Byte Magazine Volume 07 Number 09 - Computers and the Disabled (RESCAN)

September 1982 Vol. 7,

$2.95 in U
$3.50 in Ganada/£1.85 in U.K.
ill Publication

the small systems j ounna

Computers and the Disabled

Powerful.

DPI) card with error-correcting
memory and controller cards

68000-Powered

Once again you get a big stride forward with Cromemco.

This time it's our new DPU Dual Processor Unit. It gives
enormous power to Cromemco computer systems such as
our System One shown here.

Compares with mainframes

With the new DPU you get the almost unbelievably
powerful 68000 processor and its 32-bit data-handling
capabilities combined with its 16 Megabyte address space.

In other words with the System One/DPU combination
you get a small machine that's the equal of superminis and
mainframes in some areas.

8-Bit and 68000 software

The dual part of the DPU refers to its on -board Z-80A
processor. With this you have access to existing CP/M*
software.

for tomorrow

But besides being compatible with this wealth of existing
8-bit software, the System One/DPU has available a whole
family of new 68000 system software. This includes a wide
range of high-level software such as our 68000 Assembler,
FORTRAN 77, Pascal, BASIC, COBOL, and C.

Beyond all this there's a version for the 68000 of our
widely admired CROMIXt Operating System. It's like
UNIX J but has even more features and gives multi-tasking
and multi-user capability. In fact, one or more users can run
on the Z-80A processor while others are running on the
68000. Switching between the Z-80A and 68000 is auto-
matically controlled.

The System One itself is a bus-oriented machine that has
options for color graphics, for 390K or 780K of floppy
storage, a 5 MB hard disk option, communications capabil-
ity, and multi-processor capability using our I/O processor
card.

Powerful new micro
Powerful software.

System OneCS-IH

3102 Terminal

Highly expandable

With the System One/DPU combination, you get
tremendous expandability. Right now you can have up to 2
MB of RAM storage. You get this with our new Memory
Storage cards and our Memory Controller. The Controller
fully supports the 16 MB storage space of the 68000, allow-
ing you vast future expansion capability.

Further, the memory has built-in error detection and
correction, a feature normally found only in much more
costly systems.

Present customers can field-upgrade their Cromemco
systems to use the DPU and still be able to run their present
software using the Z-80A on the DPU. It's one more

instance of Cromemco's policy of providing obsolescence
insurance for Cromemco users.

Low priced

With all this performance you might not be ready for the
low price we're talking about. With 256K of RAM and 780K
of floppy storage, the price of the System One/DPU is only
$5495. That's hard to beat.

So contact your rep now. He'll fill you in on the many
more features that this outstanding and powerful machine
offers.

•CP/M is a trademark of Digital Research
TCROMIX Is a trademark of Cromemco, Inc.
tUNIX is a trademark of Bell Telephone Laboratories

a

TM

Cromemco

incorporated

280 BERNARDO AVE., MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94040 • (415) 964-7400

Tomorrow's computers today

Circle 137 on Inquiry card.

MULTIPROCESSING/INTELLIGENT t/0

I/O INTERFACES

COLOR GRAPHICS

1 w

Iff

11-MBYTE

HARD DISK

DRIVE

EXTENSIVE
SOFTWARE
SUPPORT

What Cromemco computer card
capability can do for you

The above diagram shows in a func-
tional way one of the most complete
lines of computer cards in the industry.

Look it over carefully. It could be well
worth your while.

These are all cards that plug into our
S-100 bus microcomputers.

You can also assemble them into a
custom system in convenient Cromemco
card cages.

MULTI-PROCESSING AND
INTELLIGENT I/O

The range of capabilities and versatility
you can draw upon is enormous.

In processors, for example, you have a
choice of CPU's including our extremely
useful new I/O Processor. This can be
used as a satellite processor to do off-line
processing, multi-processing, and to form
intelligent I/O. It opens the door to a
whole new group of applications and
tasks. Ask us about it.

HIGH RESOLUTION
COLOR GRAPHICS

Again, you can have beautiful high-
resolution color graphics with our color
graphics interface. You can select from
over 4000 colors and have a picture with
a resolution at least equal to quality
broadcast-TV pictures.

Q

You have an unprecedented selection
of memory including our unusual 48K
and 16K two-port RAMs which allow
high-speed color graphics.

LOTS OF STORAGE

These days you often want lots of disk
storage. So you can select from our disk
controller card which will operate our 5"
and 8" floppy disk drives (up to 1.2
megabytes). Or select our WDI interface
to operate our 11 -megabyte hard disk
drives.

POWERFUL SOFTWARE AND
PERIPHERAL SUPPORT

There's much more yet you can do
with our cards. And, of course, there's an
easy way to put them to work in our 8-,
12-, and 21-slot card cages. Our PS8
power supply makes it simple to get the
system into operation.

Finally, Cromemco offers you the
strongest software support in the industry

Cromemco'

incorporated

280 BERNARDO AVE., MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94040 • (415) 964-7400

Tomorrow's computers today

Circle 138 on inquiry card.

with languages like FORTRAN, C,
COBOL, ASSEMBLER, LISP, BASIC and
others. There is also a wide choice from
independent vendors.

To top it all off, you can draw from a
substantial array of peripherals: ter-
minals, printers, color monitors and disk
drives.

There is even more capability than
we're able to describe here.

NOW AT HALL-MARK
ANDKIERULFF

For your convenience Cromemco
products are now available at Hall-Mark
Electronics and Kierulff Electronics. Con-
tact these national distributors for im-
mediate product delivery.

CROMEMCO COMPUTER CARDS
• PROCESSORS — 4 MHz Z-80 A CPU, single card
computer, I/O processor • MEMORY — upto64K
including special 48K and 1 6K two-port RAMS and
our very well known BYTESAVERS® with PROM
programming capability • HIGH RESOLUTION
COLOR GRAPHICS - our SDI offers up to 754 x
482 pixel resolution. • GENERAL PURPOSE IN-
TERFACES— QUADART four-channel serial com-
munications, TU-ART two-channel parallel and
two-channel serial, 8PIO 8-po»t parallel, 4PIO
4-port isolated parallel, D+ 7A 7-channel D/A and
A/D converter, printer interface, floppy disk con-
troller with RS-232 interface and system
diagnostics, wire-wrap and extender cardsfor your
development work.

In The Queue

Em

Volume 7, Number?

September 1 982

Features

24 Qulntl-Maze by Robert Tsuk / A three-dimensional game
that may redefine for you the meaning of "lost." It placed eighth
In the BYTE Game Contest.

34 Three Dee Tee by John Stuart / Strategy is the key word
in this game designed for the TRS-80 Color Computer. It's the
seventh-place winner in the BYTE Game Contest.

54 The Epson QX-IOA/aldocs System by Gregg
Williams / This new machine from Epson combines a word
processor, an appointment book, an electronic mail network, and
more in one package— all for less than S3000.

58 NCC Report by Chris Morgan / New products from the
United States and Japan put the spotlight on microcomputers at
the National Computer Conference.

62 The Hanover Fair by Robert E. Ramsdell / The annual
exposition is a showcase for the latest microcomputers and data-
processing and office equipment.

64 Build the MIcrovox Text-to-Speech Synthesizer

by Steve Ciarcia / The 6502 microprocessor in this intelligent
peripheral device translates plain English text into phonemes to
control a Votrax SC- 01 A.

1 36 Computers Can Play a Dual Role for Disabled
Individuals by Gregg Vanderheiden / Microcomputers must be
made to do more than help disabled individuals in specialized
ways; they must be adapted to give the disabled access to
standard software.

1 66 A New Horizon for IMonvocal Communication

Devices by Patrick Demasco and Richard Foulds / The
Panasonic Hand-Held Computer can be used as a personal,
portable speech prosthesis.

186 Mlnspeak by Bruce Baker / A picture can truly be worth
a thousand words for people using this speech synthesizer.

204 The FDA Regulation of Computerized Medical
Devices by Joseph Jorgens III, Carl W. Bruch, and Frank
Houston / What you need to know before your creation hits the
market.

218 Talking Terminals by David Stoffel / New devices
open the world of computing to people with visual impairments.

250 Braille Writing In Pascal by Alfred Fant Jr. /

A Pascal program, a strip of cellophane tape, and a rubber glove

combine to make a line printer for braille text.

276 Adaptive-Firmware Card for the Apple II by Paul
Schwejda and Gregg Vanderheiden / Physically disabled
individuals can control standard programs without permanent
modifications to the computer.

318 User's Column: Letters, Pascal, CB/80, and
Cardfile by Jerry Poumelle / One man's opinion on a variety of
subjects of interest to computer users.

342 Logo: An Approach to Educating Disabled
Children by Sylvia Weir, Susan Jo Russell, and Jose A.
Valente / Creating action-oriented learning environments and
putting pupils in charge of their own learning greatly benefits
students with severe educational disabilities.

398 Model III A to D Revisited by William Barden

Jr. / Build this simple and inexpensive analog-to-digital converter.

420 The Case of the Purloined Object Code: Can It
Be Solved? Part 1 : The Problems by Richard H. Stern / A
specialist in software and the legal aspects of high technology
explains why new laws are necessary.

440 A Comparison of Five Compilers for Apple
BASIC by Joseph H. Taylor and Jeffrey S. Taylor / Speed isn't
the only factor to assess when choosing a compiler.

466 Digital Troubleshooting with Signature Analysis

by Steven A. Piubeni / A look inside Hewlett-Packard's HP-5004A.

476 Program Your Own Text Editor, Part 1 : Avoid
Complex Commands by Using Instant Updating by

Richard Fobes / A commonly used program should be easy to
work with.

513 A Weaving Simulator by Paul W. Heiser/ The final
appearance of a loom pattern can be predicted with a
microcomputer and a printer.

520 Turn Your Apple II Into a Storage Oscilloscope

by Larry Korba / Low-repetition transient pulses can be easy to
capture.

Reviews

92 The Apple III and Its New Profile by Robin Moore
231 The Cognivox VIO-1003: Voice Recognition and Output
for the Apple II by Dr. William Murray
240 The Abilityphone by William L. Rush
362 BYTE's Arcade: Swashbuckler by Scott Spangenberg; Zero
Gravity Pinball by Mark Friedman; Beer Run by Arthur Little;
Advanced Star Raider Tactics and Strategies
by C. Donald Harris Jr.

531 Pickles & Trout CP/M for the TRS-80 Model II by Hal Smith
537 TRS-80 Disk Editor/Assemblers by T. A. Daneliuk

Nucleus

6

Editorial: Let There Be Talking People Too

10

Letters

270

Education Forum: Computers and the

Special Education Classroom

490

BYTELINES

494

Software Received

497

Clubs and Newsletters

498

Books Received

499

Ask BYTE

501

BYTE's Bit

502

Event Queue

540

Desk-Top Wonder: Getting the Most from

Your Tl Programmer

543

What's New?

605

Unclassified Ads

606

BOMB, BOMB Results

607

Reader Service

Page 54

Page 92

Page 166

Page 362

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 3

m

Editor in Chief
Christopher P. Morgan

Managing Editor

Mark Haas

Technical Editors

Gregg Williams. Senior Editor;

Richard S. Shuford, Curtis P. Feigel.

George Stewart. Arthur Little.

Stanley Wszola. Pamela Clark, Richard Malloy;

Phillip Lemmons. West Coast Editor; Steve

Garcia. Mark Dahmke. Consulting Editors;

Jon Swanson, Drafting Editor

Copy Editors

Beverly Cronin. Chief;

Faith Hanson. Warren Williamson. Anthony J.

Lockwood. Hilary Selby Polk. Elizabeth Kepner,

Nancy Hayes. Cathryn Baskin; Margaret Cook.

Junior Copy Editor

Assistants

Faith Ferry. Debe Wheeler. Beverly Jackson

Production

David R. Anderson. Assoc. Director;
Patrice Scribner, Jan Muller, Virginia Reardon;
Sherry McCarthy. Chief Typographer;
Debi Fredericks, Donna Sweeney.
Valerie Horn

Advertising

Thomas Harvey, Director;
Marion Carlson. Rob Hannings. Deborah
Porter. Vicki Reynolds. Cathy A. R. Drew. Lisa
Wozmak; Jacqueline Earnshaw. Reader
Service Coordinator; Wai Chiu Li, Advertising/
Production Coordinator; Linda J. Sweeney

Circulation

Gregory Spitzfaden, Manager;

Andrew Jackson, Asst. Manager;

Agnes E. Perry. Barbara Varnum.

Louise Menegus. Jennifer Price,

Sheila A. Bamford;

James Bingham. Dealer Sales;

Deborah J. Cadwell. Asst;

Linda Ryan

Marketing

Wilbur S. Watson. Marketing Coordinator;

Timothy W. Taussig. Marketing Production

Coordinator

Controller's Office

Daniel Rodrigues. Controller;
Mary E. Fluhr. Acct. & DIP Mgr.; Karen
Burgess, Jeanne Cilley. Linda Fluhr,
Vicki Bennett, L. Bradley Browne

Traffic

N. Scott Gagnon. Scott Jackson,
Kathleen Reckart

Receptionist

Jeanann Waters
Publishers

Virginia Londoner, Gordon R. Williamson;

John E. Hayes, Associate Publisher;

Cheryl A. Hurd, Michele P. Verville, Publisher's

Assistants;

Officers of McGraw-Hill Publications Com-
pany; Paul F. McPherson, President; Executive
Vice President: Gene W. Simpson; Senior Vice
President-Editorial; Ralph R. Schulz; Vice
Presidents: R. Bernard Alexander; Kemp Ander-
son. Business Systems Development; Harry L.
Brown, Special Markets; Robert B. Doll. Circula-
tion; James E. Hackett. Controller; Eric B. Herr,
Planning and Development; H. John Sweger.
Jr., Marketing.

Officers of the Corporation: Harold W.
McGraw Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer; Joseph L. Dionne. President and Chief
Operating Officer; Robert N. Landes, Senior Vice
President and Secretary; Ralph J. Webb.
Treasurer.

In This Issue

BYTE marks its seventh anniversary with the theme Computers and the Dis-
abled, graphically illustrated on the cover by Robert Tinney. Gregg
Vanderheiden discusses how "Computers Can Play a Dual Role for the Dis-
abled," and with coauthor Paul Schwejda demonstrates how to make an
"Adaptive Firmware Card for the Apple II." David Stoffel reviews talking ter-
minals for the blind, and William L. Rush evaluates the Abilityphone, a device
for nonvocal communication. Patrick Demasco and Richard Foulds show how
the Panasonic Hand-Held Computer can be used as a communication device in
"A New Horizon for Nonvocal Communication Devices." Steve Garcia brings
you his latest speech-synthesis system in "Build the Microvox Text-to-Speech
Synthesizer: Part 1— The Hardware," and Dr. William Murray reviews The
Cognivox VI-I003, a speech-recognition system. Bruce Baker discusses his
highly original Minspeak associative memory system for portable speech syn-
thesis, and Alfred Fant Jr. shows you how to use a line printer to produce
braille. In case you're thinking of marketing your own computerized aid, see
our overview of the FDA's regulations concerning medical devices. In addition
to our regular articles and reviews, we have BYTE's Arcade, and we start the
countdown on our game contest winners.

BYTE is published monthly by BYTE Publications Inc. 70 Main St. Peterborough NH 03458. phone (603)
924-928 1 . a wholly-owned subsidiary of McGraw-Hill, Inc. Office hours: Mon-Thur 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM. Friday
8:30 AM - Noon. Eastern Time. Address subscriptions, change of address. USPS Form 3579. and fulfillment ques-
tions to BYTE Subscriptions, POB 590. Martinsville NJ 08836. Second class postage paid at Peterborough. N.H.
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registration number 9321 . Subscriptions are S 1 9 for one year. S34 for two years, and S49 for three years in the
USA and its possessions. In Canada and Mexico. S2! for one year. S38 for two years. S 55 for three years. S 43 for
one year air delivery to Europe. S35 surface delivery elsewhere. Air delivery to selected areas at additional rates
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a US bank. Printed in United States of America.

Address all editorial correspondence to the editor at BYTE. POB 372. Hancock NH 03449. Unacceptable
manuscripts will be returned if accompanied by sufficient first class postage. Not responsible for lost manuscripts or
photos. Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of BYTE. Entire contents copyright © 1982
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BYTE® is available in microform from University Microfilms International. 300 N Zeeb Rd. Dept PR. Ann
Arbor Ml 48106 USA or 18 Bedford Row. Dept PR. London WC1R 4EJ England.

Subscription questions or problems should be addressed to:
BYTE Subscriber Service

P.O. Box 328
Hancock, NH 03449

4 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

wSSv m ^ :mmmmmm \

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MicroAngelo's on-board processor frees your host pro-
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M ILESTONE is an easy-to-use compu-
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Editorial

Let There Be Talking
People Too

by Mark Dahmke, Consulting Editor

When I was in college I met a fellow student who had great difficulties com-
municating because of cerebral palsy. We became friends and as things turned
out I designed a voice-synthesizer system that greatly enhanced his ability to
communicate. Designing this device was a logical extension of my long-time
interest in electronics, microcomputers, and voice synthesis. My friend's case
is a good example of how artificial aids — communicative or otherwise — can
improve the quality of life for disabled persons.

Personal computers have done more for people with communicative dis-
orders than any other technological development. Microcomputers are ver-
satile machines that can be customized fairly easily to fit the individual needs
of each person. Computers can be programmed to accept input from any kind
of switch or device and to interpret that input in whatever way the user wants.
As well, they can be made to respond with visual or audible output, opening
up a new world to deaf and blind individuals.

Nearly 500,000 Americans who are not classified as retarded are unable to
communicate either vocally or with standard hand signs. An even more sober-
ing thought is that perhaps 100,000 or more individuals of normal intelligence
are in institutions and have been diagnosed as retarded simply because they do
not have the physical means to communicate. We do not even have accurate
statistics in this area because of the nature of the disability. Assuming that the
number of people with communicative disorders in this country amounts to
two tenths of 1 percent of the population, then about 10 million people are af-
fected world-wide.

While we now have the technology to build devices to compensate for
almost any communicative disability, not everyone who needs a communica-
tion aid can afford one. They can't be mass produced because (ideally) they all
require some customization. A similar situation prevails in the case of artificial
limbs. Each prosthesis can cost thousands of dollars because of the relatively
small market and because each limb is handmade for the individual. What we
need are standard devices with plug-in memory modules, plug-in keyboard
layouts, and modular-display or audio-output options. A communication aid
could then be put together easily from two or three standardized modules and
would fill 90 percent of the needs of most individuals with communication
problems.

6 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Introducing the PERCOM
Alternative to ATARI Disk Storage

Your Atari 800 is the finest home computer on
the market. Now you can own a floppy disk
system that measures up — an RFD mini-disk
storage system from Percom.

At Percom we've been making disk
storage systems since 1 977.

Our designs are proven, our quality is
well known. And we back our dealers with
service know-how. Expect more from Percom.
You won't be disappointed.

• Operate in either single- or double-density
storage mode using Atari DOS 2. OS. In
double-density you can store almost 184
Kbytes (formatted) on one side of a 40-
track diskette.

Connect your Percom RFD first-drive
system directly to your computer or connect
into your system through your Atari 810
Disk Drive.

Add an RFD first-drive system with its
versatile four-drive controller, then connect
as many as three more low-cost RFD add-
on drives.

Write application programs that can query
and set up your system to operate a differ-
ent type drive at each cable position — that
can even change configuration as the
program executes.

• Get quality and state-of-the-art capability at
competitive prices. Percom first-drive RFD
systems are priced from only $799, first
add-on drive is only $459. Cables included.
Watch for announcement of a new/, power-
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your Percom-equipped Atari 800 computer.

Minimum system requirements — are an Atari 800
computer with 24-Kbytes of RAM and compatible
video display system; Atari's disk-operating system
(ver 2.0S) and owner's manual; and, for add-on
drives (if used) an optional disk drives
interconnecting cable available from Percom.

For the best thing next to your computer, see your Atari dealer
about a Percom RFD floppy disk storage system. For the name
of your nearest dealer, call Percom toll-free 1-800-527-1222.

PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS

SUBJECT TO CHANGE

WITHOUT NOTICE.

PERCOM DATA COMPANY, INC.

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ATARI 800 & ATARI 810 are trademarks of the Atari Corporation.
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Yes ... I'd like to know more about Percom RFD disk
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Editorial

One highly successful device currently on the market is
the Texas Instruments Speak & Spell, which was designed
as a children's learning tool. It has a reasonably large
vocabulary and costs around $50. In its current con-
figuration, it can work as a communication aid if you ig-
nore the spelling mode and simply type messages letter by
letter. If, however, a few extra features had been incor-
porated into its design it could have very easily func-
tioned as a communication aid and still cost $50. It would
have been the case of a mass-market product (with the
price benefits of economies of scale and an extensive
advertising campaign) doubling as a special-needs device.
The integration of general-appeal consumer products
with limited-market special-needs devices should be our
goal. Thousands of people would benefit.

Recently Texas Instruments announced a new product
called Vocaid, based on its Touch & Tell product. The
$150 device can be used by people with short-term com-
munications problems. It also is a great communication
aid for anyone with reasonably good coordination and
cognitive skills. It can also accept memory modules that
have specialized vocabularies. As such, it is a good prac-
tical application of customizing a standard product by
plugging in memory modules.

Part of the problem faced by disabled individuals is the
way they are perceived by the able-bodied members of
society. Today we scarcely think of someone who wears

eyeglasses as disabled, yet before the discovery of the
principles of optics, people with vision problems surely
would not have been able to lead normal productive
lives. I hope that in a similar way microcomputers will be
able to help people with physical limitations overcome
the restrictions to activity imposed on them by their
disabilities and become, remain, and be viewed as pro-
ductive members of society. It is an encouraging sign to
see the proverbial "synthesizer on a chip." And now that
we have the technology we must accept the challenge of
making the fruits of that technology available to the peo-
ple who will benefit the most.

On "Finding A Voice," a recent episode of NOVA on
public television, John Eulenburg of Michigan State
University said, "If there are going to be talking micro-
wave ovens, let there be talking people too."H

Articles Policy

BYTE is continually seeking manuscripts of high quality written
by individuals who are applying personal computer systems,
designing such systems, or who have knowledge that will be
useful to our readers. For a formal description of procedures and
requirements, potential authors should send a legal-sized, self-
addressed envelope with 37 cents U.S. postage affixed to BYTE
Author's Guide, POB 372, Hancock, NH 03449.

Each month, the authors of the two leading articles in the
reader poll (BYTE's Ongoing Monitor Box or BOMB) are presented
with bonus checks of S 100 and $50. Unsolicited materials should
be accompanied by full name, address, and return postage.

The Context MBA is available now at:

California

ComputerLand/Almaden 408/267-2182
ComputerLand /Belmont 415/595-4232
ComputerLand/Burlingame 415/348-7731
ComputerLand/Fremont 415/794-9311
ComputerLand /Hayward 415/538-8080
ComputerLand/Pasadena 213/449-3205
ComputerLand/Sacramento 916/920-8981
ComputerLand/San Diego 714/560-9912
ComputerLand/San Diego East 714/464-5656
ComputerLand/San Diego North 714/434-7001
ComputerLand/San Fernando Valley 213/716-7714
ComputerLand/San Francisco-Financial 415/546-1592
ComputerLand/San Francisco-Market Street

415/864-8080
ComputerLand /San Francisco-Van Ness 415/673-6640
ComputerLand/Sonoma 707/528-1775
ComputerLand /South Bay 213/371-7144
ComputerLand /Stockton 209/473-1241
ComputerLand /Thousand Oaks 805/495-3554
ComputerLand /Ventura 805/656-7711
ComputerLand /West Covina 213/960-6351
ComputerLand /West Los Angeles 213/559-3353
Personal Computer Business Systems/Irvine

714/540-1333

Connecticut

ComputerLand/Danbury 203/748-2300
ComputerLand /Fairfield 203/255-9252
ComputerLand/Hartford 203/561-1446
ComputerLand/New Haven 203/288-5162
ComputerLand/Stamford 203/964-1224
Illinois

ComputerLand /Arlington Heights 312/870-7500
ComputerLand /Downers Grove 312/964-7762
ComputerLand/Joliet 815/741-3303
ComputerLand /Lake County 312/949-1300
ComputerLand /Naperville 312/369-3511
ComputerLand/Niles 312/967-1714
ComputerLand/Northbrook 312/272-4703
ComputerLand/Oak Lawn 312/422-8080
ComputerLand/Schaumburg 312/843-7740

Indiana

The Computer Room /South Bend 219/277-1600
Kansas

ComputerLand /Lawrence 413/841-8611
ComputerLand /Overland Park 913/492-8882
ComputerLand /Topeka 913/267-6530

Maine

ComputerLand /Portland 207/774-1309
Massachusetts

Business Data Systems/Hanover 617/878-7888

ComputerLand /Boston 617/482-6033

Michigan

ComputerLand /Ann Arbor 313/973-7075
ComputerLand /Grosse Pointe 313/772-6540
ComputerLand/Southfield 313/356-8111
Computer Mart/Ann Arbor 313/665-4453
Computer Mart/Flint 313/234-0161
Computer Mart/Kalamazoo 616/329-1000
Computer Mart/Lansing 517/351-1777
Computer Mart/Livonia 313/540-3928
Computer Mart/Tri-Cities 517/790-1360
Computer Mart/Troy 313/649-0910
The Computer Room /Grand Rapids 616/949-2802
The Computer Room/Kalamazoo 616/343-4634
Minnesota

ComputerLand/Bloomington 612/884-1474
ComputerLand/Hopkins 612/933-8822
ComputerLand /Minneapolis 612/333-3151
Missouri

ComputerLand/Gladstone 816/436-3737
ComputerLand /Independence 816/461-6502
ComputerLand/St. Joseph 816/364-4498

New Hampshire

ComputerLand /Nashua 603/889-5238

New Jar 8 ay

ComputerLand/Morristown 201 /539-4077
ComputerLand /Princeton 609/882-1400

Naw York

ComputerLand /Nassau County 516/742-2262
ComputerLand /Suffolk County 516/499-4484
ComputerLand/White Plains 914/328-0144
Future Data 212/964-6666
Morris Decision Systems/New York 212/742-9590
Oragon

ComputerLand/Multnomah County 503/295-1928
ComputerLand /Salem 503/620-6170
ComputerLand/Portland 503/620-6170
Pennsylvania

ComputerLand/Dresner 215/542-8835
ComputerLand /Harrisburg 717/763-1116
ComputerLand/Paoli 215/296-0210
ComputerLand/Philadelphia
Texas

ComputerLand /Dallas 214/363-2223
ComputerLand/Fort Worth 817/292-7114
ComputerLand/Houston Bay Area 713/488-8153
ComputerLand/North Dallas 214/235-1285
ComputerLand/Southwest Houston 713/977-0909
ComputerLand /Tyler 214/581-7000
ComputerLand /Westwood 713/270-1200
Virginia

ComputerLand/Richmond 804/741-3502
ComputerLand /Tyson's Corner 703/893-0424
ComputerLand/Woodbridge 703/491-4151
Washington

ComputerLand /Bellevue 206/746-2070
ComputerLand /Federal Way 206/838-9363
ComputerLand /Lynnwood 206/774-6993
ComputerLand /Renton 206/271-8585
ComputerLand /Seattle 206/223-1075
ComputerLand /Tacoma 206/383-4951
ComputerLand /Vancouver 206/695-1540

Washington. DC

ComputerLand /Washington. DC 202/835-2200

Wisconsin

ComputerLand /Madison 608/273-2020

Canada

Computer Mart/Windsor 519/966-5757

8 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 129 on Inquiry card.

Screen Test:

Only the Context MBA Totally Integrates Modeling,

Word Processing, Database and Graphics in One Program.

TRUE FALSE

M E A:FOL»ER-SAIffLEi:DB!0Si, SOCNHI-TROPIFRBII, COHIEff-HODH M 135

lTropimit Annual Sales {Millions! I

2Pwfict '81 '82 '83 '84 J 85j

^Pineapples $15 m $28 m m\ '■.

5Li*es 5 18 12 28 3f -8

6 Bananas 25 22 28 16 if 2

7Suga* Cane 48 41 42 43 4fl

al: $85 $91 $94 $182 $118

Annual Sales

r— i V*M

Pineapples

IpopiFpuit Sales

i Suto Cane

All Sales Pereonne
V-P Sales

Pmeap TlTo:

.Fism: V-P Sales

uiiws 1 .Subject: Stagnant Sugar Cane Sales

1223 ; iPlease note the relative

Banana .stagnation of Sugar Cane sales in

*™ .ouf sales forecasts, I sant each

Context

Management Software
for Personal Computers

23864 Hawthorne Boulevard
Torrance, CA 90505
(213) 378-8277
Telex 181149 WEST LSA

SOURCE ID TCA 442

The Context MBA turns second generation per-
sonal computers like the IBM into powerful manage-
ment tools. Information entered in any of the C-MBA's
four contexts can be used in any other context. Build a
model using C-MBA's sophisticated electronic spread
sheet. Switch into database context by pressing three
keys to quickly sort your model. When one picture is
worth a thousand words (or numbers), a few keystrokes
produce one of nine different graphs. Change your

Circle 130 on inquiry card.

numbers and your graphs automatically update as well.

The word processing context helps you write
clear, concise reports. And you can copy in entire tables
of numbers from your spreadsheet in seconds.

The Context MBA is far more than four inte-
grated programs. It is a whole new concept in man-
agement software.

Personal computers are full of promise. Context

makes them deliver. ©Copyright 1982 Context Management Systems

BYTE September 1982

Letters

Response to
Japanese Computers

As a BMC if800 user for the past year
and a half, I read with interest the fine ar-
ticle "Six Personal Computers from
Japan" by Christopher P. Kocher and
Michael Keith (May 1982 BYTE, page 60).
I was pleased to see that the section on the
if800 was thorough and reasonably cor-
rect. The authors, however, made a few in-
accurate statements that were probably
due to omissions in the if800 documenta-
tion.

One of the inaccurate statements con-
cerns the if800's screen-dump feature. The
authors consider it a shortcoming that
". . . in dumping a screen image (as op-
posed to regular character-by-character
text printing) the scan lines are spread
quite far apart in the printed image, mak-
ing text or detailed graphics difficult to
read." They fail to mention, however,
that the if800 has two additional screen-
dump modes— one that prints a normal
representation of what appears on the
screen without the above-mentioned wide
spacing, and another that prints a com-
pacted representation of what appears on
the screen. The widely spaced printout
described in the article is obtained by
pressing the Hard Copy key. The normal-
ly spaced printout is obtained by holding
down the CTRL (Control) key while
pressing the Hard Copy key. Likewise, the
compacted printout is obtained by hold-
ing down the Shift key while pressing the
Hard Copy key.

A second inaccuracy occurs in the sub-
section titled "Minor Gripes." Here the
reader is led to believe that the if800
keyboard functions only in the uppercase
mode, where the Shift key must be used to
get lowercase characters. The if800 key-
board does, in fact, have a typewriter
mode in which the Shift-key function is
reversed; that is, lowercase characters are
typed when the Shift key is not used, and
uppercase characters are typed when the
Shift key is used. The typewriter mode
may be entered by simply pressing the
Shift and COMD (Command) keys simul-
taneously. To return to the uppercase
mode, press the CTRL and COMD keys
together.

Ken Davison, Applications Engineer
Oki Semiconductor Inc.
1333 Lawrence Expressway, Suite 401
Santa Clara, CA 95051

I would like to inform Christopher
Kocher and Michael Keith that Canon
CX-1 BASIC is definitely not the only
BASIC with an XREF command. It may
be the only BASIC running under CP/M
with such a command, but CP/M isn't the
only microcomputer operating system, or
to my mind, the best. Phase One Systems
has an excellent BASIC (running under
the Oasis operating system) that includes
XREF, which can be called from the inter-
preter or included as a compiler option. I
think this version of BASIC is about as
good as you can get with BASIC and still
call it BASIC. It also has a good editor,
which may stun some BASIC program-
mers.

Bob Pierce

99 Golden Hinde Blvd.

San Rafael, CA 94903

I'd like to clear up a common
misconception about using multiple pro-
cessors. In the article "Six Personal Com-
puters from Japan," the authors repeated-
ly state that the Fujitsu FM-8 was the
fastest machine in their test due to its
"division of labor." A little reflection will
reveal this to be false.

As stated in the article, the three micro-
processors in the Fujitsu handle process-
ing, video, and keyboard scanning. The
authors did not realize that while running
a BASIC benchmark the second and third
processors are standing by in an idle loop.
Because the programs that the authors
chose do not involve graphics or extensive
character I/O (input/output), they will
not exercise the task-splitting features of
the FM-8 computer.

As the designer of my own dual-proces-
sor upgrade for my SWTPC (Southwest
Technical Products Corporation) com-
puter, I've found that speed improvement
is seldom a factor. In any program that
does extensive computation, the I/O pro-
cessor remains idle. In programs that do a
lot of screen formatting, the main pro-
cessor must wait. Only in those rare pro-
grams where computation and I/O are
evenly split does my computer approach a
theoretical speed improvement of 2 to 1.

So why do Fujitsu and I use multiple
processors? In my case, I wanted to free
the computation-processor memory space
from the space required for the graphics
storage. This use of multiple processors is
mentioned in the BYTE article. If an

Apple or Radio Shack computer devoted
48K bytes of memory to graphics, there
would be little left for the user. The FM-8
graphics resolution of 640 by 200 by 3 bits
per pixel adds up to a total of 48K bytes of
video memory. It was not mentioned in
the article that 640 by 200 pixels can be
divided into 25 lines and 80 columns of 8-
by 8-bit character cells. This means the
Fujitsu can plot letters in graphics with 80
characters per line.

