - 5 PLUGS w/SURGE-NOISE &

MODEM PROTECTION - DISK STORAGE $89

U1000 POWER SAVER 1000W UPS. (BY TOPAZ) w/4

OUTLETS AND TRUE SINE WAVE CALL

U400 POWER SAVER 400 WATT CALL

BC-425 WATT S.P.S. 30 MIN $419

BC-675 WATT S.P.S. 70 MIN $625

BC-1000 WATT W/SELF CONTAINED BATT 40 MIN.$939SAFE (SAFT) SPS1000 WATT SINE WAVE $889

MONITORS & TERMINALS

NEC MULTISYNC CALL

TECMAR RGB HI-RES ZVM-1360 $498

ZENITH ZVM-1240 (IBM) FLAT SCREEN $149

ZENITH ZVM-1360 640x400 $498

PRINCETON GRAPHICS ALL MODELS CALL

0TATUNG

ONE YEAR WARRANTY - 30 DAY SWAP-OUT

CM-1360 640x200 RGB, 13" G/A SWITCH $339

CM-1380F EGA 640x350 RES 13" G/A SWITCH $450TEGA-22 256K EGA V2 CARD W/HGC, CGA, MDA $245

1222A 12" GRN. OR AMB $109

1422A DUAL FREQ. TLT/SWIVEL, 14", G/A $139

A LINK

PC-TERM EMUL WY-50, TVI 925, IBM-AT KB,

FOR MULTI-USER PC-SLAVE BOARDS $425

220 EMULATES DEC VT 220, 100, 52 $449

IAA/OC WYSE 30 $299

WlOC WYSE 50 $399

■ ill WYSE 60 $475

LIBERTY FREEDOM ONE $395

PRINTERS & BUFFERS

brother

M-1109 100-25 CPS P & S, TRACTOR $199

M-1509 180/45 CPS P & S W/TRAC CALL

M-1409 AS ABOVE 110 COL, PARA CALL

M-1709 240/50 CPS "PAPER PARK" FX-286 & IBMPROPRINTER COMPAT AUTO SHEET LOAD . . .CALL

HR-35 36CPS DAISY, WIDE CARR $729

HR-20 20 CPS $349

CITIZEN

MSP-10 $298 MSP-15 $375

MSP-20 $339 MSP-25 $475

120D $185 PREMIERE 35 $459

CORDATA LP-300 LASER $2,175

HANZON BUFFER 64K-256K S-S, S-P, P-S, P-P . $265

STAR MICRONICS SG-/5 $369

TOSHIBA P321 PARA. & SERIAL $509

TOSHIBA P341 $899

TOSHIBA PRINTERS CALL

XEROX/Diablo

DIABLO D25 $475

DIABLO 635 $815

DIABLO D80IF $1,398

DIABLO 34 LQ $939

4045 LASER WITH COPIER & 512K RAM $4,798

SCIENTIFIC/INDUSTRIAL PC BDS.

Industrial Computer Cwngna

Tinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnmnri^-n-r

A/D 64-100 $315

A/D 64-PC $396

D/A 64-100 $236

D/A 64-PC $468

1018-PC 96 TTL INPUT LINES $446

SCIENTIFIC SOLUTIONS (TECMAR)

IEEE 488 $239

LAB MASTER $859

S-100 BOARDS

ONE STOP SHOPPING FOR ALL OF YOUR INTEGRA-TION AND POST SALE SUPPORT NEEDS. WE HANDLE:CCS, COMPUPRO, DUAL, I.C.M., ILLUMIN. TECH.,LOMAS, TELETEK, MULLEN, P&T, INDUST. COMP.DESIGNS, TARBELL, ETC. THIS MONTH'S SPECIALSARE:

ICM CPS-16/256K-8 MHz $495

ICM CPZ-186-1 Mb $995

ICM CPS-186/256K $949

COMPUPRO DISK DRIVE BRACKETS $25

HARD DISK & TAPE DRIVES

PC-INSIDER, PC-OUTSIDER & AT-INSIDER HARD DISKSFOR IBM AND COMPATIBLES SET-UP TO BOOT FROMHARD DISK WITH ALL NECESSARY HARDWARE ANDPC-STYLE CABINET FOR EXTERNAL DRIVES.

20Mb PC-INSIDER »399

38 Mb PC-INSIDER ST-238 $498

51 Mb PC-INSIDER ST-4051 $888

51 Mb AT-INSIDER ST-4051 $778

85 Mb AT-INSIDER MC-1325 $1,195

ALLOY FT-60 60Mb @ 1.8Mb/Min, For PC Compat.$699IRWIN 10Mb TAPE/PC or CPRO - Requires CDOS$369

IRWIN 20 Mb TAPE $469

TECMAR QIC 60 AT INT 60 Mb TAPE $1,139

BARE WINCHESTER DRIVES

SEAGATE ST-225 $309

SEAGATE ST4051 51 Mb. 40mSEC, FH 5Vi" . . .$775

QUANTUM O540 43 Mb, 45mSEC, FH 5V4" $798

MICROPOLIS MC-1325 85 Mb, 28mSEC, FH5% "$1,198MAXTOR XT-1140 140 Mb, 30mSEC, FH SW . $3,289MAXTOR XT-2190 190 Mb, 30mSEC. FH 614" $3,895

FLOPPY DISK DRIVES

MITSUBISHI 2894 FH 8" . $465 2896 HH 8" . $425MITSUBISHI MF-501 48TPI $95 MF-504 96TPI $129

TEAC FD55BV 48TPI $89

TANDON TM 50 48TPI $75

SOFTWARE

WE SELL ALL WELL KNOWN BRANDS.ORDER CORRECTLY!"OPENED" SOFTWARE IS NOT RETURNABLE!

NEWSTAR NEWWORD 2 $139

NEWSTAR NEWWORD 3 SPELL CHECKER, INDEXING,CONTENT TABLES, MACRO'S, SHORTHAND KEY-BOARD, MULTI-TASKING WORDSTAR COMPAT. $225BD SOFTWARE C COMPILER 8" SSDD 8 BIT .. $95

MICROSOFT — ASHTONTATE -38%

MICROPRO — MULTIMATE — P.F.S -41%

BORLAND INT'L TURBO PASCAL, ETC. -41%

MOST OTHER PC PROGRAMS -41%

MODEMS

LMi

TT~P

■BROMET.HEulPROMODEM 1200 . $249 PROMODEM 2400 CALL

PROMODEM 1200G $179 2400G $339

PROMODEM 1200B W/MIRROR $139

CTS 2424 ADH ASYNCH/SYNCH. HAYESCOMPATIBLE 2400 BAUD $269

PMtf]ghQ

MT224EH MNP ERROR CORREC $469

MT224ER RACK MOUNT W/EDC $465

U.S. ROBOTICS COURIER 2400 CALL

U.S. ROBOTICS AUTO DIAL 212AW/TELPAC-MS-DOS $285

v Advertised prices are cash prepaid only PO's from qualified firms & AM Express 95MC&Visa 963 COD'silh Cashiers Check MO. Bank Wires & APO's accepted Shipping minimum $4 first 5lbs Tax AZ RES ONLY add—cJit towards future purchases All puces & availability subject to change

ffi

ESTABLISHED 1977

Inquiry 3II for End-Users. Inquiry 3I2 for DEALERS ONLY.

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 415

ENCLOSURE PRODUCTS

• Tape and Hard Disk DrivesEnclosures for all Major Micros.

• Single Board Computer Packages

• Custom Design Available

• Class 'B' Certification SupportCan Be Provided

• Call For Pricing and Catalog

( Micro ware Inc.

41711 Joy Road • Canton, Ml 48187(313)459-3557

RS232C IBM PC CompatiblePaper Tape Transmitter/Model 612

Stops and starts on character at all speeds,uses manual control or X-on, X-off 90-260volt, 50-60 Hz power. 50-9600 baud, up to 150char/sec synchronous or asynchronous;gated internal or external clock. RS 232C,current loop or parallel output, reads 5-8 leveltape, 7-11 frames per character, even or oddparity. Desk top or rack mount.

Addmaster Corporation, 2000 S. MyrtleAve., Monrovia, CA 91016, (818) 358-2395,Telex 674770 Addmaster SGAB

—__—_—_j_-

DOUBLE

THEOP*TlC

OPYOUft IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER

PC-XTRA

• PIBECT EXTENSION OF

IBM PC BUS

• NO SOFTWARE CHANGES

• NO HARDWARE MODIFICATION

• STALING CONSISTENT WITH IB

Add all (hose specie) oplions thai you'vewanting without worrying about tilling you'plug-In and back pani'

DEALER INOI

S549 OO' F.O.B. SANTA ANA

•' rCAttPOBNIA RESIDENTS ADO 6"fc SALES TAX

PC HORIZONS, INC.

1701 E. Edinger, Ste. A6, Santa Ana, CA 92705(714) 953-5396

Inquiry 233

Inquiry 5

Inquiry 257

8051PASCAL

* MS-DOS Cross Compiler

* Generates ROMable HEX files

* Separate CompilationIncludes Linker

* Two Memory ModelsOn Chip RAMExternal RAM

* Access to BITs, PORTS, SFRs

* Interrupt Routines

* Compact Run Time PackageSource Included

* Assembler Compatible

* Only $395 Complete

SCIENTIFIC ENGINEERING LABORATORIES

104 Charles Street. Suite 143

Boston. MA 02114 Tel 617 262 3903

HARD DISK ACCELERATOR

• Caching eliminates repetitive

disk accesses

• Use up to 15 Mb of extended/expanded or 500 Kb of standard memory

DISKETTE ACCELERATORSCREEN ACCELERATOR

FAST - FRIENDLY - SAFE

VCACHEGOLDEN DOW SYSTEMS

$65

Add $3 torshipping/handlingCalifornia residentsadd 6% sales tax

2870 Fifth Avenue

Suite 201

San Diego. CA 92103

619/298-9349

90>

#>atvSe»<

Works with any standard Centronics parallelinterface • Reset button • Multiple copyrepeat function • Auto diagnostics • Self-test

Order by Check/MO or VISA/MC/AX

Call Toll Free

USA: 800-533-8049CA: 800624-5628

BaaiZEH

^^KO^^^Pu^J

330 Central Avenue • Fillmore, CA 93015

Inquiry 3I7

Inquiry 150

Inquiry 420

DATA ACQUISITION TO GO

INTERFACE FOR ANY COMPUTER

FREE IBM SOFTWARE

Connects via RS-232. Fully IBM com-patible. Built-in BASIC. Stand alonecapability. Expandable. BatteryOption. Basic system: 16 ch. 12 bitA/D, 2 ch. D/A, 32 bit Digital I/O.Expansion boards available. DirectBus units for many computers.

(201) 299-1615RO. Box 246, Morris Plains, NJ 07950

ELEXOR

Set up a complete

graphics workstation

on your PC for

under $100!

MicraPlot's enhanced PC-PL0T-III graphicsemulator software package enables IBM PCand compatibles to appear to a mainframeas a DEC VT-100/VT-52, a RenographiesVT-640, a Tektronix 4010/4014 or apartial Tektronix 4027. Over 12,000 copiesare currently in use world-wide at majorcorporations, educational facilities, researchlabs and independent consulting firms.

For more information call toll free

1-800-654-1217

T

■ ■ H

659-H Park Meadow RoadWestervllle, Oh 43081 614/882-4786

LOW COST UNIVERSAL-PROGRAMMER KITS

" NO PERSONALITY MODULES REQUIRED" ON LINE HELP AND MENU SELECTIONM ON BOARD 110/22OV POWER SUPPLY" FAST PROGRAMMING MODE AT 6V VCC" BUILT IN MONITOR FOR I/O DEBUG" CAD PCB. SILKSCREEN I SCHEMATIC" SOFTWARE DRIVERS FOR MOST PCs" SUPPORTS ALL 5V EPROMS. EEPROMSAND INTEL MICROCOMPUTERS

KITS FROM $125 ASSEMBLED $295DRIVERS $35 SHIPPING $t

VISA & MASTER CARD ACCEPTED

B&C Microsystems

6322 Mojave dr. San Jose CA 95120Phone (108)997-7685 Telex 1995363

Inquiry 124

Inquiry 418

IT'S A FACT!

SOME PC USERS

ARE SNOBS!

OVER 600 PIECES OF

IBM-PC COMPATIBLE

SOFTWARE JUST

S6.00 A DISK!

OVER 500 DISKS FULL

OF PUBLIC DOMAIN AND

USER SUPPORTED PROGRAMS

STAR

'otne PC users are snobs!

In this day of Young Upwardly Mobile Pro-assionals, some people won't even try ourreal software because of the status stigmasttached to it. Why, you ask? Because ofome of the same status symbols that makeDme people want to drive BMW's and wearenuine ROLEX watches. "After all," theysason, "what if some one from the officeaw me using a $6.00 software programistead of the latest version of Star- Word-D-erfect-Plus? I might loose my keys to thexecutive wash room or something."We're sorry if you have fallen into this sta-ts trap. The truth is our modestly pricedDftware is some of the best and most sophis-cated you can buy anywhere at any price.'ould it make you feel better if we increasedjr prices 50 times and added a fancy copy'otection scheme?

Think big! Dare to be different! Why notst tell the other YUPPIE'S at the office thatju're buying an ounce of gold with the dif-rence you're saving. You may start a newend, and may even corner the gold marketthe same time!

Still not convinced? Well, here is just atmple of our ever growing library by cate-jry:

APPLICATIONS

SNEALOGY ON DISPLAY (#90)

ENEALOGY - FT (#240) From Pine Cone software.

iBELMAKER (N146) Our favorite label file and

tker Menu driven.

lMILY HISTORY (#361) Family history, ancestor

d decendant charts. Sample programs.

IRM LETTERS (#388) LOTS of samples of the

ist commonly used business letters. Modify!

:-SPRINT (#507) Oetailed instruction on how to

uble your computer's speed for less than $50.00.

JDOS-CPM/80 INTERFACE (#561) CPM lovers!

is program allows you to transfer information

tween and emulate CPM and MSDOS.

tME GRAM/BREAK DOWN/FOREWARO (#477)

icover the words inherent in your phone number.

great anagrams.

IE WORD DIGITIZED (#494. 495. 496) A carto-ipher's dream. Locate and display over 100.000

ations.

3 LETTERS (#300) Most commonly used form let-

s. and business applications at your fingertips.

COMMUNICATIONS

IODEM (#310) Without a doubt the fastest and;t communications software you can buy at anyce.

•TALK (#16) The classic "Freeware" communica-1 program.

BS (#212) Become a SYSOP and start a bulletinird.

)0 NET (#333) Bulletin Board System. Perhapseasiest to run.

OCOUM (#499) Communication software thatkes a hacker's dream come true.

DATABASE

VCR dBASE (#493) Keep track of those favorite VCRtapes that you never can seem to find when you wantthem.

DATABASE PROGRAMS

PC-FILE (#5) Perhaps the granddaddy of user sup-ported database programs from Jim Button.NEW8ASE (#238) Menu driven database for thebeginner.

PC-DBMS (#383) A relational database manage-ment system that provides on-line help and screenediting functions.

CREATOR (#339) Create, report and sort makes thisa super database management system.MAIL MASTER (#481) Easily sort, index, and listyour multiple mailing data bases.

EDUCATION

EQUATOR (#249) A teaching tool for math, science

and finance.

PC-TUTORIAL (#403) A first course in computer

usage covering various aspects of MS-DOS. Good!

PC-PROFESSOR (#105) Learn Basic the easy way.

One of the best tutorials on BASIC.

PC-DOS HELP (#254) Type "help" for the DOS

command you forgot.

PC PROMPT (#558) Fascinating on line memory

resident DOS helper that also supports BASICA,

EDLIN. DEBUG, and TURBO PASCAL.

PC-SPRINT (#507) Tutorial on how to triple your

PC's speed.

FINANCIAL

PC-CHECK MANAGER (#275) Keeps multiplecheckbooks in balance.

TAX FILE DBS (#295) Tax record keeping systemthat saves you money on April 15.PORTSWORTH PACKAGE (#101) Evaluates yourever-changing stock portfolios.PC-GENERAL LEDGER (#237) An exceptionalaccounting system. Used by some CPA's.LOAN AMORTIZATION (#399) For output to screenor printer. Lots of on-line help.MR. BILL (#469,470) Prepare invoices, client report,audit trail, etc.

ANALYTIC CALC (#430-432) 3 disk set. Completespreadsheet, database, graphics, word processor- fassst!

PC ACCOUNTING SYSTEM (#559. 560) Generalpurpose ledger system that includes payroll, depre-ciation, accounts receivable/payable, inventory,processing 1099's and a good general ledger.PC-PAYROLL (#565) Handle all payroll problemswith this complete menu-driven payroll system.Includes taxs, reports, forms, etc.SALESEYE (#501, 502) Never let another prospector lead get away! Prints memos and letters as well.

GAMES

TOP GAMES (#274) The most requested arcade

type games.

ARCADE GAMES (#293) Another goodie bag of top

arcade games.

PC JR GAMES (#354) Games that will work only on

PC JR. Combat. Dungeons and Dragons. Global

Thermonuclear War.

MISC GAMES (#390) Good selection of educational,adventure, and arcade games.PINBALL RALLY (#557) You asked for it! Here arethree pinball games that vary in complexity. PIN-BALL. RAIN. TWILZON2.

DND (#567) Dungeons and Dragons, this uses textcharacters instead of graphics.REFLEX POINT (#487) Self styled action game sim-ilar to ROBOTECH cartoon series.

GRAPHICS

PC-KEY DRAW (#344-345) A small CAD system.Lots of demonstration files.

PC-PICTURE GRAPHICS (#136) Drawing packageallows you to zoom, color, and store pictures.PC-GRAPH (#418) Allows user to create graphicsfrom PC—File report files.

PRESENT (#471) Professional slide shows are asnap with the advanced graphic features of this pro-gram. Includes a screen "capture".

LANGUAGE

CHASM (#10) Cheap assembler with tutorial.XLISP (#148) Lisp language interpreter.PROLOG &UNIFORTH (#417) Complete with editorand documentation.

ESIE (#398) Build and generate an expert system ina flash.

P-BASIC (#381) BASICA work-a-like for clones, etc.TINY PASCAL COMPILER BUILDER (#540) Learnto create your own Pascal Compiler and languagecompiler/savings and investment portfolio. Userfriendly!

SCREENCODE (#503) Build your screen applica-tions and watch SCREENCODE generate the codefor DBASE II and III, BASIC, and more.VISIBLE PASCAL COMPILER (#510) Watch yourprogram step through its routines as you learn toprogram it in PASCAL.

EXTENDED BATCH LANGUAGE (#124) Makes thePC do menial tasks you never thought possible.

MATH AND STATISTICS

EPISTAT (#86) Statistical analysis of small tomedium-signed data samples.STAT-TOOLS (#509) (1 of 2) Do single size experi-ments, studentized ranges, calculate the size of spe-cific sample sizes.

STAT-TOOLS (#509) (2 of 2} Do calculations thatrequire the entry of original observations, exact ran-domization tests, mean squares, etc.

MUSIC

PC-MUSICIAN (#127) Compose music on your PC.

save and play again.

PIANO MAN (#279) Play your keyboard like a piano.

PRINTER UTILITIES

SIDEWAYS (#265, 411) Prints text sideways on anEpson printer.

SETPRTR (#79) Sets up Epson printer from a menu.PRINTER UTILITIES (#411) Smorgasboard of utili-ties and tools.

EPSON PRINTER UTILITIES (#326) Spool, set uproutines all designed tor Epson codes.BANNER (#386) Make long banners with large let-ters. Includes MS-FORTRAN source codes.WSMMX80 (#526) Allows Word Star to print moreways than you imagined on an Epson/Compatible

printer. Useful for mathematical and scientificnotation.

SPREADSHEET TEMPLATES

PC-CALC (#199) Fabulous 123 work-a-like from theauthor of PC-File.

LOTUS 1-2-3 TEMPLATES AND MACROS (#406,414) Why spend hours writing your macros whenthese are ready made? Modify them yourself.

TEXT PROCESSING TOOLS

WORDSTAR AIDS (#375) Collection ol the mostuseful utilities for the Wordstar user.PC OUTLINE (#414) Create and collapse and out-line. Great for plans, essays, etc.PC-STYLE (#505) Better than your high school Eng-lish teacher! Analyzes your writing ability.POLYGLOT 1 LETTERFALL (#542) Two educa-tional programs to match sentences, words, anddefinitions, O&S'S. Typing tutor is great!SIDE WRITER (#523) Print your text files sideways.Allows the 132 column barrier to be broken. Greatfor large spread sheets.

