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User port Internet
Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2016 3:05 pm
by Bobbi
I am thinking to get a Wimodem (
https://www.cbmstuff.com/products.php?cat=19&pg=2) so I can finally surf the Internet from the friendly computer! I was also thinking of a few little software projects using the modem.
My question is, if I write software for VIC-20 plus 32K expansion, plus user port modem (Wimodem or other type - they all work like Hayes modems as far as I am aware), is there anyone out there that can run it? Or is it strictly for an audience of one?
Re: User port Internet
Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2016 3:36 pm
by alterus
I'd use it! I sometimes connect to BBSes using my VIC 20 and a term program I wrote in basic (unexpanded). Works well at 1200 baud. You can download it off Centronian BBS ( centronian.servebeer.com 6400 ). Would be nice to have some more term programs for VIC, especially a 32K one! I've been meaning to start up a VIC 20 specific BBS with 22 column PETSCII screens. If I knew people would use it, I'd have more incentive!
Re: User port Internet
Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2016 3:39 pm
by Bobbi
I am thinking to write a news 'app' for the VIC that can slurp data from an RSS feed and display it.
Would give my VIC a job to do during the day while I am working.
Would be easy to do a stock ticker or something too.
Re: User port Internet
Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2016 11:59 am
by alterus
Well if you create such a thing, I'll be sure to bring a VIC 20 into my office to keep myself up to date with an RSS! I have a Schema WiFi modem that I've used many times with my VIC. Also, a null modem cable to a PC with tcpser might also do the trick.
Re: User port Internet
Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2016 12:14 pm
by Bobbi
Development is underway!! I can do a lot of the testing in Vice, before my Wimodem arrives in the mail
I believe a general purpose RSS reader is feasible for VIC-20 +32K.
I have all the parsing code working. Just need to do the RS232 stuff and the display code.
Re: User port Internet
Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2016 12:29 pm
by Bobbi
Just to whet your appetite, here is a screen of (yesterday's) news that I extracted with my RSS code and displayed on the VIC-20 using Mightyterm. Right now the RSS decoding is being done on the PC, but the code written with the VIC in mind and I don't anticipate any issues running it there.
- snapshot.png (4.8 KiB) Viewed 2188 times
Limiting factor is download time at 1200baud. The file I am playing with is typical at ~30KB. Will take three or four minutes to download the XML file.
Hmmm, I wonder how many VIC-20 programs use XML?!
Re: User port Internet
Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2016 10:10 pm
by Bobbi
I got the XML parsing running on the VIC.
The XML data comes from a disk file right now. I guess I will finally order my Wimodem this weekend!
- news.png (2.56 KiB) Viewed 2167 times
For some reason the news articles all look like Scott Adams adventures to me right now. Maybe it's the colours.
Re: User port Internet
Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 2:16 am
by joshuadenmark
Amazing
will order one myself. Great achievement Bobbi
Re: User port Internet
Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 12:17 pm
by Bobbi
Thank you! I will put my Wimodem order in today too!
I a trying to think of some other cool things I could do with it ...
Re: User port Internet
Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 1:14 pm
by eslapion
I have a 80 column display adapter for the VIC-20.
If you can limit your software to use a 24k Expansion then I could use the 80 column display. The Data-20/Protecto80 uses the BLK 5 area for itself.
Re: User port Internet
Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 1:41 pm
by Bobbi
I am jealous of your 80 column adaptor! I remember wanting the Stack 40 (and 80?) column card when I was a kid. I guess there is not too much software support though?
The RSS reader does not really need much memory. The app is coded in cc65 and is a 5KB or so binary - aside from coding it with 6502 in mind in general, I have not done much in the way of optimization. If I discard stdio for my own routines I can shave another KB out of it (
printf in particular is pretty big.) It does not load the whole RSS file into memory but basically parses it a byte at a time creating a per-article display buffer. At present I am using a 20K buffer, but that is way excessive. It would be pretty easy to build this keeping BLK5 clear.
As a test I am currently running with this file:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/rss which is 263KB of XML. Works quite nicely (if slowly) - makes for a nice long news slideshow!
One thing I am thinking about is whether it is worth storing as much of the formatted output as possible to allow some scrollback. If I decide to do that, I may want the extra 8K! It could probably be a build-time configuration option.
I need to do some cleanup but I may release a version that runs from files on the SD card so people can play with it. It may take me a little while to integrate the modem support because I need to wait for my modem to arrive, and I have some work travel coming up (need to deliver some software for my day job ... sigh...)
Re: User port Internet
Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2016 7:45 pm
by Bobbi
Just sent in the order for a Wimodem. My VIC-20 is very excited!
Re: User port Internet
Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2016 11:55 am
by eslapion
Bobbi wrote:I am jealous of your 80 column adaptor! I remember wanting the Stack 40 (and 80?) column card when I was a kid. I guess there is not too much software support though?
I have 3 or 4 software that were designed for this display adapter. The "Quick Brown Fox" word processor supports it too.
This board is really a 6545 CRTC chip surrounded by a bunch of 74 series logic chips and all the information to make clones of it is available. It's just an incredibly long and tedious job.
Re: User port Internet
Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2016 12:35 pm
by Bobbi
Sounds like another project to add to my ever-expanding list!
Re: User port Internet
Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2016 2:36 pm
by Gyro Gearloose
eslapion wrote:I have a 80 column display adapter for the VIC-20.
You do? Which one? How many different models existed?
I think I'm envious.