What, then, makes the Fujitsu the
fastest machine in the group tested? I
would say it is a combination of its
Motorola processor and a good BASIC in-
terpreter. I can't overstress the fact that
almost any hardware can run faster with
better software. My vintage SWTPC 6800
in single-processor mode is about three
times faster than the new Japanese ma-
chines. This is possibly due to the fast
floating-point BASIC interpreter supplied
by Technical Systems Consultants.

Leo Taylor

18 Ridge Court West

West Haven, CT 06516

Another TRS-80 Hang-Up

Glenn Tesler's article "TRS-80 BASIC
Program Hang-ups: The Reasons and
Some Solutions" (May 1982 BYTE, page
318) was very well done and useful. I
would like to extend his article with a
practical suggestion for other program-
mers. I have noticed that programs con-
taining PRINTUSING statements that
have concatenated strings as statement
elements eventually lead to program
hang-ups in TRS-80 BASIC. A simple
solution is to avoid concatenating strings
in these statements by using alternative
methods. For example, instead of

PRINTUSING"% (20 spaces) %";
"A" + ". " + B$

try:

PRINTUSING"!"; "A";:PRINT". ";:
PRINTUSING "% (17 spaces) %";
B$

You can use the addresses for "string
work area" and "start of string data"
pointers given in listing 2 of the article to
verify the difference. This technique is

10 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

NEC's new letter-quality printer
gets personal with IBM.

The Spinwriter M 3550 lets the IBM PC
get down to business.

NEC's new Spinwriter letter-quality
printer is the only one plug-compatible
with the IBM Personal Computer. So you
get the business applications you've been
wishing for. Letter-quality output for
word and data processing. Multi-language,
scientific, and technical printing. Simple
forms handling. Quiet operation. And the
reliability of the industry's most popular
printer line.

NEC designed the new Spinwriter espe-
cially for the IBM PC. It comes complete
with documentation and training materials
to fit your PC user's handbook. Just plug
the Spinwriter in and your PC instantly
becomes more versatile and flexible.

More than 8 forms handlers and

50 print thimbles boost PC versatility.

NEC designed the Spinwriter's 8 modular
forms handlers to accommodate a wide
range of paper and document sizes and
types. The easily mounted handlers let
your computer print out the forms you

need for data processing, word processing,
graphics, accounting or other business
applications.

The Spinwriter's 50 print thimbles
can more than triple your PC's usefulness.
They come in both constant pitch and
proportional-spaced fonts, plus in foreign
language, technical and scientific versions.
They snap in and out in seconds, and let
you print up to 203 columns on 16-inch
paper. They each last for more than 30
million impressions.

This printer's special features make
everything look better on paper.

The Spinwriter's software-invoked
features include automatic proportional
spacing; bidirectional, bold and shadow
printing; justification; centering; under-
scoring; and sub/super scripting, all at
speeds up to 350 words per minute.

That big extra, Spinwriter reliability.

Spinwriters have the industry's best
mean-time-betwecn-failure rating, in ex-
cess of 3,000 hours. In terms of average
personal computer usage, that's more
than five years.

The Spinwriter 3550 is available at
ComputerLand stores, Sears Business
Systems Centers and IBM Product
Centers nationwide.

NEC Information Systems, Inc.

5 Militia Drive, Lexington, MA 02173

Send me more information on the
Spinwriter 3550.

Name

Title

Telephone

Company

Address

City

State

L.

Zip
__BE982J

Circle 339 on inquiry card. f\ mL \g

NEC Information Systems, Inc.

Spinwriter is a trademark of Nippon Electric Co., Ltd.

Wete Made

for Each Other

spinwriter

•

The Software:

PROGRAMS

WordStar®

The number one selling microcomputer
word processing package in the world.
8"CP/M®

LISTPRICE: 495.00
MH PRICE: 289.00

5 '/>" APPLE®

LISTPRICE: 3 75.00
MH PRICE: 234.00

MICROPRO

MailMerge™

A multi-purpose text-data merging program.
One of its most popular uses is producing
personalized form letters. Requires
WORDSTAR®
8" CP/M®

LISTPRICE:
MH PRICE:

750.00
99.00

5 1 /4 M APPLE®

LIST PRICE:
MH PRICE:

125.00
83.00

MAILMERGE, DATASTAR, SPELLSTAR, CALCSTAR.

and SUPERSORT are trademarks of MicroPro

International, San Rafael, California USA.

QUICKCODE, QUICKSCREEN, anddUTILare

trademarks of Fox & Geller Associates.

VISITREND/VISIPLOT, VISIFILE, VISISCHEDULE,

VISIDEX, VISITERM, and DESKTOP PLAN are

trademarks of VisiCorp.

dBASE II is a trademark of Ashton-Tate.

MATHSTAR is atrademark of Force Two, LTD.

SUPERCALC is a trademark of Sorcim.

SPELLGUARD is a trademark of Innovative Software

Applications.

T.I.M. is atrademark of Innovative Software, Inc.

CROSSTALK is a trademark of MicroStuf .

EASY WRITER and EASY SPELLER are trademarks

of Information Unlimited Software.

PERFECT WRITER and PERFECT SPELLER are

trademarks of Perfect Software, Inc.

WORDSTAR is a registered trademark of MicroPro

International, San Rafael, California USA.

VISICALC is a registered trademark of VisiCorp.

CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital Research.

APPLE is a registered trademark of Apple Computers.

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business

Machines.

MICROPRO

DataStar™

The office-oriented system for data entry,
retrieval, and updating. DATASTAR
allows you to create a form, be it a price
list, catalog, or order form. You can edit,
update, or save this information in a file
or simply print it out. DATASTAR
interfaces with MAILMERGE and
SUPERSORT.
8" CP/M

LISTPRICE: 350.00
MH PRICE: 235.00

5 '/a" APPLE®

LISTPRICE: 295.00
MH PRICE: 199.00

CalcStar™

Financial planning and business decision-
making made simpler, faster, and more
accurate. CALCSTAR calculates solutions
to complex numerical problems in
business and finance. CALCSTAR turns
your microcomputer's video screen into
a 'window' on a gigantic electronic ledger
sheet with up to 600 entries arranged
the way you want.
8" CP/M®

LISTPRICE: 295.00
MH PRICE: 199.00

5% "APPLE®

LISTPRICE: 195.00
MH PRICE: 149.00

FORCE TWO. LTD.

MathStar™

MATHSTAR is a combination adding
machine/calculator program, designed
specifically for use with MicroPro's
WORDSTAR®. Provides basic math
functions, formatted results, and
accounting notation.
8" CP/M®

LISTPRICE: 125.00
MH PRICE: 99.00

574" APPLE®

Same as 8" CP/M'

ASHTON-TATE

dBASE II ™

THE database management system for
the microcomputer.
8" CP/M®

LISTPRICE: 700.00
MH PRICE: 489.00

5 1 /4"APPLE®

Same as 8" CP/M"

FOX & GELLER

QuickCode™

QUICKCODE allows dBASE II users to
create the following programs, in a matter
of seconds, without programming.

□ Data entry programs

□ Data retrieval programs

□ Date edit/validation programs
D Menus

□ dBASE II files

PLUS: 4 New Data Types:
D Date

□ Dollars

□ Telephone

□ Social Security number

QUICKCODE includes a powerful new
version of QUICKSCREEN, the dBASE II
screen builder.
8" CP/M®

LISTPRICE: 295.00
MH PRICE: 249.00

5 V4" APPLE® '

Same as 8" CP/M'

FOX & GELLER

dUTIL™

dUTILis the BASE II utility program which
savesvaluable computer time and work
by:

□ Increasing command file running time

□ Creating standard text files to use
within your word processor

□ Automatically debugging dBASE II
command files

dUTIL does not require QUICKCODE or

QUICKSCREEN.

8" CP/M®

LISTPRICE:
MH PRICE:

99.00
75.00

5 'A" APPLE®

Same as 8" CP/M*

Call Toll- Free: 1-800-523-9511 In Pennsylvania: 1- 215-868-8219

12 BYTE September 1982

The Software:

PACKAGES

MH-1 WORDSTAR® /MAILMERGE

MH-2 WORDSTAR® /MAILMERGE/DATASTAR

MH-3 WORDSTAR® /CALCSTAR

MH-4 WORDSTAR® /MATHSTAR

MH-5 dBASE ll/WORDSTAR® /MAILMERGE

MH-6 dBASE ll/QUICKCODE/

WORDSTAR® /MAILMERGE

MH-7 dBASE ll/QUICKCODE/dUTIL

CPA/T

APPLE*

COMBINED

MICROHOUSE

COMBINED

MICROHOUSE

LIST PRICE:

PRICE:

LIST PRICE:

PRICE:

645.00

319.00

500.00

259.00

995.00

519.00

795.00

399.00

790.00

419.00

570.00

299.00

620.00

369.00

500.00

319.00

1345.00

819.00

1200.00

719.00

1640.00

999.00

1495.00

899.00

1070.00

749.00

1070.00

749.00

MICROPRO

WordStar® 289.00

MailMerge 99.00

SpellStar 149.00

DataStar 1 99.00

SuperSort 170.00

CalcStar 199.00

VISICORP

VisiCalc® 190.00

VisiTrend/VisiPlot 228.00

VisiFile 169.00

VisiPlot 179.00

VisiSchedule 249.00

VisiDex 190.00

VisiTerm 80.00

Desktop Plan 1 90.00

IUS

Easy Writer II 299.00

Easy Speller 1 49.00

PERFECT

Perfect Writer 289.00

Perfect Speller 149.00

SORCIM

SuperCalc 209.00

ISA

SpellGuard 249.00

ISI

T.I.M 399.00

MICROSTUF

CrossTalk 11 9.00

ASHTON-TATE

dBASE II CALL

Microhouse 1444 Linden Street/ P.O. Box 498 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18016 Prices and specifications subject to change without notice. All items subject to availability.

MICROHOUSE

The Microcomputer People.

B YTE September 1982 13

Circle 146 on inquiry card.

Introductory
Offer. . .

COLOR RGB MONITORS
BUY DIRECT!!

plus $9. 50 shipping & handling.

# 13" RGB Color.

# 8 Colors standard.

# 16 Colors on your IBM or
Apple III.

# Analog

# Up to 80 Characters per line.

# 360 Dots per color,
(horizontal resolution)

Apple III and IBM customers
please add $29.50 for factory
installed mod board.

MasterCard / VISA / American
Express / Prepaid / C.O.D.

Call Toll Free for immediate
shipment: 1-800-258-6370

® Apple III is a registered

trademark of Apple Computer.

Monitors by

lECO

dotoled

18 Bridge Street, Salem, NH 03079
Tel. (603) 893-2047
TWX: 710-366-0502

Letters.

especially helpful in programs with lots of
menus.

William S. Wise, M.D.
President
Datalab Corp.
2652 Edgerton Rd.
University Heights, OH 44118

Thank you for publishing Glenn
Tesler's article "TRS-80 BASIC Program
Hang-ups: The Reasons and Some Solu-
tions." If anyone wishes to get in touch
with Glenn, his correct address is Glenn
Tesler, Prosoft, POB 839, North Holly-
wood, CA 91603.

Your readers might also be interested
to know that Glenn was barely 12 years
old when he wrote that article.

Although he didn't know it at the time
the article was written, Glenn now says
that many of the techniques presented in
the article apply to Microsoft BASIC on
the Apple, the IBM Personal Computer,
and many other microcomputers.

Debbie Tesler

Prosoft

POB 839

North Hollywood, CA 91603

Why Advertisers
Don't Respond

We read with interest the letter to the
editor from H. B. Brandon regarding the
lack of interest some advertisers showed
concerning inquiries about their equip-
ment or software (May 1982 BYTE, page
19). Our firm specializes in designing and
optimizing small computer systems for in-
dustry and small-business use. We often
experience the same frustration and delay
that Mr. Brandon found. Typically, it is
not that the manufacturers intend to be
rude or inapproachable, but rather that
they are simply swamped. For production
lines, customer services, sales forces, etc.
to be scaled up to meet the demand re-
quires a very long lead time plus long-
range forecasting to meet future demand.
Personnel must be hired and trained, and
telephone lines must be added to handle
orders and inquiries. Sometimes the entire
staff must be relocated to more spacious
quarters. Then of course, letters can be
lost. We offer this not as an excuse but as
an explanation and ask you not to be too

harsh in your judgment of these com-
panies.

Thomas M. Krischan, Chief Executive

Officer
Technimetrics Computer Consulting
646 South 93rd St.
West Allis, WI 53214

Buffer Overflow Cure

I enjoyed reading John Blankenship's
"Give Your Apple a Voice: A Speech-
Development System Using the Radio
Shack Speech Synthesizer" (May 1982
BYTE, page 446). However, like most ar-
ticles on the Radio Shack Speech Syn-
thesizer, it overlooked the fact that this
device contains only a 32-byte buffer and
has no control over preventing buffer
overflow. There is a simple cure for this
problem; it requires a small hardware
modification to the synthesizer and the
availability of a single input line to the
computer. First, bring out pin 2 of IC4, as
marked on the circuit board, to an unused
wire of the ribbon cable. On the computer
end of the ribbon cable connect this line to
an input port that can be read by your
program. The signal you have just wired
to an input port will indicate by a low
voltage that the synthesizer buffer is full.
It will go to a high-voltage state when
there is again room in the buffer.

Ralph J. Jannelli
101 Cottonwood Dr.
Jamestown, NC 27282

We congratulate Mr. Blankenship on
his excellent article. The program listing
he provided should be quite helpful to
owners of the Radio Shack Speech Syn-
thesizer. As an update to the article,
please note that while the Radio Shack
Speech Synthesizer was designed and
manufactured by Votrax for Radio Shack,
the unit uses a Votrax VST synthesizer
module, not an SC-01A speech chip. It
may interest your readers to know that
the SC-01A is currently available in a
Votrax product called Type-'N-Talk, a
text-to-speech computer peripheral with
unlimited vocabulary and an RS-232C in-
terface. Type-'N-Talk utilizes a program
similar to that developed by Mr. Blanken-

14 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Proven tools for programmers.
From Microsoft.

Old friends. Eight years ago, Microsoft put BASIC
on the first microcomputer. Today, there are more
than 1,000,000 copies of Microsoft
languages in use. BASIC interpreter.
BASIC compiler. FORTRAN, and
COBOL. A proven set of program-
ming tools. All, fully supported
by Microsoft.

The best get better. Good
tools work better if you keep
them sharp. That's why we
constantly improve the tools we
offer. Enhancing them. Increasing
their utility. Taking full advantage
of the strengths of each language
Supporting you, the user, with
a full range of finely honed
programming tools.

Technical support. When you buy
our tools, you get our number. If you
have technical problems, call the Microsoft
support staff for assistance. If we don't have the
answers now, we'll find them and call you back.

Compatible documentation. All Microsoft
languages share a common approach to documen-
tation. Starting with plain English. That means
that even when you're learning a new language,
you won't have to learn a new vocabulary.

Linkable code. All Microsoft compilers share
common utilities. A linker accompanies each

Circle 541 on inquiry card.

compiler. That means you can write programs in
two or more languages, taking advantage of

the specific strengths of each, then, link and
run them as a single program.

Leadership in micros. Nobody
gave us leadership. We earned it
through innovation, enhanced
programming tools and complete
user support. Today, Microsoft is the
only software supplier to offer you
a complete programming environ-
ment. Including specialized languages
that support you in a wide variety of
programming situations. Tomorrow, you can
look to Microsoft to make that environment
even more productive.

Better tools. Ask your Microsoft dealer
about Microsoft's family of proven tools
for programmers: BASIC interpreter, BASIC
compiler, FORTRAN and COBOL. Each is
a specialized tool for a special programming problem.
Better tools. And better tools make better programs.

BETTER TOOLS FOR MICROCOMPUTERS

/HfCRDSOfT

^j Microsoft Corporation ^^ ! I

V 10700 Northup Way ^ V

Bellevue, WA 98004

Microsoft is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

Speaking graphically. . .

it really pays to rent terminals and
desktop computers from Genstar REI!

You can rent — right now, off-the-shelf, for as short as 30 days —
Hewlett-Packard desktop computers, Intelligent graphics terminals,
graphics terminals, digitizers and thermal graphics printers. Plus,
you can rent dot matrix printers, graphic printers, impact printers
and teleprinters from Centronics, HP, Tally, Texas Instruments,
Qume, and more. Also, data terminals from ADDS, Beehive,
Computer Devices, HP, Lear Siegler, Tektronix, Televideo Systems,
Tl, and others. We've also got modems and acoustic couplers
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your bottom line in graphic terms. Rent from Genstar REI. Today!

GENSTAR

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TELEPHONE.

B982

Please complete coupon and mall to: Genstar Rental Electronics, Inc., 19525
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Letters — —

ship for the Radio Shack unit, but the
software is self-contained within
Type-'N-Talk and requires no additional
programming on the part of the user. Mr.
Blankenship's statement that "quality was
more a function of the programmer than
of the hardware" is all too true, but with
the introduction of programs- such as his
for the Radio Shack unit and Type-
'N-Talk more and more users can now
add voice to their computers without first
becoming specialists in phonetic speech
synthesis.

Melanie J. Moyna, Manager

Consumer Products Group

Votrax

Division of Federal Screw Works

500 Stephenson Highway

Troy, MI 48084

The Votrax SC-01A chip is also used in
Steve Ciarcia's project this month. See
"Build the Microvox Text-to-Speech Syn-
thesizer, Part 1: Hardware," on page
64. . . . R.S.S.

Computing Careers

Jacqueline Johnston's article "Career
Opportunities in Computing" (April 1982
BYTE, p. 439) was very informative and
useful. I enjoyed it because I am currently
seeking a job as an entry-level program-
mer. As a result, I have some observations
that may interest the audience addressed
by Ms. Johnston's article.

There are indeed many openings out
there for programmers and programmer-
analysts. This fact is readily apparent
from the classified pages of the major
metropolitan newspapers. But very few of
the advertised openings are for entry-level
personnel, and many firms demand quali-
fications that even an experienced profes-
sional may have difficulty meeting.

Entry-level programmers who do not
have access to a school placement service
or a diligent guidance counselor will prob-
ably have to knock on a lot of doors in
order to find entry-level positions. This
could be an expensive proposition for
anyone who resides, as I do, in an area
remote from the urban centers where
there is the greatest demand for computer
personnel. Private employment agencies
are of little help because, although clients
will pay an agency to find experienced
programmers, companies apparently
prefer to obtain entry-level personnel
through campus recruiting and walk-ins.

16 September 1982 © BYTE Publications lnc

Circle 206 on Inquiry card.

Circle 480 on Inquiry card.

■II ^L^ftJI^^^^^UlH^^^^u[^B^^^J[^^^^^U!^^^^^U|l^^^^u[^^^j

897 N.W. Grant Ave. • Corvallis, Oregon 97330 • 503/758-0521

i

1a

Never having to type the word

"CATALOG," or trying to remember

how to get from one part

of a program to another!

If you could do these functions, and many

more like them, at the STROKE of a SINGLE

KEY, would you? We thought you would! So,

we invented the Enhancer ][ and the Function

Strip. More than just another lower case

adapter, the Enhancer ][ is an intelligent

keyboard processor. Now characters, strings

of data, commands and statements can all be

stored in your Enhancer ][ for immediate recall

by pressing JUST ONE KEY!

Features that you would expect only on larger

systems now can be yours. EASILY! For

instance, wouldn't you like auto-repeat, and hi-

speed repeat? How about a type-ahead buffer?

Even user-definable function keys are available

for greater input flexibility.

The Videx Enhancer ][ and Function Strip; it

really is the Dawn of a New Era for Apple ][™.

Suggested Prices

I ENHANCER ][ 149.00
FUNCTION STRIP 79.00
Package Deal 215.00

ini )i )i mi nil mi iduqq

t-.-i-i-ir-n

1 1 n n ii ii 1 1 u 1 1 ii ii ii ii ii ii w i

1L

Apple ][ is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
Enhancer ][ and Function Strip are trademarks of Videx, Inc.

; . ; |

dtafcl

?J

Letters .^— _^^_-i

Most advertised openings I have seen
now specify two to five years' experience
in addition to the expected knowledge of a
specific computer language. While many
hobbyists may meet those qualifications,
the job seeker should also realize that
most advertisements now demand experi-
ence on specific types of computers and
knowledge of specific operating and/ or
database systems. These prerequisites
presumably exclude those professionals
who are familiar with the "wrong"
machine or system. They certainly ex-
clude those hobbyists who have had no
opportunity to work with minicomputers
and mainframes.

These demands for specialization in one
brand or line of hardware or software
seem unrealistic. After all, much of what
we do as programmers is medium in-
dependent, there is a shortage of com-
puter personnel, the differences between
brands of hardware and software are not
huge, and new brands or lines of hard-
ware and software are coming into the
market almost daily. The employers ob-
viously want no time wasted on training
or retraining computer personnel; perhaps
high salaries are at fault.

These observations are not meant to
discourage anyone interested in a pro-
gramming job or career. The opportu-

COMPUTER FORMS

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WORD PROCESSING LETTERHEAD

SHEER CUT LETTERHEAD FROM CHECKS TO-GO USES A NEW PROCESS TO
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TAX FORMS

Call for your free 1982 con-
tinuous tax form catalogue.

h 51 Checks To-Go

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nities are out there, but finding a position
that's right for you may not be quite as
easy or fast as it once was or as some
sources would indicate.

La Vaughn H. Hayes
2021 Biltmore Dr.
Fayetteville, NC 28304

Disclaimer May Not Be Valid

I read with interest John Navas's letter
regarding warranties and software (May
1982 BYTE, page 18), and I'd like to in-
form Mr. Navas that just because a dis-
claimer is printed doesn't mean it is valid.

Assuming Mr. Navas's software can be
termed "goods" under the Uniform Com-
mercial Code, Section 2-316 of that code
applies. This section requires that for a
disclaimer to be valid, it must be con-
spicuous and in writing.

Conspicuousness in this context is
readily determined. Usually the disclaimer
must appear in capital letters and in a
typeface that contrasts with the surround-
ing typefaces. If a disclaimer is indistin-
guishable from the rest of the sales con-
tract or agreement, it is not conspicuous.

Furthermore, it is required that the pur-
chaser either have or should have had ac-
tual knowledge of the disclaimer prior to
the sale. A warranty cannot be disclaimed
after a sale.

Finally, even if there is a disclaimer, the
disclaimer will not excuse the failure to
supply the goods forming the basis of the
bargain. For example, if Mr. Navas
bought a checkbook maintenance pro-
gram, the product must function as a
checkbook maintenance program. If the
software or hardware delivered is so
riddled with bugs that it will not operate,
the seller did not deliver what was bar-
gained for.

L. J. Kutten

201 South Central

POB 16185

St. Louis, MO 63105

A Fix for
the Soundex Algorithm

The algorithm given in Jacob R.
Jacobs's "Finding Words That Sound
Alike: The Soundex Algorithm" (March
1982 BYTE, page 473) can be improved
simply by eliminating the code element

18 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 84 on inquiry card.

15 type styles

for the IBM PC and Apple II

With this program your dot matrix printer
can output 15 large typefaces.

Type Faces generates distinctive presentations, fancy lettering,
invitations, easy to read output, and over 100 symbols.
Reduced printout on a copier gives you letter quality text. , .
an inexpensive typesetter.

Type Faces comes with its own simple text editor and is
compatible with most word processors.

Actual dot matrix printout

ABC abc
ABC abc

QBO abr

Reduced dot matrix printout
gives you letter quality text

ABC abc

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,A M tf CUhO

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Alpha software products available at participating ComputerLands
Or call us for your nearest dealer: 617 229-2924

A

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6 New England Executive Park • Burlington, Massachusetts 01803

Type Faces supports Epson and IDS dot matrix printers. Type Faces: $95

Circle 19 on inquiry card.

Letters -

for vowels only after consecutive repeated
elements are eliminated. With this fix, the
routine will correctly discriminate be-
tween words like "decision" and "thicken"
because similarly coded consonants sepa-
rated by vowels are preserved. The
earliest document I know of that describes
the Soundex method with this change is
"Information Retrieval by Proper Name"
by W. L. Hewes and K. H. Stow (June
1965 Data Processing, page 18).

John Nesbit
9808 110th St.
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada

Wanted: FORT/80

My company has a problem: a number
of our customers have bought and are
using FORT/80, a FORTRAN compiler
produced by Unified Technologies Inc. of
Islington, Ontario. Our customers find
the compiler an excellent product, if a lit-
tle lacking in some advanced features. Un-
fortunately, we believe Unified Technolo-
gies ceased trading some time ago, and we

cannot contact them.

We would appreciate any information
on the availability of the FORT/80 com-
piler.

D.G. Collier, Software Director
Data Applications [UK] Ltd.
16B Dyer St.
Cirencester

Gloucestershire, GL7 2PF
United Kingdom

MPI Disk Drives Meet IBM

The following information may be
useful to anyone considering purchasing
the IBM Personal Computer.

Recently, I decided to upgrade to a
16-bit computer. I first purchased the IBM
Technical Reference manual and later
bought the IBM Personal Computer. Why
did I buy the technical manual first? I
wanted to know if there was any reason
why IBM's Tandon-made disk drives
could not be replaced with my MPI
(Micro Peripherals Inc.) B51 drives.

Last week, I brought home my newly
acquired Personal Computer system with

the DOS (disk operating system) manual,
a disk-controller board, a color-graphics
board, and an additional 16K bytes of
memory. That same evening my system
was up and running with the DOS and
one of the B51 drives. Unfortunately,
when I attached the second disk drive
neither drive would work. I found that
making the MUX (multiplex) connection
on the MPI shunt socket for the Tandon
drive, as described in the Technical
Reference manual, does not work on the
MPI drives, because the drive electronics
are then enabled all the time. Therefore,
the outputs of the two drives contend
with each other. Fortunately, no damage
can occur with open-collector drive cir-
cuits. The solution is simple: do not make
the MUX shunt connection. Also, the
disk-controller board places a logic low
voltage on pin 34, Side Select, and this
must always be logic high for the MPI B51
drives.

The following information will allow
anyone who wants to use MPI B51 drives
to have a system up and running in no
time with the IBM Personal Computer
and DOS:

^BYTE WRITER

DAISY WHEEL PRINTER

LETTER QUALITY PRINTER AND TYPEWRITER

IN ONE PACKAGE

The BYTEWR1TER is a new Olivetti Praxis 30 electronic typewriter
with a micro-processor controlled driver added internally.

$795

plus shipping

Dealer

Inquiries

Invited

FEATURES

• Underlining • 10, 12, or 15 characters per inch switch selectable • 2nd keyboard
with foreign grammar symbols switch selectable • Changeable type daisy wheel

• Centronics-compatible parallel input operates with TRS-80, Apple, Osborne, IBM
and others • Cartridge ribbon • Typewriter operation with nothing to disconnect

• Service from any Olivetti dealer • Self test program built in.

CBYTE WRITER

1 25 NORTHVIEW RD., ITHACA, NY. 1 4850
(607) 272-1 132

Praxis :«) is a trademark of Olivetti Corp.

TRS SO is a trademark of Tandy Corp.

BYTEWRITER is a trademark of Williams Laboratories.

• Each MPI drive must be set up to receive
its Drive Select signal on pin 12 of its edge
connector.

• The Drive Select signal must also enable
the Head Load line.

• The MPI drives' Side Select lines must
always be logic high.

The above conditions can be achieved by
placing two jumper connections across the
following pins of the shunt socket on the
MPI drives:

1 to 14 (Head Load connecting to Drive

Select)
3 to 12 (Drive Select connecting with pin

12)

and cutting the trace on the MPI printed-
circuit board leading to pin 34 of the edge
connector (just above the contact), allow-
ing this pin to stay in the high state.

Note that the termination-resistor pack
(150-ohm pull-up resistors) should be left
in the A drive only; remove this pack
from the B drive but place a single
150-ohm resistor between pins 2 and 13 of
this socket. This pulls the Side Select line
up to the high state.

Kim B. Lignell

649 South Harvard Ave.

Addison, IL 60101 ■

20 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 73 on inquiry card.

Turn your Apple* IE into an

Orchard

With software from Quark™ Engineering

Quark Engineering brings you software specially
designed for your Apple III. Easy-to-use products
that dramatically increase your system's capabilities.
And your productivity.

You start with Word juggler™, the most easy-to-use
word processor available for the Apple III. Word
Juggler is written in assembly language. And comes
with special keyboard templates to label important
functions.

Word Juggler retails for $295. Form letter and simple
mailing list capabilities are included free. If you want
even more capacity, you can interface with Apple's
Mail List Manager for an additional $35.

Need to check your spelling? Add Lexicheck™ .
A high-performance spelling checker with a
25,000-word dictionary. You can add your own
words. And get more accurate documents, without a
lot of proofreading. The price? Less than a penny a
word. Only $195.

You can even send text from Word Juggler to
computerized typesetting equipment. All you need
is Ty peFace ™. Interface software which cuts your
typesetting costs and eliminates re-keying errors.
$175.

Finally, there's Transcribe ™. A spooler designed
especially for hard disk drives. Transcribe lets you
use other computer functions while you're printing.
And it's compatible with most Apple III software.
$125.

There's much more to tell you about Word Juggler,
Lexicheck, TypeFace and Transcribe. See them
at your local dealer. Or contact us
today. We'll help you turn your
Apple III into an orchard. And from
then on, you'll find easy picking.

Quark Engineering
1433 Williams, Suite 1102
Denver, CO 80218
(303) 399-1096

•Apple is a registered trademark
of Apple Computer, Inc.

Circle 391 on inquiry card.

Quark

See us at Applefest/San Francisco, Booth #529.

r\

: **i

^

•xV«V.*<'-

MICROBUFFER Will
SPEED UP ANY PROGRAM
THAT REQUIRES PRINTING.

MICROBUFFER ALLOWS YOU

TO PRINT AND PROCESS

SIMULTANEOUSLY.

Now you don't have to wait for
the printer to finish before you
can use your computer again.

YOU CAN DUMP

PRINTING DATA DIRECTLY

TO MICROBUFFER.

Unlike your printer, Microbuffer
accepts data as fast as your
computer can send it. So there's
never a bottleneck.

Microbuffer first stores the
data in its own memory buffer
and then takes control of your
printer. This frees the computer
for more productive functions.

Additional output may be
dumped to the buffer at any
time and it will be printed in
turn.

THERE IS A MICROBUFFER

FOR ANY PRINTER/COMPUTER

COMBINATION.

Microbuffers are available in
Centronics-compatible parallel
or RS-232C serial versions.

FOR APPLE II COMPUTERS,
Microbuffer II features on-board

firmware for text formatting and
advanced graphics dump
routines. Both serial and parallel
versions have very low power
consumption. Special functions
include Basic listing formatter,
self-test, buffer zap, and
transparent and maintain modes.
The 16K model is priced at $259
and the 32K, at $299.

FOR EPSON PRINTERS, Microbuffer
is $159 in either an 8K serial or a
16K parallel version. The serial
buffer supports both hardware
handshaking and XON-XOFF
software handshaking at baud
rates up to 19,200. Both Epson
interfaces are compatible with all
Epson commands
including GRAFTRAX-80 and
GRAFTRAX-80 + .

ALL OTHER PRINTER/COMPUTER
COMBINATIONS are served by the
in-line, stand-alone Microbuffers.
Both serial and parallel versions
are expandable up to 256K. The
serial stand-alone will support
different input and output baud
rates and handshake protocol.
The 32K model starts at $299,
64K for $349. 64K add-ons for up
to a total of 256K are just $179.
When you think of how much
time Microbuffer will save,
can you afford to not have one?

SIMPLE TO INSTALL

Microbuffer II is slot-independent.
It will fit directly inside the Apple
II in any slot except zero.

Microbuffer for your Epson
mounts easily in the existing
auxiliary slot directly inside the
printer.

The stand-alone Microbuffer is
installed in-line between virtually
any printer and computer.

MICROBUFFER FROM
PRACTICAL PERIPHERALS.

Practical Peripherals is dedicated
to establishing new industry
standards for product performance.
The un-retouched photo at left
has been enlarged to demostrate
Microbuffer's exact workmanship
and precise attention to detail.
Specifications demand that each
board undergo 36 seperate tests
and inspections before it can
leave the factory.

Ask your dealer for a demostra-
tion of the most practical, most
successful new product of the
year — Microbuffer.

PRACTICAL PERIPHERALS, INC.
31245 LA BAYA DRIVE
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA 91362
(213) 991-8200

Circle 376 on inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 23

Quinti-Maze

Robert Tsuk

17 Lexington Ave.

Plattsburgh, NY 12901

The Quinti-Maze game takes you on a three-dimen-
sional adventure through a 5-by-5-by-5 cubic maze. The
object of the game is to find your way through the rooms
and out of the maze in as little time as possible.

The program is written in Applesoft BASIC for an Ap-
ple II with 32K bytes of memory and one disk drive.
Although it's written in BASIC, Quinti-Maze is a fast
game to play (see listing 1). But setting up the maze takes
about 30 seconds (see photo 1). One room at a time ap-
pears on the screen, showing you four possible exits — one
in each of the three visible walls and one in either the
floor or ceiling.

Playing the Game

At the start of the game, you're asked if you want to
see the instructions. If you don't, the screen then displays
a view of one of the rooms, in high-resolution graphics,
located somewhere in the maze. The direction in which
you are facing is indicated at the bottom center of the
screen.