UTILITIES

GINACO (#66) Polished routines written in basic forany beginner or expert. We love it!ULTRA-UTILITIES (#133. 245) Recover lost files,modify sectors, etc. Like Nortons.SYSMENU (#250) Build a menu driven menu sys-tem. Excellent for hard disks.PC-DESKMATES (#405) Better than Sidekick andall of the rest of the memory resident desktoputilities.

ALIGN (#217) Disk Alignment tool.TOP UTILITIES (#273) All of the most requestedutilities on one disk.

NUMZAP (#264) Removes line numbers from BASICprograms.

UNPROTECT (#414) Various routines to disconnectprotection schemes.

PATCHES (#376) Make back up copies of some ofthe most popular commercial programs with thiscollection.

DOSMATIC (#496) Fabulous task-switching andmenuing utility that allows several.PC-TOOLS (#536) Lots of useful utilities with bothEXE and "C" source code. BROWSE. DUMP.MERGE. WORD COUNT. ROFF. GREP. etc.DBS-KAT (#537) Diskette cataloging system forarchival purposes. Database can hold up to 9,999diskettes and 16.000,000 files.STILL RIVER SHELL (#481) An enhancement of thePC-DOS working environment. Faster and uses KeyCommands.

PC-PROMPT (#558) The on-line mode makes thismemory resident utility tops. Great for beginnersand advanced users alike.

WORD PROCESSING

PC-WRITE (#78) Our most popular full featuredword processor that is actually faster than Wordstar.DICTIONARY (#378) Dictionary type spellingchecker.

PC TYPE (#455) Jim Button's contribution to a fullfledged word processor.

NEW YORK WORD (#528, 529) Powerful word pro-cessor that creates keystroke macros, split screenediting, mail merge and more. Watch out Micro-Soft!

Inquiry I95

■~l

ORDER FORM

LONE STAR SOFTWARE, INC. 2100 Hwy. 360, Suite 1204, Grand Prairie, Texas 75050, (214) 647-1010

No COD's or Purchase Orders

U.S. Funds Only

Foreign Orders add $5.00

to all Shipping/Handling

We Warranty All Disks Against Defects

In Duplication

TOTAL n.

DISK DIRECTORY(Explanation of all files & programs)

OTHER

<$6 =

HIP TO:

HARGE MY:

I MASTERCARD

ARDNO

SUBTOTAL

TEXAS RESIDENTS ADD 6V4% TAX

SHIPPING AND HANDLING

(1 @ $1.00 and 50« for each additional disk)

XPIRATION DATE .IGNATURE

PLEASE ENCLOSE CHECK WITH ORDER

«1986 Lone Star Software. Inc.

1.

ENTER DISK NU

MBERS DESIRED:

1.1

2.3.4.5." 6.7.8.9.

14

1.1

16

17

13

on

HORDER

21

1011.

00

?n

12.

Forget Drive Table Limits!

1 Use any Compatible Drive on

the AT Controller■For DOS, UNIX, XENIX...■ Plug-in Installation1 Includes set-up and low-level

format

DUB 14

GOLDEN BOW SYSTEMS

$95

S3 shipping/handlingCalifornia ordersadd 6%

2870 Fifth Avenue

Suite 201

San Diego. CA 92103

619/298-9349

JSa®2§Jdnl™

KEYBOARD PROTECTOR

Remains in place during keyboard use. Preventsdamage from liquid spills, dust, ashes, etc. Fitslike a second skin, excellent feel. Available for:IBM-PC, AT, Apple (all), Compaq, Model 100,NEC 8201, CM, Zenith 150, DEC, Kaypro,KB5151, AT&T 6300, WYSE 50 and manyothers, Send $29.95, check, M.O., Visa & MCinclude exp. date. Specify computer type. Dealerinquiries invited. Free brochure avail.

Merritt Computer Products, Inc.

2925 LBJ Fwy. #180 / Dallas, Texas 75234

(214) 339-0753

CHANGING SYSTEMS?

What Happens to Your Data?

Does JDST Media Conversion

Solve Incompatibilities?

what if ...

everything is changing, including your software,hardware, operating systems and media? Whathappens to your spreadsheet data and formulas,database structures and/or word processingdocuments and codes?What do you do, and what is the cost?

We Make Incompatible Data Compatible!

The source can be mainframes, minis, micros,dedicated word processors or typesetters.ADAPS0 member.

CompuData Translators, Inc. 213-462-62226565 Sunset Bl„ #301 Hollywood, CA 90028

Inquiry 149

Inquiry 218

Inquiry 79

8051

8048

SIMULATORS - CROSS ASSEMBLERS -PROGRAMMERS - SIM51 and SIM48 Soft-ware Simulators run on IBM-PC, CP/M-80,MS-DOS. Designed for validation & debug-ging application software. Simulationincludes all on chip functions plus expan-sion chips. $250, one year FREE updates.Formats: PC-DOS 2.x DSDD, CP/M-80 8"SSSD, many 5V*" formats. Cross Assemblersand EPROM pgmrs also available. LogicalSystems Corp. 6184 Teall Station, Syr., NY13217. (315) 478-0722.

|oqkql Systems

VT100 VT220TEK 4010/14

Emulation from $89

GMS emulators turn your PC* Into full-featuredDEC Color terminals

True 132 columns. VT100 line graphics

Sottkeys, DOS keyASCII and binary file transfer KERMIT

38400 Baud, ANSI Color

Fast, Compact (less than 70k), Efficient

OPTIONAL 4010/14 GRAPHICS

CGA, EGA, Here 6300, 3270 support

Coming soon: TC/IP support, PC410S

Join thousands who have discovered GMS's

4 year record of

quality emulation software and support.

General Micro Systems

PO Box 5330

Minneapolis, MN 55343-1553 USA

(612) 944-0593

Call lor Free Information Package.

•Also runs on XT. AT, 3270 PC, jr and compatibles.DEC is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corp.

INMO/AT

PC-AT EXPANSION CHASSIS

• Full 16-bit PC-AT bus

• 10 slots

• 250W power supply

• Two fans

• Direct extension of PC-AT bus

• No software changes needed

• Inexpensive, simple, attractive

Dealer inquires Invited.List Price $1,400.00

INI Computer Products6915 Hightech DriveMidvale, UT 84047

(801)561-1100

Contact Mark Jenkins

Inquiry I9I

Inquiry I4I

Inquiry I67

Motion Control &Data Acquisition

on your IBM PC or Apple IIand all compatibles

Smart 2 Axis Motion Controller: For manytypes of motors & encoders. New I.e. (from HP)allows changes & monitoring on the fly. Opticallyisolated. W/SOFTWARE $350.Four Axis Stepper Driver With SOFTWARE &motor for instant automation. $95.Fast A/D Board: With programmed gain, 650 KHz,4 inputs, $220. Complete Scope hardware & SOFT-WARE $500. Also: 12 Bit A/D, Relay Driver, RealTime Clock. Circuit developers Project Book $25.

How doyou do it? Use our Local ApplicationsBus, LAB 40. One host adapter ($150) supportsup to 8 boards, like those above, on a 50 ft.ribbon cable.

Please call (415) 755-1978 for free literature.

(omputer^^Jntinuum

75 Southgate Ave.. Suite 6

Daly City. CA 9401 5 (4151755-1978

IBM PC rf

A professional package enabling you todesign, edit, print & plot electronicschematics. Supports "A" — "E" sizesheets, over 2000 Unique Library Parts,Auto Panning, Part Rotation, 5 ZoomLevels, Rubberbanding, Powerful Macros,Hi-Res Color & Monochrome Graphics,Much More! $495 Includes Everything.

Call or Write for Free Demo Disk.

OrCAD Systems Corporation Hj::

1049 S.W Baseline St. Suite 500 EEE

Hillsboro, OR 97123

(503) 640-5007

D=

1=0

DCB

PRINTER BUFFER

! not only aprinter buffer !

THIS IS THE MOST SOPHISTICATED

- MULTIPLEXOR - SWITCH

WITH TWO SEPARATE INPUTS (SERIAL AND PARALLEL! ANDTWO SBPARATB OUTPUTS [SERIAL AND PARALLEL| CAN BBUSED LIKE STANDARD BUPPBR. WITH ANY INPUT TO ANYOUTPUT BUT ALSO YOU CAN CONNECT 1 COMPUTERS TO IPRINTER, OR I C0MPUTBR TO J PRINTERS. OR J COMPUTERSAND 3 PRINTERS AND MORE • I COMPUTER TO J PRINTERSOR s COMPUTERS TO I PRINTBR

HIOH CAPACITY - S4 KB TO 268 KB AND - ISO KB TO I MBIMODELS A AND B| PAUSE, COPY AND RESET FUNCTIONS

SERIAL PORTS WITH T OR S BITS WORD LBNOTH. I OR 1 STOPBIT. PARITY, X0N/X0PP. DTR. RTS

DCB-A-6dK I 1Q5 DCB-B-S66K t 9S5 I'l

(•] P°»» .uppl, .nd p.i.ll.I »bl« m "iclud.d

ALSO. WB HAVE THE MOST C0MPLBTB DATA CONVBRTBRUNIT CONVBRTS RS131 SERIAL TO CBNTR0NICS PARALLELOR VICB VERSA. JUST BY MOVING JUMPERS BAUD RATE ANDPROTOCOL PULLY PROORAMABLB PROM ISO TO 19200 BAUDSINCLUDBS DTR. RTS. XON/XOPP. PARITY. »lc

DCU | gfj |"|

|"| Pow.t ijppl, tnd obi.. NOT includ.d

serialOparallelDCU bi-directional converter

INTECTRA lm.-Dept.232

1415) 967-8818 TX 345545

HUNTING FOR A GREAT DEAL?

HARD DISK DRIVE CARDS

Logic Array MegaCard!

NEW!

• Hard disk drive on a plug-in card givesPC or compatible the storage capacity ofan XT

• Uses NEC technology for high reliability

• Fast, easy installation

• two year guarantee—parts and labor

21-Megabyte $499

30-Megabyte CALL FOR PRICE

HARD DISK DRIVE KITS

(Half height, boots from hard disk—includes controller, cables, manual)

20-Megabyte S415

40-Megabyte S599

(with Disk Manager software)On Track Disk Manager Software

sold separately S65

FLOPPY DISK DRIVES

360-K S89

1.2 Megabyte, AT-Compatible S129

1.2 Megabyte, PC-compatible

(enables your PC or XT to read and write

AT-formatted diskettes)

was S299-clearance price NOW ... .SI29

EGA SOFTWARE

Rix EGA 1

I'aint

.S49

DISK DRIVECONTROLLERS

From National Computer Ltd., Japan'spremier maker of controllers

• These compact AT-compatible controllercards are among the smallest available.

• Co-resident, IBM-COMPATIBLE

NDC 5126 AT Winchester only SI79

(a half card—so small you won't believe

it's AT-compatible)

NDC 5125 AT Winchester/Floppy ... .S189

NDC 5127 XT Winchester only S79

NDC 3011 SASI Controller $91

DTC5150CX Data Technology S99

BOARD LEVEL PRODUCTSFROM MYLEX

Multifunction card

0-K S82

384-K S123

Envision I (mono/color/graphics) ... ,$147Envision II (mono/color/graphics,

char. RAM enhanced modes) SI56

Color Adapter I S77

Color Adapter II S83

Business Master I (mon/par adapter,

enhanced text modes) S80

Business Master II (high-res. mon graphics,

enhanced text modes) S91

Enhanced Graphics Adapter S279

(EGA, CGA, MDA, HGC compatible)Advanced Graphics Adapter I S345

(high-res. 800 x 600, CGA compatible)Advanced Graphics Adapter II S605

(with 80186 multi-processor)

CHIPS

256KD-RAM(setof9) S27

64KD-RAM(setof9) S9

V-20(8MHz) S10.95

INTEL MATHCO-PROCESSORS

8087 S125

8087-2 SI79

80287-6 S225

MONITORS

TTL Amber S98

MultiSync CALL FOR PRICE

HERE'S HOW TO ORDER:

We accept Visa, MasterCard and American

Express (no surcharge) and Money Orders.

Minimum charge card order S25. No sales

tax outside California. (CA residents

add6%.)

Personal or company checks require

three weeks to clear.

We insure all orders.

Shipping and handling minimum S 5 up to

3 lbs. within continental U.S. Call for

shipping info on other orders.

Prices and availability may change.

Returns require authorization and are subject torestocking charge.

Normal manufacturers' warranties apply.Not responsible for typographical errors.IBM, MultiSync, MegaCard, Mylex EGAPaint and On Track are trademarks of theirrespective companies.

•M HlJlMIiK-—1

18017 Skypark Circle, Suite L, Irvine, CA 92714

CALL 800-443-7355

In Cali£ Call 800-345-4868

Tech Questions 714-250-3386

MON-FRI7AM-5PM Pacific Time

Inquiry 429 for End-Users. Inquiry 430 for DEALERS ONLY.

DECEMBER 1986 'BYTE 419

mericanSemiconductor

THE BARE

XT TURBO

SYSTEM

"Looks, tastes, andacts like the IBM,AND, it's 100%COMPATIBLE!"

AT's and portables clones now available

HOT NEW PRICES!

AT Clones $1100.

Portable Compact

Clone XT 799.

XT Power Supplies 89.

XT/AT Keyboards 69.

Hayes Compatible Modem

300/1200 INT/EXT .... 139.

Mini UPS (200W) 335.

Ext. Drive Case with

80W Power Supply .... 169.

^W^tW WINCHESTERDRIVE KITS

20MB Half Height/CC $379.

10MB Portable

Shock Mount 379.

20MB 3'/2 Shock Mount

Portables 379.

30MB Half Height (RLL) 449.

30MB Full Height 599.

ALL DRIVE KITS INCLUDE:CONTROLLER CARD/CABLES/MANUAL

WINCHESTER DRIVES

(5W' & 3'/2")10MB Portable Shock Mount

(40g's) $250.

20MB Half Height ST225 .... 299.20MB Portable Shock Mount. 325.30MB RLL XT Compatible

Kit 449.

Hardcards Available 499.

HIGH-SPEED

HARD DRIVES

(RT-AT-XT-RLL Compatible)

20MB AT/Hi-Speed $299.

30MB AT/Hi-Speed 499.

50-160MB "2?

60MB PRIAM $999.

PERIPHERALS

Composite Monitor $ 79.

Color Monitors

AS LOW AS 235.

HiRes Monochrome

Monitors 119.

IRWIN B/U TAPE SYSTEM

. $449.

ADD-ON CARDS

Monochrome Card III $ 79.

Monochrome Graphics III

WITH Port Printer 99.

Color Graphics Card V 79.

Printer Port 29.

Multi I.O. WITH

FLOPPY CONTROLLER .. 99.Multi Function (6-PAK Lookalike)

Card 0-384K w/Software. . 99.

Hard Drive Controller 99.

Hard/Floppy Controller AT ... 190.

EGA Cards 239.

Floppy Controller w/Cables . . 49.

"OURS does what THEIRS does for a whole lot L£SS!"...CALL TODAY!

FLOPPY DISK DRIVES

Mother Boards

(Expandable to 640K)

XT Compatible Turbo $139.

DSDD 48 TPI-360K

Half Height:

QUME/TRAK#142 79.

CHIPS

41128 $ 3.25

41256K-150 2.39

41256K-200 1.99

4164 99

8087-3 119.00

8087-2 155.00

80287-3 159.00

80287-8 239.00

NECV-20 14.00

TO ORDER TOLL FREE CALL

1-800-237-5758

EXT. 1108

PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO AVAILABILITY AND MARKET FLUCTUATIONS.CALL TODAY FOR ITEMS NOT LISTED AND DEALER PRICING. ADD 3.2% FOR EsSM! 1

16520 N. Florida Ave., Lutz, Florida 335491 ' mm

Vendor LineInside Florida813-961-9444

TECHNICAL

SUPPORT

813-961-5584

16520 N. Florida Ave., Lutz, Florida 3354

420 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

Inquiry 4I7

MODEL

1A

....,,. SELECTABLE TO

HIGH SPEED 12 MHZ OPERATION 6,8,10, andl2 MHZ!

• FULL IBM PC-AT* COMPATIBILITY!

• FULL MEGA-BYTE RAM CAPACITY!

THOUSANDS SOLDWORLDWIDE!

Keyboard Interfacesame as PC-AT

700% DESIGNED, MANUFACTURED,ASSEMBLED AND TESTED IN USA!

AIT Corporation is a publicly tradedcompany. Majority USA owned andtraded on the OTC market under AITC

FULL I

UME<

PRODUCT

SUPPORT

AND

SERVICE.

VOLUME

DISCOUNTS

AVAILABLE!

UNIQUE FEATURE!

HardwareReset Switch

»■«■■'"" ■

$NEW!/

m1 1

Hi^N?

0-1 WAIT STATES!

UNIQUE FEATURE!

SbbQa

Multi-Speed80287 NumericProcessor Speed-UpCapability(Switch Selectable)

Triple Testedfor 100%Quality Assurance!

^j <

Highest QualifyIndustrial GradeAMP Sockets!

□ ATTAK-286'" MODEL II 24MHZ CALL

D ATTAK-386™ 32 BIT MICRO CALL

□ CASES, POWER SUPPLIES, PERIPHERALS, ETC. . CALLD TURBO-SCOPE™ A/D BOARD $99.95

□ ATTAK-286'" MODEL 1A BARE BOARD $99.95

OEM EVALUATION BOARD

Completely Assembledand Tested with allIC's and Components

100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEED.10 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE IFkNOT COMPLETELY SATISFIED!

•OK RAM• 8 MHZ Version,Expansion to 12 MHZ

ORDER NOW!

SAME DAY SHIPMENT!

(FOR IN STOCK ITEMS)

CORPORATION

ADVANCED

INTELLIGENCE

TECHNOLOGY

4100 Spring Valley RoadSuite 400

Dallas, Texas 75244(214) 490-0344 fax (2i4)

'IBM and IBM PC-AT are trademarks of International Business MachinesInquiry 8

TERMS: We accept cash, checks, money orders andcredit cards. Prices and availability subject to changewithout notice. Shipping and handling charges via UPSground 50c/lb UPS air $ 1.0071b. Minimum charge S3.00.

©1986 AIT CORP.DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 421

I LOWEST PRICES

AT System

$895

XT Portable

$795

20 MB Segate w/Controller

$369

MS DOS 3.2 w/BASIC

$75

300/1200 Modem (External)

$89

300/1200 Modem (Internal)

$99

1200/2400 Modem

$279

EGA Card

$219

NEC Multisync

$559

STAR LV1210

$179

EPSON FX286

$495

8087

$95

8087-2

$139

80287-6

$159

80287-8

$229

COMPUTER MART — Call lor Hems no! listed.

1-800-225-0105 • 1-512-836-3766

Inquiry 424

MOTOROLA 6805 SINGLE CHIP

MICROCOMPUTER DEVELOPMENT

SYSTEMS

Two systems from TEC allow the IBM PC/XT/AT to beused as a complete development system for theMotorola 6805 series single chip microcomputers.Model MCPM-1 supports the MC68705P3,P5,U3,U5,R3, & R5 chips. Model MCPM-2 supports theMC1468705F2 & G2 cmos versions. Both systems arepriced at $495 and include a cross assembler pro-gram, a Simulator/Debugger program and a program-ming circuit board with driver software. One serial portrequired.

TECPO Box 53, West Glover, Vt. 05875

(802) 525-3458

Inquiry 422

Because ds ong'nai objective wos to protect toM-uvare from unauthorized use it's called the SOFTWARF SENTINELBut maybe we'll change the name to REVENUE GENEQATOItsince we've discovered its true value to our customers Butwhatever we coll it everyone ends up with numerous benefitsfrom Ihis hardware key with unlimited 'locks''

SOFTWARE DEVELOPER BENEFITS

• Prohibits unauthorized uol software

• f4o need for copyprotection

• Algorithm technique(never a fixed response)

• Virtually unbroaliable

• Higher level languageinterfaces included

• 100 limes foslef (1ms)Irian lined response devices

• Minimal implementation effort

• Runs under DOS and Xenix, on

IBM PC. AT. XT & compatibles

SOFTWARE USER BENEFITS

• Unlimited backup copies • Pocketsize

• No floppy required wifh • Transparenthard disk • Transportable

o»

EVALUATION KIT AVAILABLE

fete* 386078

17971 SKVPARKCIfiCLt SUITE E. IRVINt, CA 9Z7U

controls up -^to 4 motors ^^^^from any CRT, ^t^^^terminal orcomputer ^^b^/j

STEPPINGMOTORCONTROLLER

• CHOPPER or • accelerationR/L drives deceleration

• RS232 interlace • 1-4 axis movesStandard R/L Version with BASIC $98516K BASIC, R/L, Battery Backup $1335CNC R/L Version $1950Stepping Motor Tips Cookbook $8Users Manuals $12

CENTROID (814) 237-4535Box 739, State College, PA 16804

Inquiry 4I9

COMMODORE

WORDSTAR

*39J

00

WORDSTAR V. 2.26 or SuperCalc V.1.12

orW0RDPAC(incl.

