**************************** AMUS Program Label ******************************
* Filename: VT102.TDV Date: 12/13/90
* Category: TDV Hash Code: 754-353-151-636 Version:
* Initials: Name:
* Company: SOFT MACHINES Telephone #:
* Related Files: NONE
* Min. Op. Sys.: Expertise Level: INT
* Special:
* Description: see below
*
*
******************************************************************************
Soft Machines VT-102 driver
Soft Machines VT-102 driver is available at no charge from the AMUS library.
Please use the driver, but you can't sell or modify it.
The VT102 driver is ideal for interfacing your PC as a terminal, using your
favorite terminal emulator on your PC.
The VT102 terminal is a Digital Equipment Corporation terminal with support for
132 columns, advanced video attributes (any combination of reverse, blink, and
underline on a character-by-character basis), and printer support. Most PC
terminal programs can do a fair job of emulating this terminal.
Hints
## Character Attributes ##
The VT-102 is a MODE terminal, rather than a FIELD terminal, like an AM62A.
With a mode terminal, like the VT102, you set the attributes (or MODE) at which
new characters are written to the screen. In a FIELD terminal, like an AM62A,
you set the locations (or FIELDs) at which each type of character attribute
either starts or ends.
The differences between MODE and FIELD may seem subtle, but a lot of software
available for the Alpha Micro just plain doesn't work with MODE terminals. A
lot of more modern programs can use either MODE or FIELD terminals.
The VT102 terminal does not have a DIM attribute, which is required for Alpha
Micro terminals. But VT102's have a BOLD attribute. Therefore, this driver
substitutes the BOLD setting for DIM. This means that were you may be used to
highlighted text being brighter, using the VT102 driver, the highlighted text
may be dimmer, instead.
## Handshaking ##
Real VT-100 class terminals only handshake via XON/XOFF. To remain compatible
with products like VUE, this driver does not use XON/XOFF for flow control.
Select hardware handshake in your terminal emulation if at all possible.
Otherwise, disable XON/XOFF processing in the terminal emulator. If you
experience messed up screens, drop the baud rate, or get a better emulator.
## Keyboard Input ##
The driver translates VT-102 cursor and PF key sequences into ^J,^K,^L,^H, and
to the same codes as used by an AM62A for F1-F4. This translation does not
interfere with the proper translation of Alpha Micro Function keys.
If your terminal emulation software can redefine keys, the VT102 terminal
driver supports the AM62A set of function keys.
To take advantage of packages that require keyboard translation files, make a
copy of the AM62A key board translation for that package using the name VT102
instead of AM62A. Of course, you must also train your terminal emulation to
send the same keystrokes as an AM62A. These are listed below as decimal bytes.
It is up to you to figure out how to do this with your terminal emulation
software.
A M 6 2 A F u n c t i o n K e y D e f i n i t i o n s