You move around the maze by entering any of the
following commands:

U-up

E — east

D — down

W — west

N— north

F — change facing direction

S — south

Q— quit

Every time you enter a command, you move to another
room or get a different perspective of your location in the
room. The rooms look nearly identical, except for the

Photo 1: View of one of the rooms in the maze. You can
change the direction you are facing or move in any direction
by entering one of the commands.

varying positions of the doors and holes in the floor or
ceiling. As you move about the maze, the computer ticks
off the seconds, keeping track of your total time. The
elapsed time is displayed in the lower left-hand corner of
the screen.

When you enter the F command, to change your direc-
tion, the program asks that you enter the new direction.

24 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

If you enter the Q command, to stop the game, the pro-
gram asks if you want to save the current maze. If you
do, the program requests a name for the maze and then
saves it on the disk. When you next play Quinti-Maze,
the program asks if you want to start in a new maze or
recall an old maze from the disk. If you want to recall an
old maze, you enter the name of the maze. The program
returns you to the same room and with the same
cumulative time as when you last quit the game.

Strategy

The strategy for Quinti-Maze is fairly simple; be
methodical. Because all the rooms in the maze look
similar, you could wander around forever without find-
ing the exit. My favorite method is to travel in one direc-
tion for as far as I can go, then I assume I'm at one of the
outside walls and search there for an exit.

Conclusion

Quinti-Maze is a simple yet very playable game. Be-
cause it is written in BASIC you can easily modify the
program to include your own special features. A denizen
or two would add even more excitement to Quinti-
Maze. ■

The author has offered to make copies of his program
available to BYTE readers for $5. Send a blank disk and a
self -addressed stamped envelope to:

Robert Tsuk

17 Lexington Ave.

Pittsburgh, NY 12901

Listing 1: Quinti-Maze, written in Applesoft BASIC, requires
an Apple II with 32K bytes of memory and one disk drive.

1 DATA 20 J. , 84 , 208 , :!. 5 , 32 , :!. 77 , , 3

2,243 , 230 , 1 38 ,72,32, 1 83 , , 20
:l. „ 44 , 240 , 3 „ 76 „ 20 1 , 222,, 32 , 1 77
,0,32, 248,, 230

2 FOR I = 768 TO 833s READ P: POKE

I,P; NEXT I

3 DATA :!. 04 , 1 34 , 3 , 1 34 , 1 , 1 33 , 5 1 7

a 1 60 , 1 ., 1 32 :, 2 ,, 1 73 , 4 8 ;i J. 92 , 1 36
,208,4, 198

4 DATA 1 , 240, 7 , 202 , 208 fl 246 , 1 66 fl

, 208 , 239 , 1 65 , 3 , 1 33 , 1 , 1 <9B , 2 ,
208 .,241 ,96

5 POKE 10 13 j, 76s POKE 1014, Os POKE

1015,3
.1.0 TEXT :; HOME
90 GOSUB 2000

1 D I M F C < 5 , 7 ) s D I M F C * < 5 )
105 FC*<1> « "NORTH" :FC*<2> « "SO

U T H ' ' :; F C « < 3 ) = " E AS "I" ' ' s F C * ( 4 > --^r^

"WEST"
110 FOR B = 1 TO 4 5 FOR I = 1 TO

6;: READ FC<B s I)b NEXT s NEXT

115 GOTO 155

120 HPLOT 0,0 TO 279,0 i'O 279,15
9 TO 0,159 TO 0,0 TO 69,29 TO
209,29 TO 209,129 TO 69,129 TO
69,29s HP L T 209,29 T 279 ,
3 HPLOT 209,129 TO 279,159s HPLOT
69,129 TO 0,159s RETURN

LZ:5 RETURN

130 HPLOT 109,9 TO 169,9 TO 159,

1 9 T 1 1 9 , 1 9 T 1 9,9s H P L T
1 1 9 , 1 9 TO 1 1 9,9s HPLOT 1 59 , 1
9 TO 159,, 9s RETURN

135 HPLOT 119,139 TO 159,139 TO
169,149 TO 109,149 TO 119,13
9 s HP L T 1 1 9 , 1 3 9 T 1 1 9,149s
HPLOT 159,139 TO 159,149s RETURN

140 HPLOT 19,39 TO 49,49 TO 49,1

39s HPLOT 19,149 TO 19. ,39s HPLOT
19,139 TO 49,139:: HPLOT 19,4
9 TO 49,49s RETURN

145 HPLOT 119,59 TO 159,59 TO 15
9,129 TO 119,129 TO 119,59 TO
129,69 TO 149,69 TO 149,119 TO
1 2 9 , 1 1 9 T 129,69s H P L T 1 4 9
, 69 TO 1 59 , 59 ; HPLOT 1 49 , 1 1 9

TO 159,129s HPLOT 129,119 TO
119, 129 s RETURN

150 HPLOT 229,49 TO 259,39 TO 25
9,149s HPLOT 229,139 TO 229,
49s HPLOT 229,49 TO 259,49;; HPLOT
229,139 TO 259,139s RETURN

155 DIM S$(6,6>

160 INPUT "RESTART OLD MAZE " ;; Ytf
5 IF LEFT* <Y$, 1) = "Y" THEN
1360

165 FOR A - 1 TO 5s FOR X - 1 TO
5s FOR Y = 1 TO 5

167 8c T10 % A -I- 10 % X + 10 * Y,

10

Listing 1 continued on page 26

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 25

SUPPLIES!

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Listing 1 continued:

1 70

"ISO

1.85
190

195

2UU
205

2 1
215

220

.,:. •.:> 3

240

>45

250

26o

?65

IF A < > 5 AND RMD ( 1 > < .
80 THEM S* ( X j, A ) = S* ( X ,, A ) ■<-
"O")) GOTO ISO

S#<X 9 A) =: S*<X,,A> -i- "X"
IF MID* <S*<X, A - 1> , (Y -■ 1
) * 6 + 1 j, 1) ■ "O" THEM S*<X
,A) = 3*<X,,A> + "0"s GOTO 19
O

B*<X fl A) ss S* (Xj, A) "i" "X"
IF Y -- 2 < O THEM 200

IF MID* <B*(X ? A> j, <Y 2) *

6 H- 4,< 1) » "0" THEN B*<X,, A) -
S$(X,,A) -i- "O" s GOTO 205

'S*<X,,A> « S*<X„A> ■+• "X"-

IF Y < > 5 AND RMD <1) < .
8 THEN S*<X,A> - 8*<X S A> + "
0"J GOTO 215

S*(X H A> = B$(X,,A) + "X"
IF X < > 5 AND RMD CI.) < .
8 THEN S*(X,A> - S*<X,, A) + "
O"; GOTO 225

S*<X,A> « S*<X.,A> + "X"
IF MID* <S*<X - 1 5 A) , (Y - 1
) * 6 + S, 1) « "O" THEN S*(X
,A) « S*(X,,A) + "0"s GOTO 23
5

B*<X,,A> «« S*<X,,A) -I- "X"
NEXT s NEXT s NEXT

X ■ INT < RND (1) * 3) ■•!■• 2s Y
■ INT ( RMD <1) # 3) -I- 2s A
« INT ( RND (1) * 3) •>•• 2

FIB « INT < RND (1) * 6) + la
ON RD GOTO 250,255,260,265,
270,275

A « 5s Flip - LEFT* (S* < X „ A) ,, <

Y. 1) * 6) : L = 29 - LEN (F

1 * ) s F 2* = R I! G H T* < S* < X 9 A ) , L
) ;: B* < X ,.. A ) * P :!. * ■+• "O" * P2# s

GOTO 280

A as 1 b P 1 * « LEFT* ( 8* ( X 5 A ) „ <

Y - 1 ) * 6 + 1 ) b !..- « 29 - LEN

( P 1 * ) i) P2* - R I GHT* < S* ( X 5 A )

j,L> sS*(X, A) = PI* + "O" +■ P2
*s GOTO 2 BO

Y = 5sPl* = LEFT* <S*(X, 5 A)m<

280

Y

1 ) * 6 + 3 ) s L

LEN

( P 1 * ) a P2* = R I GHT* ( 8* ( X , A )
,}....) :S*<x; A) « PI* 4- "O" ••!-■ P2
*;; GOTO 280
Y «: 1 :: P 1 * := LEFT* < S* < X ., A ) , (

Y -•• 1) # 6 + 2) sL = 29 - LEN
(. P 1 * ) s P2* s R i GHT* < S* ( X j, A )

, L ) s S* ( X j, A ) = F±% + "Q" -!•• P2
*b GOTO 2B0
X = 5s PI* = LEFT* <S-f : <X,A) , <

Y 1 ) * 6 + 4) sL = 29 - LEN

( P 1 * ) ;; P 2 * » R 1 3 H T * ( S* ( X j, A )

j, L ) s S* < X ; , A ) « P 1 * + " O " + ' ! :: '2
*s GOTO 280
X = laPHIi = LEFT* <S*<X, A) „ <

Y - 1) * 6 + 5) :L = 29 - LEN
*■ P 1 * ) s P2* - ::: F I GHT* ( S* ( X n A )

3 L ) s S* \ X 5 A ) « p j. & + " o " i P2
*s GOTO 280
SX - XsSY = YsSA - A

Listing 1 continued on page 28

26 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 334 on inquiry card.

SP WNT ,o f detail

SPRINT 9

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Listing 1 continued:

290 VTAB 23s PRINT "HIT ANY KEY

TO START"
300 IF PEEK ( ™ 16384) < 127 THEN

300
310 POKE ■- 16368,00
1000 X = .T.MT ( RND CI.) * 5) + 1:

Y = INT ( RND <i> * 5> •!■ Is

A = INT < RND (1) * 5) + 1;

FC = Is GOTO 1220
1010 HOME : VTAB 22s HTAB 18s PRINT

10 ',20

1025

1027

3.030
1035
1040
1 050
1060
1070
1080
1090
1 1 00
1 1 1.
1 120

1 1 30
1135
1140

1 1 50

1.1.60
1170
1 1 80
1 1 90
1200
1210
1220

1230

240

1250
1260

1270
1 280

= 1 THEN PRINT X.Y.A

VTAB 22s PR I N T ' * T I ! V !E s " ;• T s FOR
TIME « 1 TO 80

IF PEEK i - 16384) > 127 THEN
1030

NEXT sT = "! -i- Is VTAB 22s PRINT
"TIME s " :j Ts GOTO 1020

BET A*

IF A$ « "*'' THEN LS * 1

IF A* - "Q" THEN 130O

IF A* «s "LI" THEN D - 1

IF A* = "D" THEN D - 2

IF A* = "N" THEN D - 3

IF A* = "S" THEN D = 4

IF A* ~ "E" THEN D ■ 5

IF <"•«$ = "?" THEN 1290

IF A* * "W" THEN D «■ 6

IF A* ~ "F" THEN GOTO 1280

IF D = THEN 1010
T - T + 1

IF MID* (S* <X,A) y (Y - 1 ) *
6 + D, 1> < > "0" THEN PRINT

CHR* (7) s GOTO 1010

ON D GOTO 1 160 j, 1 170, 1 180, 1 1
90,, 1200, 1210
A « A -I- Is GOTO 1220
A » A - Is GOTO J.220

Y « Y - Is GOTO 1220

Y - Y + Is GOTO 1220
X a X + Is GOTO 1220
X = X - Is GOTO 1220

IF X > 5 OR X < 1 OR Y > 5 OR

Y < 1 OR A > 5 OR A < 1 THEN
PRINT "YOU WIN": ?-: T 100, 100

s & T 1 00 ,50s & T 1 00 , 5 s & T7
5,66s ?•: T 100, 66s & T75,66s &
T60 ,255s GOTO 3000

HGR s HCOLOR= 3s HPLOT 0,0s

CALL 62454s HCOLOR= Os GOSUB
120

FOR I ■■= 1 TO 6s IF MID* (S
* < X , A ) , ( Y - 1 ) * 6 + I ,, 1 ) =
"X" THEN NEXT s GOTO 1010
R « FC(FC, I) + 1

HCOLOR= Os ON R GOSUB 125 5 1
30 j, 135,, 140, 145, 150

NEXT s GOTO 1010

INPUT "WHAT FACING 1-M 2-S
3-E 4~W";FC: IF FC < 1 OR FC

> 4 THEN 1280

1285 GOTO 1220

1290 INVERSE s HTAB 18s PRINT SX

s. " "sSYs" "llSAs NORMAL, s GOTO

1220

Listing 1 continued on page 30

28 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 304 on Inquiry card.

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Listing 1 continued:

1300 PRINT "DO YOU WA*NT TO SAVE

THIS NAZE"!! INPUT Y*s IF LEFT** 2040

<¥'&,<:!.> < > "Y" THEN GOTO 3

000
1310 INPUT "WHAT DO YOU WANT TO

CALL IT " ;;N:fi
1320 D* = CHR$ <4> 2050

1330 , PRINT D* 5" OPEN OL..D MAZE/" ;N

% s PR I N ! ■ Df. ;: " WR I TE OLD NA Z E /

" 5 N*
1340 FOR Al = 1 TO 5: FOR XI = 1

TO 5 ss PR I NT S* < X 1 , A 1 > a NEXT 2060

a NEXT b PRINT X: PRINT Ys PRINT

As PRINT Ts PRINT l-'C
X-V50 PRINT D*; "CLOSE OLD NAZE/";;

N*s GOTO 3000
1360 INPUT "WHAT IS ITS NAME " ;i N 2070

1370 D* = CHR* (4)

1.380 PRINT D* J" OPEN OLD !1AZE/"sN 2080

*s F :: 'RIMT D* j "READ OLD NAZE/"

;; N* 2090

1390 FOR Al ;:::: 1 TO 5s FOR XI = 1
TO 5 s I NPUT S* ( X 1 „ A 1 ) B NE X T

s NEXT s INPUT X;; INPUT Ys INPUT

As INPUT Ts INPUT FC
1400 PRINT D* 3 "CLOSE OLD NAZE/";;

IM*s OOTO 1220
2000 VTAB 12s HTAB 18s INVERSE »

PRINT "NAZE"s NORMAL :: VTAB 2100

22); INPUT "DO YOU WANT INBTR

UCT I OMB " 5 Y* s I F LEFT* < Y*i 5

1) < > "Y" THEN RETURN 3000

2005 PR# 1
2010 HOME :; PRINT "THE OBJECT OF

NAZE IS TO FIND YOUR WAY"; PRINT 3010

;; PRINT "OUT OF- A '5X'5X , 5 CUB I

C MAZE- 'IN ONE OF THE"::' PRINT

"ROOMS THERE IS AN EXIT OUT 3030

OF THE MAZE. "
2020 PRINT s PRINT "YOU MUST TRY 3040

TO FIND IT IN AS FEW TURNS

"s PRINT "AS POSSIBLE. THE C 9999

OMMANDS ARE :; " 1000

2030 PRINT s HTAB 6; INVERSE s PRINT

" U " s s NORMAL s PR I NT " -Up " : ;

HTAB 17s INVERSE s PRINT "S
";: NORMAL ; PRINT "-SOUTH"

PRINT s HTAB" 6; INVERSE s PRINT
"D";: NORMAL s F'RINT "--DOWN"
;s HTAB 17s INVERSE s PRINT
"E";s NORMAL s PRINT "-EAST"

PRINT s HTAB 6s INVERSE s PRINT
" N " s s NORMAL : PR I NT " -NORTH
"ss HTAB 17s INVERSE s PRINT
"W" 3 s NORMAL s PRINT "-WEST"

PRINT s HTAB 6; INVERSE s PRINT
" Q " s s NORMAL s PR I NT " -QU I T "
;s HTAB 17s INVERSE s PRINT
"F" 5; NORMAL s PRINT " -CHANG
E FACING"

V TAB 2 3 s PR I NT " H IT "5s INVERSE
;: PRINT "SPACE":;;; NORMAL 3 PRINT
" FOR MORE"

IF PEEK ( 16 384) < 127 THEN

2080

POKE 16368;, Os HOME s INVERSE

3 PRINT "F" ss NORMAL s PRINT
" WILL COME BACK WITH A QUES
TION AS TO" s PRINT s PRINT "
WHICH FACING YOU WISH, HIT ON
LY ONE KEY" s PRINT s F'RINT "
AND ";;s INVERSE s PRINT "RET
URN"s NORMAL

F'R I NT s PR I NT " PL.E ABE W A I T
WHILE IT SETS UP THE MAZE"; PRINT
s PRINT s RETURN

TEXT s HOME s VTAB 5s HTAB
1 2 ;; P R I N T ' ' C N OF; A T UL AT I ONB I

PR I N T s P R I N T T A B ( 7)"Y OU
H AV E F I N I SH ED "f HE MAZE I N ' ' s

PR I NT TAB ( 7 ) T ;; " SECONDS "

INPUT "DO YOU WANT TO PLAY
AGAIN ? ";Y$

IF LEFT* <Y* 5 1) = "Y" THEN

RUN

NORMAL
DATA 1 j, 2 5 4 j, j, 5 , 3- 5 1,2,0
tt 4 5 3 «, 5 ., 1 «, 2 ? 3 , 5 ., 4 9 -, 1 ., 2 1, 5 ? 3 .- < >
, 4

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30 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

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There are a lot of good reasons why
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you can control up to four floppy disks using
only one slot. With Apple's you can only use
two. Of course, you can still plug into
Apple's controller card, but down the line
you'll want to switch to Rana's and save
yourself a slot.

Elite also gives you more
byte per buck.

Even our most economical model, the
Elite One, gives you 14% more storage than
Apple's. 163K versus Apple's 143K. With
our Elite Two offering 326K and our top-of-
the-line Elite Three offering a 356% storage
increase at 652K. That's almost comparable
to hard disk performance, all because of
our high density single and double sided
disks and heads.

Elite Three 652K+356%

Elite Two 326K+128%

Elite One 163K-H4%

And the cost? Just look at the chart.
272 Bytes per dollar for Apple, versus
between 363 to 767 Bytes per dollar for
ours. They're not even close.

ft

to

IS

*

Apple Disk II Elite One Elite Two Elite Three

The real beauty of it isn't
the beauty of it

There is no comparison to the lean,
clean design of the Elite Series to Apple's
5 year old model (which by the way has
never been updated). It's our superior
technology, operating economy, increased
storage and faster step that makes us the
best performing and hottest selling disk
drive in America.

So give us a call or write for more infor-
mation. It doesn't take a lot of courage to cut
into an Apple when you outshine them as
brilliantly as we do.

RanaSystems

20620 South Leapwood Avenue. Carson. CA 90746 213-538-2353. For dealer information call
toll tree: 1-800-421-2207. In California only call: 1-800-262-1221. Source Number: TCT-654

Circle 405 on inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 33

Three Dee Tee

John Stuart

6345 South 70th East Ave.

Tulsa, OK 74133

Three Dee Tee is a computer game
for two players, which runs on the
Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Com-
puter. It is loosely based on the
Rubik's cube game and Tic Tac Toe.
The object of the game is to color
three cubes in a line either vertically,
horizontally, or diagonally. The com-
puter keeps track of every winning
combination and displays a box score
for each player.

When you start the program, the
computer draws two cubes. One cube
is larger than the other and represents
the front view. The smaller cube
shows the back view of the cube as if
viewed in a mirror. After the pro-
gram generates these two cubes, it
draws 9 smaller subcubes on each
face. There are 6 faces with 9 sub-
cubes each for a total of 54 subcubes.

Next, the computer colors a sub-
cube for player A. It then starts mov-
ing the color cursor around the cube
in an orderly fashion. It may take you
some time to get oriented to the pat-
tern of movement. Observe that one,
two, or three faces can be colored for
each subcube, depending on its posi-
tion. If some of the faces are on the
back of the cube, the smaller cube
will show the color. Thus, a subcube
can be colored on the front view, the
back view, or both.

The cursor starts at the subcube
1 corner of the cube (see figure 1).

Photo 1 shows the view at the start of
the game. The cursor moves along
each row of the cube, coloring each of
27 subcubes in turn; the center one is
skipped, so it takes 26 moves to
traverse the entire cube. When

player A presses any key, the subcube
is permanently colored, and player
B's color then starts moving around
the cube. If a straight line of three
subcubes together in a player's color
are made, then a point is recorded in

34 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

the player's column. The winner is
the player who has the highest box
score when all subcubes are colored.

Program Design

Initially, I intended to rotate one
cube on the screen and let the players
move the cursor using joysticks, but
several problems forced me to aban-
don this approach. The mathematics
involved in rotating the cube in order
to give a three-dimensional effect got
very complicated for someone who
had managed to avoid trigonometry
in school. Even when I developed a
BASIC program that would crudely
represent an object rotating in space,
it was too slow to give the appearance
of a smooth rotation. Therefore, I
decided to take the approach of
displaying the front and back of a
cube.

I organized the program to do the
following major tasks:

• draw the cube views

• move the cursor around the sub-
cubes for each player

• build a win table of all winning
combinations

• check each player's move against
the win table, and display the score

The flowchart explains the logic of
the program routines that accomplish
these tasks (see figure 2).

BACK
VIEW

SIDE 4

Figure 1: Numbering scheme used by the program to determine the position of the
cursor.

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 35

0-70

INITIALIZE

VARIABLES

AND

CLEAR SCREEN

400-420

SET

VARIABLES

FOR

FRONT VIEW

425-440

SET

VARIABLES

FOR

BACK VIEW

GOSUB

GOSUB

71-399

DRAW CUBE

450-498

READ

WIN

TABLE

500-599

MOVE
CURSOR
ON CUBE

~l

IGOSUB

T

GOSUB

1100-1699

MOVE ON
SIDE

800-899

RECORD
PLAYERS
MOVE IN
HIT TABLE

~l

IGOSUB

t

IGOSUB
t

900-999

PAINT
SUBCUBE

840-849

TEST FOR
THIS SUBCUBE
IN WIN TABLE

GOSUB

850-899

DRAW
BOX IN
SCORE
COLUMN

Figure 2: Flowchart of the Three Dee Tee
program.

Drawing the Cubes

The subroutine at line 71 is used to
draw the cubes (see listing 1). This
subroutine is written so that it can be
changed to draw different size cubes
at different locations on the screen.
The instructions at lines 400-420 set
the size and location for the front
view of the cube, and lines 425-440
change the size and location for the
back view of the cube.

First, the subroutine at line 71 com-
putes the variables used to draw the
cube using the size and location set by
the calling routine. See figure 3 and
table 1 for an explanation of these
variables. The instructions at lines
100-399 then use these variables in
Line commands to draw the different

Text continued on page 45
36 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Listing 1: Three Dee Tee runs on the TRS-80 Color Computer and requires 16K bytes of
memory.

1 REM 3DT GAME COPYRIGHT

2 REM 1981 JOHN C STUART
5 CLEAR 100

10 PCLEAR 4
20 PM0DE 3,1

30 B=3:F=2

31 P=l

32 AS=180:BS=180

33 PA=3:PB=4

34 PN=PA

410 COLOR F,B
5 SCREEN 1,0
51 PCLS B
541 DIM WN<48,3)

55 DIM CCC27)

56 FOR BN=1 TO 2 7
58 CC(BN)=1

60 NEXT BN
62 BN=0

69 GOTO 400

70 REM C0MP CUBE VARIABLES

71 Xl=X/3

72 X2=X*2/3

81 LC=H-2*X

82 MC=H

83 RC=H+2*X

84 V1=V-2*X

85 V2«V-X

86 V3=V

87 V4=V+X

88 V5=V+2*X

100 REM DRAW CUBE

110 LINE(MC,V3)-(MC,V5),PSET

120 LINE(MC,V5)-(RC,V4),PSET

125 LINE(RC,V4l)-(RC,V2),PSET

130 LINE(RC,V2)-(MC,V3),PSET

135 LINE(MC,V3)-(LC,V2),PSET

140 LINE<LC,V2)-<LCV4),PSET

145 LINE(LC,V4)-(MC,V5),PSET

150 LINE(LC,V2)-(MC,V1),PSET

155 LINECMC,V1)-CRC,V2),PSET

200 PAINT<H-D,V),P,F

205 PAINTCH+D, V)jPjF

210 PAINT<H,V-D),P,F

300 LINE(LC,7+X1)-(MC,V+2*X2)>PSET

305 LINECLCV-X1)-<MCV + X2),PSET

310 LINE(RC,V+X1)-(MC,V+2*X2),PSET

315 LINE<RCV-X1)-CMC,V+X2).,PSET

320 LINE(LC+X2,V-X2)-(LC+X2,V+X+X1 ),PSET

325 LINE(MC-X2,V-X1 )- (MC-X2, V+X+X2) , PSET

330 LINE(MC+X2,V-X1 )- (MC+X2,V+X+X2) ,PSET

335 LINE(RC-X2,V-X2)-(RC-X2,V+X+X1),PSET

340 LINE(LC+X2,V-X2)-(MC+X2,V-X-X2),PSET

345 LINECMC-X2,V-X1)-<RC-X2,V-X-X1),PSET
350 LINECLC+X2,V-X-X1)-(MC+X2,V-X1),PSET

Listing 1 continued o n page 38

And The
Winner Is ... IBC
four Users,

UMlfc.

When you are racing toward that finish line,
beating the competition is everything. IBC is
the choice of OEM's, system integrators and
dealers throughout the world, because in
benchmark after benchmark our small
business computer systems finish first.

We finish first because we are faster, offer
higher quality peripherals and can expand
our system significantly beyond our nearest
competitors. In fact, looking at the chart
below, you can quickly see why knowledge-
able resellers are choosing IBC.

IBC

Oasis Operating System
(Max. Users)

9

5

4

CPU Speed (MHz)

6

4

4

Disk Speed I/O (MB/Sec.)

.81

.65

.54

Seek (Milli Sec.)

35

50

65

Cache Disk Memory

Yes

No

No

Circle 225 on inquiry card.

Join us in the winners circle with high
performance equipment and the best dealer
plan in the industry. Call or write:

OUTSIDE THE USA

WITHIN THE USA

'Integrated Business Computers

IOC/ distribution

21592 Marilla Street 4185 Harrison Blvd., Suite 301

Chatsworth, CA 91311 Ogden, UTAH 84403

(213)882-9007 TELEX NO. 215349 (801)621-2294

Listing 1 continued:

355 LINE(MC-X2>V-X-X2)-(RC-X2^V-X2)^PSET

375 LINE(H-2*ABS(X)^V+2*ABS(X))-(H+2*ABS(X)^V+2*ABS(X) ),PSET

399 RETURN

400 REM DRAW BOXES

401 FH*128

402 BH=128

403 FV=48

404 BV=136

405 D=2

406 FX=20

407 BX=-16

409 X=FX

410 H=FH
415 V=FV

419 REM DRAW FR0NT VIEW

420 GOSUB 71
425 V=BV
430 H=BH

435 X=BX

436 D=-2

439 REM DRAW BACK VIEW

440 GOSUB 71
450 BX=BX*-1

460 FOR WC=1 TO 48

462 FOR CN =1 TO 3

465 READ WN ( WC J CN ) Listing 1 continued on page 40

Circle 469 on inquiry card.

Bell 212 compatible— 1200 Baud

Full duplex

1 120 CPS over any standard phone line

Microprocessor design has invaded the modem
world, Our new 1200 baud modems pack Bell 212
compatibility into 10 integrated circuits— by far
the lowest parts count of any 212 modem
available. The extremely low parts count
translates directly into long life, outstanding
reliability and low production costs— savings
passed on to you in a lower price.

The Micro Link 1200 features originate and
answer capability. The Auto Link 1200 includes
these features plus auto-answer. Both units
are FCC certified for direct connection to the
phone lines via a standard RJ11C phone jack
and include RS232, Self-Test, and a one year
limited warranty.

Take advantage of higher technology at lower
cost. Call for full product specifications and
today.

Micro Link 1200 $449* Auto Link 1200 $549*

'Suggested list price, quantity one

H

U.S. ROBOTICS INC.

First, the IBM Personal Computer,

The Next Step

Tecmar

The TECMAR Expansion series is the first
and only, complete line of expansion options
available for the IBM Personal Computer.

Now totaling over twenty-five separate
options, the TECMAR series gives you the
broadest range of expansion available for
your IBM Personal Computer.

SYSTEM EXPANSION with a comp-
lete Expansion Chassis providing six
additional system slots, a separate
power supply and styling that com-
plements the IBM system.

MEMORY EXPANSION in 64K
"128K, 192K and 256K Byte incre-
ments of Dynamic RAM with parity.
32K Bytes of Static RAM, 32K Bytes
of CMOS RAM with battery backup, or
up to 128K Bytes of Read Only
Memory.

PRACTICAL EXPANSION with two

Serial ports and one Parallel port on a
single board, or a Time of Day
calendar with battery backup, a Voice
Synthesizer with vocabulary in ROM
and phoneme speech generation,
even a BSRX 10™ device controller
for lights and appliances.

DISK EXPANSION through the addition of a five or ten megabyte
Winchester disk. The disk options come enclosed in the TECMAR
Expansion Chassis, providing additional expansion slots as well as
Winchester disk storage. This approach assures you of unmatched
system expandability for nearly any application.

FUNCTIONAL EXPANSION is also available with TECMAR
Speed Disk™ and print Spooling Software that give new
functionality to memory options.

UNMATCHED EXPANSION for the serious IBM Personal Computer
user through these and the many other TECMAR Expansion products
available through participating COMPUTERLAND stores, and other
fine computer retailers nationwide.

LABORATORY/INDUSTRIAL EX-
PANSION through an IEEE 488
interface, the Lab Tender with an 8 bit
A/D and D/A, or the Lab Master for
12 bit A/D and D/A, a two axis
Stepper Motor Controller, or the Parallel
D i g i 1 1 a I - 1 n / D i g it a I - O u t Base
Boa rd ™, Vi deo Di gi tizati on
with Video VanGogh™.

DEVELOPMENT EXPANSION using
an E+EEPROM programmer, Proto-
zoa prototyping boards or a TECMAR
Extender card.

NEW PRODUCTS are currently un-
der development with many soon to
be announced. At present shipping
26 unique IBM add-on products, we
are still looking for needs to meet. If
you have an need for a new product
for the IBM Personal Computer, and
would like to ask us about it, give a
call on our Product Input Hotline at
(216)464-8317.

For IBM Personal Computer Expansion, TAKE THE NEXT STEP . . .

Tecmar Inc.

PERSONAL COMPUTER PRODUCTS DIVISION
23600 Mercantile Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44122
Telephone: (216)464-7410 Telex: 241735

Circle 453 on inquiry card.

Listing 1 continued:

470 NEXT CN

472 NEXT WC

473 N=0

474 REM SIDE 2

475 DATA 1,2,3*4,5*6*7*8,9
477 DATA 1*4*7*2*5*8*3*6*9

479 DATA 1*5*9*3*5*7

480 REM SIDE 1

482 DATA 1*10*19*4*13*22*7* 16*25*1*4*7*10* 13*16*19*22*25*1*13*25*7*13*19

484 REM SIDE 3

486 DATA 1 *2* 3* 1 0* 1 1 * 1 2* 19*20* 2 1 * 1 * 10* 19*2* 1 1 * 20* 3* 12* 2 1 * 1 * 1 1 * 2 1 * 3* 1 1* 19

488 REM SIDE 4

490 DATA 7*8*9*16*17*18*25*26*27*7*16*25*8*17*26*9*18*27*7* 17*27*9*1 7*25

492 REM SIDE 5

494 DATA 19*20*21*22*23*24*25*26*27* 19*22*25*20*23*26*21*24*27* 19*23*2 7

495 DATA 21*23*25

496 REM SIDE 6

498 DATA 3*12*21*6*15*24*9*18*27*3*6*9*12*15*18*21*24*27*3*15*2 7*9*15*21

499 REM MOVE CURSOR

500 FOR 1/1 = 1 TO 3
510 FOR L2=l TO 3

515 FOR L3=l TO 3

516 TIMER =0

517 BN=BN+1:IF BN=28 THEN BN= 1

519 IF CC(BN)>1 THEN GOTO 590

520 REM TEST FOR ACTIVE SIDE Listing 1 continued on page 42

"The Perfect Marriage"

ARBA Register and Accounting Plus* .

Great hardware now with superb software. ARBA
register, the affordable, dependable RS232 on
line cash register. Accounting Plus* Inventory
Control software, comprehensive, timely,
accurate. The ARBA point of sale software
module that brings the two together. The ability
to integrate on line real time inventory control
with a total business package: G/L, Payables,
Receivables, Payroll, Purchase Order,
Budgeting, L/Y Comparisons, Electronic Spread
Sheet.

mm

ARBA Fine Business Computing Corporation
890 E. Roosevelt Road
Lombard, Illinois 60148
(312)620-8566

ARBA Register-$1295.00-Suggested Retail
Dealer Pricing Available

TM Software Dimensions, Inc., Citrus Heights, Ca.
TM Digital Research, Pacific Grove, Ca.

40 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 32 on inquiry card.

uperBrain II

TM

IC

r||jrt

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

^ " INTE3TEC DATA SYSTEMS |

J f f 7

I ' 1 " * - I A I - I 1 1

v u i o p ? L

- Y " " r
.■jr..

v •

Sum ma Cum Laude!

Just three years ago, Intertec stunned
the microcomputer industry when its
SuperBrain™ desktop computer gradu-
ated with honors . . . outperforming all
the others by achieving the best price/
performance ratio in its class. Today,
that scholastic achievement remains un-
challenged. At least until now. . .