Grammatic and

Spellguard) or

Fortran with

compiler. ^0%0 ■ each

Wordstar/SuperCalc includes a 763 page

Osborne System Manual with extensive

CP/M Tutorials as well.

Combination: Any 3

above for $95.00.

52 Page IBM PUBLIC

DOMAIN $4.00 List ol

13,000 Programs.

Also Catalog P.O.

Sofware for IBM

Apple. C-64. CP/M.

MAC, Amiga, CoCo.

Ask about S25 Special.

800-221-7372 Don JohnsonPDSC33G0LD ST. L3 NYC 10038

Inquiry 423

! n ' ice :" 'I

* >[m . -'"- •■ "*~~~#

mm Ws (n@a aaa

Copy, Bypass, Reset...This Buffer doesit all!!! Rugged Metal Case with LED'sto indicate status'!! Reliable ParallelOperation with Multiple Copies ANDMultiple Documents. A Real Bargain!

ai@!K anaa Qaasaa dod

@ffl Call (918)437-2600 WD

Call for Best Price Cables and Switches!

No minimum. COD'S accepted. Checks clear 2 veeks.Z% surcharge MC/VISA. Shipping and Handling $5.00Prepaidsto: P08 690958 • Tulsa. OK 74169-0958

Inquiry 306

Inquiry 101

A Message

To OurSubscribers

^9 04*

FROM TIME TO TIMEwe make the BYTE sub-scriber list available to othercompanies who wish to sendour subscribers material abouttheir products. We take greatcare to screen these companies,choosing only those who arereputable, and whose products,services, or information we feelwould be of interest to you.Direct mail is an efficientmedium for presenting the latestpersonal computer goods andservices to our subscribers.

Many BYTE subscribers ap-preciate this controlled use ofour mailing list, and look for-ward to finding information ofinterest to them in the mail.Used are our subscribers' namesand addresses only (no other in-formation we may have is evergiven).

While we believe the distribu-tion of this information is ofbenefit to our subscribers, wefirmly respect the wishes of anysubscriber who does not wantto receive such promotionalliterature. Should you wish torestrict the use of your name,simply send your request to thefollowing address.

BYTE Magazine

Attn: Circulation Dept.One Phoenix Mill LanePeterborough, NH 03458

plus UPS and options

good until December 31. I1

■ Fits PC AT Portables Mac's

■ Adjustable Height. Depth. Tilt

■ Exceptional mobilityw'optional Casters. $19

• Also. Chairs. Printer Stands,CRT Swing Arms, Copy Holders.Cab'e Clips, Task Lights

■ Special Package; $269lot COMFOHTchajr & ADJUSTabje

• Next Day Shipping with VISA/MC

• Thirty Day Money BackGuarantee

toll free 1-800-822-5301

In Texas, call collect. (713) 783-3081

6776 Southwest Freeway • Suite 150 • Houston, Texas • 77074■ available Dtaiai inquitiat welcomed.

Inquiry 6

EVSAN 0rdcr To"tVbAN . (800)

<W3 -

8853

Dalv City, CA 94017 Tel.(115)

991 -

1051

V - 20 8mhz 9.50 '

V - 30

8tnh

z 11.00

Hath Co Processors

C8087 8mhz 142.00

80287

8mh

z 275.00

C8087 5mhz 102.00

80287

6mh

l 168.00

DYNAMIC RAMS

EPROMS

1 MEG 150/100ns 36.00

27512

250ns

16.75

<t12SG 100ns 't.50

27256

250ns

5.10

41256 120ns 2.85

27C256

200ns

6.90

41256 150ns 2.65

27C256

250ns

6.40

***i6*t 120ns it. 25

27128

150ns

4.50

4<te<t 150ns 3.78

27128

250ns

3.60

i|12B 150ns 3.95

2764

200ns

3.60

VI6* 120ns 1.20

2764

250ns

3.10

416<t 150ns 1.00

2564

450ns

7.50

COLOR GRAPHIC CONTROLLER

25322716

450ns450ns

4.252.95

D7220AO 18.50

2708

450ns

2.25

STATIC

RAMS

43256L 120ns 23.50

6264L

150ns

2.85

5565PL 150ns 3.25

5564PL

150ns

5.25

6116L 150ns 1.60

6116P

150ns

1.40

4016 150ns 1.40

2016P

100ns

1.50

FLOPPY DISK DRIVE : TEAC

5V. FD55B

94.00

FUJITSU

51 M255

82.00

ZOme

375.00

1468 0.32

1489

0.32

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: PHI

HE PARTS

100% GUARANTEED

1) Prices subject to change,

PLEASE CALL for

URRENT L

VOLUME PRICING. MINIMUM ORDER

S10.00

2) SHIPPING & HANDLING UPS

GROUND

$ 3.00

ONE POUND CHAHCES UPS

2nd DAY

S 4.50

California Resident subje

it to sale

tax.

3) 3* SURCHARGE ON CREDIT CARD CHARGES

OFFICE HOURS: HON to Fftl

7:30AM

o 5:30

PM

PRINTER SHARING

HERE IS THE ECONOMICAL AND THE BEST SOLUTION

CompletelY automatic operationEliminates the need for manualswitching or cable swappingMay he used for other peripherals(i.e. plotters)

Compatibla with all computers usinga standard CENTRONICS outputIdentifies active computerTotally transparent to the user

• Adjustable time-out delay from 1 to 25 seconds betweentwo printings

• Form feed may be inserted (or not) between two suc-cessive requests

• Port number associated with requesting computer may beprinted or not

• 8 kbyte standard buffer • 32 kbyte optional buffer

■ Z80-A processor * Six models to choose from:

PMS 606: 2 computers to one printer/

8 kbyte buffer : S 149.00

PMS 607: PMS 606 with 32 kbyte buffer S219.00

PMS 610: 4 computers to one printer/

8 kbyte buffer : S 249.00

PMS 61 1: PMS 610 with 32 kbyte buffer S319.00

PMS 615: 8 computers to one printer/

8 kbyte buffer : $349.00

PMS 616: PMS 61 5 with 32 kbyte buffer $419.00

We are also manufacturing a full ling of 8TD BUS and educa-tional products.DEALER INQUIRIES INVITEDVisa, M.C. accepted, call toll free: 1 -800-361-2572

Inquiry 285

M*PROG

EPROMPROGRAMMER

The EP-1 is a great value, here's why:

• IBM PC Software included or RS-232 to any computer

• ASCII Command driven operation; All intelligence in unit

• Reeds, Programs. Copies over 150 types from 2716 to27512

• Optional Intel microcontroller programming head

• Menu-driven Chip Selection; No Personality Modules

• Fast. Slow, Quick-Pulse Programming Algorithms

• Intel [808D & 8086], Motorole, Tekhex, Straight Hex Files

• Splits Files By Base Address and Odd/Even (16 bit systems]« Gold Textool ZIF IC Socket • Generate S. Set Checksums

• Oven-Current Protection • 8 Baud Rates 300 to 3B.400

• Full One Year Warranty • 5, 12.5. 21, 25V

• UV. Erasers from $34.95 Programming

BP Microsystems

10681 Haddington, Suite 190, Houston, TX 77043(BOO) 225-2102 [713] 461-9430

( Heritage Systems Corp J

HSC-9100

80 By 24

Or 25 Line

Alpha-numeric

Video Terminal

Card

ANSI X3.64/Other Terminal Emulations50 To 38.4K Baud Serial PortRS-232 Or TTL/CMOS VersionsIBM PC Compatible Keyboard InputEEPROM Based On Screen ConflgComposite or Separate Video100 By 100mm Card 5V Only @200mAS139TTL/CMOS $149 RS-232

PO Box 10588,

Greensboro, NC 27404-0588

(919) 274-4818

TLX WVI 6503057397

Inquiry 157

PUBLIC DOMAINSOFTWARE

isn't copyrighted. Thousands of usefulprograms available lor most computers fromuser group libraries.

User Group Libraries

Rent

Buy

IBM PC Blue 220 Disks

$230

$450

Capitol-IBM 45 Disks

50

100

Sanyo UG MSDOS

BO Disks

85

1bb

Authors Showcase (IBM)

35 Disks

40

100

Amiga 75 Disks

BO

250

Atari ST 35 Disks

40

125

Macintosh 85 Disks

90

275

CP M UG 92 Disks

45

200

SIG M UG 290 Disks

185

350

CBM 64 Gold 100 Disks

50

100

Apple DOS 120 Disks

65

200

Rental is for 7 days with 3 days grace lor return.Use your credit card, no deposit! Call lor Iree catalogor send Disk lor Iree Directory of programs.

MasterCard

P.O. SIC, INC.

2400 Santa Rita

Las Vegas. Nevada 89109

(702) 732-0169

Inquiry I29

Inquiry 56

Inquiry 258

Advertise your

computer products

through

BYTE BITS

(2" x 3" ads)

For more information

call Dan Harper at

603-924-6830

BYTE

70 Main St.

Peterborough, NH 03458

QuelO® OoUUU Devetopmentv5 Tools

Quelo Assembler Packages are Motorola compatible.Each package includes a macro assembler, linker/locator, object librarian, utilities for producingROMable code, extensive Indexed typeset manualsand produces S-records, Intel hex, extended TEK hex,UNIX COFF and symbol cross references. Portablesource written in "C" Is available. It has been ported toa variety of mainframes and minis Including VAX.

68020 Assembler Package

For CP/M-86, -68K and MS/PC-DOS S 750

68000/68010 Assembler Package

ForCP/M-80,-86,-68K and MS/PC-DOS $ 595

68000 "C" Cross Compiler

For MS/PC-DOS by Lattice, Inc.

With Quelo 68000/68010 Assembler Package $1095

With Quelo 68020 Assembler Package $1250

Call Patrick Adams today: Quelo, Inc.

2464 33rd W. Suite #173

Seattle, WA USA 96199

Phone 206/285-2528

COD, Visa, MasterCard Telex 910-333-8171

Tiadematks: CPIM, Digital Pesearch; MS. Microsoft Corporation; Quelo,Quelo. Inc.

COMPLETEHIGH ENDAT COMPATIBLE

FCC CLASS B CERTIFIEDFULL ONE YEAR WARRANTY

$1095

(IMMEDIATE DELIVERY*)TO ORDER: CALL OR WRITE CNT MARKETING

(714) 839-3724

System includes:

• ATI System Board W/8MHz INTEL 802B6 CPU

• 640KB Memory expand to 1MB

• Hard disk and floppy controller

• 1.2 Megabyte floppy drive

• The most compatible BIOS on market

• Case

• 200W Power Supply

• AT Compatible Keyboard

• Battery, Speaker & System Keylock

• Other parts available • Please call for details

• All orders C.O.D.-CA residents add 6% Sales Tax

• U.P.S. Shipping $25.00

CNT MARKETING

16580 Harbor Blvd., Suite J, Fountain

Valley, CA 92708AT is a Registered Trademark of IBMAll computers are fully assembled and tested in the U.S.A.

Inquiry 426

Inquiry 30!

Inquiry 73

California Digital

17700 Figueroa Street m Carson, California 90248

Portable FAX Machine 21 Megabyte Gold Card

Just the FAX mam! ...Corny, well maybe, but it Sargeant Friday had a DataFax 300 back when doing Dragnet he

could have tiled his report over his fax machine trom any telephone in the World.

The DataFax 300 is the tint truly portable facsimile machine, operating on self contained rechargable nickel-cadmium

batteries. The unit transmits or receives a lull 8V2" by 11" sheet is less than three minutes. This is a CCITT Group II

machine and is capable of communicating with faster Group III fax machines.

The acoustical coupler supplied with the DataFax 300 allows the user to send copy and pictures from the office or

even airport payphones without the need of external power. To receive transmissions, simply make voice contact with

the sending party and attach the coupler to your telephone hand set.

The DataFax 300 includes a soft sided nylon carrying case along with 100 sheets of electrostatic copy paper. Optional

RJ-11 connector jack available.

IBM 8MHzM Compatible

~ <$79

• DOS 3.2 & GW Basic

• Eight Expansion Slots

• 135 Watt Power Supply

• 256K Expandable to 640K on Motherboard

• Double Sided Double Density Disk Drive

• IBM/AT Type Keyboard (with LED Indicators)

The Eclipse Turbo 16/XT is an outstanding value in IBM Compatible Computers. After careful research and

evaluation we found it to be the most reliable XT compatible available.

The computer includes some of the most recent features available, such as the 8 MHz. (software selectable to 4.77

MHz.) multi-layer motherboard with 256Kof RAM upgradable on board to640K. Agenerous eight expansion slots and

135 Watt power supply give you ample room and power for add-on boards. And our floppy controller supports up to

four drives, so as many as three additional drives can be added. The units is complete with manuals, GW Basic and

the new version of Microsoft DOS 3.2 along with the AT style keyboard.

The Turbo 16/XT is FCC and Underwriters Laboratories approved. Finally, each computer is configured and fully

tested before sending it to you.

Satisfaction Guaranteed! We're really excited about this new unit, andsosure you will be too... that you may return

the Eclipse 16 for a full credit towards an IBM PC if you are not completely satisfied.

20MB Hard Drive w/Controller ....S429 8087 Math Co Processor 119 Summagraphics SummaMouse ....139

30 Megabyte HardCard 459 Color Graphics Card 79 Upgrade tram Floppy Controller to Disk

Additional Drive-Installed... 99 Monochrome Graphics Card 99 I/O 2 drive controller, clock/cal., soft-

Irwin 10 Meg. Tape Backup 489 RGB Color Monitor 199 ware parallel, serial, & game ports 79

Upgrade Irom 256K to 640K RAM ...79 TTL Monochrome Monitor 139 1200 Internal Modem w/Software 129

The fastest, lowest powered, longest warraritied, most durable, highest

capacity, most reliable, lowest priced HARD-DISK-ON-A CARD

available in the world today.

• 65ms Access Time • Fastest Available • Automatic Head Unloading - Protects Heads amMedia ■ 2K Sector Butter - Increases System Throughput • High Reliability: 28,000 hr. MTBFWo one else even close • 15.5 Watt Power Consumption - Lowest Available ■ 2 Year WarrantyLongest Available

WERE $695... GET 'EM WHILE THEY LAST FOR JUST $5gfW^

NOW YOUR COMPUTER

CAN-READ!!

Omni-Reader... the first opticalcharacter reader designed andpriced for the small computer

COPY:

•Manuscripts -Contracts •Articles•Forms -Invoices

APPLICATIONS:

•Mailing Lists 'Editing •Data BaseManagement -Transfering informa-tion between incompatible systems

Uses a standard RS-232 serial port hookupto Interface eaislly with your computer.

1200 BAUD MODEMS

s^*'fc**S5;AVATEX 1200

%'iri'nuw n i. *99

This 300/1200 baud modem matches the design specsof the Bell 212A, feature by feature, bringing you reliabil-ity, impeccable transmission and easy operation.Hayes Compatible, except for "S" register. Communi-cation software included.The AVATEX1200, at 599. is a steal!

SMARTEAM 1200

ECLIPSE 2400

The Team 212A offers all the features of the HayesSmart Modem 1200 for a fraction of the price. Now isyour opportunity to purchase a 1200 baud modem at

the price of a 300 baud modem.

NEC*

RACKMOUNT

MODEM

69

The NEC N212BR modem is designed for use ina rackmount configuration or may be used standalone on external power. The Unit is fully 300/1200 Hayes compatible allowing tor auto dial,auto log/on password capabilities. This modemis also switch selectable to the special NEC com-mand set, which contain too many features todescribe in this limited space.The NEC212BR originally cost $595. CaliforniaDigital has available 500 units which we are of-

• Hayes & Bell 212A/103 Compatible

■ CCITT V.22, V.22 bisThe ECLIPSE 2400 modem Is a microprocessor-based full or half-duplex modem incorporaling the latest in high speed datacommunications capabllilies. It also accomodates computers and ter-minals equipped wilh an RS-232 port allowing communication withother computers or timeshar ing systems either locally or remotely.Compatibility, Versltlllty and Perlormance are yours in aconfiguration designed to provide years of reliable operation.

MODEMS

Eclipse 1200 100% Hayes, with status lamps. EDP-1200 149.00

Eclipse 1200B internal with software EDP-1200B 139.00

Eclipse 2400 External, Hayes Compatiple EDP-2400 299.00

Avatex 1200 baud external, Hayes AVA-1200 99.00

Hayes Smartmodem 2400 baud modem HYS-2400 599.00

Fujitsu 2400/1200 baud auto everything. FUJ-1935D 459.00

Team 1200 Hayes Compatible, 300/1200 baud. TEM-1200 159.00

Smarteam 1200B IBM 1200 baud card TEM-1200B 159.00

UltraLink 1200 data and voice on same line. UTL-1200A 99.00

CTS 212AH 1200 baud, auto dial CTS-212AH 179.00

Terminal software for CTS 212AH CTS-212SFT 35.00

Prometheus 1200 super features PRM-P1200 289.00

Prometheus 1200B internal PC PRM-P12O0B 279.00

Signalman Mark VI, 300 baud internal PC SGL-MK6 49.00

Hayes Smart Modem 1200 baud, auto dial HYS-212AD 369.00

Hayes 1200B for use with the IBM/PC, 1200baud. HYS-1200B 339.00

Hayes Chronograph, time & dale HYS-CHR232 199.00

Seagate $4Q£

20 MEGABYTE ^ JW ,WINCHESTER ■■ W W

HARD DISK DRIVE

Five Inch Winchester Disk Drives

each two+

SEAGATE 225 20 Meg. Vi HI. 329 299SEAGATE 4026 26 M.3SmS. 7S9 729SEAGATE 4051 51 M.35mS. 995 959FUJITSU 2242 55 M. 35mS. 1599 1529FUJITSU 2243 86 M.35mS. 2095 2019RODIME RO-202E 27 Meg. 659 629RODIME RO-203E 40 Meg. 995 959RODIME RO-204E 53 Meg. 995 959CONTROL DATA 94155-86 M.1829 1779MAXTOR XT1140 140 Meg. 2995 2929HONEYWELL 85M. 27 mS. 1795 1695TOSHIBA MK5670M.30mS.1789 1729TAND0N 502 10 Meg. 419 379

• Winchester Controllers for IBM/PCXEBEC 1220 with floppy controller iDTC 5150BX

0MTI 5510 hall can)ADAPTEC 2070 RLL controllerADAPTEC 2010AWESTERN DIGITAL WD/1002

• SCSI/SASI Winchester ControllersXEBEC 1410A5W' foot print0MTI 20L

• Winchester Accessories •Installation Kit with manualWinchester enclosure and supplyDual 20/34 cable setSwitching power supply

TOLL FREE ORDER LINE

(800)421-5041

424 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

TECHNICAL & CALIFORNIA

(213)217-0500

l

California Digital

17700 Figueroa Street # Carson, California 90248

Great Christmas Gift

tommies Desk Director

The Desk Director is a management tool engineered to increasethe efficiency of any one who spends any time behind a desk. Theunit incorporates: a speaker telephone with autodial, clock cal-endar, calculator and more all into a handsome leather desk pad.You have seen the same product selling at Sharper Image for$995 While supplies last the Desk Director is available fromCalifornia Digital for only $479. Please specify mahogany brownor black leather. Will consider volume trade.

Bernoulli Box

was $3540 now only

'1595^

The Bernoulli Box by Iomega, features 10 and 20 megabyte removable car-tridges, and delivers reliability, expandability, transportability, security andspeed in one versatile subsystem. It lets you transfer megabytes of informationsafely and swiftly for primary or backup storage. Or combine several softwareprograms onto a single cartridge for easy switching from one to another.Reliable... the Box has incredible resistance to shock and vibration completelyeliminating the possilify of head crash.

Expandable... grow at your own pace by adding inexpensive cartridges. Whensecurity is essential, don't lock up your system... just lock up the cartridges.The Bernoulli Box delivers preformance that often exceeds the best of hard diskspeed and the convenience of floppy disks. At these prices don't be caughtwishing you had one after a loss of irreplacable data.

10+10 Meg. A2210H

20+20 Meg. A2220H

Bootable Controller10 Meg. Cartridge20 Meg. Cartridge

List

$3450

4540

255

79

Our Price

1595

2095

159

49

65

PRINTERS

MATRIX PRINTERS

NEC/P7 132col.,par'hn!erface. NEC-760

StarGominiNL-15.300cps, 136cot 24wirehead STR-NB15

SlarGemmiNX-IC. 120cps/30cps NLQ. tractor STfWJXIO

Citizen MSP/1QFT 160 char/sec

Panasonic KX1091 120 Cps draft, 29 NLQlracI & Iridion

Toshiba 351P/S. 240 char/sec. 24 wire head

ToshibaSaiPS/Eaari. 180cps. 24 wire head

Okidala 182P/IBM parallel 9W paper

Okidala 192A parallel interface, I60char/sec.

Okidata 84P parallel 15" paper

Epson LX-80 10" 120 Char/sec.

Epson LQS00 near letter quality

Epson FXB5 160 cps draft 32 cps. NLQ. 240 dot/inch.

Epson FX286 132 col.. 200 cps 29cps NLQ, graphics.

Dataproducts B-600-3. band pnnler 600 LPM.

Pnntronix P300 high speed printer 300 lines per minuie.

Pnntronix P600 ultra high speed 600 lines per minute.

WORD PROCESSING PRINTERS

Sta/wnler F10 (6400) parallel. 40 char/sec.Same as above bJl 55 char/sec.. 50 pin Diablo interfaceNEC8810 55 char/second, serial interfaceNEC8830 55char.'sec. par'l interfaceNEC3550 popular printer designed to< the IBM/PCSilver Reed EXP6CO. 25 cps 10/12/15 pitch, serial/par'I.Silver Heed EXP8C0 same as 600 Cut 40 char/sec.Diablo 620. proportional spacing. horz.S vert. lab. 20 cps.Juki 6100. IBchar 'secJuki 6300. 40 char 'sec.

CIT-MSP10

25900

PAN-KX109!

259.00

TOS-351PS

1099 00

TOS-341PSE

759.00

OKI-182P

239.00

OK1-192A

379.00

OK1-B4P

695.00

EPS-LX80

259.00

EPS-LO800

529 00

EPS-FX85

399.00

EPS-FX286

599.00

DPS-B600

6985.00

PTX-P300

3995 00

PTX-P600

5795.00

PRO-F10P

429.00

PRO-F55P

55900

NEC 8810

1179.00

NEC-B830

1179 00

NEC-3550

819 00

SRD-EXP600

319.00

SRDEXP800

729.00

DBL-620

299 00

JUK-5100

35900

JUK-5300

689.00

luick-Link 300

Tie Quick-Link 300 gives you an instant link to any dial up data base. Such as)ow Jones, Western Union or the Source. The Quick-Link has four userirogrammable log-on keys, allowing the operator, with only one key stroke, to'ial the data base, log-in and give the password. All this information is perma-ently stored in non-volatile RAM.

eatures include video output to television or monitor, auto dial, auto-log, fullized keyboard, 300 baud modem and 1200 baud auxiliary printer port. All thisi available for only $59.

FOUR PENCOLOR PLOTTER

The manufacturer has asked us not to publish their name.

But this four color plotter was produced by one of the Worldslargest makers of personal computers.

The 410 color plotter will connect to the serial port of virtually anymicro-computer, Simple ASCII commands direct one of the fourcolor pens to draw circles, arcs or ellipses on paper or transpa-rency material up to 11 by 17 inches. The plotter is capable ofproducing the full upper and lower case alphabet along withseven international character sets. Text can be printed horizotal,vertical or diagonal in sizes from 1 /16 to 6 inches, slanted forwardor backward to 85 degrees.

Enlargements or reductions are achieved through elaborate firm-ware. Pen travel is four inches per second with .004" pen resolu-tion. Standard pens are available in an assortment of 32 differentcolors and widths.

The ideal plotter for architecture, CAD engineering or graphicdesign. At $595 it was a great buy, at $159 its a steal. Supportpackages for specific computers available. Manual only $15 re-fundable upon purchase or plotter.

*159 >1& E

PLOTTERS

Four pen color plotter, 11 by 17 IBM/PC compatible APL-410

Sweet "P" 100 (Comrex) 8V4 by 120" COM-C1

Houston Instruments DMP29, 11 by 17 HOU-29

Houston Instruments DMP40.11 by 17. B size HOU-40

Houston Instruments DMP41 /42 C/D 24 by 36 HOU-41

Houston Inst. DMP51/52MPC/D. 14 pen plotting HOU-51MP

Houston Instruments DMP56. E size 34 by 44 HOU-56

Houston Instruments PC695,11 by 17 multi-pen HOU-695

Roland DYX-101 flat bed 11 by17 ROL-101

Roland DYX-800 11 by 17 multi-pen 8 color ROL-800

CalComp 1043GT plotter CCP-1043

DIGITIZERS • MOUSE

Hitachi Tiger Table! 11 by 11" HIT-TT2

Summagraghics Summasketch 12" four button SUM-SK12

Summagraphics SummaMouse 100 line resolution SUM-MS

Microsoft serial mouse with paint brush MST-MS232

Microsoft bus mouse card w/paint brush MST-MSB

$159$15917799593779485947955794198997899

61539999139129

XEROX

Satirise Computet

'299

The Xerox Sunrise 1B10 is by tar the best value we have ever seen in a micro computer. This is aself contained battory and AC portable. The Sunrise was originally puces a! $2995. Xerox hassince elected lo drop the computer from their product list California Digital has purchased all Iheremaining inventory and is making the unit available at a fraction oi its original cost.This portable fealures a built in 80 column liquid crystal display. 64K ol memory along with both RFmonitor and television outputs The interna! 300/1200 baud modem includes an auto dial tele-phone assembty. The units has both Centronics parallel and a senal port programmable to 19.200baud. The sell contained micro cassette is capable ot capiunng data (rom the keyboard as well asdoubling as an recorder lor dictating messages.

An optional dual floppy disk drive module, pictured above, is available lor only S2t9. Alsoavailable, lor S59 is an 80 column printer that mounts in the drive modulo. The Sunrise features aCP/M operating system which allows Ihe operator lo use any CP/M program in Xerox W diskformat and over 5000 CP/M programs available in public domain

Dragon Computer

'89

Compatible with most Radio Shack Color Compute software. The world famous Dragon compu-ter is now available In the Uniied States. Manufactured by the Tano Corp. under license ol theBntish Broadcasting Company.

The Dragon comes complete with 64K Byte of memory, serial modem port along wilh a Centronicsprinter interlace. This unique microcomputer features Motorola's advanced 6809E microproces-sor and comes standard with Microsolt Color Basic, data base manager, and a completo wordprocessing package. The computer outputs color composilo video along with R.f. video thaiallows the unit to be used in conjunction with any color television.

This is the ideal low cosl computer to be used wilh any dial up information system such as theSource. EasyLink or any other lime share service.

ROB Co lorMonitor

'199

The NEC JC-1401D is a 13" medium/high resolulion RGB monitor suitablo for use wilh the SanyoMBC-550/555 or the IBM/PC The monitor features a resolulion ol 400 dots by 240 lines. Colorsavailable are Red. Green. Blue, Yellow. Cyan. Magenta. Black and While.The NEC monitor carries the Litton-Monroe label anrj was originally scheduled tor use in their"Office of the Fuluro" equipment. A change in Monroe's marketing strategy lias made these unitsexcess inventory which were soid to California Digital Wo are offering those "new" RGBmomtorsat a fraction of their original cost. IBM/P/C Computer compatible NEC-1401 /PCAlso available 12" Amdett Color 1 composite $159.

SONY,

53W Floppy Disk Drive

3 1/2" New IBM portable compatible

5lA" DISK DRIVE

'89

TEAC FD55BV half heightTEAC FDS5FV 96 TPI, half ht.TEAC FD55GF for IBM ATPANASONIC 455 Half HeightPANASONIC 465 Vz Ht. 96TPITANDON 100-2 full heightMITSUBISHI new 501 half ht.MITSUBISHI 504A AT comp.QUME 142 half heightSwitching power supplyInstallation Kit with manualDual enclosure for 5W' drives34 pin edge connectorsScotch head cleaning kitFlip & File Storage tubs

I Quantity Two

One Two

Ten

109

99

89

119

109

105

169

159

155

109

99

89

139

129

125

129

125

119

129

119

109

169

159

155

99

89

8949105951915

UME

119

Eight Inch Single Sided DrivesQUME 841 single side 129 119 call

SHUGART801R 359 359 354

SIEMENS FDD 100-8 119 115 109

Eight Inch Double Sided DrivesQUME 842 "QUME TRACK 8" 189 179 callSHUGARTSA851R 495 485 475

OLIVETTI double sided 189 179 159

REMEX RFD-4000 179 169 159

MITSUBISHI M2896-63 Va Ht. 459 449 409Dual 8" enclosure with power and fan 259Switching power supply 89

Installation kit with manual

10

Mens

The Adeus CP/2000, is a 22 character per second daisy wheel printer whichaccepts 96 character Diablo wheels and ribbons. This printer was man-ufactured by the Olympia Typewritter Company tor Cosmo World USA.This unit will print 10, 12 and 15 characters per inch proportionally spacedwith increments of 1/120". Bi-directional printing. 2 K/Byte buffer (expand-able to 6K) and both serial and Centronics parallel interfacing make theAdeus CP/2000 an exceptional buy at only $159. Original price $595.

VISA

Shipping: First five pounds $3.00, each additional pound $.50.Foreign orders: 10% shipping, excess will be refunded.California residents add 6Vi% sales tax. • COD's discouraged.Open accounts extended to state supported educational institu-tions and companies with a strong "Dun & Bradstreet" rating.

DECEMBER 1986

icro

productsnternational

llltriMcUIUMcil 7141898-0840

I Telex: 887841 XORDATA HTBH Fax: 714/897-3363► 15392 Assembly Lane, Unit A* Huntington Beach, CA 92649

I QQK what'sLW** Inside!

The XAT is oul most versatile nnd powerfulsystem Using Inlet's 80286 processor, thesyslem runs at 6 and 8 MHz with a true16-bil dala bus Comes standard with a 3meg Add-On board. 2 parallel & one serialport, monitor, keyboard. DOS 3 1. two1 ^height DS DD 12 meg floppies

5 Complete Systems

_i:

IIBIIIIIIIII

ffJl-

This standard system is as compatible withIBM as it can be Featuring a 4-layer mother-board. 8-slot expansion, up to 640Kmemory on the motherboard, and the 6 67MHz TURBO mode Also included DOS 31.keyboard. 135 watt power supply. TTL 720 )348 resolution video card, green or ambermonitor, serial 5 parallel ports. Real TimeClock and software

Our 1986 Catalog isHOT} off the press!

/ ' v Dealers! Check our9 * Profitable Discount

Pricing!

The period choice lot the syslem integratorwho needs the IBM compatibilily but noi mthe standard PC cabinet This model leatureshinged and removable sides, up to 3 'jtlBiflhlperipherals out lron(. front mount AC switchand rear mount 135 wait power supply Alsomakes an ideal Host' or File Server" unitm mulli-user configurations1

xxjr.

*

■Hit

m

mn

The XTJr. is only junior in size! With up to640K memory on the motherboard and fourexpansion slots, this stand-alone system isalso great for workstations in a networkingenvironment It can be upgraded to theTURBO two speed motherboard and youcan also add up to 2 serial & 2 parallel portsor any IBM compatible expansion card Aperfect word processing data entry syslem

Compact

This is truly the affordable portable, and wet

build >1 to your specilicalions Need a 20meg hard disk and 20 meg tape with 64 OKmemory in your portable'' No problem1 TheXPC Compact comes standard with a 9"amber TTL monitor 135 watt P S 256Kmemory two 360K drives. Real TimeClock Calendar w battery Back-up serial arteparallel ports and our TURBO Motherboard

One way lo stay ahead ot the competition IS by using a Multi-user or Network system configuration Irom Micro ProductsInternational Choose Hi-speed RS-232 - XOR-NETSDLC or Token Ring Dala Iranster rates up to 4 megabytessecond can be obtained

What IS the Cassette Training concept? Using InteractiveAudio Training to combine the advantage ol classroom andsell-teaching methods

The Method One audio track delivers a lecture explainingtrie program while the second track emulates the keyboard,actually running the student s computer At frequent intervalsIhe tape pauses automatically lo allow the student keyboardinput which is monitored lor accuracy by the MITS COED

• FCC approved tor direct • Runs the popular

RJ-11 connection Hayes communications

• Phone Cable & Power Supply soltware

Finally a price breakthrough on a Hayes compatible external300 1200 baud modem Includes driver software

• Q-Hodem sotlware includedAlso runs XCOM soltware

• All cables includedWe included every feature youIt's FCC registered for directphone iack with the cord included

Runs the popularHayes communications'softwareuld want m a modem cardlion to your modular

426 BYTE • DECEMBER I486

CU(«

NOW ALL BULK DISKS CAN BE BOXED AT NO EXTRA CHARGE

5.25" DISKS (Minimum 30)

BULK OR BOXED

ss/dd

.44

ds/dd

.49

dsdd notchless

.59

ds dd Hippy

.59

ds/dd 10 hard sector

.69

ds/dd 16 hard sector

.69

ds/qd 96 tpi

.79

ds/qd 96 tpi 10 hard sector

.99

ds/qd 96 tpi 16 hard sector

.99

ds/hd 1 2mb for AT

1.49

RIBBONS (Minimum 3) CallII

yours is not listed

NEC Pinwriter P1/P2

4.99

Apple Imagewriter 1. II. Prowrite

2.39

Okidata 82/83/92/93/801

.99

Apple Imagewriter Multicolor

11.99

Okidata 84/94

2.19

Commodore MPS 801

3.99

Okidata 182/192

3.99

Diablo Hytype II

2.99

Panasonic KXP 1090, 91. 92

6.29

Epson LQ 800

6.99

Radio Shack LP. VI. VIII

2.99

Epson LQ 1000

9.99

Radio Shack LPVII

3.99

Epson LQP 1500, Epson LX 80

2.99

Star Gemini 10X/15X

.99

Epson MX/FX/RX 100/185

3.19

Star Radix 10

4.49

Epson MX/FX/RX 70/80/85

2.39

Star Radix 15

5.49

IBM Proprinter

3.99

Toshiba P 1350

2.99

BULK OR BOXED

.59.69

5.25" COLOR DISKS

ds/dd color packassortment A, B, or C tds/dd color packassortment A flippy t

t Color pack assortment A: red, orange, yellow,

blue, green,t Color pack assortment B: maroon, brown, dark

blue, silver, gold.' Color pack assortment C: pink, med. blue, beige,

white, light grey.- All colors are available separately, except flippys.

FREE BONUS OFFER

100 DISKS 5 DISKS PUBLIC DOMAIN $14.95

SOFTWARE FOR IBM/MACOR APPLE

100 DISKS HEAD CLEANING DISK

1S0 DISKS DISK ORGANIZER

(Holds over 20 disks, disk tile,elc.)

200 DISKS PRINTER STAND

3.5" DISKETTES

BULK OR BOXED

ss/dd-Blue/Beige or Grey

1.39

ds/dd-Blue/Beige or Grey

1.59

ds/dd color pack A

1.69

8" DISKS

BULK OR BOXED

ss/dd soft sector

1.49

ds/dd soft sector

1.69

ss/dd color pack, asst. At

1.69

ds/dd color pack asst. At

1.89

FREE TYVEC SLEEVES, HUB RINGS, WRITE PROTECTS AND ID LABELS — 10 MIL JACKETS

MAGNETIC TAPE — DISK PACKS AND CARTRIDGES — BEST PRICES — CALL

QUALITY & SERVICE OUR #1 PRIORITY — BUY DIRECT — NO MIDDLE MAN — NO MUMBO JUMBO

ALL ITEMS IN STOCK ALL THE TIME — SAME DAY SHIPPING — DISKS MADE IN THE U.S.A. — 70% CLIPPING

PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE — IBM COMPATIBLE — ONLY $2.99 (MINIMUM 5)

3408) Still River Shell v. 1.33: Run DOS com-mands from a menu

223) Insults: Generate random insults on screentor tne unsuspeclmg PC user1501) Chasm: Cheap Assembler302) Q-Modem version 2.87: Fast modemsoftware

402) Unprotect Protected ProgramsDisk: This disk gives you tips401) 8086, 8087, 8088 disassembler.201) JetSet Flight SimulatonTurn your PCinto the pilot s cockpit

101) PC-Write: full screen word processoi109) Galaxy: This word processoi is commandcompatible wilh WordStar but also offers pull downmenus for Ihe forgetful oi Ihe novice308) ProCOM wilh landom redial capabilities'Hackers love litis onei

2808) PC-Outline version 1.08: Outline your

papers, to-do lists, ideas, or strategies Has anoptional memory resident mode113-114) New York Word: a very powerfulword processor thai has loo many features to list.237) Hack: A display oriented Dungeon and Drag-ons adventure game This program was ported Irom aUNIX system and requires 256K RAM243) Pinball. This disk has three games whichhave been created using the program "Pinball Con-struction Set by Bill Budge3425) MSDOS CPM/80 conversion. Thisprogram allows you to transfer data between variousCP/M and MS-DOS formats3422) CTRALT: This RAM resident utility is amust! Too many features to list here'

and many more!

THE "CARETAKERS'""

10 disk library case 3.5" or 5.25"10 disk library case 8"40 disk storage case 3.50" w/lock50 disk storage case 5.25" w/lock100 disk storage case 5.25" w/lock

ACCESSORIES

Drive head cleaning disk3.5/5.25/8"

Tyvec sleeves white — 100 pk.Tyvec sleeves color — 100 pk.ID labels/write protect - 100 pk.Disk mailer box (3/5.25") — 10 pk.Disk mailer box (3/8") — 10 pk.Disk organizerPrinter stand

.99

2.49

7.99

7.99

9.99

12.99

5.99

8.99

1.99

8.99

9.99

19.99

29.99

Lifetime warranty on disks. Satisfaction guaranteed or money retunded within 30 days. Diskspackaged in 10"s — Minimum 30 disks. Checks (allow 10 days to clear), money orders, Master-Card, Visa, American Express, COD. (add $1.90). Purchase orders accepted Irom qualifiedpublic institutions, government agencies and well-rated companies, net 30 days. Californiaresidents add 6%. For information, call (619) 942-9998. Call for free catalog.

800-992-1992 ordcr

NATIONAL TODfiV

PRIVATE DEALER LABEL

AVAILABLE AT

NO EXTRA CHARGE

800-992-1993

Over 200

Special Formats for

5V«" and 8"

from $1.99 (Call)

U.S/DISK, INC.

Hours Mon. - Sat.

8:30 am - 4:30 pm

511 -104 Encinltas Blvd.

Encinitas, CA 92024

Inquiry 370

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 427

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Inquiry 173

CO . o o

CC -. <* o 5r

UJ LU co LO PS

quj i in o i-

rr CC — • S: '

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Inquiry 173

DECEMBER 1986 • B Y T E 429

FLOPPY DISK DRIVES

MP I Model 52SA IBM® CompatibleONLY

$39.00

AS SHOWN - USED

FULLY TESTED

With Schematics

DS DD 40 TRK - 360K

These Disk Drives are removed from operatingmachines and tested on a computer before shipping.If you're not completely satisfied, send the unit backto us prepaid within 15 days for a full refund.

We Want You To Be Satisfied

ALL UNITS GUARANTEED 90 DAYS. Repair orReplacement our option. Supplies are limited.

ORDER NOW. DON'T BE LEFT OUT!

ALSO AVAILABLE:

TANDOIM, CDC, SHUGART, SEAGATE, TEAC,

FUJITSU, NEC, HP

CALeIlD?Ln ««ic MASS. RESIDENTS

617-369-1175 add 5% sales taxS CARLISLE COMPUTER CORP.

26 OAK KNOLL RD.

CARLISLE, MA 01741

RegisteredTrademark

Smart Cash

Register

$95

Turns MSDOS computer into completeRETAIL POS SYSTEM

TURBO PASCAL program 100% dBASE compatible files

All transactions logged to disk

Transfer data 10 123, dBASE, BASIC, PASCAL etc.

PLU/lnventory Table lo 32000 items

4-characler DEPT 5-characler MFR, PROD

Cashier security Aulo/Manual discount, lax

End-Shill summary Custom Receipts 20/40/80 col

HARDWARE SUPPORT: Cash Drawer BarCode Reader

Receipl Printer Funclion-bullon Keyboard

ORDER:915-837-7180

■1

.

IBi.■,"»■»

"HI (ifif

1±1—1,

i »-T-~tt "H CREATE A

»f«!{{{|| If COMPUTER

. • ::.:.::. '. . * network

' for $299.95

with the MFJ-1294 SuperSwltchl Thisswitch letsyou Intercon-nect 4 RS-232devices with4 other RS-232 devices simultaneously. Alleight devices can be working at thesame timet What you will have is a mini-networking system for the price of othercompanies' simple switches. And you neverhave to learn complicated software com-mands. Reliable and affordable port expan-sion is as simple as pushing a button. HasLEDs to monitor data lines, MOV surge pro-tectors and transmit-recelve buttons thatallow 2-way communications. 30 daymoney back guarantee (less shipping &handling). 1 year unconditional warranty.Add $6 shipping & handling. Free catalog.

call toll-free 800-647-1800

MFJ Enterprises,Inc.921 Louisville RoadStarkville, MS 39759

Inquiry 64

Inquiry 318

Inquiry 221

EPROMPROGRAMER

for pc $129.95

• 2716 to 1 MEG

• Updateable to 32 MEG

• Programs 2764 A in 10 Seconds

• Menu Driven Software

• External 40 PIN ZIF (PC only)

• 90 Day Warranty

• 10 Day Money Back Guarantee i . .