Announcing SuperBrain 11™. . . our
latest microcomputer marvel that's des-
tined to be the "Most Likely to Succeed"
in the Class of '82. With thousands of
SuperBrains in use worldwide, it's no
surprise that SuperBrain II users have
given our new model the highest honors
yet. Standard features include a powerful
64K of internal memory, a CP/M* oper-
ating system, a 24 line x 80 column
display on a 12-inch non-glare screen, a
full-featured ASCII keypad with operator
convenience keys, twin Z80 processors
and dual RS-232 communications and
printer ports. But SuperBrain II out-
smarts its Class of 79 counterpart by

offering leaner pricing, more features and
better overall system performance. New
SuperBrain II features include a faster,
enhanced disk operating system, a li-
brary of new visual attributes including
reverse video, below-the-line descen-
ders and impressive graphics capabilities
and Microsoft* BASIC — all included at
absolutely no extra cost!

SuperBrain II's internal circuitry has
also been completely redesigned and is
now computer tested to ensure optimum
field reliability. Plus, there are four new
SuperBrain II models from which to
choose, offering disk storage capacities
from 350K bytes to 10 megabytes! But,
best of all, prices start as low as $2,495,
including software!

Of all the single-user microcomputers
available today, our SuperBrain II is
certainly in a class by itself. Not only
does it outprice and outperform its com-
petitive classmates, it's also backed by
our comprehensive customer protection

programs — depot maintenance, ex-
tended warranties, a satisfaction guaran-
tee and a factory sponsored users group.
All in all, the SuperBrain II ™ represents
the most incredible microcomputer value
we've ever seen (or probably ever will
see) in a long, long time.

Contact your local dealer or call or
write us at the address below for more
information on our full line of single and
multi-user microcomputers. Ask for our
SuperBrain II "Buyers Guide" and find
out why so many microcomputer buyers
who insist on quality and value . . . insist
on Intertec.

3

sinte3tec
Cdata

=SYSTEMS.

•Registered trademark of Digital Research ^Microsoft is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

2300 Broad River Rd. Columbia, SC 29210
(803) 798-9100 TWX: 810-666-21 15

Circle 244 o n inquiry card.

From Aspen Software

The Only Complete Document Proofreading System
For CP/M®, TRS-80® and IBM-PC Word Processors

T.M.

PlrfSOT

Featuring Random House® Dictionary

• Complete Accuracy-looks up every word;
does not use less accurate root word
analysis, plus Random House Dictionary

• Full Interactive Correction-standard

• Instant Access to Dictionary

• Compact-Random House Dictionary
supplied in sizes to fit your system

(50,000 words standard)

QRAMMATlk™

Beyond Spelling Checking

• Detects typos, punctuation and
capitalization errors, misused words
and phrases

• Analyzes Writing Style

• Suggests Alternative Usages

= NO ERRORS

" The programs together (Proofreader and
Grammatik) offer a dynamic tool for
comprehensive editing beyond spelling
corrections. "

--Dona Z. Meilach in Interface Age, 5/82
"Grammatik is the perfect complement to a
spelling check program."

—Dr. Alan R. Miller in Interface Age, 5/82
"If you use a word processor and a spelling
checker, then you should investigate the unique
capabilities of this program. Grammatik is a
surprisingly fast and easy to use tool for
analyzing writing style and punctuation. "

--Bob Louden in InfoWorld, 12/81
"For the user who is as tight with his dollar as I,
Proofreader is the program of choice. "

-Stephen Kimmel in Creative Computing, 3/82
"Anyone involved with word processing in any
way, whether writing manuals, letters,
brochures, newscopy, reports, etc. is encouraged
to get the excellent program Grammatik."

—A. A. Wicks in Computronics, 6/82

Grammatik and Proofreader are compatible with all
CP/M. MS-DOS (incl. IBM-PC), and TRS-80 word
processors. Current CP/M formats; standard 8",
Northstar, Omikron, Osborne, Apple. Please call/or
write fordetailsof minimum system sizes and availability
of additional disk and operating system formats.
Shipping costs included. Please specify your system
configuration when ordering. Dealers inquiries
invited.

Proofreader Grammatik
CP/M, MS-DOS $129.00 $150.00

TRS-80 Model II n/a $99.00

TRS-80 Mod. I/Ill $89.00 $59.00

Both
$250.00

$139.00

Random House is a registered trademark of Random
House, Inc. Other registered trademarks: CP/M: Digital
Research; TRS-80: Tandy Corp.; MS-DOS: Microsoft;
IBM: IBM; Proofreader, Grammatik: Aspen Software Co.

Aspen Software Co.

P.O. Box 339-B Tijeras, NM 87059
(505) 281-1634

Listing 1 continued:
523 IF L3=l
525 IF LI =
530 IF L2=l
540 IF L2=3
545IF Ll»3

THEN GO SUB 1 100
1 THEN GO SUB 1200
THEN GO SUB 1300
THEN G0SUB 1400
THEN GO SUB 1500
1600

560

550 IF L3=3 THEN G0SUB
555 IF BN=14 THEN 590

559 REM DELAY LOOP

560 IF TIMER < 60 THEN
561 K$=INKEY$

562 IF KS <> "" THEN 800

REM CLEAR SUBCUBE COLOR
FOR M=l TO N
PAINT<SH(M),SV<M)>,P,F
NEXT M

569
570
575
580
585
590
591
592
599
800
803
805
809

N=0

NEXT

NEXT

NEXT

GOTO

REM

L3
L2
LI

500
RECORD

MOVE

3 TOGETHER
TO 3

play "L25;a;d;a;d;"

CC(BN)=PN

REM FIND BN IN TABLE
810FOR WC=1 TO 48
812 FOR CN=1 TO 3

IF WN<WCCN)=BN THEN G0SUB 840

NEXT CN

NEXT WC

K$=""

IF PN=PA THEN PN=PB ELSE PN=PA

N=0

GOTO 590

HT=0

REM FIND

FOR LT=1

TM=WNCWC,LT>

IF CCCTM)=PN THEN HT=HT+ 1

NEXT LT

IF HT=3 THEN G0SUB 850

RETURN

IF PN=PB THEN 8 70

REM RECORD WIN PLAYER A

COLOR PA..F

LINE < 192^AS)-< 20 8, AS-4), PRESET, B

PAINT(200,AS-2),PA,F

AS=AS-4

play"02;l2;a m

RETURN

COLOR PB,F

REM RECORD WIN PLAYER B

LINE <220,BS)-(236,BS-4),PRESET,B

PAINT(224,BS-2)*PB>F

BS=BS-4

play"04;l2;C"

RETURN

REM PAINT SUBCUBE

HP=SH-LM*CL1-1)+RM*<L3-1)

H\7=SV-LU*(L1-1)-RU*CL3-1 )+DM*(L2-l )

Listing 1 continued on page 44

814
818
820
830
835
838
839
840
841
842
844
846
847
848
849
850
851
852
854
855
860
865
869
870
873
8 75
877
880
885
890
899
900
910

42 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

The Best Made Better

When we unveiled our CompuStar™
multi-user terminal system just over a
year ago, we thought we had created the
most powerful, lowest-priced multi-user
computer we would ever manufacture.
We were wrong. Today, we've made
our best even better!

Our newly redesigned CompuStar™
boasts the same performance statistics
that made its predecessor such an over-
night success, plus a host of exciting new
features. CompuStar users now get the
added benefits of dual character set ca-
pability, an expanded library of visual
attributes including reverse video, un-
derlining and below-the-line descenders,
an enhanced disk operating system and
Microsoft BASIC — all at no extra cost!
And single-user systems now start at as
little as $2995.

There are four types of CompuStar 1 "
workstations (called Video Processing
Units or VPU's) that can be connected
into a variety of central disk systems
with 10 to 96 megabytes of multi-user
storage.

Up to 255 VPU's can be tied together
to form a massive multi-user network.
Or, you can start with only a single VPU
and easily expand your system as your
processing needs become more sophis-
ticated. But whether you start with one
or one-hundred VPU's, you'll probably
never outgrow your CompuStar. Un-
like other systems, you configure the
CompuStar the way you want
it . . . connecting any combination of
VPU's in a "daisy chain" fashion into the
central disk system. And since each
VPU has its own twin Z80 processors,
its own CP/M* operating system and a
full 64K of internal memory, (not to
mention disk capacities of up to 1%
million bytes), overall system response
time remains unbelievably fast! And that's
a claim most of the other multi-user
vendors just can't make.

Inside our new CompuStar you'll find
a level of design sophistication that's
destined to establish a new standard
for the industry. A series of easy-to-
service modular components has-been

engineered to yield the most impressive
reliability figures we've ever seen. But
CompuStar users are not only thrilled
with our system's performance (and the
miserly few dollars they spent to get it),
they also have the peace of mind of
knowing that Intertec's comprehensive
customer protection and field service
programs will insure their total after-the-
sale satisfaction.

For more information on what just
may be the last multi-user microcompu-
ter you'll ever ( have to ) buy, ask
your dealer today about our all new
CompuStar™ system. Or, contact us at
the number and address below. We'll
gladly explain how we've made our
best . . . even better!

=INTRTEC

Cdata

=SY5TEMS,

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Circle 245 o n inquiry card.

Listing 1 continued:

920 PAINT(HP,m/),PN,F 1330

930 N=N+1 1380

940 SH(N)=HP 1390

950 SVCN)»HU U00

990 RETURN 1 4 1

1000 REM SET VARIABLES EACH SIDE 1420

1 100 BV=2*FX/3 1430

1110 SH=FH-.5*BV 1480

1120 LM=BW:RM=0:RU=0:DM=BW 1490

1130 SV=FV+.5*BW 1500

1140 LU=.5*BW 1510

1 150 G0SU3 900 1520

1190 RETURN 1530

1200 BW=2*FX/3 1540

1210 SH=FH+.5*BW 1580

1220 LM=0:RM=BW:LU=0:DM=BV 1590

1230 RU=.5*BV 1600

1243 SV=FV+.5*BV 1610

1280 GOSUB 900 1620

1290 RETURN 1630

1300 BW=2*FX/3:SH=FH 1640

1310 LM=BV:RM=BV 1680

1320 SV=FV-.5*BW 1690

LU=.5*BW:RU=.5*BW:DM=0

GOSUB 900

RETURN

BW=2*3X/3

SH=BH:LM=BV:RM=BV

SV=BV+2»5*BW

LU=.5*BW:RU=.5*BW:DM=0

GOSUB 900

RETURN

BW=2*3X/3

SH=BH-2.5*BV

LM=0:RM=BW

SV=BV-1 .5*BW

LU=0:RU=.5*BW»DM=BW

GOSUB 900

RETURN

BV=2*BX/3

SH=BH+2.5*BW

LM=BW:RM=0

SV=BV-1 .5*BW

LU=.5*BW:RU=0:DM=BW

GOSUB 900

RETURN

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44 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 534 on inquiry card.

Circle 500 on inquiry card.

• V2

V3

T

T *, 2

1 1

V4

• V5

Figure 3: Location of the variables used to draw the initial view of the cube.

Variable Description

X one-half the difference between the center of the cube and the outer limits

of the cube in a horizontal or vertical direction

H the horizontal coordinate of the cube center

V the vertical coordinate of the cube center
LC the leftmost corner of the cube

MC the middle corner of the cube

RC the rightmost corner of the cube

VI the top of the cube
V2 V1 - X

V3 V1 - 2X

V4 V1 - 3X

V5 the bottom of the cube

Table 1: Description of the variables used to draw the cube.

Text continued from page 36:

lines required for the cube. The Paint
command is used to color the sub-
cubes.

The subroutine that draws the cube
is written so that the back view of the
cube is drawn in the mirror image of
the front cube, putting the face that is
closest to the viewer on the bottom of
the cube instead of the top. This is
achieved by making BX a negative
number in line 407, which reverses all
drawing directions.

The preceding change in the pro-
gram illustrates the symmetry in-

volved in drawing a geometric figure
with a computer. When I finished the
program, I felt that drawing each line
using a command was a crude way to
program this figure. I suspect a better
programmer would be able to reduce
the number of statements con-
siderably by using FOR. . .NEXT
loops.

Moving the Cursor

When I started writing the pro-
gram, I thought that moving the cur-
sor among the subcubes would be
simple, but it turned out to be the
hardest task. The scheme I finally

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September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 45

Circle 195 on inquiry card.

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Subcube

Vertical Horizontal

Vertical

Number

Slice Row

Column

N

L1 L2

L3

1

1 1

1

2

1 1

2

3

1 1

3

4

1 2

1

5

1 2

2

6

1 2

3

7

1 3

1

8

1 3

2

9

1 3

3

10

2 1

1

11

2 1

2

12

2 1

3

13

2 2

1

14

2 2

2

15

2 2

3

16

2 3

1

17

2 3

2

18

2 3

3

19

3 1

1

20

3 1

2

21

3 1

3

22

3 2

1

23

3 2

2

24

3 2

3

25

3 3

1

26

3 3

2

27

3 3

3

Table 2: Values of variables Ll, L2, and L3 used to determine the position of the

cursor.

settled on was to move the cursor
using three FOR. . .NEXT loops at
lines 500-599. The outer loop (Ll)
represents one of three vertical slices
of the cube, the next loop (L2 in line
510) represents the horizontal rows
on each slice, and the inner loop (L3
in line 515) represents the vertical
columns on each slice. Table 2 shows
the contents of the three variables
that are used to control the loops for
each subcube, and figure 1 shows the
subcube numbers.

An inspection of table 2 and figure
1 reveals that the position of the cur-
sor on a side can be determined by the
value of one of the variables Ll to L3.
For example, whenever one of the top
subcubes (side 3) is addressed, L2 is a
1. Line 530 tests L2 for a 1 and ex-
ecutes the subroutine that paints the
top side of the cube.

The subroutines at lines 1100,
1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, and 1600 that
handle moving the cursor on each
side use another subroutine at line
900 to paint the player's color. Before
it executes a GOSUB 900, the calling
subroutine first determines the con-

tents of the variables that will be used
by line 900 to determine the location
of the subcube to paint. The variable
HP contains the horizontal position,
and variable H V contains the vertical
position that the Paint command
uses. The amount of movement is
determined by the distance each sub-
cube is from subcube 1 when Ll, L2,
or L3 is 1.

For example, when the cursor is on
subcube 1 then Ll, L2, and L3 are all

1, and subroutines at lines 1100,
1200, and 1300 will be executed to
paint subcube 1 on three sides. When
the subcube changes to 2, L3 becomes

2, while L2 and Ll stay at 1, and sub-
routines at lines 1200 and 1300 are ex-
ecuted. These two subroutines store
values in variables RM and RV that
equal the number of dots needed to
move to subcube 2 from subcube 1.
When the statements at lines 900 and
910 are executed, variables HP and
HV are adjusted by the values in
variables RM and RU, and subcube 2
is painted. This procedure is used for
each subcube. If you work out the
values in the subroutines using table

46 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

When We

Announced Sage ii,

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Circle 412 on inquiry card.

Side and

Subroutine Line N

um

bers

Side 1

Side 2

Side 3

Side 4

Side 5

Side 6

1100

1200

1300

1400

1500

1600

Variable

Name

BW

2*FX/3

2*FX/3

2*FX/3

2*BX/3

2*BX/3

2*BX/3

SH

FH-.5*BW

FH+.5*BW

FH

BH

BH-2.5*BW

BH + 2.5*BW

LM

BW

BW

BW

BW

RM

BW

BW

BW

BW

SV

FB+.5*BW

FV + 5*BW

FV-.5*BW

BV + 2.5*BW

BV-1.5*BW

BV-1.5*BW

LU

.5*BW

.5*BW

.5*BW

.5*BW

RU

.5*BW

.5*BW

.5*BW

.5*BW

o

DM

BW

BW

BW

BW

Table 3:

Formulas used to

compute the distance to move the cursor

to

a particular subcube from subcube 1.

3, you will see that the table does give
the location of the subcube on each
side. It also shows the formulas used
to compute these values for each side.

Keeping Scor$

A player scores a point when he
gets three subcubes together in his
color in a horizontal, vertical, or
diagonal direction. Each subcube can
have as many as three faces; there-
fore, it is possible for a subcube to be
involved in as many as nine winning
combinations. In fact, you can score
as many as 9 points on three different
faces in one move. Photo 2 shows the
game after one player has scored 6
points by marking subcube 1.

The program keeps score first by

building an array in memory for all
the possible winning combinations
using lines 450-499. There are 6 sides
with 8 winning combinations on a
side, or a total of 48 winning com-
binations. The winning numbers are
read from memory in groups of 3 and
stored in array WN, which is dimen-
sioned in line 54.

Each time a player makes a move,
the subroutine in line 800 is executed.
Array CC keeps track of the player
who has colored each subcube. Array
WN is then searched to see if the sub-
cube that was just colored is in a win-
ning combination. If the subcube
number is found, the three subcubes
are checked to see if they are all the
same color. If they are, then the

player is given credit for a score in the
subroutine in line 850. The entire
table of winning combinations is
searched in this way, and all winning
combinations are identified and dis-
played. Photo 3 shows the game after
all subcubes have been colored.

Future Changes

This program was written so that it
could be easily changed. The colors,
location of the cubes, and sizes of the
cubes can all be changed by changing
variables in the beginning of the pro-
gram. The cursor can be made to
move faster or slower by changing
the constant in line 560.

This version is a straightforward
game without much variety. I am

Photo 2: One player has scored 6 points by coloring the
seven subcubes on the forward- facing cube.

Photo 3: Screen display showing all the subcubes colored.
The scores for each player are shown in the lower-right
corner.

48 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 152 on inquiry card.

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working on another version now that
will make the game more competi-
tive. This can be done by moving two
cursors at once, random movements,
changing speeds, etc. You should be
able to design your own game version
with some thought.

Some Reflections

My reasons for doing this project
initially were to learn the Color Com-
puter's graphics capabilities, win the
BYTE game contest, and do some-
thing with my idle computer. Some-
where along the way I thought it
might be educational to other people
and so decided to write this article.

I did learn a lot about the Color
Computer graphics, and what I
learned reinforced my opinion that
the Color Computer is a powerful
computer for the money. In many
ways the graphics are as powerful as
those for the IBM Personal Com-
puter, which costs considerably
more. Some of the graphics com-
mands are limited, but you can usual-
ly find a way to accomplish your ob-
jectives. Doing graphics in BASIC
will probably be too slow for many
projects requiring fast movement of
objects on the screen, and these pro-
jects will have to be done with
assembly-language programs or
machine-language subroutines.

All in all, I am glad I engaged in
this effort. I hope that you can learn
something from my efforts that will
save you some time on a computer
project, or perhaps you will simply
enjoy playing Three Dee Tee. If so,
the effort will have been
worthwhile. ■

Improved Version Available

The author will make copies of an
improved version of his program
available to BYTE readers. Send a
blank cassette tape, a self-addressed
stamped envelope, and a check or
money order for $8 to:

]ohn Stuart

6345 South 70th East Ave.

Tulsa, OK 74133

50 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 387 on inquiry card.

Circle 285 on inquiry card.

H

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ATARI 810 DISK DRIVE 445.00

ATARI 850 INTERFACE 169.00

ATARI 410 PROGRAM RECORDER 75.00

EPSON CABLE..... 35.00

MEMORY MODULE (16K) 89.95

JOYSTICK CONTROLLER 10.00

PADDLE CONTROLLERS 19.95

STAR RAIDERS .35.00

MISSILE COMMAND 35.00

ASTEROIDS 35.00

PACMAN 35.00

INTEC PERIPHERALS
RAM MODULES

48K FOR ATARI 400 279.00

32K FOR ATARI 800 125.00

ACTIVISION ATARI
CARTRIDGES

LAZAR BLAST 21.95

SKIING 21.95

DRAGSTER 21.95

BOXING 21.95

CHECKERS 21.95

BRIDGE 21.95

KABOOM 21.95

HEWLETT PACKARD

HP CALCULATORS

HP-11C LCD SCIENTIFIC 115.95

HP-12C LCD BUSINESS 128.95

HP-37E BUSINESS 64.95

HP-32E SCIENTIFIC w/ STATS 46.95

HP-33C Programmable Scientific 76.95

HP-41C Advanced Programmable 211.95

HP-41CV Advanced Prog 2K mem 274.95

HP-41 PERIPHERALS

HP-82106A MEMORY MODULE 27.95

HP-82170A Quad Memory Module 89.00

HP-82143A PRINTER/PLOTTER 324.95

HP-82160A IL INTERFACE 119.00

HP-82161A DIGITAL CASSETTE. . .... .419.00

HPMATHPAC 29.00

HP STATISTICS PAC 29.00

HP REAL ESTATE PAC 39.00

HP SURVEYING PAC 29.00

HP STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS PAC 39.00

HP COMPUTERS

HP-85A PERSONAL COMPUTER 2195.00

HP SINGLE 5VDISK DRIVE 1295.00

HP DUAL DISK DRIVE 1995.00

HP-85A 16K MEMORY MODULE 239.00

HP-7225B GRAPHICS PLOTTER 2195.00

HP PLDTER MODULE 605.00

HP HP-IB INTERFACE 329.00

HP STD APPLICATIONS PAC 83.00

HP GENERAL STATISTICS PAC 83.00

HP GRAPHIC PRESENTATIONS 159.00

HPVISICALCPLUS 159.00

HP ROM DRAWER 39.00

HP PRINTER/PLOTTER ROM 116.00

HP MASS STORAGE ROM 116.00

HP RS-232 INTERFACE 329.00

PRINTERS

ANADEX DP 9500 1295.00

ANADEX DP 9501 1295.00

C-ITOH F-10 40 CPS PARALLEL 1545.00

C-ITDH 45 CPS PARALLEL 1770.00

C-ITOH 40 CPS SERIAL 1295.00

C-ITOH PROWRITER PARALLEL 549.00

C-ITOH PROWRITER SERIAL 695.00

EPSON MX-80 W/GRAFTRAX PLUS SCALL

EPSON MX-80 F/T W/GRAFTRAX PLUS. SCALL
EPSON MX-100 W/GRAPHTRAX PLUS. SCALL

EPSON GRAFTRAX PLUS 60.00

IDS PRISM 80 W/0 COLOR 1099.00

IDS PRISM 80 W/COLOR 1599.00

IDS PRISM 132 W/COLOR 1799.00

NEC 8023A 485.00

NEC SPINWRITER 3530 P. RO 1995.00

NEC SPINWRITER 7710 S. RO 2545.00

NEC SPINWRITER 7730 P. RO 2545.00

NEC SPINWRITER 7700 D SELLUM .... 2795.00

NEC SPINWRITER 3500 SELLUM 2295.00

OKIDATA MICROLINE 80 389.00

OKIDATA MICROLINE 82A 469.00

OKIDATA MICROLINE 83 : A 720.00

OKIDATA MICROLINE 84 1199.00

OKIGRAPH 82 33.95

OKIGRAPH 83 33.95

APPLE HARDWARE

VERSA WRITER DIGITIZER 259.00

ABT APPLE KEYPAD 119.00

SOFTCARD PREMIUM SYSTEM .625.00

MICROSOFT Z-80 SOFTCARD 299.00

MICROSOFT RAMCARD 159.00

VIDEX 80 x 24 VIDEO CARD 299.00

VIDEX KEYBOARD ENHANCER II 129.00

VIDEX ENHANCER REV 0-6 99.00

M & R SUPERTERM 80 x 24 VIDEO BD. . . 315.00
SSM AID BOARD (INTERFACE) A & T. . . 165.00

SSM AIO BOARD (INTERFACE) KIT 135.00

APPLE COOLING FAN 44.95

T/G JOYSTICK -44.95

T/G PADDLE 29.95

T/G SELECT-A-PORT 54.95

VERSA E-Z PORT 21.95

MICRO SCI A2 W/CDNTROLLER 510.00

MICRO SCI A2 W/0 CONTROLLER 419.00

MICRO SCI A40 W/CONTROLLER 479.00

MICRO SCI A40 W/D CONTROLLER. . . .409.00

MICRO SCI A70 W/CONTROLLER 629.00

MICRO SCI A70 W/0 CONTROLLER. . .549.00

THE MILL-PASCAL SPEED UP 270.00

PROMETHEUS VERSACARD 180.00

LAZAR LOWER CASE + 59.00

MICROBUFFER II 16K W/GRAPHICS. . . .259.00
MICROBUFFER II 32K W/GRAPHICS. . . .299.00

MONITORS

NEC 12" GREEN MONITOR 179.00

NEC 12" COLOR MONITOR .399.00

SANYO 12" MONITOR (B & W) 249.00

SANYO 12" MONITOR (GREEN) 269.00

SANYO 13" COLOR MONITOR 469.00

ZENITH 12" HI RES GREEN MONITOR. . 124.00

AMDEK COLOR I 389.00

AMDEK RGB COLOR II... .859.00

AMDEK RGB INTERFACE 169.00

COMREX 12" GREEN MONITOR 165.00

MOUNTAIN
HARDWARE

CPS MULTIFUNCTION BOARD 199.00

ROMPLUS W/ KEYBOARD FILTER 179.00

ROMPLUS W/0 KEYBOARD FILTER. . . . 130.00

KEYBOARD FILTER ROM 49.00

COPYROM... 49.00

MUSIC SYSTEM 369.00

ROMWRITER 149.00

APPLE CLOCK 252.00

A/D + D/A 299.00

EXPANSION CHASSIS.... ..625.00

RAMPLUS 32K ..149.00

52 BYTE September 1982

Circle 17 on Inquiry card.

CORVUS

FOR S-100, APPLE OR TRS-80
MOD I, III

Controller. Case/P.S . Operating System, A & T.

5 MEGABYTES. 3245.00

10 MEGABYTES ' 4645.00

20 MEGABYTES 5545.00

MIRROR BACK-UP 725.00

CALIF. COMPUTER
SYSTEMS

S-100 BOARDS

2200A MAINFRAME 459.00

2065C 64K DYNAMIC RAM 539.00

2422 FLOPPY DISK CONT. & CP/M® . . .359.00

2710 FOUR SERIAL I/O 279.00

2718 TWO SERIAL/TWO PARALLEL I/O. 269.00

2720 FOUR PARALLEL I/O 199.00

2810 Z-80 CPU... 259.00

APPLE BOARDS

7710A ASYNCHRONOUS S. INTERFACE. 149.00
7712A SYNCHRONOUS S. INTERFACE. . 159.00

7424A CALENDAR CLOCK 99.00

7728A CENTRONICS INTERFACE 105.00

VISTA COMPUTER CO.

APPLE VISION 80-80 COL CARD 329.00

APPLE 8" DISK DRIVE CONTROLLER . . 549.00

MODEMS

NOVATION CAT ACOUSTIC MODEM .... 135.00
NOVATION 0-CAT DIRECT CONNECT. . .156.00

NOVATION AUTO-CAT AUTO ANS 219.00

NOVATION APPLE-CAT 325.00

UDS 103 LP DIRECT CONNECT 175.00

UDS 103 JLP AUTO ANS 209.00

HAYES MICROMODEM II (APPLE) 289.00

HAYES 100 MODEM (S-100) 325.00

HAYES SMART MODEM (RS-232). ..... 227.00

HAYES CHRONOGRAPH 199.00

LEXICON LEX-11 MODEM 109.00

TERMINALS

TELEVIDEO910 639.00

TELEVIDEO 912C 745.00

TELEVIDED 920C 830.00

TELEVIOEO 950C 995.00

ADDS-VIEWPOINT 599.00

TRS-80 MOD I
HARDWARE

PERCOM DATA SEPARATOR 27.00

PERCOM DOUBLER II 159.00

TANDON 80 TRACK DISK DRIVE 345.00

TANDON 40 TRACK DISK DRIVE 289.00

LNW DOUBLER W/ OOSPLUS 3.3 138.00

MOD III DRIVE KIT 615.00

MORROW DESIGNS

FLOPPY DISK SYSTEMS

Controller, P.S., Microsoft Basic, CP/M®

A&T.

DISCUS 2D (Single Drive - 500K). . . .1075.00

DISCUS 20 (Dual Drive - 1 MEG) 1695.00

DISCUS 2 + 2 (Single Drive - 1 MEG) . 1 777.00
DISCUS 2 + 2 (Dual Drive - 2 MEG). . 2317.00

HARD DISK SYSTEMS

Controller, P.S., Microsolt Basic, CP/M®
A&T.

DISCUS M10 (10 Megabytes) 3345.00

DISCUS M26 (26 Megabytes) 4045.00

ISOLATORS

ISO-1 3-SOCKET 53.95

ISO-2 6-SOCKET 53.95

BARE DRIVES

TANDON 5 1 /4 INCH

100-1 SINGLE HEAO 40 TRK 209.00

100-2 DUAL HEAD 40 TRK 275.00

100-3 SINGLE HEAD 80 TRK 275.00

100-4 DUAL HEAD 80 TRK 399.00

TANDON THINLINE 8 INCH

848-1 SINGLE SIDE 420.00

848-2 DUAL SIDE 515.00

MICRO PRO

APPLE CP/M®

WORDSTARS 222.00

SUPERSORT't 145.00

MAILMERGE't 79.00

OATASTAR'f 179.00

SPELLSTAR'f 119.00

CALCSTAR*f 149.00

CP/M®

WORDSTAR 285.00

SUPERSORT 168.00

MAILMERGE ....103.00

DATASTAR 235.00

SPELLSTAR 155.00

CALCSTAR 199.00

MICROSOFT

APPLE

FORTRAN* 150.00

BASIC COMPILER* ...315.00

COBOL* 550.00

Z-80 SOFTCARD 299.00

RAMCARD 149.00

TYPING TUTOR 17.95

OLYMPIC DECATHLON 24.95

TASC APPLESOFT COMPILER 145.00

CP/M®

BASIC 80 299.00

BASIC COMPILER 319.00

FORTRAN 80 345.00

COBOL 80 568.00

MACRO 80 189.00

mu MATH/mu SIMP... 215.00

mu LISP/mu STAR 165.00

APPLE SOFTWARE

MAGIC WINDOW 79.00

MAGIC SPELL 59.00

BASIC MAILER 59.00

DB MASTER 169.00

DB MASTER UTILITY PACK 69.00

DATA CAPTURE 4.0/80 59.95

PFS: GRAPH .89.95

PFS: (NEW) PERSONAL FILING SYSTEM .85.00

PFS: REPORT.... ...79.00

Z-TERM* 89.95

Z-TERM PRO* 129.95

ASCII EXPRESS 63.95

EASY WRITER-PRO 199.00

EASY MAILER-PRO 79.00

EXPEDITER II APPLESOFT COMPILER. . . .73.95

A-STAT COMP. STATISTICS PKG 129.00

SUPER TEXT II... 129.00

LISA 2.5 59.95

CONTINENTAL SOFTWARE

G/L 199.00

A/R 199.00

A/P 199.00

PAYROLL 199.00

PROPERTY MGMT 399.00

THE HOME ACCOUNTANT 59.95

VISICORP

DESKTOP PLAN II 189.00

VISIPLOT 158.00

VISITREND/VISIPLOT 229.00

VISIDEX 189.00

VISITERM 79.00

VISICALC 189.00

VISIFILES 189.00

CP/M® SOFTWARE

THE WORD-SPELL CHECK 75.00

d BASE II , 599.00

SUPER CALC 209.00

SPELLGUARD 239.00

P&TCP/M® MOD II TRS-80 175.00

COMMX TERMINAL PROG 82.50

C BASIC 2 115.00

PASCAL Z 349.00

PASCAL MT+ 439.00

PASCAL/M 205.00

SYSTEMS PLUS -

G/L, A/R. A/P. P/R 1799.00

CONDOR 1 579.00

CONDOR II 849.00

DIGITAL RESEARCH

MAC 89.00

SID 69.00

ZSID 97.00

PL/ 1-80 439.00

SUPERSOFT

DIAGNOSTIC 1 69.00

DIAGNOSTIC II 89.00

'C COMPILER 179.00

UTILITIES I 59.00

UTILITIES II ....59.00

RATFOR 89.00

FORTRAN 239.00

TRS-80 GAMES

TEMPLE OF APSHAI 34.95

HELLFIRE WARRIOR 34.95

STAR WARRIOR 34.95

RESCUE AT RIGEL 24.95

CRUSH. CRUMBLE AND CHOMP 24.95

INVADERS FROM SPACE 17.95

PINBALL 17.95

STAR TREK 3. 5 17.95

MISSILE ATTACK 18.95

STAR FIGHTER 24.95

SCARFMAN 17.95

TRS-80 SOFTWARE

NEWDOS/80 2.0 MOD I, III 139.00

LAZY WRITER MOO I, III... 165.00

PROSOFT NEWSCRIPT MOD I. Ill 99.00

SPECIAL DELIVERY MOD I, III 119.00

X-TRA SPECIAL DELIVERY MOD I, III. . . 199.00

TRACKCESS MOD I 24.95

OMNITERM SMART TERM. MOD I, III . . . .89.95
MICROSOFT BASIC COMP. FOR MOO I . . 165.00
LDOS 5.1 MOD I, III 159.00

APPLE GAMES

PERSONAL SOFTWARE

CHECKER KING 21.95

GAMMON GAMBLER 21.95

MONTY PLAYS MONOPOLY 29.95

BRODERBUND

GALAXY WARS 20.95

ALIEN TYPHOON 20.95

APPLE PANIC 24.95

MIDNIGHT MAGIC. 29.95

SPACE QUARKS..... 24.95

AUTOMATED SIMULATIONS

INVASION ORION 20.95

STAR WARRIOR 32.95

TUES. MORNING QUARTERBACK 25.95

CRUSH. CRUMBLE AND CHOMP 24.95

THE DRAGON'S EYE 20.95

MUSE SOFTWARE

ROBOT WARS 32.95

THREE MILE ISLAND 32.95

A.B.M 20.95

GLOBAL WAR 20.95

CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN 24.95

ON-LINE SYSTEMS

WIZARD AND PRINCES 29.95

MISSILE DEFENSE 25.95

SABOTAGE , 20.95

SOFT PORN ADVENTURE 24.95

THRESHOLD 31.95

JAW BREAKER 24.95

CROSSFIRE..... 24.95

TIME ZONE 69.95

H/R FOOTBALL 32,95

H/R CRIBBAGE 20.95

PEGASUS II... 25.95

SIRIUS SOFTWARE

SPACE EGGS 24.95

GORGON 32.95

SNEAKERS 24.95

EPOCK 29.95

BEER RUN 24.95

HADRON 29.95

PULSAR II 24.95

EPOCK 29.95

EDU-WARE

PERCEPTION PKG 19.95

COMPU-READ 24.95

COMPU-MATH: ARITHMETIC 39.95

COMPU-MATH: FRACTIONS 34.95

COMPU-MATH: DECIMALS 34.95

COMPU-SPELL (REO. DATA DISK) 24.95

COMPU SPELL DATA DISKS 4-8, ea 17.95

MORE GREAT APPLE
GAMES

COMPUTER QUARTERBACK 32.95

TORPEDO FIRE 49.95

THE SHATTERED ALLIANCE .49.95

POOL 1.5 29.95

ULTIMA 33.95

RASTER BLASTER 24.95

FLIGHT SIMULATOR 27.95

INTERNATIONAL GRAND PRIX 25.95

SARGONII 28.95

SHUFFLE BOARD 29.95

FIREBIRD ....24.95

SNACK ATTACK 24.95

THIEF 24.95

ROACH HOTEL 29.95

JABBERTALKY ....24.95

THE WARP FACTOR 32.95

COSMO MISSION 24.95

WIZARDRY 37.95

ZORKI 32.95

ZORK II 32.95

SUPPLIES

AVERY TABULABLES

1,000 372 x 15/16 8.49

3,000 3V! x 15/16 14.95

5,000 3 1 /2 x 15/16 19.95

FAN FOLD PAPER

(Prices F.O.B. S.P.)