• Available for APPLE II $92.50 |visa|mc|

• For More Information Call Add 4°-'°NEEDHAM'S ELECTRONICS

1121 Las Palmas, Sacramento, CA 95815(916) 924-8037 (M-F) 8 AM to 5 PM PST

COMPUTER BRIDGE

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• Disk: Not Copy-Protected - can be Backed-up

• Great Bin Idea lor any occasion

• Here is what the Critics are saying..."RECOMMENDED" Jerry Pournelle - BYTE JAN 86"A Challenging Opponent" PC World - NOV 85

FOR ANY 256K IBM-PC OR COMPATIBLE

THE $75 BRIDGE PARLOR'" GameSend NO MONEY - pay when satisfied

s 1-716-865-8412 Today

or Send order or Parlor Software Co.

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• Same Day Shipping - Dealer Inquires Welcome

Guaranteed to be Strongest Available

""FOUNTAIN-XT COMPUTERS""

• IBM COMPATIBLE

• 640 k RAM

• SEAGATE 20M HARD DRIVE W7CONTROLLER

• 2-320 k FLOPPIES

• MULTI-DISPLAY COLOR MONITORW/CARD

• AT-STYLE KEYBOARD

• 1200 BAUD INTERNAL MODEM

• 72 HOUR BURN IN

• MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY

ATS & OTHER CONF1GS. AVAILABLEH & S SALES, INC

P.O. BOX 795RAYMORE. MO 64083

(816) 331-3933

PREPAID ORDERS - NO SHIPPING CHARGEIBM: REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSMACHINES CORP.

Inquiry 249

Inquiry 262

Inquiry 421

Printer (Data) switch $45

Dealers & OEM Welcome

• Meial case, beige color • Dimension: 1" x 4V<" x 8v*"

• Push button or rotary switch • All pin switched

• 2 layer PC board, fully shielded • 1 year warrantySwitch box DB25/Centronlc RS232 Miniature

2 way switch $45/$52 Qender changer M/M, F/F 17

2 way cross $65/579 Null modem $10

4 way switch 165/$89 Jumper box, Surge-proteclor $10

RS232 Braax-oul box SS9 Mini tester, Mini-patch box $15Power Control Center/DBSwitch/Monitor Swivel $99

Cable (Lifetime warranty) $10 up

■ UL approved, molded, double shielded, beige color

• D type connector with thumb screw (screwless)

Primer Cable (For IBM)

Centranic Cable (male lo mala)

RS232 Cable (male to male)

RS232 Cable (male to female)

(25 line connected ones can be used as modem

XT Floppy/hard disk cable/AT h/l drive cable S7/$9/$15

30 Day Money Back Guarantee JACO Enterprises

Terms: C.O.D. $1.90 147B Poppy Way

Handling fee $3, plus shipping Cupertino, CA 95014

California residents add sales tax TEL: (408) 996-0675

679712' S12/$157$1B

6710' $14/$1S

6710' $12/516

/671071a* $107$ 13/S 16/(18

TOSHIBA T1100/3100

PORTABLE

ENHANCEMENT PRODUCTS

□ aOPPY LINK CARD/CABLE $195

□ TEAC/TOSHIBA 3%" FDD $195

(WITH UNIVERSAL MOUNTING KIT)

D EXTERNAL 5V«" FDD $325

(INCLUDES POWER SUPPLY)

□ EXTERNAL 20MB HARD DISK . . $995

□ EXTERNAL 30MB HARD DISK . . $1195

□ 300/1200 BAUD INTERNAL M0DEM$350

□ DICONIX (KODAC) 150 CPS $395

INKJET PRINTER

(3.75 LBS WITH NICAD BATTERIES)

□ TAXAN 620 RGB MONITOR .... $395

□ TOSHIBA T1100 PLUS/T3100 . . . CALL

VISA-M/C ADD 3% AMEX ADD 5%•VOLUME DISCOUNTS-

COMPUSALES

16819 S. HAWTHORNE BLVD.

LAWNDALE, CA 90260

(213) 370-3711

BlueBoxPrinter Buffer

IBM-PC/XT/AT»» Parallel

Short Description:

* 64 kByte S149

v 256 kByte S399

f COPY/CLEAR Button

^ Ready to plug in,

Including 5 ft. IBM-cable.<^ It's only a small box.

(CA orders add 6.5% tax. Add US $4 (or shippingPrice change without notice)

Interfaces, buffers and cables available for mostmajor computer and printer manufacturers:

TecTrans - Guertzgen,

6925 Rosemead Blvd.,

San Gabriel, CA 91775

[818] 285-3121

IBM PC/XT/AT are trademarks of Intern.Business MachinesCENTRONICS is a trademark of Centronics Data Comp.

Inquiry 172

Inquiry 80

Inquiry 355

THE LATEST IN PC ENHANCEMENT PRODUCTS

ENHANCED GRAPHICS ADAPTOR

700% IBM COMPATIBLE—PASSES IBM EGA DIAGNOSTICS

NOW ONLY

$259.95

* COMPATIBLE WITH IBM EGA, COLOR GRAPHICS ADAPTOR ANDMONOCHROME ADAPTOR

* DISPLAYS 16 COLORS OUT OF 64 COLORS

* COMES WITH 256K OF VIDEO RAM

* DUAL SCANNING FREQUENCIESWORKS WITH STANDARD OREGA TYPE RGB MONITORS

* LIGHT PEN INTERFACE

EGA MONITOR

FULL ONE YEAR WARRANTY

* EGA AND CGA COMPATIBLE

* SCANNING FREQUENCIES:15.75 KHz/21.85 KHz

* 14" BLACK MATRIX,NON-GLARE SCREEN

* RESOLUTION:640 x 200 / 640 x 350

* .31 DOT, 25MHz

* 16 COLORS OUT OF 64

* TEXT SWITCH-GREEN/AMBER

$499.95

20 MB

HARD DISK

SYSTEM

INCLUDES HARD DISK CONTROLLER, CABLESAND INSTRUCTIONS. ALL DRIVES ARE PRE-TESTED AND COME WITH A 1 YEAR WARRANTY.

$38995

AT MULTIFUNCTION CARD $199.95

ADDS UP TO 3 MEGABYTES OF USER EXPANDABLE MEMORY

* SHIPPED WITH ZERO K RAM, USER EXPANDABLE TO 1.5MEGABYTES RAM ON BOARD, UP TO 3 MEGABYTES WITHOPTIONAL PIGGYBACK CARD

* USES 64K OR 256K DYNAMIC RAMS

* PARALLEL PORT & GAME PORT

* SERIAL PORT

* OPTIONAL SECOND SERIAL PORT

PIGGYDACK MEMORY CARD (NO memory installed) $49.95

EXPANDED MEMORY CARD $199.95

UP TO 2 MEGABYTES OF LOTUS/INTEL COMPATIBLE MEMORY

* CONFORMS TO LOTUS/INTEL EXPANDED MEMORYSPECIFICATIONS (EMS)

* SHIPPED WITH ZERO K RAM, USER EXPANDABLE TO 2MEGABYTES

* USES 64K OR 256K DYNAMIC RAMS

* USE AS EXPANDED (EMS) OR CONVENTIONAL MEMORY,RAMDISK OR SPOOLER

* SOFTWARE INCLUDES EMS DEVICE DRIVERS,PRINT SPOOLER AND RAMDISK

EPROM PROGRAMMER $129.95

FOR IBM PC/XT/AT AND COMPATIBLES

* PROGRAMS 27xxx SERIES EPROMS UP TO 27512

* MENU DRIVEN SOFTWARE PROVIDED ON DISKETTE

* AUTOMATICALLY SETS PROGRAMMING VOLTAGE

* LOADS AND SAVES EPROM BUFFER TO DISK

* READ, WRITE, COPY, VERIFY OR CHECK BLANK

* DEBUG STYLE EDITOR FOR EASY MODIFICATION OF PROGRAM

* SPLITS OR COMBINES EPROMS OF DIFFERING SIZES

* INTERNAL CARD WITH EXTERNAL CABLE FOR A ZIF SOCKET

#JDR Microdevices

110 Knowles Drive, Los Gatos, CA 95030Toll Free 800-538-5000 • (408) 866-6200 • FAX (408) 378-8927 • Telex 171-110

Inquiry 176

© COPYRIGHT 1986 JDR MICRODEVICES

THE JDR MICRODEVICES LOGO IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF JDR MICRODEVICES. JDR INSTRUMENTS AND JDR MICRODEVICES ARE TRADEMARKS OF JDR MICRODEVICES.

IBM IS A TRADEMARK OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES.

ftf]

uh

IIMil

ill

j m \rm \=

Al>

1 ftif

STATIC RAMS

• •••HIGH-TECH****^!

EPROMS

210151012102L-4

256x4256x41024x1

(450ns)

(450ns)|CMOSI

(450ns)(LP)

1.95 1

3.95 ■

.99 ■

NECV20 UPD70108 $11951

270827162716-1

1024x82048x82048x8

|450ns)

(450ns)(5V|

(350ns)|5V)

4.95 13.49 11H3.95 ■

21122114

256x41024x4

(450ns|(450ns)

2.99 ■.99 ■

REPLACES BOBB TO SPEED UP IBM PC 10-40% 1

TMS25322732

4096x84096x8

(450ns)|5V)(450ns)|5V)

5.95 ■3.95 |JjH

2114L-4

1024x4

(450ns)|LP)

1.09 ■

* HIGH-SPEED ADDRESS CALCULATION

2732A

4096x8

(250ns)<5V)(21VPGM

3.95 ■

l200ns)|LP)

1.49 ■

IN HARDWARE

2732A-2

4096x8

|200ns)|5VI(21VPGM

4.25 ■

2114L-15

1024x4

|150ns|(LP)

1.95 ■

27C64

8192x8

|250ns)(5V)|CMOS)

5.95 ■

TMS4044-4

4096x1

(450ns)

1.95 ■

* PIN COMPATIBLE WITH 8088

2764

8192x8

(450nsl(5VI

3.49 ■

TMM2016-150TMM2016-100

2048x82048x8

1150ns)(100ns)

1.49 ■

1.95 ■

* SUPERSET OF 8088 INSTRUCTION SET

2764-2502764-200

8192x88192x8

|250ns)|5V)|200ns|{5V|

3.95 i^|4.25 ■

HM6116-4

2048x8

(200ns)(CMOS)

1.89 ■

* LOW POWER CMOS

MCIW68766

8192x8

|350ns||5V||24 PIN)

17.95 ■

HM6116-3

2048x8

(150ns|(CMOS)

1.95 ■

I^IB

16384x8

l250ns)l5V|

4.25 ■

HM6116LP-4HM6116LP-3

2048x82048x8

(200ns)(CMOS)(LP)|150ns|(CMOS)|LP|

1.95 ■2.05 ■

8MHZ V20 UPD70108-8 $13.95 ■

27C256

32768x832768x8

(250ns)(5V)|CMOSI(250ns)(5V|

10.95 ■7.49 ■

HM6116LP-2HM6264P-15HM6264LP-15HM6264LP-12

2048x88192x88192x88192x8

|120ns|(CMOSI(LP)|150ns)|CMOS)(150ns)|CMOS)|LP)|120ns)|CMOS)|LP)

2.95 ■3.89 ■3.95 ■4.49 ■

8MHZ V30 UPD70116-8 $19.951****SPOTLIGHT****J

5V=Single

5 Volt Supply

21V PGM=Program at 21 Volu ^|

LP=Low power

DYNAMIC RAMS

4116-250

4116-200

4116-150

4116-120

MK4332

4164-200

4164-150

4164-120

MCM6665

TMS4164

4164 REFRESH

TMS4416

41128-150

TMS4464-15

41256-200

41256-150

16384x116384x116384x116384x132768x165536x165536x165536x165536x165536x165536x116384x4131072x165536x4262144x1262144x1

5v=Single 5 Volt Supply

(250.15] .49

(200nsl .89

(150ns) .99

(120ns) 1.49

(200ns) 6.95

(200ns)|5v) 1.19

|150ns)|5v) 1.29

(120ns)|5v| 1.95

|200ns)(5v| 1.95

(150ns)|5v) 1.95|150ns)(5V)|REFRESH) 2.95

(150ns)l5u) 4.95

(150ns)(5u) 5.95

(150ns)|5v| 6.95

(200ns)|5v) 2.95

(150ns)|5v) 2.95REFRESH Pin 1 Refresh

ORDER TOLL FREE

800-538-5000

Dgsssss e

■ corporation

€

Model

Timer

CapacityChip

Intensity Unit(uW'Cm'l Price

PE-14

NO

9

8.000 S83.00

PE-14T

VES

9

8.000

S119.00

PE-24T

YES

12

9.600

S175.00

8000

80358039808080858087-2808780888088-281558155-28748875580286I 80287

1.49

1.95

2.95

2.49

169.95

129.00

6.95

9.95

2.49

3.95

7.95

14.95

129.95

199.95 .

8200

8203

j 820582128216822482378237-5825082518251A82538253-582558255582598259-5827282798279-5

I 828282848286

.8288

24.953.291.491.492.254 955.496.951.691.891.891.951.691.891.952.294.952.492.953.952.953.954.95 .

Z-80

E80-CPU2 5MHr1.69

4.0 MHZ

zaoA cpu

1.79

Z80A-CTC

1.89

Z80A DART

5.95

Z80A-DMA

5.95

Z80A-PIO

1.89

Z80A-SIO/0

5.95

Z80A-SIO/1

5.95

Z80A-SIO/2

5.95

6.0 MHZ

Z80B-CPU

3.75

Z80B-CTC

4.25

MOB-PI O

4.25

Z80B-DART

14.95

Z80B-SIO/0

12.95

Z80B-SIO/2

12.95

Z8671 ZILOG

19.95

6500

1.0MHZ

6502 2.69

65C02 (CMOS) 12.95

CRTI CONTROLLERS I

CRYSTALS

74LS00

650765206522652665326545655165616581

9.95

1.95

4.95

26.95

6.95

6.95

5.95

19.95

34.95

2.0 MHZ

6502A6520A6522A6532A6545A6551A

2.952.955.9511.957.956.95

3.0 MHZ

.6502B 6

' 6800

1.0MHZ

6800

1.95

6802

4.95

6803

9.95

6809

5.95

6809E

5.95

8810

1.95

6820

2.95

6821

1.95

6840

6.95

6843

19.95

6844

12.95

6845

4.95

6847

11.95

6850

1.95

6883

22.95

2.0 MHZ

68B00

4.95

68B02

5.95

68B09E

6.95

68B09

6.95

68B21

3.95

68B45

6.95

68B50

2.95

68B54

7.95

CLOCKCIRCUITS

MM5369 1.95

MM5369-EST 1.95MM58167 12.95MIW58174 11.95MSM5832 2.95 J

6845

68B45] 6847

HD46505SP

MC1372

8275j 7220

CRT5027

CRT5037[ TMS9918A

4.95

8.95

11.95

6.95

2.95

26.95

19.95

12.95

9.95

19.95 I

DISK

CONTROLLERS

1771

4.95

1791

9.95

1793

9.95

1795

12.95

1797

12.95

2791

19.95

2793

19.95

2797

29.95

6843

19.95

8272

4.95

UPD765

4.95

MB8876

12.95

MB8877

12.95

1691

6.95

2143

6.95

BIT RATE

GENERATORS

MC14411BR19414702COM8116

. MM5307

9.954.959.958.954.95 ,

UARTS

I AY5-1013AY3-1015TR16022651IM6402IM6403

, INS8250

3.954.953.954.956.959.956.95 .

SOUND CHIPS

76477

5.95

76489

8.95

SSI 263

39.95

AY3-8910

12.95

AY3-8912

12.95

SP1000

39.00

32.768 K Hi

1.0 MHz

1.8432

2.0

2.097152

2.4576

3.2768

3.579545

4.0

4.032

5.0

5.0688

6.0

6.144

6.5536

8.010.0

10.73863512.0

14.3181815.016.017.43018.018.43220.022 118424.0

"crystaloscillators

.952.952.951.951.951.951.951.951.951.951.951.951 951.951.951.951.951.951.951.951.951.951.951.951 951.951.951.951.95

1.0MHz1.84322.0

2.45762.54.0

5.06886.06.1448.010.012.012.48015.016.018.43220.0,24.0

5.955.955.955.954.954.954.954.954.954.954.954.954.954.954.954.954.954.95 .

MISC.

TMS99531TMS99532ULN2O0332423341MC3470MC3480MC348711C902513-001 UPAY5-2376. AY5-3600PRG 11.95

.797.954.951.958.952.95

19.956.95

11.95

74LS0O

.16

74LS01

.18

74LS02

.17

74LS03

.18

74LS04

.16

74LS05

.18

74LS08

.18

74LS09

.18

74LS10

.16

74LS11

.22

74LS12

.22

74LS13

.26

74LS14

.39

74LS15

.26

74LS20

.17

74LS21

.22

74LS22

.22

74LS27

.23

74LS28

.26

74LS30

.17

74LS32

.18

74LS33

.28

74LS37

.26

74LS38

.26

74LS42

.39

74LS47

.75

74LS48

.85

74LS51

.17

74LS73

.29

74LS74

.24

74LS75

.29

74LS76

.29

74LS83

.49

74LS85

.49

74LS86

.22

74LS90

.39

74LS92

.49

74LS93

39

74LS95

.49

74LS107

.34

74 LSI 09

.36

74LS112

.29

74LS122

.45

74LS123

.49

74LS124

2.75

74LS125

.39

74LS126

.39

74LS132

.39

74LS133

.49

74LS136

.39

74LS138

.39

74LS139

.39

74LS145

.99

74LS147

.99

74 LSI 48

.99

74LS151

.39

74LS153

.39

74LS154

1.49

74LS155

.59

74LS156

.49

74LS157

.35

74LS158

.29

74LS160

.29

74LS161

.39

74LS162

.49

74LS163

.39

74LS164

.49

74LS16574LS16674LS16974LS17374LS17474LS17574LS19174LS19274LS19374LS19474LS19574LS19674LS19774LS22174LS24074LS24174LS24274LS24374LS24474LS24574LS25174LS25374LS256 1.7974LS257 .3974LS258 .4974LS259 1.2974LS260 .4974LS266 .3974LS273 .7974LS279 .3974LS280 1.9874LS283 .5974LS29074LS29374LS299 1.4974LS322 3.9574LS323 2.4974LS364 1.9574LS365 .3974LS367 .3974LS368 .3974LS373 .7974LS374 .7974LS375 .9574LS377 .7974LS378 1.1874LS390 1.1974LS393 .7974LS541 1.4974LS624 1.9574LS640 .9974LS645 .9974LS669 1.2974LS670 .8974LS682 3.2074LS683 3.2074LS684 3.2074LS688 2.4074LS783 22.9581LS95 1.4981LS96 1.4981LS97 1.4981LS98 1.4925LS2521 2.8025LS2569 2.8026LS31 1.9526LS32 1.95

.65.95.95.49.39

-69.69.69.59.59.59

.69

69

.49.49

.89

HIGH SPEED CMOS

A new family a

high s

peed CMOS logic featuring

the speed of low

power

Schottky :9ns typical gate

propagation delay), combined with the advantages of

CMOS: very low power consumption, superior noise

immunity, and improved output drive.

74HC00

74HC: Operate at CMOS logic levels and are ideal

for new. all-CMOS designs.

74HC00

.59

74HC148

1.19

74HC02

.59

74HC151

.89

74HC04

.59

74HC154

2.49

74HC08

.59

74HC157

.89

74HC10

.59

74HC158

.95

74HC14

.79

74HC163

1.15

74HC20

.59

74HC175

.99

74HC27

.59

74HC240

1.89

74HC30

.59

74HC244

1.89

74HC32

.69

74HC245

1.89

74HC51

.59

74HC257

.85

74HC74

.75

74HC259

1.39

74HC85

1.35

74HC273

1.89

74HC86

.69

74HC299

4.99

74HC93

1.19

74HC368

.99

74HC107

.79

74HC373

2.29

74HC109

.79

74HC374

2.29

74HC112

.79

74HC390

1.39

74HC125

1.19

74HC393

1.39

74HC132

1.19

74HC4017

1.99

74HC133

.69

74HC4020

1.39

74HC138

.99

74HC4049

.89

74HC139

.99

74HC4050

.89

74HCT00

74HCT: Direct, drop

in replacements for LS TTL

and can be intermixed with 74LS in the same circuit.

74HCT00

.69

74HCT166

3.05

74HCT02

.69

74HCT174

1.09

74HCT04

.69

74HCT193

1.39

74HCT08

.69

74HCT194

1.19

74HCT10

.69

74HCT240

2.19

74HCT11

.69

74HCT241

2.19

74HCT27

.69

74HCT244

2.19

74HCT30

.69

74HCT245

2.19

74HCT32

.79

74HCT257

.99

74HCT74

.85

74HCT259

1.59

74HCT75

.95

74HCT273

2.09

74HCT138

1.15

74HCT367

1.09

74HCT139

1.15

74HCT373

2.49

74HCT154

2.99

74HCT374

2.49

74HCT157

.99

74HCT393

1.59

74HCT158

.99

74HCT4017

2.19

74HCT161

1.29

74HCT4040

1.59

74HCT164

1.39

74HCT4060

1.49

74FO074F0274F0474F0874F1074F32. 74F64

.69

.79

74F00

74F74 .7974F86 .9974F138 1.6974F139 1.6974F157 1.6974F240 3.2974F244 3.29

74F251 1 6974F253 1.6974F257 1.6974F280 1.7974F283 3.9574F373 4.2974F374 4.29 ,

Visit our retail store located at 1256 S. Bascom Ave. in San Jose, (408) 947-8881

,CA 95030

vj^Mf Toll Free 800-538-5000 • (408) 866-6200kjp«*Jr FAX (408) 378-8927 • Telex 171-110

PLEASE USE YOUR CUSTOMER NUMBER WHEN ORDERING

TERMS: Minimum order $10.00. For shipping and handling Include S2.50 lor UPS' and S3.50 lor UPS Air. Orders a

© COPYRIGHT 1986 JDR MICRODEVICES

Inquiry 177

THE JDR MICRODEVICES LOGO IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF JDR MICRODEVICES. JDR INSTRUMENTS AND JDR MICRODEVICES ARE TRADEMARKS OF JDR MICRODEVICES.IBM IS A TRADEMARK OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES. APPLE IS A TRADEMARK OF APPLE COMPUTER.

2T

40014011401240134015401640174018401040214024402540274028403540404041404240434044404540464047404940504051405240534056406040664069407640774081408540864093409414411.14412

Li

CMOS

7400/9000 74S00

.19.19.25.35.29.29

.59.69.49.25.39.65.69.69.75.59.85.691.98.69.69.29.29.69.69.692.19.69.29.19.59.29.22.79.89.492.499.956.95

14419

4.95

7400

14433

14.95

7402

4503

.49

7404

4511

.69

7406

4516

.79

7407

4518

.86

7408

4522

.79

7410

4526

.79

7411

4527

1.95

7414

4528

.79

7416

4529

2.95

7417

4532

1.95

7420

4538

.95

7423

4541

1.29

7430

4553

5.79

7432

4585

.75

7438

4702

12.95

7442

74C00

.29

7445

74C14

.59

7447

74C74

.59

7470

74C83

1.95

7473

74C85

1.49

7474

74C95

.99

7475

74C150

5.75

7476

74C151

2.25

7483

74C161

.99

7485

74C163

.99

7486

74C164

1.39

7489

74C192

1.49

7490

74C193

1.49

7492

74C221

2.49

7493

74C240

1.89

7495

74C244

1.89

7497

74C374

1.99

74100

74C905 10.95

74121

74C911

8.95

74123

74C917 12.95

74125

74C922

4.49

74141

74C923

4.95

74143

74C926

7.95

74144

80C97

.95

74145

EDGECARD CONNECTORS

.19.19.19.29.29.24

.49.25.25.19.29

.29.49.69.89.35.34

.50

.59

.35

2.15

.39

.50

.35

.55

2.75

2.29

.29

.49

.45

.65

5.95

2.95

.60

74147

74148

74150

74151

74153

74154

74155

74157

74159

74161

74163

74164

74165

74166

74175

74177

74178

74181

74182

74184

74191

74192

74194

74196

74197

74199

74221

74246

74247

74248

74249

74251

74265

74273

74278

74367

74368

9368

9602

9637

96S02

.751.351.351 351.251.851 95

.751.351 953.11

.65

.653.951.502951.95 ,

2.49

74S00

1.20

74S02

1.35

74S03

.55

74S04

.55

74S05

1.49

74S08

.75

74S10

.55

74S15

1.65

74S30

.69

74S32

.69

74S37

.85

74S38

.85

74S74

1.00

74S85

.89

74S86

75

74S112

1.15

74S124

225

74S138

.75

74S140

2.00

74S151

1.15

74S153

.79

74S157

.85

74S158

79

74S161

.29.29.29.29.29

.49.29.35.69.69.49.95.35.50

2.75.79.55.79.79.79.95

1.29

74S16374S16874S17474S17574S18874S18974S19574S19674S19774S22674S24074S24174S24474S25774S25374S25874S28074S28774S28874S29974S37374S37474S47174S571

1.29

3.95

.79

.79

1.95

1.95

1.49

2.49

2.95

3.99

1.49

1.49

1.49

.79

.79

.95

1.95

1.69

1.69

2.95

1.69

1.69

4.95

2.95 .

DATA ACQ INTERFACE

ADC0800 15.55

ADC0804 3.49

ADC0809 4.49

ADC0816 14.95

ADC0817 9.95

ADC0831

DAC0800

DAC0806

DAC0808

DAC1020

DAC1022

8.954.491.952.958.255.95

. MC1408L8 2.95

8T26

8T28

8T95

8T96

8T97

8T98

DM8131

DP8304

DS8833

DS8835

DS8836

OSB837

1.29

1.29

.89

.89

.59

.89

2.95

2.29

2.25

inn

PIN ST

S-100

.125

3.95

mn

PIN WW

S-100

.125

4.95

s?

PIN ST

IBM PC

.100

1.95

Fin

PIN ST

APPLE

.100

2.95

44

PIN ST

STD

.156

1.95

44

PIN WW

STD

.156

4.95

36 PIN CENTRONICS

MALE

IDCEN36 RIBBON CABLE

6.95

CEN36 SOLDER CUP

4.95

FEMALE

IDCEN36/F RIBBON CABLE

7.95

CEN36PC RT ANGLE PC MOUNT

4.95 .

INTERSIL

ICL7106ICL7107ICL7660ICL8038ICM7207A. ICM7208

9.9512.952.954.955.9515.95 .

VOLTAGEREGULATORS

TO 220 CASE

| 7805T .49 7905T .59

7808T .49 7908T .59

7812T .49 7912T .59

7815T .49 7915T .59

TO-3 CASE7805K 1.59 7905K 1.697812K 1.39 7912K 1.49

TO-93 CASE

78L05 .49 79L05 .6978L12 .49 79L12 1.49

OTHER VOLTAGE REGS

LM323K 5V 3A TO-3 4.79LM338K Adj. 5A TO-3 6.95I 78H12K 12V 5A TO-3 8.9

IG SOCKETS

8 PIN ST14 PIN ST16 PIN ST18 PIN ST20 PIN ST22 PIN ST24 PIN ST28 PIN ST40 PIN ST64 PIN ST

1-99 100*.11 .10

.22.30

ST=SOLDERTAIL8 PIN WW .59 .69

14 PIN WW .69 .52

16 PIN WW .69 .58

18 PIN WW .99 .90

20 PIN WW 1.09 .98

22 PIN WW 1.39 1.28

24 PIN WW 1.49 1.35

28 PIN WW 1.69 1.49

40 PIN WW 1.99 1.80

WW WIP.EWP.AP16 PIN ZIF 4.95 CALL

24 PIN ZIF 5.95 CALL

28 PIN ZIF 6.95 CALL

40 PIN ZIF 9.95 CALL

ZlF=TEXTOOL(ZERO INSERTION FORCE)

LINEAR

TL066

.99

LM733

.98

TL071

.69

LM741

.29

TL072

1.09

LM747

.69

TL074

1.95

LM748

.59

TL081

.59

MCI 330

1.69

TL082

.99

MC1350

1.19

TL084

1.49

MC1372

6.95

LM301

.34

LM1414

1.59

LM309K

1.25

LM1458

.49

LM311

.59

LM1488

.49

LM311H

.89

LM1489

.49

LM317K

3.49

LM1496

.85

LM317T

.95

LM1812

8.25

LM318

1.49

LM1889

1.95

LM319

1.25

ULN2003

.79

LM320 »e«7900

XR2206

3.95

LM322

1.95

XR2211

2.95

LM323K

4.79

XR2240

1.95

LM324

.49

MPO-2907

1.95

LM331

3.95

LM2917

1.95

LM334

1.19

CA3046

.89

LM335

1.79

CA3081

.99

LM336

1.75

CA3082

.99

LM337K

3.95

CA3086

.80

LM338K

6.95

CA3089

1.95

LM339

.59

CA3130E

.99

LM340 «oo7800

CA3146

1.29

LM350T

4.60

CA3160

1.19

LF353

.59

MC3470

1.95

LF356

.99

MC3480

8.95

LF357

.99

MC3487

2.95

LM358

.59

LM3900

.49

LM380

.89

LM3909

.98

LM383

1.95

LM3911

2.25

LM386

.89

LM3914

2.39

LM393

.45

MC4024

3.49

LM394H

5.95

MC4044

3.99

TL494

4.20

RC4136

1.25

TL497

3.25

RC4558

.69

NE555

.29

LM13600

1.49

NE556

.49

75107

1.49

NE558

1.29

75110

1.95

NE564

1.95

75150

1.95

LM565

.95

75154

1.95

LM566

1.49

75188

1.25

LM567

.79

75189

1.25

NE570

2.95

75451

.39

NE590

2.50

75452

.39

NE592

.98

75453

.39

LM710

.75

75477

1.29

LM723

.49

75492

.79

H=TO-5 CAN, K=TO-3, T=TO-220 J

DIP CI

INNECTORS

DESCRIPTION

ORDER BY

CONTACTS

8

14

16

18

20

22

24

28

40

HIGH RELIABILITY TOOLEDSTIC SOCKETS

AUGATxxST

.62

.79

.89

1.09

1.29

1.39

1.49

1.69

2.49

HIGH RELIABILITY TOOLEDWW IC SOCKETS

AUGATxxWW

1.30

1.80

2.10

2.40

2.50

2.90

3.15

3.70

5.40

COMPONENT CARRIES(DIP HEADERS)

ICCxx

.49

.59

.69

.99

.99

.99

.99

1.09

1.49

RIBBON CABLEDIP PLUGS (IDC)

IDPxx

.95

.95

1.75

2.95

FOR ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS SEE D-SUBMINIA TORE BELOW

\ I | I I I I I I I IIAUGAT24ST

D-S

UBMINIJ!

TUR

E

DESCRIPTION

ORDER BY

CONTACTS

9

15

19

25

37

50

SOLDER CUP

MALE

DBxxP

.82

.90

1.25

1.25

1.80

3.48

FEMALE

DBxxS

.95

1.15

1.50

ISO

2.35

4.32

RIGHT ANGLEPC SOLDER

MALE

DBxxPR

1.20

1.49

1.95

2.65

FEMALE

DBxxSR

1.25

1.55

2.00

2.79

WIRE WRAP

MALE

DBxxPWW

1.69

2.56

3.89

5.60

FEMALE

DBxxSWW

2.76

4.27

6.84

9.95

IDCRIBBON CABLE

MALE

IDBxxP

2.70

2.95

3.98

5.70

FEMALE

IDBxxS

2.92

3.20

4.33

6.76

HOODS

METAL

MHOODxx

1.25

1.25

1.30

1.30

GREY

HOODxx

.65

.65

.65

.75

.95

£

3a

ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS: INSERT THE NUMBER OF CONTACTS IN THE POSITION

MARKED -xx" OF THE ORDER BY~ PART NUMBER LISTED.

EXAMPLE: A 15 AN RIGHT ANGLE MALE PC SOLDER WOULD BE DBI5PR

MOUNTING HARDWARE $1.00

IDC CONNECTO

RS

DESCRIPTION

ORDER BY

CONTACTS

10

20

26

34

40

50

SOLDER HEADER

IDHxxS

.82

1.29

1.68

2.20

2.58

3.24

RIGHT 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

RIGHT ANGLE WW HEADER

IDHxxWR

2.05

3.28

4.22

4.45

4.BO

7.30

RIBBON HEADER SOCKET

IDSxx

.79

.99

1.39

1.59

1.99

2.25

RIBBON HEADER

IDMxx

5.50

6.25

7 00

7.50

8.50

RIBBON EDGECARD

IDExx

1.75

2.25

2.65

2.75

3.80

3.95

FOR ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS SEE D-SUBMINIA TURE ABOVE

HARD TO FIND"SNAPABLE" HEADERS

CAN BE SNAPPED APART TO

MAKE ANY SIZE HEADER.

ALL WITH .1" CENTERS

1x40 STRAIGHT LEAD .9!

1x40 RIGHT ANGLE 1.4!

2x40 STRAIGHT LEAD

.2x40 RIGHT ANGLE

SHORTINGBLOCKS

GOLD

CONTACTS|SPACED

centers ropra5/S1.00

When I called JDR, the operator was superfriendly and patient, not to mention veryhelpful. In addition, the delivery was madevery quickly. On top of all that, I am mosthappy with the merchandise itself. It'squality, price and warranty are mostimpressive. Thanks again and keep up thegood work.

Soott Feickert

DIODES/OPTO/TRAHSISTORS

1N751

.25

4N26

.69

1N759

.25

4N27

.69

1N4148

25/1.00

4N28

.69

1N4004

10/1.00

4N33

.89

1N5402

.25

4N37

1.19

KBP02

.55

MCT-2

.59

KBU8A

.95

MCT-6

1.29

MDA990-2

.35

TIL-111

.99

N2222

.25

2N3906

.10

PN2222

.10

2N4401

.25

2N2905

.50

2N4402

.25

2N2907

.25

2N4403

.25

2N3055

.79

2N6045

1.75

2N3904

.10

TIP31

.49

LED DISPLAYS

FND-357I359)

COM CATHODE

.362" 1.25

FND-500I503)

COM CATHODE

.5" 1.49

FND-5071510)

COM ANODE

.5" 1.49

MAN-72

COM ANODE

.3" .99

MAN-74

COM CATHODE

.3" .99

MAN 8940

COM CATHODE

.8" 1.99

TIL-313

COM CATHODE

.3" .45

TIL-311 4x7 HEXW/LOGIC

.270" 9.95

HP5082-7340 4x7 HEXW/LOGIC

.290" 7.95

DIFFUSED LEDS

1-99

100-UP

JUMBO RED

T1V.

.10

.09

JUMBO GREEN

T1'/4

.14

.12

JUMBO YELLOW

T1V.

.14

.12

MOUNTING HDW

T1V.

.10

.09

MINI RED

T1

.10

.09

SWITCHES

SPDT MINI TOGGLE ON-ON

DPDT MINI-TOGGLE ON-ON

DPDT MINI-TOGGLE ON-OFF-ON

SPST MINI-PUSHBUTTON N.O.

SPST MINIPUSHBUTTON NC.

SPST TOGGLE ON OFFBCD OUTPUT 10 POSITION 6 PIN DIP

1.251.501.75

.39

.39

.49 I

DIP SWITCHES

4 POSITION

5 POSITION. 6 POSITION

.85 7 POSITION

.90 8 POSITION

.90 10 POSITION 1.29

RIBBON CAB

LE

CONTACTS

SINGLE COLOR

COLOR CODED

V

10'

V

10'

10

.18

1.60

.30

2.75

16

28

2.50

.48

4.40

20

.36

3.20

.60

5.50

25

.45

4.00

.75

6.85

26

.46

4.10

.78

7.15

34

.61

5.40

1.07

9.35

40

.72

6.40

1.20

11.00

50

.89

7.50

1.50

13.25

CALL FOR VOLUME QUOTES © copyright 1986 jdr microdevices

Inquiry 177

EEEEEEBP

PA6E WIRE WRAP WIRE

PRECUT ASSORTMENT

IN ASSORTED COLORS $27.50

lOOoa: 5.5", 6.0". 6.5". 7.0"250ea: 2.5", 4.5". 5.0"500ea: 3.0", 3.5", 4.0"

SPOOLS

WIRE WRAP PROTOTYPE CARDS

FR-4 EPOXY GLASS LAMINATEWITH GOLD-PLATED EDGE-CARD FINGERS

100 feet $4.30500 feet $13.25

250 feet $7.251000 feet $21.95

Please specify color:Blue, Black, Yellow or Red

EMI FILTER

> MANUFACTUREDBY CORCOM

• LOW COST ¥

• FITS LC-HP BELOW N

• 6 AMP 120/240 VOLT

$4.95

6 FOOT LINE CORDS

LC-2 2 CONDUCTOR .39

LC-3 3 CONDUCTOR .99LC-HP 3 CONDUCTOR W/STD

FEMALE SOCKET 1.49

MUFFIN FANS

31/86

3.15" SQ ROTRON

3.63" SO ETRI

. 3.18" SQ MASUSHITA

14.9514.9516.95 .

IBM-PR2 .___

IBM

BOTH CARDS HAVE SILK SCREENED LEGENDS

AND INCLUDES MOUNTING BRACKET

IBM-PR1 WITH +5V AND GROUND PLANE . . . . S27.95

IBM-PR2 AS ABOVE WITH DECODING LAYOUT $29.95

S-100

P1O0-1 BARE - NO FOIL PADS S15.15

P100-2 HORIZONTAL BUS S21.80

P100-3 VERTICAL BUS S21.80

PI 00 4 SINGLE FOIL PADS PER HOLE $22.75

APPLE

P500-1 BARE - NO FOIL PADS 515.15

P500-3 HORIZONTAL BUS S22.75

P500-4 SINGLE FOIL PADS PER HOLE $21.80

. 706045 FOR APPLE lie AUX SLOT $30.00

SOCKET-WRAP I.D.™

• SLIPS OVER WIRE WRAP PINS

I IDENTIFIES PIN NUMBERS ON WRAP

SIDE OF BOARD■ CAN WRITE ON PLASTIC; SUCH AS IC •'••

2022242840

PARTSIDWRAP 08IDWRAP 14IDWRAP 16IDWRAP 18IDWRAP 20IDWRAP 22IDWRAP 24IDWRAP 28IDWRAP 40

PCK. OF10

1010

5

5

5

PLEASE ORDER BY NUMBER OFPACKAGES (PCK. OF)

PRICE1.951.951.951.951.951.951.951.951.95

FRAME STYLETRANSFORMERS

12.6V AC CT

12.6V AC CT

12.6V AC CT

L 25.2V AC CT

2 AMP 5.95

4 AMP 7.95

8 AMP 10.95

2 AMP 7.95 .

PS-IBM

SWITCHING POWER SUPPLIES$69.95

» FOR IBM PC-XT COMPATIBLE

• 135 WATTS

• »5V<5>15A, *12V@4.2A PS IBM-5V @ .5A, -12V @> .5A

• ONE YEAR WARRANTY

PS-IBM-150 $79.95

- FOR IBM PC-XT COMPATIBLE

• 150 WATTS« »12V@>5.2A. +5V@ 16A

-12V@.5A.-5V<S>.5A PS130

• ONE YEAR WARRANTY

CAPACITORS

TANTALUM

1.0//I

15V

.35

,47»/f

35V

.45

6.8

15V

.70

1.0

35V

.4b

10

15V

.80

2.2

35V

.65

22

15V

1.35

4.7

35V

.85

.22

35V

.40

10

35V

1.00

DISC

lOpI

50V

.05

680

50V

.05

22

50V

.05

.oow

50V

.05

27

50V

.05

.0022

50V

Ob

33

50V

.05

.005

50V

.05

47

50V

.05

.01

50V

.07

68

50V

.05

.02

50V

.0/

100

50V

.05

.05

50V

.07

220

50V

.05

.1

12V

.10

| 560

50V

.05

.1

50V

.12

MONOLITHIC

.01/if

50V

.14

■V

50V

.18

.047f/f

50V

.15

.47/jf

50V

2b

ELECTROLYTIC

RAOIAL

AXIAL

lllf

25V

.14

M

50V

.14

2.2

35V

.15

10

50V

.16

4.7

50V

.15

22

16V

.14

10

50V

.15

47

50V

.20

47

3SV

.18

100

35V

.25

100

16V

.18

220

25V

.30

220

35V

.20

470

50V

.50

470

25V

.30

1000

16V

.60

2200

16V

.70

2200

16V

.70

I 4700

25V

1.45

4700

16V

1.25

DATARASE EPROM ERASER $34.95

■ ERASES 2 IN 10 MINUTES

• COMPACT-NO DRAWER

• THIN METAL SHUTTERPREVENTS UV LIGHTFROM ESCAPING

Va WATT RESISTORS

5% CARBON FILM ALL STANDARD VALUES

FROM 1 OHM TO 10 MEG. OHM

10 PCS sane value .05 100 PCS same value .02

i 50 PCS sanevalue .025 1000 PCS samovalue .015 .