9 Vz X 1 1 181b WHITE 3.000 ct 29.00

14 7/8x11 181b WHITE 3,000 ct 39.00

IPUTER
PRODUCTS

To order or for information call

(213)706-0333

Modem order line: (213)883-8976

We guarantee everything for 30 days. If anything is wrong, return the item
and we'll make it right. And, of course, we'll pay the shipping charges.

We accept Visa and Master Card on all orders; COD up to $300.00.

Add $2.00 for standard UPS shipping and handling on orders under 50 lbs,
delivered in continental U.S. Call for shipping charges over 50 lbs. Foreign,
FPO and APO orders, add 15% for shipping. Californians add 6% sales tax.

Prices quoted are for stock on hand and subject to change without notice.

31245 LA BAYA DRIVE, WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CALIFORNIA 91362

Circle 17 on Inquiry card.

CP/M is a reg. trademark of Digital Research. 'Requires Z-80 Softcard. fReg. trademark of Micro Pro International Corp.

Product Description

The Epson QX-10/Valdocs System

Gregg Williams
Senior Editor

These are wonderful days for people who need com-
puters. Microcomputers that do more and more are
becoming available — and, paradoxically, they are
becoming less expensive. The only trouble is that, be-
tween the time you order a unit and it is delivered,
something better is announced (but you know it will be
six months to a year before the new unit will be
available).

As the saying goes, I've got bad news and good news.
The bad news is that, yes, another wonderful computer is
about to come out — from Epson, the company that has
captured about 75 percent of the printer market. The
good news is that the unit is supposed to be available by
this Christmas. On the basis of Epson's track record, I
believe they'll do it.

BYTE was one of the few companies to be given a
private showing this past summer of the Epson QX-10, a
computer for less than $3000 that may well be the first of
a new breed of anybody-can-use-it 'appliance" com-
puters. Chris Rutkowski, president of Rising Star Enter-
prises (a consulting firm that works closely with Epson),
showed me the QX-10, along with a preliminary version
of an extended word processor called Valdocs and an
enhanced keyboard design called HASCI, both designed
by his company. As you'll be able to tell from this article,
I found them both very interesting.

QX-10 Hardware

For its retail price of less than $3000, the QX-10 (see
photo 1) gives you a great deal for your money. It con-
tains a Z80 microprocessor running at 4 megahertz
(MHz), 128K bytes of memory (expandable to 256K
bytes), two direct memory access (DMA) controllers, one

free serial port (a second one is used by the keyboard), a
Centronics-compatible parallel port, six clock-timers, 2K
bytes of battery-powered complementary metal-oxide
semiconductor (CMOS) memory (to hold certain infor-
mation even when the computer is turned off), a CMOS
clock/calendar, and a light-pen interface. The unit also
contains two thinline 5 V^ -inch floppy-disk drives, each
double-sided and double-density, with 40 tracks per inch;
each drive holds 320K bytes. The video display, based on
the NEC 7220 graphics chip, includes a 32-MHz medium-
persistence video monitor and 128K bytes of dedicated
video memory (shown as the bottom board in photo 2).
The video display will work in either a 25-line by
80-character text mode or a 640- by 400-pixel graphics
mode. The QX-10 comes with one of two detachable
keyboards — standard-layout or HASCI — more on that
later. Finally, the QX-10 has internal space for up to five
peripheral cards like those used by the Apple, Corvus,
and IBM microcomputers.

QX-10 Configurations

The QX-10 will be sold in two configurations. The first
includes (at the time of this writing) the QX-10 as de-
scribed above, the standard-layout keyboard, the CP/M
operating system, Microsoft BASIC, and STOIC (a fast,
extensible FORTH-like language). This version is a stan-
dard CP/M-based microcomputer for those of us who are
comfortable with microcomputers as we know them to-
day.

However, the QX-10 was really designed for the
average consumer, who isn't comfortable with
microcomputers as we know them today. With the soft-
ware included in this package, the QX-10 becomes (as Ep-

54 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Photo 1: The Epson QX-10/Valdocs system.

son puts it) a symbol processor that anyone can use. This
configuration of the QX-10 includes the hardware as
described above, the HASCI keyboard, the Valdocs soft-
ware, TP/M (a CP/M equivalent with its own
enhancements), Microsoft BASIC, and STOIC. (CP/M
may be offered in place of TP/M, but the configuration
will probably be very close to the one listed above.)

The Epson Philosophy

Although Epson will certainly sell you the CP/M ver-
sion of the QX-10, it is far more interested in selling you
the unit it really designed — hardware and software
designed in conjunction with each other to offer both
high performance and ease of use. In addition to being a
highly integrated word-processing /computer system that
offers as much usable processing power as almost any ex-
isting microcomputer, the QX-10 /Valdocs system is
designed to be used without confusion by people with
minimal technical knowledge. We've certainly heard that
claim before, but Epson has delivered on this promise in a
way and to an extent that no microcomputer manufac-
turer has done.

The Valdocs (short for "valuable documents") system
described here is designed to manipulate what Epson sees
as the four types of symbols that people use: letters,

numbers, graphics, and time. The HASCI keyboard
(scheduled to be described next month by Chris
Rutkowski in his article "An Introduction to the Human
Applications Standard Computer Interface") is shown in
photo 3. It is designed with a set of function keys that
relate directly to the most common operations people
perform on symbols. In addition, these keys are designed
to be sufficient to drive any future symbol-manipulating
software — that way, the keyboard layout won't change
even when more sophisticated software is developed.
Table 1 gives a brief description of the HASCI keyboard
function keys.

Another aspect of the Epson philosophy is its commit-
ment to ensure that all the parts of a system work
together. (What's amazing is that the microcomputer in-
dustry has survived while blatantly ignoring this
philosophy.) In the QX-10 (with or without Valdocs), the
computer, its software, and its peripherals are meant to
use each other's capabilities to the fullest. This goes hand
in hand with Epson's vision of the dot-matrix printer as
the universal standard for printing. Epson has designed a
line of printers that act identically and are capable of
printing both bit-mapped graphics and text in varying
degrees of quality (draft-, correspondence-, and — with
some future printer — letter-quality printing).

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 55

Photo 2: Inside the Epson QX-10. The top unit is the motherboard of the QX-10; the
rear of the unit is closest to the camera. The connectors in the upper right corner are the
five slots for peripheral cards. The smaller board (below the motherboard) contains the
128K bytes of video-display memory; this card fits on top of the motherboard in the
assembled unit.

Valdocs

Epson wants the average person to be able to buy a
QX-10/Valdocs system in a department store, plug it in,
turn it on, and be able to type in a letter without having
to read more than the unpacking instructions. Based on

my inspection of a preliminary ver-
sion of the Valdocs software, I believe
that this is a realistic view of the
system. Although I can't do a full
review of the software based on the
short amount of time I spent with the
system, I do want to point out several
unique features of the QX-10/Val-
docs combination.

Help is available at any time
through the HASCI keyboard Help
key. An extensive text file of instruc-
tions is on the Valdocs system disk
and can be read by pressing the Help
key. This key gives you a menu of
subjects that might be of interest
(based on what you were doing when
you pressed Help), as well as access to
the entire Help file via user-entered
keywords. Of course, the QX-10 re-
turns to wherever you were before
the Help key was pressed.

The Valdocs symbol processor can
manipulate any of the four types of
symbols at any time. Text can be
entered at any time just as you would
in any conventional word processor.
The Calc key turns the system into a
basic 4-function calculator. Graphics
can be created via the Draw key. The Sched (schedule)
key gives you access to a computer-kept appointment
book, a built-in clock/ timer/alarm, and an event sched-
uler; all these can be accessed without disturbing the file
being edited.

*m*

m

EPSON

SHEW PQRf&KJWS

Photo 3: The HASCI keyboard for the Epson QX-10/Valdocs system.

56 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

The operation of all keys is as intuitive as possible. For
example, when you use any of the type-font keys (Bold,
Italic, Size, or Style), the video text image changes to
reflect the use of those keys. When you hit the Italic key,
all your subsequent typing appears on the screen as italics
until you hit the key again to turn italics off. Also, keys
like left-arrow, right-arrow, and Delete do their respec-
tive functions to words and lines (instead of individual
characters) when used with the Word and Line keys.

It is impossible to make any major destructive change
to your file without having the change explained to you
and being asked to confirm it. In addition, the Undo key
allows you to recover from the last major change made to
the file.

The Valdocs system supports telecommunications and
electronic mail in a way that is transparent to the user
(through the Mail key, of course). You can be connected
to the remote user by either a modem-telephone com-
bination or a local network (probably the Corvus Om-
ninet). Valdocs includes software that allows you to send
and receive mail and access remote bulletin boards and
databases.

The Valdocs file system is one example of the kind of
levelheaded philosophy that is embodied everywhere in
the Valdocs symbol processor. When you store a file, you
give it a name of up to eight words — for example, "Letter,
8/13/82, to Bob Jackson; new rate schedule." When you
hit the Index key, you can get a listing of all your files in
one of several ways — sequentially, alphabetically, or by
match of a given word to any keyword in any file. Using
the last method of indexing, I could get a listing of all
documents that are letters, all documents done on
8/13/82, or all documents that refer to a person named
Bob. In addition, all documents are chosen by menu
selection (so you don't have to type in a long file name).
The utter sanity of this in comparison to file names like
L081382.LTR is astounding.

One interesting technical note: to interactively create
such a sophisticated word processor with the given time
constraints, the Valdocs programmers used the STOIC
language (a public-domain variant of FORTH created at
the Biomedical Engineering Center of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology and Harvard University) to pro-
gram the Valdocs symbol processor. It is a testament to
the power of STOIC (and other threaded languages) that
it was used to create a project of this scale.

New Products

Given the enhancements being planned, it may be that
Valdocs is not so much a product as it is a design that Ep-
son will always be improving. Epson plans to have ver-
sion 2.0 of the Valdocs software available by mid-1983
(updates will be supplied at cost to owners of the QX-
10/Valdocs system). Plans are under way for a color in-
terface board and an Omninet interface board (for local
networking). Epson is also considering such enhance-
ments as higher-resolution graphics and additional
graphics-oriented peripherals, as well as a portable ver-
sion of Valdocs and perhaps a 16-bit system.

System Controls

• Stop — pauses whatever is occurring at the moment, letting
you either resume or abort the operation.

• Help — lets you select and read parts of the disk-based Help
file.

• Copy disk — lets you make a copy of a given floppy disk.

• Undo — undoes the last major destructive action.

File Controls

• Store — lets you save what you are working on to disk.

• Retrieve — lets you retrieve a file from disk.

• Print — lets you print a file.

• Index — allows you to see what files are on a floppy disk.

• Mail — allows you to send or receive a file electronically.

Applications

• Menu — gives you access to miscellaneous functions.

• Calc — gives you a 4-f unction calculator.

• Sched — gives you access to the scheduling functions of
Valdocs.

• Draw — lets you draw graphics on the video display.

Typestyles

• Bold — toggles typeface between boldface and normal type.

• Italics — toggles typeface between italics and normal type.

• Size — lets you change the size of the type currently being
used.

• Style — lets you change the typeface of the type currently
being used.

Table 1: A brief description of the function keys on the top
row of the HASCI keyboard.

One enhancement to the QX-10/Valdocs system that
Chris Rutkowski did describe is the Valdocs FPL (Forms
Processing Language). This is an additional software
package that would give the user access to a spreadsheet
package, a forms generator that would generate records
from keyboard input, and a report generator that would
create reports based on a database of records. As usual
with ideas from Rising Star, the Valdocs FPL package is
actually more than it seems — the spreadsheet and the
form into which data is typed are actually the same thing,
and a record of data can automatically be created from
the spreadsheet. This is a new concept that combines
spreadsheet forecasting, online data entry, and database
management. It sounds exciting and I am looking for-
ward to seeing it at work.

Final Thoughts

From what I have seen, Epson has created an enhanced
personal word-processing system that can be (and is more
likely to be) used by the person with minimal technical
knowledge. Almost every microcomputer company
claims that its product can be used by anybody, but
many people (even those with technical knowledge) still
have trouble getting started in personal computing. As
microcomputers become more powerful, easier to use,
and less expensive, the claim that "anyone can use it" will
become true in a fuller and fuller sense, making previous
claims seem naive and hollow. Still, the Epson QX-
10/Valdocs system may become the first microcomputer
that "really" fulfills that claim. BYTE will report to you
again when the final unit becomes available. ■

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 57

IMCC Report

by Chris Morgan

Sensory overload.

How else do you describe the world's biggest
computer exposition? It was the National Com-
puter Conference, held this June in Houston,
Texas, and it drew a crowd of nearly 100,000.

The new Hitachi miniature floppy-disk
system In a version to be marketed by
the Amdek Corp. The floppy-disk car-
tridge, shown at right, Is slightly more
than 3 Inches wide. Compare It to the
standard 5V4-lnch floppy disk, shown
at left.

The new Syquest miniature Winches-
ter disk drive with removable media
cartridge. Each cartridge holds 6.38
megabytes, unformatted. The unit Is
expected to sell for S750 In single-user
quantities within the year. The car- ,
trldges will sell for about $35 each.

Photos by Gregg Williams, senior editor,
and Richard Shuford, special projects editor.

58 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Olivetti's new M 20
microcomputer.

The Commodore series B
microcomputer.

I've been attending the NCC for
five years, and until this year micro-
computers stayed in the back-
ground, playing a secondary role to
mainframe computers. But this year
the microcomputers came into their
own, reflecting Business Week's
recent projected figures showing
microcomputers accounting for up
to over 40 percent of the total com-
puter market by 1985. A case in
point, Apple's booth was the same
size as IBM's, and it was attracting
just as many visitors. Microcom-
puters have become indigenous to

the NCC Nearly as indigenous are
the sore feet that come from trying
to see several football fields' worth
of booths in four short days.

The big question \s f were there
many surprises? No. And of equal
importance, were there any signs of
the beginnings of important trends?
Yes.

Of surprises there were few; no
bombshells on the order of last sum-
mer's unveiling of the IBM Personal
Computer. Instead, the microcom-
puter software and hardware com-
panies appeared to be carefully con-

solidating their positions,
strengthening their distributorships,
carefully evolving their product
lines, and paying more attention to
the needs of their customers. It was,
in a sense, a much needed lull in the
furious storm of research-and-
development work, the fruits of
which we'll see next year and
beyond. Still, there was plenty to
see this year.

Mass Storage

Suddenly, the miniature floppy-
disk drive \s upon us. Announce-

Scptemberl982 © BYTE Publications Inc 59

Cromemco's new C-10 com-
puter system.

Vlslcorp's new VIslcalc Ad-
vanced Version.

merits of new drives came from a
trio of Japanese companies— Mat-
sushita (Panasonic division), Hitachi,
and Maxell— who are all pushing
one format. As well, Canon an-
nounced its plans for a different,
noncompatible format. This news
follows on the heels of Sony's mini-
ature 3-inch drive, which \s already
in production. Amdek Corporation,
an American company, announced
it \s adopting the Matsushita design
for its new miniature floppy-disk
drive. All three noncompatible for-
mats have miniature cassettes to
hold the floppy medium, and they
have double-density unformatted
capacities of 80K bytes for the
Canon, 437. 5K bytes for the Sony,
and 500K bytes for the Matsushita.
Each standard miniature floppy disk
calls for a cartridge 4 by 4 inches or
smaller and less than 0.5 inch thick.
Sinclair has also announced a
miniature drive for its new Spectrum
computer.

One of the most exciting an-
nouncements at the show was from
Syquest. It's a 3.9-inch Winchester
disk drive with removable media.
Each cartridge holds 6.38 mega-
bytes, unformatted. The surprise \s
its selling price: about $750 in
single-user quantities within the
yearl This does not include the con-
troller. Even so, inexpensive con-
trollers are now available, making
this a very attractive design. The en-
tire unit fits in the space of a stan-
dard 5 'A-inch floppy-disk drive. (It's
actually shallower, with a vertical
dimension of 1 .625 inches.) The car-

tridges will sell for about $35 each.
The secret to the low price: clever
use of plated-media technology.
We'll be reporting on this new tech-
nology in an upcoming issue.

Tandon Corporation announced
a slim-line S'A-inch floppy-disk drive
for $50 (for quantities in the
thousands of course), for the
mechanical parts only. The com-
pany will provide customers with
schematics and drawings to build
their own electronics if they wish.
It's an encouraging sign that prices
will soon be dropping in the mass-
storage market.

New Processors

Intel announced two new impor-
tant integrated circuits: the 80186
and the 80286. Picture an 8086 with
faster clock speed, some new in-
structions, and the equivalent of 20
auxiliary chips all on one VLSI (very
large-scale integration) package for
a single-user price (ultimately) of
$35, and you have the 80186. It's
the closest thing yet to a complete

computer on a chip. The 80286 chip
extends the idea of the 80186 to in-
clude built-in memory management
and protection and a virtual address
space of 1 gigabyte.

Systems

Olivetti introduced its new com-
puter, the M 20, with a Z8001 pro-
cessor, a 5-slot expansion bus, space
for two 574-inch floppy-disk drives,
and up to 128K bytes of memory.
It's one of the more handsome units
we saw at the conference, true to
Olivetti's style. The operating
system \s Olivetti's own, called
PCOS, and the machine will support
Microsoft BASIC 5.2.

Commodore announced several
new machines. The BX256 \s a
16-bit, multiprocessor computer
with 256K bytes of RAM (random-
access read/write memory), extend-
able externally to 640K bytes, two
processors (a 6509 and an 8088 for
CP/M-86), an 80-column black-and-
white video monitor, and a detach-
able keyboard. A three-voice music

60 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

synthesizer is also included, which
uses the new 6581 microprocessor
chip. An optional plug-in ZBO board
Is also available. Price Is $2995. The
business-oriented B128 offers
features similar to the BX256's.

Another computer, the PI 28 A,
has 128K bytes of RAM, a
40-column by 25-line 16-color dis-
play, and a high-resolution 300- by
200-pixel display. It connects direct-
ly to either a video monitor or a col-
or television set and sells for $995.
An optional ZBO board for use with
CP/M Is also available.

The Commodore 64 offers 64K
bytes of RAM, color graphics, and
music synthesis for $595. A ZBO
board can be added to run CP/M
programs. The screen Is 40 columns
wide by 25 lines down, and the pro-
cessor \s the new 6510, which is
similar to the 6502 with additional
I/O (input/output) lines. Commodore
gets the prize for the wildest styling
of any computers we saw at the
show.

Cromemco's new $ 1 785 C-1 is a
complete hardware/software sys-
tem featuring a 4-MHz (megahertz)
ZB0A, 64K bytes of RAM, a 1 2-inch
80-character by 25-line display,
double-sided double-density
574-inch floppy-disk drive, detach-
able keyboard, CP/M-compatible
operating system, structured BASIC,
a word processor, and a spread-
sheet program.

Son of Visicalc

Visicorp announced the long-
awaited successor to Visica Ic. It's
called Visicalc Advanced Version.
For $400 you get a souped-up ver-
sion of the most popular software
package in the field. Many of the
best features found in competing
spreadsheet programs have been in-
corporated into Visicalc Advanced
Version. As well, it has greatly ex-
panded help files to aid the com-
puter novice.

Its new features include protected
cells to prevent accidental loss or
change of information, hidden cells
to protect sensitive information, a
new tab feature to guide users from
one space to the next, more format-
ting flexibility, variable column

NEC's new APC (Advanced Personal Computer) executing a color-
based spreadsheet program.

widths, keystroke memory to repeat
frequently used commands, and
more. Visicalc Advanced Version Is
compatible with the original
Visicalc, which will still be sold for
those who prefer it. Dan Fylstra,
chairman of Visicorp, said that one
of his goals in creating Visicalc Ad-
vanced Version was to make the
program more of a "black box" for
nontechnically oriented users so
that they won't be distracted by un-
necessary information. To that end,
much of the instruction manual has
been incorporated into the pro-
gram's help files.

Software Trends

I saw the beginnings of two
trends being followed by some of
the biggest software producers—
Visicorp, Microsoft Consumer Pro-
ducts, and Software Arts (creator of
Visicalc and the TK Solver equation-
solving package mentioned in last
month's editorial). All three com-
panies have developed programs
that make use of enormous disk-
based help files. By making help
aboutthe program available literally
at the touch of a button, these
manufacturers hope to make their
programs easier to use. Another in-
teresting move Is toward the use of
high-level computer languages to
develop products that are easily
transportable among various
machines. Visicorp and Microsoft

Consumer Products are using the C
language, while Software Arts has
developed its own proprietary
language for in-house use. All three
companies develop software on
mainframe computers that have
extensive diagnostic and perfor-
mance evaluation features, and
then they move the finished pro-
grams to microcomputers.

NEC's Advanced
Personal Computer

NEC Information Systems Inc.
showed its 8086-based Advanced
Personal Computer (APC). The APC
Is available in two configurations—
a monochrome configuration that
includes CP/M-86, 128K bytes of
memory, and two 8-inch 1 -mega-
byte drives ($3998) and a color con-
figuration that substitutes a 1 2-inch
RGB (red-green-blue) color monitor
for the monochrome monitor
($4998). The color-based unit Is im-
pressive: over 300K bytes of
memory are used to give an 8-color
640- by 475-pixel display with no
limitations on adjacent pixel colors.
The actual graphics display Is 1024
by 1024 pixels, and the video dis-
play Is a movable window within
that area. NEC has already lined up
a comprehensive array of business
software packages for its machine,
something that's sure to continue as
competition quickens and the indus-
try matures. ■

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 61

The Hanover Fair

by Robert E. Ramsdell

With nearly 9 million square feet
of total exhibit space, individual dis-
plays the size of a football field, and
close to 600,000 visitors, the
Hanover Industrial Trade Fair and
Exposition \s the world's largest.
Held this year from April 21 to 28 in
Hanover, West Germany, this fair \s
a showcase for hundreds of manu-
facturers of office equipment and
computers.

CeBIT, the world center for office
equipment and data processing, had
a display that covered 1 .75 million
square feet (about 20 percent of the
total area) and spilled over into 5
buildings. To give you some idea of
the scale of things in Hanover,
CeBIT's space alone was about five
times greater than that of America's
largest computer show, the annual

Pentel's new computer.

National Computer Conference held
this year in June in Houston, Texas.
Some 178 U.S. companies were
part of the CeBIT display. The United
States Department of Commerce
sponsored a group pavilion there.
Among the 60 companies from the
U.S. that joined together to exhibit
their products in the European mar-
ketplace were Fortune, Corvus,
Altos, Beehive, Durango, M/A-COM
(Ohio Scientific), Micom, Morrow,
and Televideo. In addition, Osborne,
Tandy, Apple, Xerox, IBM, Cen-
tronics, Cromemco, Data General,
Digital Equipment Corporation,
Micropro, NCR, Burroughs, Texas In-
struments, Prime, Shugart, Tandem,
Teleram, Vector Graphic, Victor, and
more had booths elsewhere in the
show. On public display were

anywhere from 73 to 95 different
computer models; the count depend-
ed on whom I asked.

More than 30 Japanese computer
manufacturers exhibited, and some
of their booths were three stories
tall. The Japanese showed many
new (and slightly revamped) com-
puter models, including about 20
16-bit machines, most of which run
Microsoft's MS-DOS. The Intel chips
(8086/8088) seemed to dominate
these computers, but several models
used the Motorola 68000.

To cope with the huge crowds at-
tending the Hanover fair, the city of
Hanover has established a private-
room registry, with offices at the air-
port, train station, and the fair itself.
The registry guaranteed a room,
usually in a private home, to all
visitors and exhibitors. Many
Americans at the fair agreed that
staying in a private home was a
great cultural experience as well as a
delightful and inexpensive way to
absorb the German atmosphere and
the gemutllchkelt (friendliness) of
the German people. The language
barrier never seemed to be a prob-
lem, either at the fair or around the
city.H

Robert E. Ramsdell, CPA, is a microcomputer
consultant who lives and works in Rockport.
Massachusetts. His company. Pansophics Ltd..
publishes business- and financial-modeling ap-
plications software for use with Visicalc and
Supercalc programs.

Another Japanese entry, from Sanyo

The Epson HX-20 portable computer.

Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar

Build the Microvox
Text-to-Speech Synthesizer

Part 1: Hardware

The 6502 microprocessor in this intelligent peripheral device

translates plain English text into phonemes

to control a Voir ax SC-01A.

Steve Ciarcia

POB 582

Glastonbury, CT 06033

This month's project may have a
strange ring of familiarity to those of
you who follow my activities in the
Circuit Cellar. Twice before, in June
and September of last year, I have
written about peripheral devices that
give personal computers the ability to
speak with an imitation of a human
voice.

The September article (see refer-
ence 5) described the Sweet Talker
speech synthesizer, which has since
become especially popular. The orig-
inal Sweet Talker, a parallel-inter-
faced synthesizer module pro-
grammed by phoneme (speech sound)
codes, was quickly joined by a ver-
sion that could be plugged into an

General-Purpose Computer

The 6502-based microcomputer that
forms an integral part of the Microvox
is ideal for use in many other small-
scale applications. Only the applica-
tion software and the interface to the
SC-01A chip are specific to the micro-
computer's use in the stand-alone text-
to-speech voice synthesizer. If you are
among the many readers who write to
me asking for suggestions on how to
put together a low-priced, general-
purpose microcomputer system, you
should consider building the computer
part of the Microvox design.

The computer section contains,
among other things, a 1-MHz 8-bit
6502 microprocessor, a serial input
port that can run at crystal-controlled
data rates from 75 to 19,200 bps (bits
per second) with full handshaking, 3

parallel input ports, provision for up
to 4K bytes of RAM (random-access
read/write memory) and 16K bytes of
EPROM (erasable programmable read-
only memory), and an on-board power
supply. It is suitable for use as a learn-
ing tool for computer concepts, as a
dedicated device controller, or as the
center of an expanded microcomputer
system (similar to systems that have
been built around the MOS Tech-
nology KIM-1 or the Rockwell
AIM-65).

The Micromint will be supplying
essential components of the microcom-
puter section of the Microvox for those
who wish to experiment with it. And
you may expect to see the same
6502-based control-computer design in
future Circuit Cellar projects.

Apple II computer and operated using
a text-to-speech algorithm stored on a
floppy disk.

But I wasn't satisfied. Neither the
Sweet Talker nor my June project (see
reference 4), the Micromouth, was
flexible enough to fit the variety of
applications I had envisioned. I could
foresee applications requiring un-
limited vocabulary (thus ruling out
use of the Micromouth) that also need
a smaller, more portable voice-syn-
thesis system than could be made out
of an Apple II. While I was content
with the Sweet Talker's speech quali-
ty, I did not want to try converting
the text-to-speech algorithm to run on
my Z8-BASIC Microcomputer.

I next considered using the Votrax
Type-'N-Talk. As a stand-alone voice
synthesizer with a built-in micropro-
cessor and 4K-byte text-to-speech al-
gorithm, it does quite well consider-
ing its moderate cost (see reference

Copyright © I 982 Steven A. Ciarcia.
All rights reserved.

Type-'N-Talk and Votrax are trademarks of
Federal Screw Works.

64 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Photo 1: Prototype of the Microvox speech synthesizer, which can pronounce texts consisting of English words from their represen-
tation as ASCII characters according to fixed pronunciation rules. The Microvox contains a general-purpose 6502-based microcom-
puter programmed to control the Votrax SC-OlA-based speech-synthesis circuitry.

12). However, its design is somewhat
limited for commercial applications.

Not finding any other suitable
product on the market, I did what
any red-blooded engineer would
naturally do: I decided to design an
improved text-to-speech voice syn-
thesizer.

You are reading the first of two ar-
ticles on the design, construction, and
operation of a text-to-speech voice
synthesizer I call the Microvox. This
new device, like the Sweet Talker, is
based on the Votrax SC-01A speech-
synthesis integrated circuit, but it in-
corporates new functions (most
notably pitch inflection) and a larger,
more complex control program. A list
of its features appears in table 1 on
page 66.

To support its various functions,
the Microvox contains a general-pur-
pose 6502-based microcomputer pro-
grammed to control the speech-syn-

thesis circuitry. Program routines
stored in ROM (read-only memory)
activate various control options upon
the user's command; the most com-
plex of the routines performs the
crucial task of translating the Micro-
vox's input — a stream of text repre-
sented by ASCII (American Standard
Code for Information Interchange)
character codes — into the special
phoneme codes required by the SC-
01A chip. Incidentally, this
6502-based microcomputer is ideal
for use in many other small-scale ap-
plications, as the text box explains.

As with many Circuit Cellar pro-
jects, the Microvox design has been
cast in printed circuit, and I have ar-
ranged for The Micromint to offer a
kit of the parts needed to build it. Fur-
thermore, an assembled, FCC- (Fed-
eral Communications Commission)
approved version of the unit is being
sold by Intex Micro Systems Cor-

poration under the trade name Intex
Talker. Information on availability of
both products appears at the end of
this article.

I cannot thoroughly cover such a
comprehensive topic in one article, so
this month I shall present only the
hardware and a brief overview of the
system commands. Next month in
Part 2, I'll discuss the design of the
text-to-speech algorithm and the sys-
tem software.

Let's begin with an explanation of
what we are trying to accomplish and
a brief review of the Votrax SC-01A
chip and phonetic speech synthesis in
general.

Text-to-Speech Background

Many articles in BYTE and other
technical magazines have been de-
voted to the topic of computer speech
synthesis. In general, they have dealt
more with the production of the

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Lnc 65

1.

Phoneme-based speech synthesis

2.

6502 control microprocessor

3.

64 crystal-controlled inflection levels

4.

1K-character buffer

(optionally expandable to 3K)

5.

6K-byte plain-text-to-phoneme

algorithm

6.

Full ASCII character-set

recognition and echo

7.

Adjustable data rates (150 to 9600

bits per second)

8.

RS-232C and parallel input interfaces

9.

Phoneme access modes

10.

Serial X-on/X-off software

handshaking

11.

User-expandable memory

12.

1-watt audio amplifier with

volume control

13.

On-board power supply

14.

Music and sound effects

Table 1: Major characteristics of the

Microvox text-to-speech synthesizer

(and of its alter ego, the Intex-Talker).

Code Function

IK

synchronize speech and text

!L

line-by-line pronunciation

!W

whole-text pronunciation

IE

each-letter pronunciation

!C

pronounce by direct phoneme

input

!T

pronounce by text-to-speech

algorithm

IN

play musical notes

!A

pronounce all punctuation

!M

pronounce most punctuation

IS

pronounce some punctuation

IF

set monotone or flat intonation

II

set automatically inflected

intonation

IPX

set intonation base pitch

(where x = 1 to 4)

IRy

set intonation clock rate

(where y = 1 to 16)

Table 2: An incomplete list of some of

the control codes and sequences used

by the Microvox, with their functions.

Part 2

of this article will contain more

detail

concerning the Microvoxs con-

trol capabilities.

speech interface and the technology
of specific synthesizers than with the
applications to which speech synthe-
sis may be put. Such treatment is
similar to comparing computer sys-
tems by their processor instruction
sets only instead of the high-level-lan-
guage software available for them.
Today, far more computer users are
concerned with applications than

with construction of computers or pe-
ripheral devices. The Microvox is de-
signed for easy use in a wide variety
of applications.

With the majority of low-cost
speech-synthesizer interfaces, the user
must arrange for conversion of the
material to be spoken from textual
characters to data that the speech
synthesizer can work with (pho-
nemes, linear-predictive-coding for-
mants, word codes, etc.). The dif-
ficulty of conversion depends largely
on the size of the required vocabu-
lary. For small vocabularies, a table
of words and their corresponding
synthesizer codes can be compiled
with reasonable effort. When the re-
quired vocabulary becomes very
large, all-inclusive tables become pro-
hibitively cumbersome, and a gener-
alized text-to-speech algorithm is re-
quired instead.