RESISTOR NETWORKS

PS-130

$99.95

I 130 WATTS

I SWITCH ON REAR

I FOR USE IN OTHER IBM

TYPE MACHINES. 90 DAY WARRANTY

PSA

$49.95

SIP

10 PIN

9 RESISTOR

.69

SIP

8 PIN

7 RESISTOR

.59

DIP

16 PIN

8 RESISTOR

1.09

DIP

16 PIN

15 RESISTOR

1.09

DIP

14 PIN

7 RESISTOR

.99

DIP

14 PIN

13 RESISTOR

.99

SPECIALS ON DYPASS CAPACITORS

.01 //f CE RAMIC DISC 100/$5.00

.01 /if MONOLITHIC 100/610.00

.1 /A CERAMIC DISC 100/S6.50

.1 fA MONOLITHIC 100/S12.50,

• USE TO POWER APPLE TYPESYSTEMS. 79.5 WATTS

• t5V@7A. t12V@3A-5V<a.5A.-12V@.5A

> APPLE POWER CONNECTOR

PS-SPL200 $49.95

. t5V @ 2SA. *12V <5> 3.5A

-5V@>1A, -12V @ 1A■ ULAPPROVED

> ALUMINUM ENCLOSURE

BOOKSb, STEVE CIARCIA

BIULD YOUR OWN

Z80 COMPUTER S19.95

CIRCUIT CELLAR VOL 1 S17.95

CIRCUIT CELLAR VOL 2 $18.95

CIRCUIT CELLAR VOL 3 $18.95

CIRCUIT CELLAR VOL 4 $18.95

.CIRCUIT CELLAR VOL 5 $19.95

MICROCOMPUTER

HARDWARE HANDBOOKFROM ELCOMP $14.95

OVER 800 PAGES OF DATASHEETSON THE MOST COMMONLY USEDICs. INCLUDES TTL, CMOS. 74LSO0,MEMORY. CPUs. MPU SUPPORT..AND MUCH MORE!

WISH SOLDERL

ESSB

READBOfl

RDS

PARTNUMBER

DIMENSIONS

DISTRIBUTIONSTRIPISI

TIEPOINTS

TERMINALSTRIPISI

TIEPOINTS

BINDINGPOSTS

PRICE

WBU-D

.38 x 6.50"

1

100

2.95

WBU-T

1.38x6.50"

1

630

6.95

WBU-204-3

3.94 x 8.45"

1

100

2

1260

2

17.95

WBU-204

5.13x8.45"

4

400

2

1260

3

24.95

WBU-206

6.88 x 9.06"

5

500

3

1890

4

29.95

WBU-208

8.25 X 9.45"

7

700

4

2520

4

39.95

LITHIUM BATTERY

AS USED IN CLOCK CIRCUITS

3 VOLT BATTERYI BATTERY HOLDER

NEW EDITION!

1986IC MASTER

THE INDUSTRY STANDARD

$129.95

.1.T'

Visit our retail store located at 1256 S. Bascom Ave. in San Jose, (408) 947-8881

, CA 95030Toll Free 800-538-5000 • (408) 866-6200

.$&*:; FAX (408) 378-8927 • Telex 171-110

/-V'.rt' V* © COPYRIGHT 1986 JDR MICRODEVICES

PLEASE USE YOUR CUSTOMER NUMBER WHEN ORDERING

TERMS: Minimum order $10.00 For shipping and handling include $2.50 lor UPSGround and S3.50 lor UPS Air. Orders over 1 lb. and foreign orders may require

ml. CA.

applicable sales lax. All merchandise is warranted lor 90 days

rise slated. Prices are subject to change without notice. We are not

xjnslble tor typographical errors. We reserve the right to limit quantities and to

substitute manufacturer. All merchandise subject to prior sale.

Inquiry 178

THE JDR MICRODEVICES LOGO IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK.OF JDR MICRODEVICES. JDR INSTRUMENTS AND JDR MICRODEVICES ARE TRADEMARKS OF JDR MICRODEVICES.IBM IS A TRADEMARK OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES. APPLE IS A TRADEMARK OF APPLE COMPUTER.

DISK DR VES

FOR APPLE COMPUTERS

AM 50$99.95

!■—f—'A(\

• V, HT, DIRECT DRIVE

< 100% APPLE COMPATIBLE

. SIX MONTH WARRANTY

BAL-500 M$129.95

• TEAC MECHANISM-DIRECT DRIVE. 100% APPLE COMPATIBLE' FULL ONE YEAR WARRANTY

AM 35$129.95

a> H

. FULL HT SHUGART MECHANISM• DIRECT REPLACEMENT FOR APPLE

DISK II. SIX MONTH WARRANTY

MAC535$249.95

■ 3.5" ADDON DISK DRIVE

• 100% MACINTOSH COMPATABLEI DOUBLE SIDED 800K BYTE STORAGE

■ HIGH RELIABILITY DRIVE

HAS AUTO-EJECT MECHANISM. FULL ONE YEAR WARRANTY

AD-3C$139.95

p^ga

• 100% APPLE lie COMPATIBLE.READY TO PLUG IN, W SHIELDEDCABLE & MOLDED 19 PINCONNECTOR

• FAST. RELIABLE SLIMLINE DIRECTDRIVE

• SIX MONTH WARRANTY

DISK DRIVE ACCESSORIES

FDD CONTROLLER CARD S49.95

lie ADAPTOR CABLE $19.95

ADAPTS STANDARD APPLE DRIVES

FOR USE WITH APPLE lie

KB-1000

$79.95

CASE WITH KEYBOARDFOR APPLE TYPE MOTHERBOARD

• USER DEFINED FUNCTION KEYS

• NUMERIC KEYPAD WITHCURSOR CONTROL

• CAPS LOCK

■ AUTO-REPEAT

KEYBOARD-AP $49.95

• REPLACEMENT FOR APPLE IIKEYBOARD

• CAPS LOCK KEY, AUTO-REPEAT. ONE KEY ENTRY OF BASIC

OR CP/M COMMANDS

EXTENDER CARDS

IBM-PC

$45.00

IBM-AT

$68.00

APPLE II

$45.00

APPLE lie

$45.00

MULTIBUS

$86.00^

APPLE COMPATIBLEINTERFACE CARDS

EPROM PROGRAMMER $59.95

MODELRP525

. DUPLICATE OR BURN ANYSTANDARD 27xx SERIES EPROM

> EASY TO USE MENU-DRIVENSOFTWARE IS INCLUDED

• HIGH SPEED WRITE ALGORITHM' LED INDICATORS FOR ACTIVITYi NO EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLY

NEEDED. ONE YEAR WARRANTY

16K RAMGARD

$39.95

• FULL TWO YEAR WARRANTY

• EXPAND YOUR 48K APPLE TO64K

• USE IN PLACE OF APPLELANGUAGE CARD

BARE PC CARD W/INSTRUGIIONS S9.95

IC TEST CARD

$99.95

■ QUICKLY TESTS MANY COMMONICi

. DISPLAYS PASS OR FAIL• ONE YEAR WARRANTY

■ TESTS: 4000 SERIES CMOS.

74HC SERIES CMOS.7400.74LS. 74L 74H & 74S

300B MODEM $49.95

FOR APPLE OR IBM

INCLUDES ASCII PR0-E2 SOFTWARE

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• BELL SYSTEMS 103 COMPATIBLE

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■ AUTO-DIAL

■ DIRECT CONNECT

CABLE FOR APPLE lie $14.95 ^

JOYSTICK CR401 $7.95

FOR ATARI 400. 800. 2600.VIC 20/64 AND APPLE lie

DISKFILE

HOLDS 70 5W DISKETTES

. 3.5" DISKFILE holds 40 $9"

POWER STRIP

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• CONNECTS 2 PRINTERS TO ONECOMPUTER OR VICE VERSA

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• 3 FEMALE GOLD-PLATED CONNECTORS

HB-P CENTRONICS PARALLEL

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MOLDED INTERFACE CABLES

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IBM PARALLEL PRINTER CABLE 9.95

CENTRONICS MALE TO FEMALE 15.95

CENTRONICS MALE TO MALE 14.95

MODEM CABLE FOR IBM 7.95

RS232 SERIAL MALE TO FEMALE 9.95

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KEYBOARD EXTENSION (COILED) 7.95

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• 160 CPS DRAFT MODE. 32CPS NLQ MODE

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$219.95

IBM PRINTER CABLE $9.85 I

. REPLACEMENT RIBBON CARTRIDBE $15.B5 J

NASHUA DISKETTES DEALS

514" SOFT SECTORDS/DD WITH HUB RINGS

$990 690ea 590ea

BOX OF 10 BULK QTY 50 BULK OTY 2S0

NASHUA DISKETTES WERE JUDGED

TO HAVE THE HIGHEST POLISH

AND RECORDED AMPLITUDE OF ANY

DISKETTES TESTED ACCORDING TO

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DISKETTES

NASHUA 5W

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BUILD STEVE CIARCIAS

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KIT INCLUDES PCB AND ALL

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TEAC FD-65BV; KTDSDD (FOR IBM) 3109.95

TEAC FD-B5F » HT DS/OUAO (FOR IBM) 3124.95TEAC FD-55GFV </j HT DS HO (FOR IBM AT) 3154.95TANDON TM100-2 DS/DD (FOR IBM) 3119.00

TANDON TM50-2 '/, HT DS/DO (FOR IBM) S79.95MPI-B52 DS/DO (FOR IBM) S79.95

8" FLOPPY DISK DRIVES

FD .100-8 SS/DD ISA/901 EOUIV)FD 200-8 DS/DO (SA/851R EOUIV)

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DISK DRIVE ACCESSORIES

TEAC SPECIFICATION MANUAL 35.00

TEAC MAINTENANCE MANUAL 325.00

'/: HT MOUNTING HARDWARE 32.95

MOUNTING RAILS FOR IBM AT 34.95

"Y" POWER CABLE FOR 5V." FDD» 32.95

5V." FDD POWER CONNECTORS 31.19

TEAC FD-55

TANDON TM100-2

DISK DRIVE ENCLOSURES

CAB-1FH5 $88.95 I

FULL HT 5V," BEIGE CABINET W/POWER SUPPLY

CAB-2SV5 $49.95

DUAL SUMLINE 5V." CABINET W/POWER SUPPLY

CAB-2SVB vertical $299.95 I

DUAL SLIMLINE 8" CABINET W/POWER SUPPLY

CAB-2FH8 horizintal $219.95

DUAL FULL HT 8" CABINET W/POWER SUPPLY

>«\

TEST EQUIPMENT FROM JDR INSTRUMENTS

DIGITAL MULTIMETER PEN DPM-1000

AUTO RANGING. POLARITY AND DECIMAL!

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20MHZ DUAL TRACE OSCILLOSCOPE MODEL 2000 $389.0035MHZ DUAL TRACE OSCILLOSCOPE MODEL 3500 $549.00 |

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE OSCILLOSCOPES, CALL US FOR FREE PRODUCT BRIEFS.

CALL FOR VOLUME QUOTES © copyright 1986 jdr microdevices

Inquiry 178

ONLY $389.95!

SEAGATE ST-225 20 MB HARD DISK SYSTEM! CRT MONITORS FOR ALL APPLICATIONS

INCLUDES HARD DISK CONT-ROLLER, CABLES AND IN-STRUCTIONS. ALL DRIVES AREPRE-TESTED AND COME WITHA ONE YEAR WARRANTY.

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• 4.77 MHl 8088 CPU. OPTIONAL8087 COPROCESSOR

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• OK RAM INSTALLED. EXPANDABLETO 640K ONBOARD MEMORY

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• ACCEPTS 2764 OR 27128 ROMS

PRO-BIOS $19.95

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IBM COMPATIBLE INTERFACE CARDS

ALL WITH A ONE YEAR WARRANTY

MULTI I/O FLOPPY CARD $89.95

PERFECT FOR THE 640K MOTHERBOARD

• 2 DRIVE FLOPPY DISK CONTROLLER

• 1 RS232 SERIAL PORT;OPTIONAL2ndSERIAL PORT

• PARALLEL PRINTER PORT« GAME PORT

• CLOCK/CALENDAR

• SOFTWARE: CLOCK UTILITIES.RAMDISK, SPOOLER

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$84.95

ALL THE FEATURES OF AST'S 6 PACK PLUS AT HALF THE PRICE

• CLOCK/CALENDAR

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WK RAM UPGRADE 9/f 11.SI

COLOR GRAPHICS ADAPTOR

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FULLY COMPATIBLE WITH IBM COLOR CARD

• 4 VIDEO INTERFACES: RGB.COMPOSITE COLOR. HI-RESCOMPOSITE MONOCHROME,CONNECTOR FOR RF MODULATOR

• COLOR GRAPHICS MODE: 320 x 200

• MONO GRAPHICS MODE: 640 X 200. UGHT PEN INTERFACE

MONOCHROME GRAPHICS CARD

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FULLY COMPATIBLE WilBM MONOCHROME ADAPTOR & HERCULES GRAPHICS

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• TEXT MODE: 80 X 25

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BUILD YOUR OWN 256KXT COMPATIBLE SYSTEM

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130 WATT POWER SUPPLY $69.95FLIP-TOP CASE $39.95

DKM-2000 KEYBOARD $59.951/2 HT TANDON DRIVE $79.95

FLOPPY DISK CONTROLLER $34.95MONOCHROME ADAPTOR $49.95MONOCHROME MONITOR $99.95

TOTAL $611.10

IBM STYLECOMPUTER CASE

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WITH A HINGED LID FITS THE

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IBM PRINTER CABLE

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IBM GOMPATIDLE KEYDOARDSDKM-2000 $59.95 IBM-5151 $79.95

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* V4 HT DS/DD

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I TE1C FD-55B DS/DD $109.85

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„ff ir^D finZr*m-4^.*-irx* finno 11° Knowles Drive, Los Gatos, CA 95030

*|p ^Jl_jr\ IVIICl 00"VIUtJO Toll Free 800-538-5000 • (408) 866-6200 • FAX (408) 378-8927 • Telex 171-110

Inquiry 179

) COPYRIGHT 1986 JDR MICRODEVICES

BOMB

BYTE's Ongoing Monitor Box

ARTICLE* PAGE ARTICLE AUTHOR(S)

1 9 Microbytes staff

2 29 What's New staff

3 52 Ask BYTE/Circuit Cellar

Feedback Ciarcia

4 65 Book Reviews Unger.

Cunningham,Hoffman

5 87 Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar: Build

the GTI80 Color Graphics Board,

Part 2: Hardware Ciarcia

6 102 Programming Project:

Using DOS Functions from Turbo

Pascal Yriart

7 113 Programming Insight: A Program

for Approximating Integrals Smith

8 127 Debugging Macintosh Applications .. West

9 143 Local Effects of Nuclear Weapons .. Fanchi

10 161 Henon Mapping with Pascal Hughes

11 181 Abstract Mathematical Art Perry

ARTICLE* PAGE ARTICLE AUTHOR(S)

12 193 The TMS34010 Graphics System

Processor Killebrew

13 207 Plotting the Mandelbrot Set Schroeder

14 215 Graphing Quadric Surfaces Haroney

15 225 Free-Form Curves on Your Micro ..Enns

16 239 Four IBM PC AT Clones Rash

17 249 The Hercules Graphics Card Plus ..Malloy

18 255 23 Modems Satchell

19 265 Pascal for the IBM PC Shammas

20 277 STELLA Robinson

21 281 Flash-Corn Meeks

22 291 Computing at Chaos Manor:

The Final Frontier Pournelle

23 305 According to Webster:

Season's Greetings Webster

24 321 Applications Only:

Stocking Stuffers Shapiro

25 329 BYTE U.K.: The U-MAN Potential ..Pountain

26 349 Best of BIX BlXen

BOMB Results

PRIZE COMPARISON

"A Comparison of MC68000 Family Processors" is the winning article fromSeptember, bringing author Thomas L. lohnson $100. In second and the winnerof $50 is Adam Brooks Webber for his system software analysis of the twomachines, "Amiga vs. Macintosh." Mike Morton's "68000 Tricks and Traps" came

in third in the vote tally for quantity.

And the first place prize for quality of $50 also goes to Thomas L. Johnsonfor his coverage of the five MC68000S. Congratulations to all of these Themeauthors.

NEXT MONTH IN BYTE

At press time the following articles are intended for publication in the January issue of BYTE:

Theme:

Next month's theme, Programmable Hardware, includes an overview of the evolution of programmable

hardware, an explanation of the theory and physics of programmable logic devices, the merits of microcode

versus hard-wiring, general considerations in designing with PALs, how to choose PALs for particular

applications, and a programmable hardware construction article.

Features:

Steve Ciarcia concludes his three-part graphics construction project. We have a programmingproject on hashing, a programming insight or two, and a 68000-related piece on creating and manipulating

Macintosh regions.

Hardware Reviews:

We'll feature coverage of 8 multifunction boards for the IBM PC AT, followed by an evaluation of 15 ATclones. We also plan to present reviews of the Data General/One Model 2, the Stride computer,and the Laser 128. Peripheral reviews will include a comparison of 12 graphics boards and the

All Card from All Computers.

Software Reviews:

Among the software reviews we have on hand include three Modula-2s for the IBM PC, multitasking BASIC,

RuleMaster, Laser Quill, and Scribble!.

Plus columns by Pournelle, Webster, Shapiro, Pountain, and more from the Best of BIX; BookReviews, What's New, Microbytes, and more.

DECEMBER 1986 • BYTE 437

A COMPUTER

PROGRAM

DELIVERED VIA

SATELLITE!

The Computer Chronicles, a half-hour weeklytelevision series brings you news and informationfrom Silicon Valley and around the world.

Correspondent Stewart Cheifet and Gary Kildall,creator of CP/M cover today's headlines andthe stories behind them.

Find out what is, what was and what will be, withthe only computer program you're ever going toneed. The Computer Chronicles, every week ona public television station near you.

(Check local listings for time and channel.)

Produced by KCSM, San Mateo, CA and WITF. Harrisburg, PA with lunding from McGraw-Hill's BVII magazine.

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438 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

READER SERVICE

Inquiry No.

Page No.

398 3M COMPANY 286. 287

2 ABSOFT 350

3 ACS IMPORTERS 408

4 ADDISON-WESLEY EDU MEDIA . . 62

5 ADDMASTER CORP 416

6 ADIUSTABLE COMRPROD 423

8 ADV INTELLIGENCE TECHN. .421

10 ADVANCED COMP PROD 49

11 ADVANCED COMP. PROD 49

12 ADVANCED COMP PROD 405

13 AFIDN COMPUTER 308

14 AKTON COMPUTER 308

15 AICON SYSTEMS 322

16 AICON SYSTEMS 322

17 ALF PRODUCTS. INC 400

18 ALPHA MICRO 19

19 ALSYS LTD 197

186 AMAZING THINGS INC 23

20 AMDEK CORP 311

23 AMERICAN COMP. & PERIPH.. . 353

24 AMERICAN COMP. & PERIPH . 353

25 AMERICAN MICRO TECH 307

26 AMERICAN MICRO TECH 307

27 AMERICAN MICRO TECH 309

28 AMERICAN MICRO TECH 309

29 AMERICAN RESEARCH INC 77

30 AMERICAN RESEARCH INC 77

31 AMERICAN SEMICONDUCTOR . . 406417 AMERICAN SEMICONDUCTOR . . 420

32 AMERICAN SMALL BUSN COMP 119

33 AMPRO COMPUTERS INC . . . 70413 APPARAT INC 206

34 APROrEK 406

35 ARITY CORPORATION 246

37 ARTEK CORP. 66

• AST RESEARCH INC 17

• AT&T COMMUNICATIONS . . 132. 133

39 ATARI CORP 173

40 ATARI CORP 175

41 ATARI CORP. 177

36 ATI TECHNOLOGIES INC 167

42 ATRON CORP 304

43 AVIS RENT-A-CAR 325

• AVOCET SYSTEMS INC 331

45 B&B ELECTRONICS 411

• B&C MICROSYSTEMS 416

46 BARRINGTON SYSTEMS 25

47 BAY EXPRESS COMPANY. THE . . 247

48 BAY TECHNICAL ASSOC 68

52 BLAISE COMPUTING INC 335

53 BLAISE COMPUTING INC 335

54 BORLAND INTL CI1. I

55 BORLAND INTL Cil. 1

56 BP MICROSYSTEMS 423

57 BUSINESS TOOLS INC 313

• BUYER'S MART SECTION 390-397

• BYTE BACK ISSUES 302

426 BYTE BITS 423

58 BYTE CONNECTION. THE 399

450 BYTE INFO EXCHANGE IBIXI .320

• BYTE PUBLISHER'S STATEMENT.400

• BYTE SUB MESSACE 422

• BYTE SUB SERVICE 112

• C WARE/DESMET C 360

• CALIFORNIA DIGITAL . .424,42561 CANON USA 326, 327

63 CAPITAL EQUIPMENT CORP. ... 336

64 CARLISLE COMPUTER 430

65 CAUZIN SYSTEMS 248

420 CENTRAL COMP PROD 416

419 CENTROID 422

68 CLONE FACTORY 414

69 CLUB AT 56, 57

70 CLUB AT 351

71 CMS 176

72 CMS 176

73 CNT MARKETING 423

75 COEFFICIENT SYS. CORP. 338

76 COGITATE 400

77 COGITATE 400

79 COMPUDATA TRANSLATORS INC 418

• COMPUPRO 334

Inquiry No.

Page No.

80 COMPUSALES 430

81 COMPUSAVE 398

82 COMPUSERVE 300

83 COMPUSERVE 301

85 COMPUTER CLASSIFIEDS INC. . . 174

• COMPUTER CONTINUUM 418

86 COMPUTER DIRECT 129

87 COMPUTER FRIENDS 332

207 COMPUTER LIBRARY .195

• COMPUTER MAIL ORDER. . 64A-D

88 COMPUTER MAIL ORDER 401

424 COMPUTER MART 422

89 COMPUTER SURPLUS STORE ... 410

90 COMPUTER WAREHOUSE 328

91 COMPUTER WAREHOUSE 328

93 COMPUTERBANC 407

94 COMPUTERS INTERNATIONAL 219

95 COMPUTRADE COMPANY 366

96 CUESTA SYSTEMS 139

97 CUSTOM SOFTWARE SYSTEMS . 366

98 DAC SOFTWARE INC 45

99 DANCOTEC 205

102 DATA SPEC 360

103 DATA SPEC 360

105 DATADESK INTERNATIONA! 117

106 DATADESK INTERNATIONAI 117

108 DATASOUTH COMP CORP 238

• DAYTIMERS 209

414 DECISIONWARE INC 243

415 DECISIONWARE INC 243

110 DICONIX 377

111 DIGITALK INC 115

113 DISKCOTECH 404

114 DISKETTE CONNECTION 413

84 DISKMASTER 410

115 DISKS PLUS INC 352

116 DRESSELHAUS COMP. PROD ... 60

117 EARTH COMPUTERS 228

118 EARTH COMPUTERS 228

119 EASTMAN KODAK CO. 55

120 ECHELON 374

121 ECOSOFT 221

122 ELECTRONIC ARTS 354, 355

123 ELECTRONIC ARTS 354. 355

357 ELECTRONIC UNIV NETWORK . . 254

124 ELEXOR INC 416

125 ELLIS COMPUTING INC 283

127 EVEREX SYSTEMS 276

128 EVEREX SYSTEMS 276

129 EVSAN 423

130 FILTREX RESEARCH INC 411

132 FLAGSTAFF ENGINEERING 290

133 FLAGSTAFF ENGINEERING 290

134 FOCUS ELECTRONICS 252

135 FORESIGHT RESOURCES CORP . 272

136 FORESIGHT RESOURCES CORP . 272

137 FORTRON CORPORATION 389

138 FORTRON CORPORATION 389

139 FOX SOFTWARE INC 22

406 GAS INT L ELECTRONICS 242

140 GENERAL DATACOMM 312

141 GENERAL MICRO SYSTEMS ... 418

142 GENERAL PARAMETRICS CORP .165

143 GENERAL PARAMETRICS CORP.. 165

144 GENERIC SOFTWARE INC 214

145 GENERIC SOFTWARE INC 214

146 GFK 350

147 GIMPEL SOFTWARE 192

148 GLENCO ENGINEERING 340

149 GOLDEN BOW SYSTEMS 418

150 GOLDEN BOW SYSTEMS 416

151 GRAFPOINT 400

153 GTEK INC 306

Inquiry No.

Page No.

421 H & S SALES INC 430

• HARMONY COMPUTERS 62

154 HAYES MICROCOMP PROD 218

155 HERCULES COMPUTER TECH. 82. 83

156 HERCULES COMPUTER TECH. 82, 83

157 HERITAGE SYSTEMS CORP. 423

401 HERSEY MICRO CONSULTING . . 230

158 HEWLETT-PACKARD 323

429 HUNTER SALES 419

430 HUNTER SALES 419

162 ICON INCORPORATED 299

404 IBM IISGI SERVICES 140, 141

164 IBEX COMP. CORP 404

165 I.C. EXPRESS 404

166 ILLUMINATED TECHNOLOGIES. . 134

167 INI COMPUTER PROD 418

168 INMAC 252

• INTECTRA INC 418

169 INTEGRAND RESEARCH CORP. . 257

170 INTERNATIONAL FINANCE 413

411 INTRONICS COMPUTER CORP .. 387

171 IO TECH 408

172 IACO ENTERPRISES 430

173 IADE COMP. PROD 428. 429

174 IAMECO ELECTRONICS . . 402, 403

175 IDR INSTRUMENTS Ill

176 IDR MICRODEVICES 431

177 IDR MICRODEVICES 432, 433

178 IDR MICRODEVICES 434, 435

179 IDR MICRODEVICES 436

180 KADAK PRODUCTS LTD. 400

397 KEA SYSTEMS 406

181 KEITHLEY DAC 296

182 KIMTRON CORP. 253

183 KIMTRON CORP. 253

184 LAHEY COMPUTER SYSTEMS. . . . 54

185 LATTICE. INC 58

187 LIFEBOAT ASSOCIATES 175

189 LOGICAL DEVICES 364

190 LOGICAL DEVICES 364

191 LOGICAL SYSTEMS INC 418

400 LOGICSOFT 224A-F

193 LOGITECH INC 363

194 LOGITECH INC 365

195 LONE STAR SOFTWARE INC 417

• LOTUS DEVELOPMENT 40,41

• LOTUS DEVELOPMENT 124. 125

■ LOTUS DEVELOPMENT 144-151

• LOTUS DEVELOPMENT .... 231-233

■ LOTUS DEVELOPMENT ... 346, 347

204 LUCKY COMPUTERS 410

205 LYBEN COMP. SYS 298

206 LYCO COMPUTER 245

208 MACMILLAN SOFTWARE 123

209 MAGITRONIC TECHNOLOGY INC. .76

• MAGNAVOX 171

210 MANX SOFTWARE SYS 79

211 MANX SOFTWARE SYS 317

212 MARK WILLIAMS CO 35

213 MARK WILLIAMS CO. 37

• MASTERCARD INTL INC 202

214 MATHSOFT INC 220

■ MAXELL DATA PRODUCTS 7

101 MAXTECH 422

215 MCGRAW-HILL SOFTWARE 384

216 MEGASOFT 404

217 MEGATEL COMPUTER TECH 358

218 MERRITT COMP PRODUCTS ... 418

219 METACOMCO 306

220 METHOD SYSTEMS INC 410

221 MFI ENTERPRISES INC 430

223 MICRO DESIGN INTL 64

425 MICRO PRODUCTS INTL 426

TO GET FURTHER information on the products advertised in BYTE, eitherpick up your touch-tone telephone and use TIPS (if you are a subscriber).or fill out the reader service card. Either way full instructions are pro-vided following this reader service index which is provided as an addi-tional service by the publisher, who assumes no liability for errors oromissions. 'Correspond directly with company.

Inquiry No.

Page No.

225 MICRO SUPPLY ORGANIZATION 406222 MICROCOM SYSTEMS 178

226 MICROCOMP. ACCESSORIES. .126

227 MICROCOMP ACCESSORIES. . 126

• MICROMINT INC 383

228 MICRON TECHNOLOGY 134

418 MICROPLOT 416

231 MICROPORT SYSTEMS INC .212, 213

232 MICROPROCESSORS UNLTD 411

• MICROSOFT CORP. 53

• MICROSOFT CORP. 100, 101

233 MICROWARE 416

234 MICROWAY 86

• MICROWAY 191

235 MIGENT SOFTWARE. INC 169

160 MIND OVER MINORS 177

407 MITAC CORP 371

236 MIX SOFTWARE 99

237 MOTOROLA SEMI-CONDUCTOR 411

239 MULTI-TECH SYSTEMS 284

240 MULTI-TECH SYSTEMS 284

241 MULTITECH INDUSTRIAL CORP. . . 61412 NAKAI CO. INC 229

243 NANTUCKET 39

244 NANTUCKET 39

245 NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS 210

246 NEC HOME ELECTR.USA 121

247 NEC INFORMATION SYS Clll

248 NEC INFORMATION SYS 361

249 NEEDHAM'S ELECTRONICS ... 430416 NORTHEASTERN SFTW. CO. 318. 319

253 OMNITRONIX INC 408

252 OMNITRON1X INC 410

• ORCAD SYSTEMS CORP. 418

427 ORCHID TECHNOLOGY 31

428 ORCHID TECHNOLOGY 31

255 ORION INSTRUMENTS 160

256 PC. COMPUTER BROKERS INC . . 345

257 PC. HORIZONS INC 416

258 P.D. SIG INC 423

260 PANASONIC COMPUTER DIV. ... 71

261 PANASONIC COMPUTER DIV 72, 73

262 PARLOR SOFTWARE CO. 430

263 PATHFINDER SOFTWARE INC.. . .406

264 PATTON & PATTON 400

265 PC AMERICAN MARKETING INC40978 PC INNOVATIONS 59

• PC NETWORK 304A-H

266 PC SIG 20

268 PC TECH 358

• PCS LIMITED 192A-B

269 PECAN SOFTWARE SYS. INC . 18

270 PECAN SOFTWARE SYS INC ... 380

• PERCON 408

271 PERSOFTINC 8

272 PERSOFT INC 33

273 PERSONAL TEX. INC 74

276 POLARIS SOFTWARE 336

277 POLARIS SOFTWARE 336

278 POLYTRON 173

279 POLYTRON 173

• PRENTICE-HALL 180

280 PRINCETON GRAPHIC SYS 14, 15

281 PRINCETON GRAPHIC SYS 275

282 PROGRAMMER'S SHOP 297

284 PROSOFT 43

285 PROTEC MICRO SYSTEMS 423

423 PUBLIC DOMAIN SFT COPYING.422

286 PURPLE COMPUTING 404

287 O.W. PAGE ASSOCIATES INC 131

288 QIC RESEARCH 270

289 QUA TECH. INC 413

290 QUA TECH. INC 413

291 QUA TECH. INC 413

292 QUA TECH. INC 413

293 QUA TECH. INC 413

294 QUADRAM CORP. 107

295 QUALITY PRINTERS 404

296 QUALSTAR CORP. 411

297 QUANTUM SOFTWARE 315

298 QUBIE' 269

299 QUBIE' 271

DECEMBER 1986 -BYTE 439

READER SERVICE

Inquiry No.

Page No.

300 OUBIE 273

301 QUEIjO. INC 423

302 OUICKSOFT 227

303 RADIO SHACK CIV

304 RADIO SHACK 142

305 RAINBOW TECHNOLOGIES 408

306 RAINBOW TECHNOLOGIES 422

307 REVOLUTION SOFTWARE INC . . 122

308 ROSE ELECTRONICS 404

309 RR SOFTWARE INC 293

310 S NW ELECTR. & APPL 60

311 S-100 DIV 696 CORP 415

312 S-100 DIV. 696 CORP. 415

313 SAFEWARE 411

314 SAMSUNG ELECTRON DEVICES..63

315 SAMSUNG ELECTRON DEVICES. .63

316 SBT CORPORATION 69

317 SCIENTIFIC ENGR. LABS 416

318 SCR 430

319 SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY 109

320 SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY 109

321 SILICON SPECIALTIES 348

322 SILICON SPECIALTIES 348

323 SINGLE BOARD SYSTEMS 411

324 SOFT CIRCUITS 350

325 SOFTCRAFT INC. (TXJ 47

326 SOFTKLONE DISTRIBUTING .295■ SOFTLINE CORP 67

329 SOFTLOGIC SOLUTIONS INC .357328 SOFTLOGIC SOLUTIONS INC 359

330 SOFTRONICS 406

Inquiry No.

Page No.

331 SOFTWARE LINK. THE 21

332 SOFTWARE LINK, THE 21

333 SOFTWARE PRODUCTS INTL ....28

334 SOFTWARE PRODUCTS INT I 28

335 SOLUTION SYSTEMS 295

336 SOPHIA COMP. SYS INC 264

337 SOPHISTICATED SOFTWARE .... 312

338 SORD COMPUTER 283

339 SOURCE ELECTRONICS 380

• SOURCE TELECOMP. CORP. 50. 51

• SOURCE TELECOMP. CORP. 211

340 SPECTRUM SOFTWARE 236.

341 SPENCER ORGANIZATION. . . . 411

342 SPSS INC 341

343 STAR GATE TECHNOLOGIES 410

344 STAR MICRONICS 156. 157

163 STERLING SOFTWARE 155

345 SUBLOGIC CORP. 379

• SUMMIT SOFTWARE TECHN. INC . 279

346 SUNTRONICS CO. INC 399

347 SYMMETRIC COMP. SYS 244

348 SYSTEMS STRATEGIES 78

349 TATUNG CO. OF AMERICA 172

350 TATUNG CO OF AMERICA 172

408 TAXAN 280

409 TAXAN 280

351 TDT S.AR.1 201

422 TEC 422

352 TECH PC 26. 27

353 TECH PC 26. 27

354 TECHNOI.AND 333

Inquiry No.

Page No.

410 TECHNO-SOFT 374

355 TECI'RANS 430

356 TEKTRONIX INC 367

431 TELEVIDEO SYSTEMS 339

402 THE THIRD WAVE PUBL CORP 316

358 THOMSON CONSUMER PROD . . 343

359 THOMSON CONSUMER PROD.. . 343

403 TIGERTRONICS 78

360 TIGERTRONICS 411

361 TIMELINE 412

• TINNEY, ROBERT CRAPHICS. ... 342363 TOSHIBA AMERICA INC 369

• TOSHIBA AMERICA/ISD . . . 222. 223

• TRANSEC SYSTEMS 263

365 TRANSTIME TECHNOLOGIES ... 183

366 TURNER HALL PUBLISHING 294

367 TURNER HALL PUBLISHING ... 373

• TWA 187

368 US ROBOTICS INC 179

369 US ROBOTICS INC 179

370 US DISK 427

371 UNICORN ELECTRONICS 410

• UNITED AIRLINES 135

372 VEN-TEL INC II

373 VERBATIM CORP. 137

405 VICTORY ENT TECH 298

377 VISIONICS CORP. 352

378 VITAL SYSTEMS 408

379 VOTRAX INTERNATIONAL INC . 330

380 WAREHOUSE DATA PRODUCTS ... 75

381 WELLS AMERICAN 13

Inquiry No.

Page No.

382 WESTECH 310

383 WESTECH 310

384 WESTERN COMPUTER 381

385 WESTERN COMPUTER 381

386 WESTERN TELEMATIC 80

387 WESTERN TELEMATIC 80

388 WHITEWATER GROUP. THE 324

390 WINTEK CORP. 5

391 WINTEK CORP. 406

392 WISETEK INTL. INC 24

393 WORDTECH SYSTEMS 375

394 XYOUEST INC 185

395 ZIMCO INTERNATIONAL 408

396 ZSOFT CORPORATION 153

* Correspond directly wUh company.

INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING SECTION

500 AMERICAN BUYING & EXPORT

SERVICES 48E

501 ASHFORD INTL. INC 48A

502 GREY MATTER 48G

503 MICROPOINT 48F

504 MICROPOINT 48F

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SEND FOR YOUR 1)SUBSCRIBER I.D. CARD

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2) Write your Subscriber Number, as printed on your Subscriber I.D. Card, in boxes in Step 5 below.(Do not add O's to fill in blank boxes)

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CALL TIPS

4) Now, on a Touch-Tone telephone dial: (413) 442-2668 and wait for voice commands.

ENTER YOURSUBSCRIBER ANDISSUE NUMBERS

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ENTER YOURINQUIRIES

7a) When TIPS says "Enter (next) Inquiry Number"

Enter one inquiry selection from below (ignore blank boxes)

b) Repeat 7a as needed (maximum 17 inquiry numbers)

1.

DDD1I

6.

OOOLI] Lffl

10.

OOOLfflLffl

14.

oooli

2.

DDD11

7.

OOOL1L1

11.

DDDffli

15.

oaoLi

3.

O O O LI LI

8.

OOOLfflLl

12.

OODL1L1

16.

OOOLI

4.

DDD11

9.

OOOLfflLl]

13.

OOOLfflLl

17.

OOOLI

5.

DDD1I

END SESSION

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If you are a subscriber and need assistance, call (603) 924-9281.

If you are not a subscriber fill out the subscription card found in this issue or, call BYTE Circulation 800-258-5485.♦Domestic and Canadian Subscribers Only!

440 BYTE • DECEMBER 1986

NEC'S PINWRITER P5XL HAS MADE BLACK

A PRIMARY COLOR.

Our Pinwriter* P5XL printer has changed forever the way people look at dot matrix printing.

It's the first 24-pin dot matrix printer to use a letter-quality multistrike film ribbon—the sameribbon used in typewriters and letter-quality printers, such as our Spinwriter*' So for the first timein computer history there is a printer that honestly does everything. A printer that produces

important letters and documents with crisp, black, true letter-qualityprinting. But with all the speed and graphics capability dotmatrix printers are known for.

Fast, black letter-quality printing will be the primaryreason many people will buy a P5XL printer. But there areplenty of other good reasons. In fact, it's the most versatile printerever created for personal computers.It can use an optional ribbon to print seven other colors plus black. And it has the best graphicsresolution of any impact printer you can buy due in part to our advanced 24-pin printhead. Plus itcan print more type faces automatically than any other dot matrix printer. And it's quiet and fast.

You can also expect a P5XL printer to turn out millions of characters before it will needservice because it has the highest reliability rating in the industry. And there's a nationwide networkof NEC Customer Service Centers to take care of maintenance.

Now, while the Pinwriter P5XL performs a little black magic, you won't have to go in thered to buy it.

The Pinwriter P5XL is the latest addition to the most advanced and extensive family of 24-pinprinters available. See it at your dealer or for an information package that includes

actual print samples, call 1-800-343-4418 (in MA 617-264-8635).Or write: NEC Information Systems, Dept. 1610,1414 Massachusetts Ave., Boxborough, MA 01719.

NEC PRINTERS.THEYONLY STOPWHEN YOU WANT THEM TO.

CaC

Computers and Communications

The chevrons and serpentine designs are registeredtrademarks of Binney and Smith ]nc . used with permission

SEC

NEC Information Systems, Inc.

Inquiry 247

fill

s from Radio Shack

The Tandy 102 Portable

R^ $1QQ00

49900 jyy

Save $100 on our mostpopular portable.

Good things really do comein small packages

Here's the perfect gift forbusy executives, students andpeople on the move. The Tandy102 provides the performance ofa desktop computer in a muchsmaller—and much more afford-able package.

We've redesigned our best-selling portable—the Model100—into the slimmer, morelightweight Tandy 102. Ideal forbusinesspeople who travel, theTandy 102 includes five instant-011 programs, an 8-line by 40-character LCD display and abuilt-in modem. Despite itssmall size, the Tandy 102 fea-tures a full-size typewriter-stylekeyboard and 24K memory.

Prices apply at Radio Shack

Use the Tandy 102 as a per-sonal word processor, address/phone directory, appointmentcalendar and telephone auto-dialer. Access other computersor national information servicesby phone with the built-in 300bps modem and communica-tions program. Or write yourown programs in BASIC.

The Tandy 102 includes paral-lel, RS-232C, cassette and barcode reader interfaces. You caneven add a Disk/Video Interfacefor up to 184,000 characters ofdisk storage, as well as connec-tion to a TV or display monitor.The powerful little Tandy 102 isa Micro Executive Workstation™that operates on batteries or op-tional AC adapter.Computer Centers and participating stores and dealers. Sale

Save on our other portables!

The powerful Tandy 200(26-3860, Reg. $799.00, Sale$599) and the professional disk-based Tandy 600 portable com-puters (26-3901, Reg. $1599.00,Sale $999) are available at spe-cial holiday savings as well. Stopby your local Radio Shack.We've got the perfect portablefor everyone on your list.

Radio /hack

The Technology Store™

A DIVISION OF TANDY CORPORATION

begins 10/21/86, ends 12/31/86.

Inquiry 303