A text-to-speech algorithm is em-
bodied in a program that accepts
ASCII characters as input and per-
forms a synthesis-by-rule analysis of
character strings; that is, the algo-
rithm interprets the characters as
words or other elements of language
and devises a scheme for pronouncing
them according to a fixed set of rules
that determine which characters are
voiced, and in what way, and which
characters are silent. The rules are
based on how given combinations of
characters are pronounced most of
the time in English (or the language in
use).

Text-to-speech programs vary in
length depending upon the degree of
exactness required in pronunciation.
Typical algorithms use from 4K to 8K
bytes of object code for most pro-
cessors, but some of the more sophis-
ticated programs need up to 80K
bytes. (Often, half of an 80K-byte
synthesis-by-rule routine consists of
tables of words that are exceptions to
the rules.)

The primary difference you can see
between a 6K-byte and a 20K-byte
program is how the input text must be
spelled to obtain acceptable pronun-
ciation; the final sound quality may
be the same. Certain words may be
spelled unusually to fit the prescribed
pronunciation rules of the smaller
algorithm. For instance, my name,

Ciarcia, is properly pronounced by
most synthesizers (and by a lot of
people, come to think of it) only
when it is spelled "see-are-see-ah."
The only other major differences are
features such as pronunciation of
punctuation or inflected speech.
(Both of these capabilities are sup-
ported by the Microvox.)

Strengths of Microvox

While there are many speech-syn-
thesizer interfaces designed to be used
with a variety of personal computers,
packaging the text-to-speech algo-
rithm with its own dedicated pro-
cessor greatly simplifies the integra-
tion of any system. By creating an in-
telligent peripheral device, we don't
have to depend on operating systems
and application programs to support
speech synthesis.

The Microvox text-to-speech syn-
thesizer is just such a smart peripheral
device. It speaks any ASCII character
string directed to it through either its
serial or parallel input ports. The
ASCII text can come from PRINT
statements in a BASIC program or
from a previously prepared disk file.
Microvox connects to the computer
in the same manner as a printer or
modem, and virtually anything that
can be printed or viewed on the ter-
minal screen can be spoken.

The Microvox is controlled by the
host computer through that same
connection by means of special char-
acter sequences either transmitted
before the text to be spoken or
embedded in it. These control se-
quences are in the form:

Wetter, numeral

The exclamation point is a signal to
the Microvox that a control sequence
follows. Operating modes and op-
tions can be changed at any time by
sending the appropriate sequences.
Table 2 lists some of the control se-
quences and their functions. I'll write
about the intricacies of the Microvox
text-to-speech algorithm and the con-
trol capabilities next month.

SC-01A Phoneme Synthesizer

As I mentioned before, the Micro-
vox is a combination of two major

66 September 1982 © BYTE Publicabons Inc

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capacity and expand the overall capability of your
system to reach limits you never thought possible.

E3

With MICROBYTE and ASAP your Personal
Computer has all the potential you need for a
variety of applications: video games, educa-
tional use, home budget applications or
business use.

All MICROBYTE add-ons are constructed of
high quality components and feature gold
contacts and clear solder mask. Built to
MICROBYTE's rigid standards, each board is
fully assembled and tested.

Choose the IBM add-ons you need for your
applications. Then call ASAP today, and start
your own "Personal" improvement plan.

• Expansion Chassis with 5-slot motherboard

• 256K RAM Board

• Winchester Disk Drive and Controller, 6 and
12 megabytes (specify)

• Expansion Chassis with one or two 5W
floppy disk drives, either 48 TPI or 96 TPI,
single-sided or double-sided, double-density

• 32K Serial Printer Buffer Board

• 32K Parallel Printer Buffer Board

• EPROM Board up to 32K

ASAP offers a 15-day buyer protection policy: full money-back guarantee if not totally satisfied.

Ordering Information: name, address, phone; ship by: UPS or Mail. Shipping charge: addS2.90up to 1 lb. (UPS blue). U.S. Mail add S1.50 (U.S. only) ($25.00
minimum order). Terms: We accept cash, check, money orders. Visa and Master Charge (U.S. funds only). Tax: 6% Calif, res.. COD's and terms available on
approval (School PO's Accepted).

Toll free outside California: (800) 421-7701 inside California: (213) 595-6431 (714) 891-2663
ASAP Computer Products LTD., 1 1 6 Viceroy Road., D-12 Concord, Toronto, Ontario, Canada L4K 1A9
(416) 738-0500 (800) 268-1996

Circle 35 on Inquiry card.

asaii

computer ■
products, inc.

1198 E. Willow St.. Signal Hill. CA 90806

COMPUVIEWS CP/M'86 GIVES YOU WHAT IBM CANT

Increased
Productivity

Innovative features which dramatically
increase productivity include built-in
horizontal scrolling for up to 254
columns and screen line editing, which
lets you extensively edit or re-enter any
command line on the screen for
CP/M-86 and application programs.
Previously only available on mainframe
computers, this greatly reduces the
amount of re-typing necessary due to
mis-typed or repeated commands. Long
strings of commands can also be repeat-
ed with a few keystrokes. Its almost like
having a built-in full screen editor for
every program you use. And with 25%
more disk capacity you will be swapping
disks a lot less.

We Don't Lock You In

We can read and write not only IBM
CP/M-86 disks, but also IBM MSDOS
and many other CP/M double density
disks. And files may be transferred with
other CP/M and CP/M-86 computers via
the serial port. The screen driver with
status line and horizontal scrolling faith-
fully emulates many popular terminals.
Of course we're software compatible with
IBM and have a superset of their features.
And you may even find our manual to be
better than IBM's.

No Software Shortage

Most CB ASIC programs will run perfectly
with our CP/M-86 and CBASIC-86. Even
most programs compiled with CBASIC
8080 will run with CBASIC-86. And
Pascal-MT is available too. Remember,
we emulate most CRT terminals.

Compare CompuView with IBM CP/M-86

Feature

Compuview IBM

Horizontal Scrolling •

Screen Line Editing

PageControl

Emulate Popular Terminals

'Smart' CRT Functions

Yes No

Yes No

Yes No

Yes No

Yes No

Read/Write 1BMMSDOS Disks

Serial File Transfer

Yes No

Yes No

Support Non-IBM Hardware

Menu Driven Configuration

Programmable Function Keys

StatusUne

Yes No

Yes No

Yes Yes

Yes Yes

Serial and Parallel Printers

.; Yes Yes

FileCapacity

193K 154K

CP/M-86forlBMPC $285

QuadDensityDriveVersion . $350
Winchester Disk Version .... $425
ManualOnly $20

VEDIT-86 With Above

Purchase $125

This version of VEDIT has hori-
zontal scrolling up to 254 columns

CBASIC-86 $325

PASCAL-MT-86 $600

782K for
your IBM PC

Ta ndon quad density, double sided
drive gives 782K file capacity. Fits
into IBM PC as drive B or connect
two externally as drives C and D.
Requires CompuView CP/M-86.
Easy to install $450

Complete external drive expansion
with 1.5 Mbyte capacity Call

V-COM DISASSEMBLER

Labels, ASCII, Exceptional Speed

No other Z80 CP/M disassembler produces understandable
source code as quickly as V-COM. It is INTEL and Z1LOG
compatible, and features easy to read code with a cross refer-
ence table. Best of all, it can create source code with user
defined labels, storage areas and ASCII strings. V-COM is ex-
ceptionally fast and can disassemble a typical 12K .COM file
into a 76K .ASM file, containing 7500 lines of source code, and
a 33K cross reference file in under two minutes with 8" SD
floppies. (About five times faster than others).

The unique user created information files let you specify
labels for 8 and 1 6 bit values and the location of storage areas,
tables and ASCII strings. The disassembled code can be sent
to the console, the disk and the printer, or any combination
at once.

Each package includes a 30 page manual, sample pro-
gram files and variations of V-COM compatible with TDL,
MAC and ZILOG assemblers. Feature for feature, no other
disassembler at any price even comes close $80

ManualOnly $12

8086 SOFTWARE

VEDIT full screen editor for CP/M-86, MSDOS, IBM Personal
ComputerandlBMDisplaywriter $195

CP/M-86 BIOS for popular S-100 disk controllers and SCP
8086 computer. Source Code $90

BootableCP/M-86disksforpopularS-100computers . .Call

68 BYTE September 1982

The newest generation VEDIT combines
sophisticated program development editing
with useful word processing features and new
powerful 'TECO' like macros.

User Oriented

Fast and easy editing for program development and word processing. Includes automatic screen scrolling, a status line with the
cursor's line and column positions, an 'Gndo' key, and recovery from full disk conditions (you can delete files or change disks).
Fully aidapts to your system with a menu driven customization for keyboard layout, CRT selection and more. Since VEDIT
receives major enhancements twice ayear,youYeassured that VEDIT will always be 'state of theart' with our inexpensive update
option and support you can reaJJy count on.

Performance

Exceptional speed and true what you see is what you get' full screen editing with a convenient array of cursor movements
and editing functions. Edits files up to one disk in length, and holds up to 45K of a file entirely in memory. You can insert
a specified line range of another file anywhere in the text, and change disks in the middle of an edit session. Includes search
and replace, text move and copy, complete file handling and flexible macros. Unique automatic indenting for use with struct-
ured languages such as Pascal, 'C and PL/I. Other features for assembly language, Fortran and Cobol.

Word Processing

Features include word wrap, adjustable left margin, reformatting of paragraphs, word and paragraph oriented cursor move-
ment and deleting, and printing with imbedding of printer control characters. May be used stand-alone or in conjunction
with most text output processors.

Hardware Support

C RT version supports over 40 terminals, including ANSI standard and all screen sizes. Utilizes smart' terminal features for fast
screen updating. Your keyboard layout can use any available function and cursor keys. Memory mapped version offers high
speed, flexibility, supports bank select and the SSM VB3. Versions for Fulcrum VIO-X, PIICEON and TDL video boards.

New Macros

Ten buffers can hold macro command strings. These may be executed, edited, saved and loaded from disk. Macros can
perform complex editing operations. (For example, a macro could automatically perform a series of global search and replace
on many files). The buffers may also hold text, allowing extensive text 'cut and paste', including portions from multiple files. New
startup command file can also setup VEDIT parameters, initialize a terminal's programmable function keys and more.

Ordering

Please specify your microcomputer, video board or
the CRT terminal version, 8080, Z80 or 8086 code,
and disk format

VEDIT - Disk and Manual

For8080orZ80 $150

ForCP/M-86orMSDOS $195

ManualOnly $18

VISA and MASTERCARD

Dealers - You can now carry VEDIT
and V-COM on consignment

IBM • Apple II Softcard • TRS-80 II and I • SuperBrain
Zenith Z89 • HP-125 • Xerox 820 • Cromemco

MorthStar • DEC VT180 • Televideo • Altos
Vector • Micropolis • MP/M • CP/M-86 • MSDOS

1955 Pauline Blvd., Suite 200

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103

(313) 996-1299

CP/M and MP/M are rqpflrred trademarks of Digital Research, Inc. Apple II is a registered iradanark of Apple
Computer, Inc. Softcard is a trademark of Microsoft. TRS-80 is a trademark of Tandy Corporation. IBM Personal
Computer is a trademark of International Business Machines. Inc.

CompuView

PRODUCTS, INC.
MAINFRAME FEATURES FOR MICROCOMPUTERS

Circle 124 on inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 69

+ v C c

/

D

2-BIT
LATCH

SELECT- WR1TE-

BUSY/ INTERRUPT ■*-

vcc

MCRC
P0-P5 MCX

VOTRAX
SC-01A

AF

AO
CB

GND

T

m

CLOCK

;c

f = 1.25/RC
R MIN =6 -5K
C MAX = 300pF
SET FOR 720kHz

AMPLIFIER

'))

SPEAKER

Figure 1: The general scheme to be followed in connecting the Votrax SC-01A to a
microcomputer system.

PHOnE 1
FILLS THE VOI

in or"

;•

on

Powerful Z^80®
communications software
tools are now available.
Fill the void between your
microcomputer and
mainframe.

SOFTWARE*

EMULATOn

2-80 is a registered
trademark of Zilog.

PHOnE 1

1011 River Lane • Loves Park, Illinois 61111 • 815/877-9008

elements: a 6502-based control micro-
computer and a Votrax SC-01A
speech-synthesizer chip. I explained
the SC-01A in detail in last
September's Circuit Cellar article (ref-
erence 5), but for new readers I'll
summarize the important facts.

The SC-01A is a 22-pin integrated
circuit which consists of a digital code
translator and an electronic model of
the human vocal tract. The internal
phoneme controller translates a 6-bit
phoneme code and 2-bit pitch code
into a matrix of spectral parameters
that adjust the vocal-tract model to
synthesize speech.

The SC-01A is manufactured using
CMOS (complementary metal-oxide
semiconductor) technology and oper-
ates within a range from +7 to +14
V. Handshaking with external control
circuitry is accomplished through a
strobe (STB) line and an acknowl-
edge/request (A/R) line. A diagram
of the generalized connection scheme
appears as figure 1.

The output pitch of the SC-OlA's
voice is controlled by the frequency
of the clock signal, which can either
be supplied from an external source
or set internally with a resistor/ca-
pacitor combination. The clock fre-
quency is nominally 720 kHz, but
subtle variations of pitch can be in-
duced to add inflection by varying
this frequency. Such variations pre-
vent the synthesized voice from
sounding too monotonous or arti-
ficial. Two separate pitch-control
lines, II and 12, are available for gross
variations in pitch so that the chip
can seem to speak with more than one
voice. These so-called manual-inflec-
tion controls operate independently
of clock-rate-induced inflection.

The 64 SC-01A phonemes defined
for the English language are listed in
table 3 on page 72. Most of these cor-
respond to speech sounds, but two
produce silence and one causes speech
synthesis to stop. The sound for each
phoneme is generated when a 6-bit.
phoneme code is placed on the con-
trol-register input lines (P0 through
P5) and latched by pulsing the strobe
(STB) input. Each phoneme is inter-
nally timed and has a duration rang-
ing from 47 to 250 ms (milliseconds)
depending on the phoneme selected

70 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 373 on Inquiry card.

Introducing
the 212
Auto-Cat by

300 BAUD is fine for the basics.
But now you can get in the fast lane without getting expensive.

Our engineers have come up with a pair of custom
microprocessors, five LSI circuits and a small miracle: the
212 Auto-Cat modem.

And if you've looked around, you know the $695 price is
part of the miracle.

Four times the speed. Half the size. All of the right
auto-dial/answer functions.

Your dealer has them right now. No need to waste any
more time. See him.

'Suggested retail price

Novation

TM

the recognized leader in
personal communications

Circle 349 on inquiry card.

18664 Oxnard Street, Tarzana, California 91356 • Telephone: (800) 423-5419 and (213) 996-5060

Circle 398 on Inquiry card.

INCOME TAX
ACCOUNTING

"Quick
jax

has the finest

software

I've ever seen

for the

Accounting

and Tax

Professional.

The programs are so well designed
and supported, we had no start-up
problems."— Ronald Braun, C.P.A.

□ 1040 TAX PROGRAM

ALL MAJOR FORMS &
SCHEDULES

$995

PRINTS ON IRS FORMS, OVER-
LAYS OR MULTI-PART FORMS

INDIVIDUAL OR BATCH
PROCESSING

CAN PROCESS THOUSANDS OF
RETURNS PER SEASON

RECURRING PRIOR YEAR
INFORMATION AUTOMAT-
ICALLY UPDATED

DIAGNOSTIC REPORTS

LETTER OF INSTRUCTION

CLIENT BILLING

MAILING LIST/LABELS &
ENVELOPES

UNLIMITED SUPPORTING
SCHEDULES

PLUS:

PROFORMA/TAX ORGANIZER
MULTI-STATE INTERFACE
TAX PLANNING

ALSO AVAILABLE:

GENERAL LEDGER/CLIENT WRITE-UP

AFTER THE FACT PAYROLL

AMORTIZATION & DEPRECIATION

SCHEDULES

ALL QUICK TAX PROGRAMS COME WITH
ONE YEAR WARRANTY A SUPPORT.

DEALER DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE.

See your nearest computer dealer.
Or, call or write for more information.

Quick-Tax Software is available for Xerox 820,
Radio Shack, IBM, DEC, Vector Graphic,
Dynabyte and other CP/M based computers.

CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital Research, Inc.

Q ^

Ltd

319 Clawson St.

S.I., N.Y.C., N.Y. 10306

Da pt.BM(2i2) 351-6143

Hexadecimal

Phoneme

ASCII

Duration

Example Word

Phoneme

Symbol

Character

(ms)

Code

00

EH3

@

59

jacket

01

EH2

A

71

enlist

02

EH1

B

121

heavy

03

PA0

C

47

no sound

04

DT

D

47

buffer

05

A2

E

71

make

06

A1

F

103

pa/I

07

ZH

G

90

pleasure

08

AH2

H

71

honest

09

13

I

55

inhib/t

0A

12

J

80

/nhibit

0B

11

K

121

inn/bit

OC

M

L

103

mat

0D

N

M

80

sun

0E

B

N

71

bag

OF

V

O

71

van

10

CH

P

71

chip

11

SH

Q

121

shop

12

Z

R

71

zoo

13

AW1

S

146

lawful

14

NG

T

121

thing

15

AH1

U

146

father

16

001

V

103

looking

17

OO

W

185

book

18

L

X

103

/and

19

K

Y

80

trick

1A

J

Z

47

judge

1B

H

[

71

he\\o

1C

G

\

71

get

1D

F

\

103

fast

1E

D

55

paid

1F

S

90

pass

20

A

(space)

185

tame

21

AY

i

65

jade

22

Y1

"

80

yard

23

UH3

#

47

miss/on

24

AH

$

250

mop

25

P

%

103

past

26

O

&

185

cold

27

I

'

185

p/'n

28

U

(

185

move

29

Y

)

103

any

2A

T

*

71

rap

2B

R

+

90

red

2C

E

(

185

meet

2D

W

-

80

win

2E

AE

.

185

dad

2F

AE1

/

103

after

30

AW2

90

salty

31

UH2

1

71

about

32

UH1

2

103

uncle

33

UH

3

185

cup

34

02

4

80

bold

35

01

5

121

aboard

36

IU

6

59

you

37

U1

7

90

June

38

THV

8

80

the

39

TH

9

71

thin

3A

ER

146

bird

3B

EH

;

185

ready

3C

E1

<

121

be

3D

AW

=

250

call

3E

PA1

>

185

no sound

3F

STOP

?

47

no sound

Note: T must precede CH to produce "CH" sound.

D must precede J to produce

"J" sound.

Table 3: The 64 SC-01A phonemes defined for the

English language. Most of these

correspond to speech sounds; two

produce silence,

and one

causes speech synthesis

to stop.

72 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Amdek's Video-300 green phosphor monitor
is the easy-reading choice for almost any
system— including IBM and Apple.

Everything about our 12" Video-300
monitor was designed to be easy. Easy
to read. Easy to use. And easy to match
up with practically any computer or
word processing system, including the
popular Apple and IBM personal com-
puters. So it's easy to see why you
should choose Video-300 for your text
display needs.

Amdek's Video-300 monitor
features:

• Non-glare screen to eliminate dis-
tracting reflections

• P-31 green phosphor display for
no-strain viewing

• 80 x 24 character display

• 18MHz band width 900 lines [center]
resolution

• Built-in carrying handle for porta-
bility

• Light-weight, industrial-grade cabine-
try Conly 17 lbs J

• UL, FCC approved

• Full one-year warranty covering
parts and labor

So ask your dealer about Video-300
— part of Amdek's complete line of
color, green phosphor and black and
white monitors. Then match Video-
300's performance and price against
any other display monitor. For quality
and value, you'll choose Amdek.

Amdek Corporation, 2420 E. Oakton St., Suite E, Arlington Heights, 1L 60005. [312] 364-1180 • TLX: 25-4786

Circle 22 on inquiry card. BYTE September 1982 73

PARALLEL
I/O INTERFACE

POWER SUPPLY
+ 5V, +12V, -12V
(TO ALL SECTIONS)

ASCII
DATA— +{
INPUT

SERIAL

I/O INTERFACE

6502
MICROPROCESSOR

150-9600BPS

CLOCK CIRCUITRY
DATA- RATE
GENERATOR

4.9152MHz

1.22MHz

EPROM

(TEXT-TO-SPEECH

ALGORITHM)

PROGRAMMABLE

INFLECTION

CIRCUITRY

RAM

(INPUT BUFFER,

CONVERSION TABLES, ETC.)

SC-01A

VOICE

SYNTHESIZER

AMPLIFIER

AND

FILTER

o

VOICE SYNTHESIZER SECTION
COMPUTER SECTION

Figure 2: Block diagram of Microvox. The Microvox hardware can be viewed as a general-purpose 6502-based computer with a
speech synthesizer attached using a memory-mapped I/O (input /output) port.

The computer section (shown in black) uses 14 integrated circuits for serial and parallel I/O, address decoding, memory, and other
processing functions. Five additional chips (outlined in red) constitute the phoneme synthesizer, inflection circuitry, and audio
amplifier.

and the clock frequency. The A/R
line goes from a logic 1 to a logic
while a phoneme is sounding.

The usual method for using the SC-
01 A with a microprocessor sets up the
hardware so that the computer sys-
tem directly times the transmission of
phoneme codes. This method sends
phoneme codes to the synthesizer
chip through a latched parallel output
port and monitors the synthesizer's
activities through the A/R line,
which is connected to an input port or
interrupt line.

Microvox Hardware Overview

Figure 2 is a basic block diagram of
Microvox. As previously mentioned,
the Microvox contains its own micro-
computer that allows the unit to be
configured to function as an intelli-
gent peripheral device; therefore, the
Microvox hardware can be viewed as
a general-purpose 6502-based com-
puter with a speech synthesizer at-
tached using a memory-mapped I/O
(input/ output) port.

The computer section uses 14 inte-

grated circuits for serial and parallel
I/O, address decoding, memory, and
other processing functions. Five addi-
tional chips constitute the phoneme
synthesizer, inflection circuitry, and
audio amplifier (outlined in red).

Variations In pitch

prevent the

synthesized voice from

sounding too

monotonous or

artificial.

The Microvox is best explained by
dividing the circuitry into four func-
tional subsections: processor and tim-
ing, memory, serial and parallel I/O,
and speech synthesizer. A complete
schematic diagram of Microvox ap-
pears as figure 3a on pages 76 and 77
and figure 3b on pages 78 and 79.

Processor and Data-Rate Clock

The 1-MHz (megahertz) 6502

microprocessor, the same type used
in the Apple II and Atari 800 com-
puters, and the data-rate generator
(shown by itself in figure 4 on page
80) obtain their clock signals from a
circuit that divides down a 4.9152-
MHz frequency from a crystal-con-
trolled oscillator. You may find the
rationale for using this low-cost clock
divider interesting.

Most data-rate-generator circuits
are very costly because they use spe-
cialized data-rate generator chips
such as the COM5016, which you
must have if you really need to cover
134.5 and 110 bps (bits per second) as
well as the other standard data rates
from 75 to 19,200 bps. The former
two data rates are the only ones that
require oddball frequencies. If you
can get along without them (and most
people can nowadays), no special
divider networks or integrated cir-
cuits are required. By using a
4.9152-MHz (75 X2 16 ) base frequency
and a 12-stage binary divider (a
CD4040, IC6 in figure 4), the nine re-
maining rates are derived directly.

74 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Although the Datasouth DS180 matrix printer may not exactly rate as a work of art, our customers have a very
high opinion of its value. Over the past year, we have shipped thousands of DS180 printers to customers throughout
the world. Many of our sales now come in the form of repeat business— a strong testimonial to the acceptance of
a product.

The success of the DS180 in a very competitive market did not happen by accident; rather through our sensitivity
to the needs of the industry. This sensitivity we carry through research and development, production and quality con-
trol and finally to after sales support and service.

Recently we introduced new enhancements to make the DS180 printer even more versatile. Dot addressable raster
scan graphics produces output of computer generated charts, maps and graphs at a resolution of 75 x 72 dots per
inch. Variable horizontal pitch selection allows printing at 10, 12
or 16.5 characters per inch plus double wide printing at 5, 6 or
8.25 characters per inch. The expanded 2K FIFO print buffer
handles a full CRT screen dump at up to 9600 baud without de-
laying the host system. We also offer transparent mode for isolat-
ing communications problems, and for APL users, the dual ASCII/
APL character set option.

Check our list of features and we think you will agree that the DS 180
offers the most complete performance package in matrix printers.

DS180 PRINTER STANDARD FEATURES

• Microprocessor Control • Vertical Tabs

• 180 CPS Print Speed • Perforation Skip-Over

• Bidirectional/Logic Seeking • Auto Line Feed

• 1000 Character Buffer (Expandable) • 6/8 LPI

OPTIONAL FEATURES

• Compressed Print— 10. 12, 16.5 cpi

. 9x7 Dot Matrix

• Expanded Characters

• Adjustable Printhead/1-6 Copies
.96 ASCII Character Set

• Cartridge Ribbon

• 132 Column Print Width

• TractorFeed (Front or Bottom)

• Non-Volatile Format Retention
•Top of Form

• Horizontal Tabs

• Auto End of Line Carriage Return

• 5 IPS Paper Slew

• Parallel and Serial Interfaces

• 110-9600 Baud Communications

• Terminal Status Indicators

• Audio Alarm
. Self-Test

• X-on. X-off

• Paper Out Detection

Addressable Graphics

• 2k Expanded Print Buffer

• APL/ASCII Character Set

The DS180 is available nationwide through our
network of sales/service distributors.

tSnZrgfKraKi-WKE

• •

! Now Available Nationwide '
Through Participating

44) iiJl! | COMPUTERLAND Stores

Circle 149 on inquiry card.

mM\

computer corporation

P.O. Box 240947 • Charlotte, NC 28224 • 704/523-8500

DATA-RATE —
CLOCK j>0

R/W

$2

NOTES:

LETTERS INSIDE CONNECTORS
INDICATE CONNECTION TO THE
SAME LETTER CONNECTOR IN
FIGURE 3b.

BPS=BITS PER SECOND

SEE TEXT FOR EXPLANATION
OF JUMPER AND SWITCH
SETTINGS

CLOCK

IC6
CD4040

Q12
Oil
Q10

09
Q8
07
06
05
04

Q3
02

1

SW2

DATA -RATE

SELECT

JP1 75 BPS

-o o-

13.

4_
_5_

3 p^ Q 7

JP2

12,

10,

9 .

8 G

150 BPS
300 BPS
600 BPS
1200BPS
2400BPS
4800BPS
9600 BPS
19200 BPS

<T^b-j0.61MHz

7 ■ o 0-J1.22MH2

IC8
7400

h5V

111

8d

JP3

5V
A

9

1.22 MHz

irq nr>-

+ 5V

+ 5V

Dl
1N4148

: — v>

IC7
74LS04

C8
10^F

&>-

RES

IC1
6502

#0

IRQ

*2
01
DO
Dl
D2
D3
D4
D5
D6
D7

AO

Al

A2

A3

A4

A5

A6

A7

A8

A9

A10

All

A12

A13

A 14

A15

U

8b

{JE>^

m

(Jj

RES

NOTE:

ASTERISKS INDICATE INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
WHERE 0.1 /iF DECOUPLING CAPACITORS
SHOULD BE ADDED.

Number

Type

+ 5V

GND

-12V +12V

IC1

6502

8

1,21

*IC2

2016

24

12

IC3

2016

24

12

IC4

2716/32/64

26,28

14

IC5

2716/32/64

26,28

14

*IC6

CD4040

16

8

IC7

74LS04

14

7

*IC8

74LS00

14

7

*IC9

74LS139

16

8

IC10

6850

12

1

*IC11

8255

26

7

IC12

SC-01A

18

1

IC13

74LS175

16

8

Id 4

74LS174

14

7

IC15

LM386

4

6

MC16

7407

14

7

IC17

MC1488

7

1 14

IC18

MC1489

14

7

*IC19

7497

16

8

Figure 3a: A section of the Microvox schematic diagram. Shown here are the 6502 microprocessor and the timing section. The
schematic is continued in figure 3b on the next two pages.

76 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

It

21

20

I 21

20

8

WE OE
AO

Al IC2
A2 2016
A3 DO
A4 Dl
A5 D2
A6 D3
A7 D4
A8 D5
A9 D6
AlO D7
CS

9 r 9

WE OE

AO
IC3 A1
2016 A2
DO A3
Dl A4
D2 A5
D3 A6
D4 A7
D5 A8
D6 A9
D7 AlO

CS

8

7

7

6

6

5

5

4

10 c

'«

4

3

11

i n

3

2

13

13

2

1

14

14

1

23

15

15

23

22

16

'

22

19

17

17

19

IC9a
74LS139

18

18

SEL- ADDR

-

1 - 8
2-1000

Al 1 2

ft
3 1

2

IN

3

4 SELO

A12 3

5 SEL1

6 SEL 2 r

±>

3-1800
4 - 8

A15 1

L

7 SEL 3 r

5 - AO

6 - CO

7 - E

*1 (

L

DO

Dl

D2

D3

_"

D4

H> "

D5

**~

D6

-i

D7

AO

Al

A2

\

A3

%

A4

t

A5

"^

r "

►

A6

w ~ i

►

A7

~ '

>

A8

►

A9

>

AlO

A

\

All

H

A12

~*

A13

A14

A15

M LS 1 3 9

14

A

B l

2

EN 3

12 SEL 4 r

±>

A13

13

I

11 SEL5 r

1

A14

1

V

10 SEL 6

V

9 SEL7

Y

IC7 A15
74LS04

>

20

20

2

CS
A12 DO
AlO Dl
A9 D2
A8 D3
A7 D4
A6 D5

- A5 D6

■ A4 D7

- A3

- A2

■ Al tu

- AO VPP

All/Vpp oi

11 C

11

CS
DO A12
Dl AlO
D2 A9
D3 A8
D4 A7
D5 A6
D6 A5
D7 A4
A3
A2

PP AO
OE All/Vpp

2

21

12 II

12

21

24

13

13

24

25

15 ,,

15

25

3

16

16

3

4

17

17

4

c

18

18

5

6

19

19

6

7

+ 5V +5V
it ^ <

7

8

8

9

9

1 1

+ 5V

IC4 IC5
27XX 27XX

+ 5V

i

All

k 3

2

3

22

22

23

3 ♦

1

16/32/64 16/32/64

1 All

-*

1 —

D5) T °

r: r figure 3b

D6
D7

AO
Al

t = 2764 ONLY

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 77

SEL4

<3

+ 5V

SEL5

nr

NOTE:

LETTERS INSIDE CONNECTORS
INDICATE CONNECTION TO
THE SAME LETTER CONNECTOR
IN FIGURE 3 a.

*o[b>

PR

D IC14b
74LS74

&

RES

® g

RES

PR

D IC14a
74LS74

CLOCK

CLR

FROM
FIGURE 3a

AO
Al

DO ■
Dl •

< D2
X D3 ■
D4
D5 ■
D6
D7 ■

**\D

SEL2(jh)>

DATA-

RATE | A>-
CLOCK —

22

21

20

19

18

17

16

15

11

f5V

DO Dl D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 RS

E CSO

inn

CS1

CS2

IC10
6850

R/W

RXC TXC IRQ TD RTS RD CTS DCD

IRQ<TT-

IC16 IC7

7407 74LS04

«^<j

:r2

+ 5V

13

1

rd[d> 5 -

^[e> ^

SEL3[F>-

^ D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 Dl DO Al AO

WR
CS

IC11
82 55

C4 AO Al A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 C2 C7

13

00 00000

1 2 4 3 5 8 20 7

DO

Dl

D2

D3

40

D4

39

D5

38

D6

37

16

L

D7

10

ACK

STB

D,

00000000000

3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 1 21 20

-RS-232C SERIAL PORT -

PARALLEL INPUT PORT-

Figure 3b: A section of the Microvox schematic diagram, featuring the serial and parallel I/O and the SC-01A speech-synthesis in-
tegrated circuit.

78 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

SC-01A

:l4

kHz

614.4

1

633.6

2

652.8

3

672.0

4

691.2

5

710.4

6

729.6

7

7 48. 8

8

768.0

9

78 7.2

A

806.4

B

825.6

C

844.8

D

864.0

E

8 83.2

F

902.4

+ 12V

m

BH

SPEAKER

This approach does require one
other design compromise. The 6502
processor is specified to operate at 1
MHz, but, using this crystal and
divider circuit, only 611 kHz and 1.22
MHz are available as system-clock
signals. The computer must run at
either 61 percent or 122 percent of its
rated speed.

Practically speaking, this is not a

problem. The 1-MHz specification is
for worst-case conditions, which you
probably will not have. I have per-
sonally run 1-MHz 6502s at 1.8 MHz
with no trouble. Furthermore, in the
Microvox application, we can note
that the speech synthesizer requires
data at only about 200 bps to speak
continuously. Processor speed is just
not significant except when receiving

and manipulating data at 19,200 bps.
Just to be on the conservative side,
while the hardware can produce rates
from 75 to 19,200 bps, I have speci-
fied rates of 150 to 9600 bps for the
Microvox.

Memory Section

The address-decoding and memory
section of the Microvox consists of

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 79

rh

DATA-
C> RATE
CLOCK

Figure 4: A detail from the Microvox circuit, showing the circuitry that derives the data-rate and clock frequencies. With this simple,
low-cost arrangement, all standard data rates, except 110 bps (bits per second) and 134.5 bps, are available. Also, a trade-off must be
made in selecting a clock rate for operating the microprocessor.

Name

Hexadecimal Connection and Function
Address

IC2 memory block (RAM)
IC3 memory block (RAM)
IC10 serial port
IC1 1 parallel ports
IC14 inflection clock rate
IC14 phoneme latch
IC5 memory block (EPROM)
IC4 memory block (EPROM)

Table 4: The 5 high-order bits on the 6502 address bus are decoded by IC9 to
provide 8 strobe signals that control various parts of the system.

SELO

000

SEU

800

SEL2

1000

SEL3

1800

SEL4

8000

SEL5

A000

SEL6

cooo

SEL7

E000

IC2 through IC5 and IC9. IC9 (a
74LS139) decodes the 5 high-order
bits on the address bus to provide 8
strobe signals, as listed in table 4.

In the Microvox configuration,
memory components IC2 and IC3 are
intended to be RAM, while IC4 and
IC5 are meant to be ROM or EPROM
(erasable programmable read-only
memory). The pin designations for
IC2 and IC3 are for 2K-by-8-bit RAM
chips, such as the Hitachi 6116 or

Toshiba 2016. These components are
pin-compatible with the type-2716
EPROM, so you could use 2716s in
these sockets instead, if the computer
were being used in some other appli-
cation.

The read/write memory (IC2 and
IC3) is used for conversion tables and
register stacks and as the ASCII input
buffer. A buffer is required because
the Microvox can receive data faster
than it can speak it. The standard

Microvox uses only one RAM chip
(installed as IC2), which provides a
lK-byte input buffer; by adding the
second RAM chip in IC3, this can be
optionally expanded to 3K bytes of
text memory (for long-winded
speeches).

The text-to-speech conversion rou-
tine for the standard Microvox is
stored in 8K bytes, presently con-
sisting of two type-2732 EPROMs in-
serted in the sockets for IC4 and IC5.
As production increases or EPROM
prices drop, a single 8K-byte 2764
EPROM (or its ROM equivalent) will
be used. Any of the compatible
type-2716 (2K-by-8-bit), type-2732
(4K-by-8-bit), or type-2764 (8K-by-8-
bit) EPROMs can be used in these IC
positions, depending upon the jumper
selections JP4 and JP5.

Serial and Parallel I/O

Microvox, unlike most other voice
synthesizers, has both serial and
parallel input ports to receive ASCII
characters. The serial port uses a
Motorola MC6850 ACIA (asynchro-
nous communications interface
adapter, IC10). During system in-
itialization, the ACIA's functional

80 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

SOLUTIONS are
free and easy
with the
ASSOCIATE"

The ASSOCIATE is a field proven desktop microcomputer with many
features: 64K memory plus 2K PROM; 720K bytes of floppy disk
storage; Z80A4Mhz processor; DMA disk controller, interrupt controller
and timer; unique anti glare screen; typewriter style keyboard,
numeric keypad and 10 function keys; and 2 RS232C ports. Optional
parallel, IEEE 488, and RS449 ports give added flexibility. The
remote or integrated hard disk option offers you needed growth
capability.

Your SOLUTIONS are supplied FREE. The CP/M operating system
provides access to thousands of software programs. We start you out
with FREE wordprocessing by Spellbinder, FREE business planning
by Microplan, FREE accounting and FREE testing programs; an
excellent combination for a total business system. To make it easy to
use we have programmed the 29 programmable keys and added
a quickly readable keyboard template for each SOLUTION. Other
SOLUTIONS and templates are available such as dBASE II, MBASIC,
SuperCalc, WordStar and more. You may even program the keys
and design a template to match your own chosen software.

You may select FRIENDS to assist your ASSOCIATE such as printers
from Qume, Ricoh and NEC. Ribbons, printwheels, and disks are also
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General Electric you have a total package which is hard to beat. And rv^ta Tonhnnlnrw m* TnHi lctri^Q™
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us today for a dealer near you and bring SOLUTIONS to your business or
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ii

SOLUTIONS, ASSOCIATE and FRIENDS are Trademarks of Data Technology Industries; Spellbinder is a Trademark of LEXISOFT, Inc.; Microplan is a Trademark of
Chang Labs; CP/M is a Trademark of Digital Research; WordStar is a Trademark of MicroPro; SuperCalc is a Trademark of SORCIM; dBASE II is a Trademark of
Ashton-Tate; MBASIC is a Trademark of Microsoft.

Circle 145 on inquiry card. BYTE September 1982 81

-booFdthe-bus-

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configuration is set up; communica-
tion parameters such as character
word length, clock division ratios,
parity, and stop bits are selected by
setting the proper bits in the ACIA's
control register. The data rate is set
by the system data-rate clock (from
SW2 and IC6), and data is sent and
received from the transmit- and re-
ceive-data registers, respectively.
Framing errors, parity errors, buffer
status, and handshaking status are
determined by reading the ACIA's
status register.

On the Micro vox, the serial port
can be used with or without hardware
handshaking, that is, with or without
using the RS-232C Clear to Send,
Data Carrier Detect, Ready to Send,
and other lines. The Microvox soft-
ware incorporates software hand-
shaking, which is especially useful
when communicating over a modem
link or with terminals that do not use
handshaking signals.

When receiving ASCII text in the
software-handshaking mode, the
Microvox sends an "@" (at sign) to
the host computer when its input buf-
fer is almost full, signaling the host to
stop sending data. The Microvox
sends a "#" (number sign) when it is
ready to receive data again. (The
characters used for signaling can be
changed to the X-on and X-off control
characters if need be.)

Obviously, this handshaking is not
needed if the data comes from the
host at a speed slower than the rate at
which the buffer is emptied. The pa-
rallel-input section uses a program-
mable Intel 8255 PIA (peripheral in-
terface adapter, ICll). As con-
figured, 8 bits of the PIA are used to
receive ASCII data in parallel format.
By using two additional connections
for data-available-strobe and
acknowledge signals, the Microvox
can be made to work with a
Centronics-compatible parallel
printer interface.

Also attached to the PIA is the DIP
(dual-inline pin) switch SWl, which
can be used to select operating pa-
rameters as follows. Bit selects
hardware or software handshaking;
bit 1 selects receipt of the ASCII input
data through the serial or parallel
port; bits 2 through 4 set the serial-

82 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 171 on inquiry card.

VISUAL presents ergonomic elegance and
high performance in a low-cost terminal.

FEATURE CO

MPARISON CHAR1

FEATURE

VISUAL
50

Hazeltine
Esprit

ADDS
Viewpoint

Lear
Siegler
ADM-5

Televideo
910

Tilt and Swivel

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

Detached Keyboard

YES

NO

YES

NO

NO

N-Key Rollover

YES

NO

YES

NO

NO

Audible Key Click

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

Menu Set-Up Mode

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

Status Line

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

Full 5 Attribute Selection

YES

NO

NO

NO

YES

Smooth Scroll

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

Line Drawing Character Set

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

Block Mode

YES

YES

NO

NO

YES

Insert/Delete Line

YES

YES

NO

NO

YES

Bi-Directional Aux Port

YES

YES

NO

YES

NO

Columnar Tabbing

YES

YES

NO

NO

YES

Independent RCV/TX Rates

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

Answerback User
Programmable

YES

NO

NO

OPT.

NO

The VISUAL 50 represents a new
approach in low cost terminals. Although it
costs drastically less, it offers the features you expect

from the high priced units.

For example, the VISUAL 50 enclosure is econom-
ically designed in light weight plastic and can easily be
swiveled and tilted for maximum operator comfort. A detached
keyboard, smooth scroll, large 7 x 9 dot matrix characters and
non-glare screen are a few of the many human engineering
features normally offered only on much higher priced terminals.

Another distinctive feature of the VISUAL 50 is its emulation
capability. VISUAL 50 is code-for-code compatible with the
Hazeltine Esprit,™ ADDS Viewpoint,™ Lear Siegler ADM-3A™
and DEC VT-52." Menu driven set-up modes in non-volatile
memory allow easy selection of terminal parameters.

And you're not limited to mere emulation. As the chart shows,
the VISUAL 50 has features and versatility the older, less power-
ful low cost terminals simply cannot match.

The price of the VISUAL 50? Only $695 list. Call or write for
full details on the latest in the industry's finest line of video
terminals.

Service available in principal cities through Sorbus Service,
Division of Management Assistance, Inc.

See for yourself

Circle 502 on Inquiry card.

Visual Technology Incorporated

540 Main Street, Tewksbury, MA 01876

Telephone (617) 851-5000. Telex 951-539

RESCZ>

SEL

IC11/C2C2>

Figure 5: The business end of the Microvox, the circuitry that actually produces the artificial voice. This design is similar to the Sweet
Talker speech synthesizer; it is based also on the Votrax SC-01A integrated circuit. The main improvement is provision for 64 levels
of pitch inflection, instead of the 4 levels available on the Sweet Talker.

input word length, stop bits, and
parity on the ACIA; and bits 5
through 7 are not used.

Speech Inflection

The business end of the Microvox,
the circuitry that actually produces
the artificial voice, is shown in the
schematic diagram of figure 5.
Regular followers of Circuit Cellar
projects will recognize the Votrax SC-
01 A integrated circuit and notice that
this design is similar to the Sweet
Talker speech synthesizer from last
September's article. This time, how-
ever, I have provided for 64 levels of
pitch inflection, instead of the 4 levels
previously available.

The output pitch of the phonemes
is fundamentally controlled by the
frequency of the clock signal pro-
vided to the SC-01A. In general use,

this frequency, set with a resistor/
capacitor combination, is nominally
720 kHz. But as with any current-
controlled analog circuit, the frequen-
cy may be susceptible to change from
temperature variation and pickup of
external noise.

Coarse variations in

pitch are best used for

simulating completely

different speaking

voices.

In the Microvox, the analog clock
circuitry is eliminated. Instead of us-
ing the SC-OlA's internal timing cir-
cuit, the chip is configured for input
of an external clock signal, derived

from the crystal-controlled system
clock.

While the fundamental range of the
output pitch is a function of the clock
frequency, the two pitch-control lines
II and 12 (the "manual-inflection"
lines) can act independently to cause
four coarse variations in pitch from
the fundamental setting. I think that
these coarse variations are best used
for simulating completely different
speaking voices rather than for vocal
inflections. The frequency shift is
simply too great.

The preferred way to influence the
output pitch is by changing the exter-
nal clock frequency fed into the SC-
01A, although this takes more work.
Subtle variations in output pitch can
be obtained with reasonable effort,
by shifting the clock frequency up or
down by 20 or 40 kHz. And by apply-

84 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

iJJLLMJL

Kf in

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• Ultra-low power (435 Ma. max. —
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• Bank Select and Extended Addressing

• A 2K window which can be placed
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— One 48K and one 16K bank for use
in MP/M 1 (option)

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Circle 293 on inquiry card.

ing a digital rate multiplier to the
1.22-MHz system clock, the signal in-
put to the SC-01A can be made pro-
grammable to produce smaller and
better-defined pitch inflections.

IC19 in the Microvox is a 6-bit
binary rate multiplier. Its output fre-
quency obeys the function:

(b5 through bO being the six multi-
plier bits) and

F IN = 1.22 MHz

= MXF„

where

M = b5 X 32 + b4 X 16 + b3 X 8

+ b2 X 4 + M X 2 + fcO X 1

When the SEL4 strobe is acti-
vated, a 4-bit inflection code is
latched into IC13 (a 74LS175 quad D
flip-flop) and applied to the rate
multiplier. The 4-bit combination
(corresponding to a hexadecimal
value of to F loaded into IC13)
selects one of 16 clock rates that range
from 614.4 kHz to 902.4 kHz in
19.2-kHz increments. The frequency

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Orders and inquiries call 1-800-426-8075.
Alaska, Hawaii & Washington State Call Collect

*Line Carrier Modem

^■COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH CORPORATION

J 1720-130TH AVENUE N.E. BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON 98005

A SUBSIDIARY OF ENERGY SCIENCES CORPORATION (206)881-9550

change of near 20 kHz creates a rela-
tively small pitch change by itself (out
of a 720-kHz nominal input frequen-
cy), but, used dynamically in a sen-
tence, it is just what the doctor
ordered for syllable inflection.

Remember that the 2 manual-in-
flection bits are still available to the
user; they are set by 2 bits on ICll
(SEL3). I refer to the level set by these
bits as the "base pitch" and the 16 fre-
quencies from the rate multiplier as
the "clock rate." The combination of
the 2 functions results in 64 pitch
levels or inflections.

The pitch at which individual pho-
nemes are pronounced may be con-
trolled automatically by the text-to-
speech algorithm, kept fixed, or
altered by user command. Some peo-
ple prefer automatic inflection,
because of the variety it gives to the
speech. Others think a computer
should sound like a computer and
prefer flat speech to artificially in-
toned speech. Still others may wish to
directly control the pitch to make the
unit sing (pitch and rate codes may be
mixed with phoneme codes to pro-
duce singing) or to pronounce words
with special emphasis.

The user may control the base pitch
setting independently of the clock
rate by issuing a pitch-control com-
mand:

!Px

where x is a digit from 1 through 4;
x = l selects the lowest pitch with
pitch increasing according to the
value of x.

The user may also control the clock
rate with a command of the form

!Ry

where y can take on values from 1 to
16; y = l selects the lowest pitch;
y = 16 the highest.

Musical Abilities

One final feature of the Microvox
is the ability to play musical notes
and produce sound effects by using a
program routine to toggle one bit of
the PIA (ICll) at a predetermined
rate. This line is connected to the out-
put audio amplifier along with the
output from the speech synthesizer

86 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 97 on inquiry card.

CHART-MASTER™

Business Graphics Software

Professional-Quality Graphics
from Personal Computers

CHART-MASTER works with Apple® II, Apple® HI
and IBM personal computers to create full-color
business graphics on Hewlett-Packard plotters,
including the new low-cost H-P 7470A.

POWERFUL

CHART-MASTER produces bar charts, line charts, scatter diagrams and pie
charts, as well as text pages and signs, on paper or acetate (transparencies).
Data can be entered manually or automatically from Visicalc® and other
programs. Charts can be edited, stored and retrieved.

FLEXIBLE

CHART-MASTER allows you to select from a b£@ad range of options to etfeate
the chart that best communicates your data, Options include producing up to
nine charts per page, footnote and framing capabilities, leJt and right y-axes,
a variety of hatching and line types, exploded pie segments, linear regression
afld curve-fittings, logarithmic axes and much more.

EASYTOUSE

CHART-MASTER is ari, interactive, menu-
driven program that allows users, whether
managers or secretaries, to produce
presentation-quality cfiarts immediately with
little at no fining. It is easy for you to enter
data, choose options, select a chart format . . .
and let CHART-MASTER cto the rest

COSfrEFFECTIVE QUALITY

To get the same high quality that CHART-MASTER delivers, you would have
to use expensive time-sharing services, commissioned graphic artists
or costly dedicated graphics systems. Thus, CHART-MASTER, especially when
teamed with the new Hewlett-Packard 7470 A plotter, represents a price/
performance breakthrough. Users of these more costly methods will find that a
CH^flf-MASTEfl/Hewlett-Packard combination pays for itself in just a few
months. And, because CHART-MASTER also offers convenience, speed, user
control and versatility, you will find that you will increase your use of business
graphics at no marginal cost.

CHART-MASTER is available through your local computer dealer for $375.
A complete graphics plotting package, consisting of CHART-MASTER, H-P
7470A plotter and interface for your Apple or IBM personal computer, costs asss
little as $2000. For further information and the name of your nearest dealer,
call or write:

DedSiOn ReSOUrCeS Professional software tools
PO Box 309, Westport CT 06880, 203/222-1974

Apple is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
Visicalc is a trademark of Personal Software, Inc.

Circle 154 an inquiry (Sard.

chip (IC12). The results are similar to
the sound produced by the internal
speaker of an Apple II computer us-
ing the same technique.

While the Microvox is not exactly a
virtuoso instrument, programming it
to play a simple tune is not hard at
all. The music mode is turned on by
the command:

IN

Once the music mode has been acti-
vated, a different set of note-specify-
ing commands is used.

In the music mode, notes may be
chosen from a range of 3 octaves
centered on middle C, indicated by
numbers from 1 to 3. Each octave
contains notes identified as A, B, C,
D, E, F, or G. Sharps are indicated by
the suffix character "+", flats by
" — ". Time values are selected by
reciprocal numeric arguments: the
length of a note may vary from a
whole note (length of 1) to a 128th
note (length of 128). Rests are in-
dicated by "R". When in the music
mode, sending Microvox the charac-
ter string "3F + 4" causes it to play a
quarter note at a pitch of F sharp in
the third octave. "R16" causes a
sixteenth-note rest.

Notes of unconventional lengths
may be used; for instance, the soft-
ware supports "thirty-seventh" notes.
Tempo may set from values of 50 to
128 beats per minute by a command
of the type "TV with x in the proper
range. The default tempo is 80.

To Be Continued . . .

I apologize if I am jumping ahead
too quickly. It's just that I want you
to be assured that these hardware
features of music and programmable
pitch are not an overcomplication;
they are easily accommodated in the
software.

Obviously, there is no conclusion
this month. I'll have a lot more to say
next month. And keep in mind that
while the main object of this project is
an easy-to-use text-to-speech syn-
thesizer, the computer section of the
circuit has some special merit of its
own. You may expect to see the same
6502-based control-computer design
in future Circuit Cellar projects.

Next Month:

We'll take a look at the software
and operation of the Microvox speech
synthesizer. ■

References

1 . Anderson, James C. "An Extremely Low-
Cost Computer Voice Response Sys-
tem," BYTE, February 1981, page 36.

2. Barden, William Jr. "Voice Synthesis for
the Color Computer: Third in a Series,"
BYTE, February 1982, page 258.

3. Blankenship, John. "Give Your Apple a
Voice: A Speech-Development System
Using the Radio Shack Speech Synthe-
sizer," BYTE, May 1982, page 446.

4. Ciarcia, Steve. "Build a Low-Cost
Speech-Synthesizer Interface," BYTE,
June 1981, page 46. Reprinted in Ciar-
cia's Circuit Cellar, Volume III, Peter-
borough, NH: BYTE Books, 1982, page
133.

5. Ciarcia, Steve. "Build an Unlimited-
Vocabulary Speech Synthesizer," BYTE,
September 1981, page 38. Reprinted in
Ciarcia' s Circuit Cellar, Volume III,
Peterborough, NH: BYTE Books, 1982,
page 168.

6. Ciarcia, Steve. "Talk to Me: Add a Voice
to Your Computer for $35," BYTE, June
1978, page 142. Reprinted in Ciarcia's
Circuit Cellar, Volume I, Peterborough,
NH: BYTE Books, 1979, page 77.

7. Fons, Kathryn and Tim Gargagliano.
"Articulate Automata: An Overview of
Voice Synthesis," BYTE, February 1 981 ,
page 164. (See also "BYTE's Bugs:
Upside-Down Static Phoneme," BYTE,
May 1981, page 232.)

8. Gargagliano, Tim and Kathryn Fons. "A
Votrax Vocabulary," BYTE, June 1981,
page 384.

9. Gargagliano, Tim and Kathryn Fons.
"Text Translator Builds Vocabulary for
Speech Chip," Electronics, February 1 0,
1981, page 118.

10. Gargagliano, Tim and Kathryn Fons.
"The TRS-80 Speaks: Using BASIC to
Drive a Speech Synthesizer," BYTE,
October 1979, page 113.

1 1 . Lin, Kun-Shan, Gene A. Frantz, and
Kathy Goudie. "Software Rules Give
Personal Computer Real Word Power,"
Electronics, February 10, 1981, page
122.

1 2. Miastkowski, Stan. "Add a Voice to Your
Computer: The Votrax Type-'N-Talk,"
Popular Computing, June 1982, page 81.

1 3. Payne, Robert A. " A Voice for the Apple
II Without Extra Hardware," BYTE,
November 1981, page 499.

To receive a complete list of Ciarcia's
Circuit Cellar project kits available from the
Micromint. circle 1 00 on the reader service
inquiry card at the back of the magazine.

The following are available from:

Intex Micro Systems Corporation

Suite 717

755 West Big Beaver Road

Troy, Ml 48084

(313) 362-4280

1. Intex-T alker , the assembled,
tested, and FCC-approved version
of the Microvox text-to-speech
synthesizer. With power supply

and documentation $295.

OEM pricing and availability will
be discussed on request. Michigan
residents please include 4 percent
sales tax. Please include $4 for
shipping. Overseas orders add $20
for shipping.

The Micromint Inc.
917 Midway
Woodmere, NY 11598
(516) 374-6793

(for technical information)
(800) 645-3479

(for orders only)

1. Complete kit for building the
Microvox text-to-speech voice
synthesizer, including the SC-01A
and all other components,
enclosure, power supply, and

documentation $215.

Overseas orders add $20 for
shipping.

or

2. Votrax SC-01A voice-synthe
sizer chip. . . .$70 each. Call fo\
OEM pricing and availability.

Residents of New York please
include 7 percent sales tax. Please
include $4 for shipping on all
orders.

Editor's Note: Steve often refers to previous
Circuit Cellar articles as reference material for
each month's current article. Most of these past
articles are available in reprint books from
BYTE Books, 70 Main St., Peterborough, NH
03458. Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar, Volume I,
covers articles that appeared in BYTE from
September 1977 through November 1978. Ciar-
cia's Circuit Cellar, Volume II, contains articles
from December 1978 through June 1980. Ciar-
cia's Circuit Cellar, Volume III, contains the ar-
ticles that were published from July 1980
through December 1981.

88 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Test drive the Victor desktop
computer designed tor systems.

Like a high performance automobile,
the Victor desktop business computer
needs to be put to the test to be really
appreciated. Here's why:

The computer dilemma.

Systems houses today face a basic
dilemma when it comes to selecting a
computer.

The so-called "personal" computers
on the market are like "economy" cars.
They're relatively inexpensive but
have limited power and capacity.

And the larger mini computers offer
more power and speed, like a luxury
car, but are, of course, more expensive.

Victor has a solution to that dilemma.

The Victor 9000 Business Computer is
retail piiced under $5,000. If you sell
compu ter systems, quantity purchase
agreements will let you be very
aggressive.

The Victor gives your systems the kin d
of memory and storage capacity
advanced applications demand.
Much more than comparably priced
machines.

And the Victor display screen has dou-
ble the resolution and capacity of its
competitors. You can display a full
132-column report and still be per-
fectly readable. Is that important to
your system ? Ask any programmer.

Experience where it counts.

But those are only the technical
advantages of the Victor 9000.
Equally important is Victor's 65 years
of experience in solving business prob-
lems. And Victor's 50 branch offices
throughout the country providing fast
service and total support.

Software toots to keep you
growing.

Victor supplies CP/M-86 and MS DOS
with every machine. Runtime support

for Basic, Cobol, Fortran and Pascal is
no extra cost. The Victor 9000 has the
tools you need to do the job right.

The Victor 9000. It's a desktop system
computer designed to be a "cut
above" the rest. Whether you sell com-
plete systems, or are just looking for
the best computer to support your
software, call your Victor OEM spe-
cialist today.Orget in touch with
Victor at (800) 621-5559. In Illinois
(800) 972-5858. We're open 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week.

Serving American business for 65 years.
VICTOR' BUSINESS PRODUCTS

Subsidiary of Kidde Inc
KJDOE

Great visibility -

800x400 pixels - graph-
ics - 80x25 characters
(soft-loaded) green phos-
phor - anti-glare - hit
mapped.

Design for comfort

- display screen tilts
0° -11° and swivels ±42°
to suit the operator.

Power under the
hood - 8088 - SMhz-2
RS 232 ports - 2 parallel
ports - C0DEC4 bus
slots.

Ease of handling - up

to 103 keys - capacity
switches - sculptured -
soft-loaded - 6 foot cord

Circle 479 on Inquiry card.

Fuel for thought -

CP/M-86 - MS-DOS -
C BASIC - Basic 86-MS-
Pascal-CIS-COBOL MS-
Fortran - MS- COBOL -
Multiplan - VictorWriter

Compact efficiency

- 302 square inch foot
print - all components
separate - organize it
yourself

Excellent mileage -

The Victor Business
Computer takes your
system further for less
money. Test drive it and
compare.

BYTE September 1982 89

Nowyou don't have to decide

between a
personal computer and

aVTlOO terminal.

Digital's introduced a per-
sonal computing option which
| can turn a VT100 terminal into a
personal computer that uses the
CP/M® operating system.

It's called Digital's Personal Computing
Option. You can purchase just the option, or you
can buy the complete terminal/computing pack-
age called the VT180.

Either represents significant advantages over
the choices available to you now. For now, you
can provide access to a large computer and per-
sonal computing at the same terminal.

More than that, you save the
additional cost of putting personal
computers and terminals side by
side on the top of a desk.

With the CP/M operating sys-
tem Digital's personal computing
terminal will run the literally hun-
dreds of programs available for it.
Including word processing, mailing
lists, financial modeling, statistics,
even data base communications-in
addition to the many more being
specially edited for this terminal.

And by virtue of the fact that Digital's per-
sonal computing terminal is VTlOO-based, you get
all the features that people buy VTlOOs for in the
first place. Features like smooth scrolling with
up to 132 columns display, split-screen viewing,
double-height and width characters, and
reverse video.

Plus a reputation that's second to none in the
industry. Plus Digital's service, on-site, anywhere
in the world.

All of this should make great sense when
you're confronted with the choice of terminals or
personal computers.

Because now you can pick one and get both.
See your Digital dealer for more infor-
mation or write: Digital Equipment
Corporation, Terminals Product Group,
2 Mt. Royal Avenue, UPI-5, Marlboro,
MA 01752. Telephone toll-free 800-
225-9378 (outside the continental U.S.
or in Massachusetts call 617-480-4077)
between 8:30am and 5:00pm Eastern
time. In Europe: 12 Av. des Morgines,
CH-1213 Petit-Lancy /Geneva.
In Canada: Digital Equipment of
Canada, Ltd.

Circle 159 on inquiry card.
CP/M® is a registered trademark of Digital Research, Inc.

Hardware Review

The Apple III
and Its New Profile

An in-depth look at the "new" Apple III microcomputer

and its Profile hard disk.

Robin Moore

Warner Hill Rd. RFD #5

Derry, NH 03038

r •

i

B

H

&

t

\ 6C3Q J"~J

SaSRSHSffiPxE SB

Photo 1:

file hard-
showing
screen.

A view of the Apple III, the Pro-
disk drive, and the Monitor III
a sample of Visicalc III on the

Photo 2: A rear view of the Apple III and
Profile showing the Silentype and game
paddle ports A and B, along with the
video, audio, RS-232C, and floppy-disk
connectors. The peripheral card visible is
the Profile interface card.

In 1980 when the Apple III was first
released, there were problems. Deliv-
eries were delayed, and when the ma-
chines finally arrived, they
often didn't work. The integrated cir-
cuits tended to wander out of their
sockets. Little software except Visi-
calc was available, and the much-pro-
moted real-time clock/calendar didn't
work well. The Apple III was, on the
whole, unreliable. It was a bad start.

Now, in 1982, the problems are
gone. The sockets have been changed
and the software bugs fixed. The
Apple III has been rereleased with re-
vised software, Pascal, and a brand-
new peripheral — the Profile, a
5-megabyte hard-disk drive. The new
Apple III is an impressive machine
and certainly a contender for the title
of Best Personal Computer in the less
than $10,000 class.

System Overview

Let's take a closer look. The Apple
III is a single unit that includes the
central processing unit, keyboard,
memory, floppy-disk drive, and
video output (see photos 1 and 2). It
has been designed to meet the needs

of the professional or small-business
user. Instead of offering an initial
low-cost unit requiring a number of
additions, Apple Computer Inc. has
included the most common system
expansions as standard in the Apple
III. These include an enhanced key-
board, a 24-row by 80-column dis-
play, an integral disk drive, 128K
bytes of memory, a programmable
128-character set, improved high-res-
olution graphics, and an Apple II
emulation program (see the At a
Glance box for additional features
and details).

In addition, several peripherals are
available for the Apple III. The most
impressive of these is the Profile,
Apple's new 5-megabyte hard-disk
drive. (The Profile will be described
in detail later in this article.) Other
options from Apple Computer in-

About the Author

Robin Moore is manager of microprocessor
development for A. B. Dick Co. and maintains
a strong interest in FORTH, graphics, and com-
puter music. He is also librarian for the
Southern New Hampshire Apple Core.

92 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

■ '

%

z

S* TbaSf THE ULTIMATE COMPUTER CONFLICT

Attacking, evading, scanning, corn-

between the forces of the Colonists
and the Kryon Empire. Join an inter-
galactic shootout with up to eight star-
ship commanders transmitting orders
from the keyboard cockpits of their
craft anywhere in the U.S.A.

municating. That's MegaWars. Easy
to learn but difficult to master. That's
why CompuServe will give one free
hour to every MegaWars player enter-
ing a game before December 31 , 1982.

Circle 102 on inquiry card.

Call toll free
800-848-8990.
You'll receive the illustrated guide to
CompuServe, America's most compre-
hensive Videotex service, plus the
MegaWars Commanders Briefing.

CompuServe

5000 Arlington Centre Blvd.
Columbus, Ohio 43220

800-848-8990

ERG/68000

MINI-SYSTEMS

D Full IEEE 696/S100
compatibility

HARDWARE OPTIONS

D 8MHz or 10 MHz 68000 CPU

D Memory Management

D Multiple Port Intelligent I/O

□ 64K STATIC RAM (70 nsec)

□ 256K Dynamic RAM, with full
parity (150 nsec)

□ 8" D/D, D/S floppy disk drives
D 5MB-32MB hard disk drives
D Full DMA host adaptor

□ 20MB tape streamer

D 10 to 20 slot backplane
D 30 amp power supply

SOFTWARE OPTIONS

D 68KFORTH 1 systems language
with MACRO assembler and
MET A complier

D Fast Floating Point package

□ Motorola's MACSBUG

D IDRIS 2 operating system with

C, PASCAL, FORTRAN 77,

68K-BASIC 1 compilers

Trademark 1 ERG, Inc.

'Whitesmiths

30 day delivery
with valid Purchase Order

OEM prices available

For CPU, Integrated Card Sets

or Systems.

Empirical Research Group, Inc.

P.O. Box 1176

Milton, WA 98354

206-631-4855

At a Glance

Name

The Apple I

Computer

Manufacturer

Apple Computer Inc.
20525 Mariani Ave.
Cupertino, CA 950 1 4
(408) 996-10I0

Components

System Unit

Size: width 1 7.5 inches (44.45 cmj, depth 1 8.2 inches (46.23 cmj, height

4.8 inches (1 2. 1 9 cmj
Weight: 26 pounds (1 1 .8 kg)

Power Required: 1 07- 1 32 volts AC, 60 Hz, 1 00 watts maximum
Processor: 6502B (2 MHz) with bank switching and enchanced indirect

addressing, double stack and zero pages
Memory: 1 28K bytes of dynamic RAM (expandable to 256K bytes), 4K bytes of

self -test and boot-loader ROM
Standard: keyboard for text and data entry; programmable RS-232C serial

communications/printer interface; power-up self-check and disk
bootstrap; both color-graphics and black-and-white/gray-scale graphics
video outputs; two game-paddle/joystick connectors; three audio
generators— fixed beep, I -bit programmable, and 6-bit A-D converter;
one !40K-byte 5 'A -inch floppy-disk drive
Video Display: Three Text Modes

24 by 80, black and white, normal and inverse
24 by 40, black and white, normal and inverse
24 by 40, 1 6 color characters on 1 6 color backgrounds
All text modes have software-definable 1 28-character sets
Four Graphics Modes

280 by 1 92, 16-color foreground and background with limitations
280 by 1 92, black and white
1 40 by 1 92, 1 6 colors with no limitations
560 by 1 92. black and white
Video Outputs: Both black-and-white/gray-scale and color-graphics outputs providing
NTSC monochrome composite video, NTSC color composite video, or
4-bit coded RGB color with a separate composite synchronization
signal
Keyboard: 74 keys for text and data entry; includes 1 3-key numeric pad for fast

numeric entries, four cursor control keys with two-speed auto-repeat,
three special-function keys, and text keys that allow entry of all 1 28
ASCII characters; SOS software provides a 1 28-character type-ahead
keyboard buffer; all keys automatically repeat after Vi second
Disk Drives: System supports up to four 1 40K-byte 5 % -inch floppy-disk drives

using Apple-format 6/8 GCR (group-coded recording) encoding

Operating System

Apple III SOS I . I (Sophisticated Operating System); single task, interrupt-driven, configurable
operating system with hierarchical file structure, multiple file protection levels, and device-
independent byte-oriented I/O

Special Features

An Apple \\ emulation mode that allows use of almost all existing. Apple \\ software; utilities
that allow transfer of DOS text files, Visicalc files, and Pascal files from the Apple \\ to the
Apple l\\

Software Available for the Apple III

Visicalc III $250; Applewriter III $225; Apple III Pascal $250; Business BASIC $125; Apple
Access III (communications software) $150; Apple III Business Graphics $175; Pascal Utility
Library $75; Script III $125; Mail List Manager $150; all from Apple Computer Inc.

Hardware Prices (Apple Computer Inc)

Apple III 1 2BK-byte system

Apple III 256K-byte system

Additional disk drives (three maximum)

Profile 5-megabyte Winchester hard disk-drive and interface card

Universal parallel interface card

Apple Monitor III (monochrome/green screen)

Game controllers

$3495

$4295

$495

$3,499

$225

S320

$29.95

94 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

&*

r 'l

J JU

v *

"THAT'S IIP

There's nothing like the feeling you
get when you've got the solution.

And nothing else will help you
solve problems better, smarter, faster
than the Visi™ programs for your per-
sonal computer.

For example, our VisiCalc® pro-
gram: It's # 1 in the business because
it takes the work out of working with
business numbers. The VisiCalc
program is the powerful "electronic
worksheet" that speeds planning and
budgeting. It lets you ask "what if?"
and see the answers immediately. So
you can analyze the impact of deci-
sions before you make them.

OurVisiTrend/Plot™ program
combines graphics with forecasting
and statistics. It automatically performs
complex calculations and produces
charts and graphs. So you can analyze
the past, forecast the future and plot
your results in an easy-to-understand
visual form.

© 1982 VisiCorp

In addition, our series includes
theVisiFile™ VisiDex™ VisiSchedule 1
VisiPlot™ VisiTerm™ and Desktop/
PLAN™ programs.

But the Visi programs are far
more than individual problem-solvers.
They're all inter-related, just like your
needs and tasks, to give you a fully
integrated solution.

All of the Visi programs work in
much the same way, and they auto-
matically interchange data, too.
So it's easy to learn and use any
of them, work in many different
ways with all of them.

They're brought to you
by VisiCorp™ The one com-
pany whose only business
is helping you make the
most of the personal
computer in your
business.

Ask your
retail computer

store salesperson for a demonstration
of the Visi series. They'll help you and
your computer do all the things you're
intent on doing.

The VisiSeries From
VisiCorf

PERSONAL SOFTWARE"

Apple III (list prices)

128K-byte system unit with integral 140K-byte 5% -inch floppy-disk

drive, Apple SOS operating system software, both color-graphics and

black-and-white/gray-scale video outputs, RS-232C serial interface,

game control port, and Silentype printer interface

$3495

additional floppy-disk drive (three maximum)

$495

Apple Business BASIC software

$125

total

$4115

IBM Personal Computer (suggested retail prices)

48K-byte system unit, disk-adapter card, one 160K-byte floppy-disk

drive, DOS software, Disk BASIC

$2235

16K bytes of added memory and game adapter card

$145

additional floppy-disk drive (one maximum)

$570

serial RS-232C interface card

$150

additional 64K-byte memory card

$540

color-graphics video adapter card

$300

Microsoft extended BASIC software

$40

total

$3980

Table 1: Price comparison of comparable versions of the Apple HI and the IBM Per-

sonal Computer. Both systems include 128K bytes of memory, two floppy-disk

drives, color-graphics video output, serial RS-232C interfaces for Qume (or equiva-

lent) letter-quality printers, and game-paddle adapters. The system chosen is one

that might be purchased by people who wish to combine business and personal ap-

plications. Note that in this configuration the IBM has used up all its expansion slots,

while the Apple HI still has all four of its slots left for further expansion.

elude the Silentype thermal printer,
additional floppy-disk drives, the
monochrome green-screen Monitor
III, a universal parallel I/O (in-
put/output) interface card, and game
controllers.

Many of the existing Apple II inter-
face cards will work in an Apple III
while in the Apple II emulation mode.
However, use of Apple II cards in an
Apple III will probably make it ex-
ceed FCC (Federal Communications
Commission) radio-frequency radia-
tion limits and may cause interference
on nearby television sets or radios. In
addition, Apple II cards are not com-
patible with Apple III software unless
special device-driver routines are
written, and Apple provides virtually
no information on how to write
them.

Apple Computer currently pro-
vides a variety of software packages
for the Apple III in addition to Busi-
ness BASIC and Apple Pascal. There
are also various hardware and soft-
ware products available for the Apple
III from other vendors and the num-
ber of these will increase as the Apple
III user community grows.

The only software built into the
Apple III is a 4K-byte ROM (read-
only memory) that holds power-up
self -test and disk bootstrap routines.
All other software is loaded from
disk. Although this means that lan-
guages use up some of the available
RAM (random-access read/write
memory), it also allows easy software
upgrades and fixes that would be
more difficult if the software were
permanently in ROM.

System Pricing

The approach to Apple III pricing
is almost directly opposed to the pric-
ing strategy used for the Apple II and
the IBM Personal Computer. Because
Apple chose to include a large num-
ber of standard features, the Apple III
has a relatively high initial cost
($3495); however, it can expand to
256K bytes of memory, four floppy-
disk drives, and a letter-quality
Qume (or equivalent) printer without
using any of the expansion slots. A
fully usable system can be configured
by adding just a video monitor and
an inexpensive serial printer.

Table 1 shows a price comparison
of the Apple III and the IBM Personal
Computer. Both systems are con-
figured with 128K bytes of memory,
two floppy-disk drives, a serial RS-
232C printer interface, color-graphics
video outputs, and game controllers.
The IBM system costs slightly less but
uses all of its expansion slots, while
the Apple III still has its four slots
available for future growth.

The Apple HI User

A look at the documentation and
software supplied with the system
will quickly reveal that the Apple III
is targeted for professional and small-
business users. Clear tutorials and ex-
ample programs on disk demonstrate
most system functions and features.
There is even a two-disk program to
lead you through the keyboard and
display functions step by step.

The Apple III is not designed for
the home hobbyist. Much of the tech-
nical information included with the
Apple II is absent in the Apple III
package. There is no discussion of
bus structure, I/O addressing, mem-
ory usage, or screen-memory map-
ping. There are no listings published
for any of the system software, either
in the Apple III ROMs or on disk.
Apple does not even tell you about
the monitor program included in the
ROMs (which is accessible by hold-
ing the Control and Open- Apple keys
while pressing Reset).

All this technical information is
unimportant to business users. They
are more interested in using the Apple

96 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 214 on inquiry card.

Let's get personal

try out the in-stock selection of Heath/
Zenith microcomputers, peripherals,
accessories and software.

Now available at your nearby Heathkit
Electronic Center, or through the Heathkit
mail order catalog.

You get more with a Heath/Zenith per-
sonal microcomputer system! We offer:

I.Proven high-performance hardware:

Thousands of our microcomputers prove
themselves daily, in the field.

2. Vast software library: Three operating
systems (including CP/M), languages, word
processors, an electronic spreadsheet, ver-
satile utilities and the 500-program Heath
Users' Group software library.

3. Self-instruction courses: Evaluation
and programming courses from Heathkit/
Zenith Educational Systems.

4. Service support: Before and after the
sale -consultation by phone, carry-in
service by trained technicians.

Test run one of our microcomputers
at any of the more than 60 convenient
Heathkit Electronic Centers in the U.S.

Heathkit .

ELECTRONIC CENTERS* ^f

See the white pages of your telephone book rff?\
for store locations and telephone numbers. f

*Units of Veritechnology Electronics Corporation in the U.S.

Photo 3: The Apple HI with its main cover removed, The
power supply is housed in the enclosure visible to the left, I/O
card slots are in the center, and the disk drive is on the right.
The entire Apple HI is built around a single thin-wall aluminum
casting that provides both support and shielding.

Photo 4: The Apple HI main PC board. The piggy-back-
mounted board to the left of center is the removable main
memory board. Using this board, the Apple II can be expanded
to its full memory capacity without using up any of its I/O ex-
pansion slots.

Ill than in dissecting it, and will, in
most cases, use commerical software.
The Apple III is admirably designed
to serve their needs. For hobbyists
there are better choices, namely, the
Apple II.

Inside the Enclosure

The Apple III is a fine example of a
quality product designed for high-
volume production. The entire unit is
built around a single thin-wall
aluminum casting that provides sup-
port and shielding as well as heat
dissipation so that no cooling fan is
required. The expansion card guides
are molded into the casting, and fully
enclosed boxes are built in for both
the main printed-circuit (PC) card
and the switching power supply (see
photo 3).

All of the circuitry, except mem-
ory, is on one main PC board (see
photo 4). The system memory board
mounts piggy-back style onto the
main board and avoids taking an ex-
pansion slot. In fact, the Apple III can
be expanded to its full 256K-byte
memory capacity in the same fashion,
leaving all slots free.

The Apple III central processing
unit is based on a 6502B microproces-
sor with custom external circuitry
that provides a number of enhance-
ments to the normal 6502 instruction

set. These enhancements include ex-
panded addressing range, alternate
stack and zero pages, and improved
indirect addressing that is supported
by a separate pointer page.

Although the technical information
provided by Apple is somewhat
vague, apparently the 6502B is run at
2 MHz during the video blanking in-

The Apple III can be

configured to 256K

bytes without using a

single expansion slot.

tervals and at 1 MHz while the beam
is writing information onto your
monitor screen. This provides an
average speed of about 1.4 MHz, but
the screen can be turned off tem-
porarily during program execution to
allow the processor to run at its full
2-MHz speed, if desired.

While a normal 6502B can address
a maximum of 64K bytes of memory,
the Apple III uses bank switching to
expand this range to a theoretical
maximum of 512K bytes.

Up to fifteen 32K-byte blocks of
memory can be switched to occupy
the range of addresses between 2000
and 9FFF hexadecimal. This switching

is handled automatically by the oper-
ating system and is totally "trans-
parent"; that is, the switching ex-
ecutes in the background without af-
fecting any task you may be perform-
ing in the visible foreground. It
should be noted that, to date, Apple
Computer has not announced any
Apple III memory expansion beyond
256K bytes. Perhaps this will be a
future option.

The main PC board also includes
the disk controller, serial interface,
video generation circuitry, and the
expansion card slots. The expansion-
bus connections in the Apple III are
essentially the same as those in the
Apple II, although DMA (direct
memory access) is handled somwhat
differently. The Apple III Owners
Manual provides no information
about the expansion bus. Hopefully,
this type of information will be avail-
able in the future. There are few com-
peting systems that do not make this
sort of information available to the
public.

The Keyboard

Experienced typists should find the
Apple III keyboard easy to use (see
photo 5). Unlike the Apple II, this
keyboard has a typewriter layout so
that touch-typists should feel comf or-

98 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

ISIC6LC WORKSPACE KEKORY

EC«DS F?.E$£NT

J! :

: t 8f Hi -,?p

EXPAND VISICALC® ON APPLE® II

Do you need more memory
for your VisiCalc models?
Would you like to see them in
80 column display? Do you
want hard disk support?

Then you need one of
Saturn's VisiCalc expansion
systems. For a fraction of the
cost of a larger computer,
you can create models you
never dreamed possible on
an Apple II.

With Saturn board(s) and
software, you can increase
your workspace to as much
as 177K. With additional

hardware, you can get 80 col-
umn display and lower case
letters. You can even use the
Nestar hard disk system, if
you wish.

Saturn's VC-Expand pro-
grams allow you to use the
entire displayed VisiCalc
matrix, and to save your large
models on more than one
diskette.

You can also use your
Saturn boards to expand user
programming capabilities, or
to simulate a disk drive under
DOS, PASCAL, or CP/M ®

Ask your retail computer
store salesperson about
Saturn's memory expansion
systems. See how much big-
ger and better your VisiCalc
models can become.

VisiCalc is a registered trademark of VisiCorp.

Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.

CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital Research Corporation.

P.O. Box 8050 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48107
(313)973-8422

Circle 41 3 on Inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 99

The Panasonic portable computer

We've improved the way

The link" by Panasonic.

It will improve the way you
solve problems. And the

solutions come from the
I portable computing power
you have at your
fingertips. You can take it
with you on planes, cars,
boats, anywhere, because
it fits into a suitcase. You can
be more cost effective in the
field, because you'll have
access to more information for
making on-the-spot decisions.
You'll have the incredible
advantage of being able to
telecommunicate from anywhere
you are. It gives you a whole
new world of computing.
Portable computing.

Software Solutions — Now

there's an exciting new software
system for the 6502
microprocessor that gives you more
solutions to your problems.
The popular language software for the portable computer includes
Extended Basic Compiler/Interpreter, SnapFORTH and Microsoft Basic.®
The Panasonic portable computer also has a wide range of specific
software programs for your specific problems, such as:

The Scientific Calculator — An incredibly powerful tool that solves mathematical problems for the
scientist, engineer, and professional wherever they go.

Portabudq et — It's your portable personal financial manager. It gives you up-to-the-minute personal
control. It allows you to be your own record keeper, savings advisor, accountant, bill manager, credit
and charge account guide, investment counselor, portfolio keeper, and tax assistant. Overall, it
helps plan your personal financial life, portably

Portacalc — Gives you the portability and the flexibility to automatically analyze numerical problems
wherever and whenever they arise. You can assess "what if" alternative business problems,
comprehend key variables in business, and dynamically analyze problems on engineering projects.

Portawriter — It allows you to write, edit, and format information. And, you can telecommunicate the
information from wherever you are. Whether you're in the boardroom, hotel room, or even on a golf
course, Portawriter gives you full editing and formatting capability for notes, reports, letters, news
copy, tables, lists, forms, orders, you name it.

Portalo q — It is an easy, precise tool for time-billing professionals without a minute to lose. Whether
you're on the road or in the office, you can log time, compile bills, generate billing reports, and track
the work of your highly paid employees. Portalog gives you improved timekeeping productivity.

Telecomputin g 2™ — It lets you telecommunicate with your data base. You can establish
communications between headquarters and field forces. Exchange files and programs between
remote stations. Access timesharing services and store data in a large computer's mass storage.
You can also upload and download program data.

with a wide range of new software,
you solve problems.

Portaflex — A master program that allows you to create solutions for applications, such as:

° Inventory Control— Analysis and control of inventory while you're on the job.

a Order Entry— A customized system for any sales order entry. It offers you productivity, and the
advantage of faster order entry.

° Field Service —Retrieve, diagnose, and analyze your field service data wherever you are in the field.

a Auditing and Accounting —Custom auditing and accounting, anywhere you are in the field.

° Estimating —Versatility for flexible bidding and estimating at your job site.

Software Development Tools for the Customizer — Create your own custom programs and burn
them into your EPROM so your program is recorded in nonvolatile form.

Simply take a desk top microcomputer,* insert the software development discs, create your own
program, de-bug that program, compile the program, then "burn-in" your problem-solving EPROM.

* Presently ottered lor Apple II Plus.

Hardware Specifications —

The Panasonic portable computer offers 6502
microprocessor (1 MHz) technology.

□ It offers 4K or 8K internal nonvolatile RAM

□ 48K internal ROM

□ Built-in Ni-Cad rechargeable battery pack

□ External AC adapter/recharger

□ 26-character liquid crystal display

a 65-key completely redefinable keyboard

Introducing Peripherals for Additional Solutions —

Modular peripherals let you customize your system.

□ Multiple RS-232C serial interfaces

□ Asynchronous modem with cassette interface
(110 or 300 baud)

□ 40-character microprinter (thermal dot matrix printing)

□ 8K or 16K RAM memory expansion packs

□ X-Y four-color plotter (up to 80 characters per line)

□ TV adapter (32 characters X 16 lines with color
and graphics)

The Panasonic portable computer. It's improved the way you solve problems. Because we believe
its portable modules and multiple software applications can vastly improve your productivity. And that
can be an important solution to your profit problems.

The portable computer from Panasonic. We've improved the way you solve problems.

The Link: by Panasonic. It's changing the way the world uses computers.

Please send me more information.

Panasonic Company, Hand-Held Computers
One Panasonic Way, Secaucus, New Jersey 07094

Dealer Inquiries Invited

Name (PLEASE PRINT) .
Title & Company

^ Type of Business.

^ Address

City

.State.

-Zip-

Phone Number!

Panasonic,

just slightly ahead of our time.

Circle 364 on inquiry card.

Photo 5: The Apple III keyboard. Although it looks separate, it is actually part of the
Apple III main enclosure.

table with the key placement. The
layout of the numeric keypad on the
right, which resembles that of a calcu-
lator, allows easy entry of numeric

data. The Apple III can also generate
all 128 ASCII (American Standard
Code for Information Interchange)
codes without extra hardware.

FOR CP/M-86

CC-86 Compiler available for both CP/M-86*

and MP/M-86* (incl. IBM PC)

Full Unix** V7 language compatibility

Standard I/O library supports both buffered and

non-buffered I/O and OS calls

Stand-alone assembler supports relocatable code,

local symbols and linkage to external modules

Introductory prices: $500 for CC-86 and
assembler/linker; $200 for assembler/linker;
$50 for manual (incl. K & R)

CP/M and MP/M
are trademarks of
Digital Research

Unix is a trademark
of Bell Laboratories

(503)297-7153

Control-C Software, Inc.

6441 SW Canyon Court
Portland. OR 97221

In addition to the normal Shift,
Control, and Caps-Lock modifier
keys, the Apple III includes special
Open-Apple and Close-Apple keys
that you can define for special func-
tions. All keys automatically repeat
when pressed for more than Vi sec-
ond, and the four cursor-movement
keys each provide a 2-speed repeat —
pressing gently repeats at 11 Hz,
while pressing firmly repeats at 33
Hz.

Apple's SOS 1.1 operating system
provides a 128-character type-ahead
buffer so that keystrokes wont be
lost if you continue to type while the
system is busy. This buffer may be
emptied, or flushed, if the program
running needs to wait for a particular
keystroke.

One of the biggest complaints
about the original Apple II concerned
the close proximity of the Reset key
to the rest of the keyboard. In the
Apple III the Reset key has been posi-
tioned at the rear edge of the key-
board enclosure, thus avoiding the
accidental resets encountered in early
Apple lis. Simultaneously pressing
Control and Reset simulates a power-
up and reboots the system from the
main disk drive.

In addition to the normal keyboard
functions, a number of special control
features are built into the Apple III
keyboard. Pressing the Control key
and one of the keys on the numeric
pad will allow you to turn the video
on and off, flush the type-ahead buf-
fer, suspend screen output so that the
processor can run at maximum speed,
display control characters, or turn off
the screen until the program requests
an input.

In general, I found the keyboard
versatile and pleasant to use. (Al-
though the keyboard is actually part
of the main enclosure, it is styled to
appear as a separate unit. A conve-
nient recess at the top can support a
book or a pencil.) My only problem
was that the very light touch required
to avoid automatic key repeat some-
times caused me to produce extra
characters. You have to break the
habit of letting your hands rest on the
keyboard while thinking about what
to type next.

102 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 132 on inquiry card.

*TIfc Home Computer*
This is the one?

A lot of computers offer a lot. Only one
in its price range offers the most. The TI
Home Computer.

Better to begin with. Anyone can start
right away with our Solid State Software ™
Command Cartridges. Dozens of programs
are available in home management, educa-
tion and entertainment.

Easy to expand. Our Peripheral Expan-
sion System gives you plug-in cards for
memory expansion, P-Code capabilities, a
disk drive controller and the RS232 Inter-
face. You can also add a modem, speech

synthesizer, disk drive and 80 column dot
matrix printer.

Programming flexibility. TI BASIC is
built into the Home Computer. But it can
alsohandleTI Extended BASIC, UCSD
Pascal* Version I V.0, TI LOGO II, TMS
9900 Assembly Language and TI PILOT'.
Programs can be stored in the optional
Mini Memory Command Cartridge.

High-Tech specs. 16-bit microprocessor,
16K bytes RAM (expandable to 52K).
26K bytes internal ROM, upto30K bytes
external ROM. 3 simultaneous tones from

110 HZ to 40,000 HZ. High resolution video.
U. & I.e. Single line overlay for 2nd function.
Control & function keys. 16 color graphics
with 4 modes & sprites.

Sound impressive? Compare a TI Home
Computer with the competition and really
be impressed. You won't even
need a computer to tell you this
is the one. ^_^

Texas
Instruments

i 1982 Texas Instruments

'UCSD Pascal is a trademark of the Regents of the University of California

Circle 461 on inquiry card.

Mode

Format

Colors

24 by 40

black and white

1

24 by 40

16 foreground and
16 background
colors

2

24 by 80

black and white

Table 2: Apple III text display modes, screen formats, and color capabilities.

Color

ASCII

Gray

Color

Value

Character

Level

black

black

magenta

1

1

dark blue

2

2

lavender

3

3

dark green

4

4

dark gray

gray

5

5

medium blue

6

6

light blue

7

7

brown

8

8

medium gray

orange

9

9

gray 2

10

pink

11

;

green

12

<

light gray

yellow

13

=

aqua

14

>

white

15

?

white

Table 3: Table of graphics colors or gray levels produced by the GRAFIX driver
routine. After opening the routine as an output device, colors may be selected by
printing a CHR$(9) followed by an ASCII character. The color values shown are ex-
tracted from the lower four bits of the ASCII code transmitted. Higher-level graphics
functions are provided by the BGRAF invocable module.

Display Modes

The Apple III offers several text
and graphics display modes. Either
type of display is available in black
and white or color, and both offer
various formats and resolutions.

The normal text display is black
and white, with a 24-row by 80-col-
umn format and a maximum of 1920
displayed characters. Alternate
modes include 24 by 40 black and
white and 24 by 40 color. In all three
text modes the characters are normal-
ly displayed as a 5- by 7-dot matrix
within a 7- by 8-dot character cell.
However, all 128 characters are user-
programmable and may be defined to
be 7 dots wide by 8 dots high so that
adjacent characters will touch in all
directions if desired. (See table 2 for
available text display modes.)

In the 40-column color-text mode,
you can display 16 colors of charac-
ters on 16 colors of background. In
combination with the user-definable
character set, you can produce some
surprisingly good color-graphics dis-
plays. For example, Apple's well-
known "running-horse" demonstra-
tion program (shown in photo 6) is
produced in color-text mode. The col-
or values shown in table 3, although
specified for graphics, can also be
used for color text.

With four graphics modes, the
Apple Ill's capabilities are significant-

Expand your IBM PC...

256K IBM PC RAM
EXPANSION BOARD

Model No. ADS 5001
with parity upgraded
at 64K intervals

SUGGESTED LIST PRICE

• W/64K RAM .... $380.00

• W/128K RAM .... 655.00

• W/192K RAM .... 795.00

• W/256K RAM .... 995.00

Distributor and dealer inquiries welcome

IADSI ANTEX DATA SYSTEMS

\r\U \J\ £ Division of International Antex, Inc.
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(415) 941-7914 TWX 910-373-8500 "INTER AX PTVY"

ADS 8001 DOT MATRIX
PRINTER -

PRINT FEATURES

Print Speed: 120 CPS

Characters: 8 sizes, 5 different

alphabets, upper/lower case descenders

Print Width: 8 in. max., Form Width: 4.5 in. to 10 in.

Print Mode: 9x9 exceptional quality with proportional spacing

Graphics: 144x144 dots/in. square and block graphic in ROMs

Print Head: 9 pins, heavy duty designed with air-cooled fins

Number of Columns: 136 max.

Print Direction: Bidirectional logic seeking

Form: Folded/Single sheet

Form Feed: Tractor and friction, bidirectional

Number of Copies: Original plus 3 ul Listed

104 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 29 on Inquiry card.

Go from spread sheets to letters
in one easy move with a new
^m***^*^ double-duty

JT^ m-m DMS-

• • I

Add the versatility of the
DMS-5000's rotating screen-
plus graphics— to HiNet™ the
complete hardware/software local
area network. It's flexible ,

inexpensive , fast — and from a single source.
The DMS-5000 puts an end to scrolling left or right for spread

sheets; up or down for full page, word processing display. Display 80

high-resolution characters by 66 lines or, rotate the screen 90° to

horizontal and display an extended line of 132 characters by 50 lines

(or 80 characters by 26 lines).
In either position, the DMS-5000 provides im pressive gra phics .

Its 16 bit-mapped pixel intensities and an optional

second memory plane, provide text overlays on a

graphics display plus computerized "slide shows."
The DMS-5000 is a complete HiNet station

too-with a Z80A and 64K RAM, or 8086 and

up to 1MB RAM, each with full I/O comple-
ment and the HiNet network port.
Find out how the HiNet Local Area Network

speeds business communications— and how

the DMS-5000 doubles the potential of your

HiNet hardware.

Digital Microsystems

Because man was not meant to work alone.

cm

1840 Embarcadero, Oakland, CA 94606 (415) 532-3686, TWX 910-366-7310/ Extel House, East Harding St., London EC4P-4HB 01-353-1080 Telex 23721

CP/M® is a registered trademark of Digital Research, Inc.

Circle 162 on inquiry card. BYTE September 1982 105

Photo 6: The well-known "running horse" demonstration. This display was generated
using the 24-row by 80-column color-text display mode using the Apple Ill's program-
mable character set to produce the special shapes required.

Photo 7: An example of the 560- by 192-pixel graphics display mode. Although this
mode doesn 't offer color, it is ideal for displays that require fine detail.

ly better than those of the Apple II
(table 4 shows the available modes).
The highest resolution offered is 560
by 192 pixels, black and white. This
mode is useful for scientific or tech-
nical displays that require maximum
resolution, as shown in photo 7.
There is also a 280 by 192 black-and-
white display mode.

The highest-resolution color dis-
play available is 280 by 192 pixels.
Using this mode you can display up
to 16 colors with some limitations. In
each 7-dot-wide section of a given
vertical coordinate, only two colors
can be displayed. Bits that are turned
on will display the specified fore-
ground color, while bits that are

turned off display the background
color for that section. This is usually
noticed only when lines of different
colors cross. The limited color mode
is useful for many applications where
16 colors are required but where max-
imum resolution is needed (an exam-
ple is shown in photo 8).

The most colorful graphics mode is
the 140- by 192-pixel 16-color mode.
With no limitations on color place-
ment, it is capable of producing very
impressive displays (see photo 9).
One of the more interesting techniques
in this mode mixes various colors of
dots to produce a variety of in-
between shades of color. Using this
technique, it is possible to produce
several hundred colors on an Apple
III.

Although the resolution is effec-
tively reduced in the shaded areas,
this method is typically used for fill-
ing in areas of pictures rather than for
outlines, which are normally drawn
in solid color. A talented artist with a
digitizing tablet and the appropriate
software can produce results like
those shown in photo 10.

Apple SOS

Apple's SOS (Sophisticated Oper-
ating System) 1.1 is one of the more
powerful operating systems available
for an 8-bit microcomputer and offers
features usually found only on larger
machines. SOS supports multiple
nested directories, handles interrupt-
driven and DMA I/O, and manages
the Apple III memory and hardware
environment.

A unique feature of SOS is that
there is no user interface. All com-
munications with SOS are handled by
the resident language (BASIC or
Pascal for now) in a fashion compati-
ble with the language syntax. For ex-
ample, with Business BASIC you dis-
play a disk directory by typing
CATALOG (or CAT), but in Pascal
you would press F to enter the filter
and then press E to get an extended
directory. Rumor has it that Apple is'
working on a separate SOS user-in-
terface package. This would allow ac-
cess to SOS without requiring that a
language be loaded into the system.

All Apple III I/O is handled by
SOS through device drivers. Each

106 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 297 on inquiry card.

CASHFLOW
PROBLEMS?

ITS NICE TO KNOW SOMEONE
WHO HAS THE SOLUTION.

MicroAge is your Solution
Store . . . that means at
MicroAge Computer Stores
we have a wide selection
of time-saving computer-
ized business systems
designed specifically to
solve the daily cash flow
problems every business-
man faces.

MicroAge has computer-
ized business systems that
quickly and affordably allow you to regain con-
trol of your critical accounts receivable ... at last
making it possible for you to carry out effective
collection procedures on a consistent basis.
MicroAge has accounts receivable program
packages to automatically display and update
account information; prepare trial balance
including a balance-due and delinquency aging

report, and take care of dozens of other tasks
that eat into your time and profit!

Computerized business systems from the Micro-
Age Computer Store are available in the $5,000
to $15,000 range, to suit the individual budget of
your small business or professional practice.
MicroAge backs up every system with personal-
ized service, warranty service and repair, instal-
lation, systems consulting, even customer train-
ing. Visit the MicroAge Computer Store in your
area soon with your business problems, and let
us help you with the solution.

/Miaorige

ca/WPUTor sTore

"The Solution Store" ™

VISIT THE STORE IN YOUR AREA:

EI Paso, Texas
(915) 591-3349
Tucson, Arizona
(602) 790-8959

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Aurora, Colorado
(303) 696-6950
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(716) 244-9000
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(817)284-3413
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(312) 349-8080

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(414)257-1100
Mountain View, California
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San Diego, California
(714) 278-0623

Richardson, Texas
(214) 234-5955
Minneapolis, Minnesota
(612) 338-1777
Omaha, Nebraska
(402) 339-7441
Phoenix, Arizona
(602) 265-0065
Columbus, Ohio
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Indianapolis, Indiana
(317)849-5161
Portland, Oregon
(503) 256-4713
Norwalk, Conneticut
(203) 646-0851
St, Louis, Missouri
(314) 567-7644
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
(405) 728-1837

FOR FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY INFORMATION CALL (602) 968-3168

Houston, Texas
(713) 440-7547
W. Palm Beach, Florida
(305) 683-5779
Toronto, Canada
(416) 487-5551
Houston, Texas
(713) 270-9647
Wilmington, Delaware
(302) 658-3664
AJlentown, Pennsylvania
(215) 434-4301

Graphics Mode

Graphics

Colors

Memory

Main Screen Alternate Screen

Resolution

Available

Used

4

280hby 192v

black and white

8K

1 5

280hby 192v

16 colors with
limitations

16K

2 6

560hby 192v

black and white

16K

3 7

140hby 192v

16 colors,
no limitations

16K

Table 4: The Apple III graphics modes, resolution,

available colors,

and graphics

screen memory requirements. Each main mode allows two separate screen buffers so

that one screen may be updated while the other screen is displayed. When the black-

and-white gray-scale video output is

used, the 16 colors are output as

16 gray levels

from black to white.

Photo 8: An example of the Apple Ill's 280- by 192-pixel limited 16-color mode. While
there are some limitations on the combinations of colors that can be displayed next to
each other, this mode offers the highest color resolution and is useful in many applica-
tions.

device driver is a group of routines
designed to communicate with a par-
ticular hardware device and provide a
uniform interface to SOS. For exam-
ple, in a minimal Apple III system,
you need the device driver .CON-
SOLE to handle the keyboard and
text display, as well as .FMTDl to
handle the system floppy disk. Some
of the other drivers included with
the system are .AUDIO, .RS232,

.PRINTER, and .GRAFIX. Even
though the RS-232C interface and the
graphics display hardware are in-
cluded in the Apple III, they are con-
sidered optional I/O devices for pro-
gramming purposes.

The System Configuration Pro-
gram (SCP) provides a variety of
tools that allow you to modify and
reconfigure the system device drivers.
Once the device drivers are specified,

the SCP can regenerate a version of
the system that meets your particular
requirements. You can also use the
SCP to specify whether a driver will
be active or inactive. When the
system is booted up, only the active
drivers in the SOS. DRIVERS file will
be loaded and require memory space.
From the programmer's point of
view, device drivers are treated as
files and can be used from either
BASIC or Pascal. With Business
BASIC they may be opened, ac-
cessed, and closed like any other file.
(You can pass commands and data to
an opened driver simply by using the
PRINT# statement.) For example, the
following Business BASIC lines
would list the current program on the
Silentype printer if the .SILENTYPE
driver were installed:

10 OPEN#l, ".SILENTYPE"

20 OUTPUTS

30 LIST

40 CLOSE#l

SOS allows the disk drives to be ac-
cessed either by their device name
(e.g.,.Dl) or by the volume name of
the disk currently in the drive (e.g.,
MYDISK). Suppose that line 10 from
the previous example were changed
to read:

10 OPEN#l, "MYDISK/LISTFILE"

This would cause the program listing
to be sent to a file called LISTFILE on
a disk called MYDISK.

Unlike most systems which provide
a single disk directory, SOS treats a
directory like any other file. You can
create and maintain directories easily
with the same commands (LOCK,
UNLOCK, RENAME, DELETE, etc.)
that are used to maintain other files.
You can assign any type of file to a
directory, and any given directory
may be a file assigned to another,
higher-level directory.

The key to dealing with these
nested levels of directories is the SOS
pathname. Using device and file
names separated by slashes, you can
tell SOS what path to follow through
various levels of directories. For ex-
ample, the pathname /MYDISK/
RECORDS/CHECKS/JAN.81/ would
search the system for a disk volume

108 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

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Photo 9: Two examples of the 140- by 192-pixel full 16-color mode.

Photo 10: A talented artist with a digitizing tablet and the appropriate software can
produce results like this by using blended colors in the Apple Ill's 140- by 192-pixel
color mode.

named MYDISK, locate the directory
RECORDS (which itself would con-
tain the subdirectory CHECKS), and
then locate the file JAN. 81. The path-
name specifies the sequence of direc-
tories to follow when accessing a
given file. As a convenience, SOS
provides a pathname prefix facility.
By using PREFIX$ in the previous ex-
ample, we could have set the path-
name prefix to /MYDISK/RECORDS/
and then simply referred to
CHECKS/JAN.81.
File types supported by SOS in-

clude DATA, which holds raw binary
data; PASTXT (a Pascal text file);
PASCODE (a machine language or
Pascal program file); BASIC program
files; ASCII files of unformatted text;
PASDTA (Pascal data files); CAT or
directory files; FONT files for the
programmable character generator;
and FOTO files, which store graphics
screen images.

Business BASIC

Although it is fairly conventional,
Apple's Business BASIC provides a

combination of advanced and unique
features that makes it an easier lan-
guage to use than Applesoft BASIC.
With Business BASIC you should be
able to write shorter programs with
fewer errors. (See tables 5a-5e for a
summary of the language.)

Business BASIC supports both
TEXT and DATA files. The com-
mands PRINT# and INPUT# are used
to access text files while READ# and
WRITE# allow you to store or read
any type of data in a DATA file. All
files may be sequential or random ac-
cess (with the record size defined
when the file is created). You can also
use the word CREATE to make new
files and directories. Directory entries
may be examined by reading sequen-
tial text records from a directory file.

The language also provides for-
matted I/O. To output data to either
the screen or a file, you can specify
the format with an IMAGE statement
or within the PRINT USING state-
ment. The Apple Ill's output formats
are very flexible. Numbers may be
printed in fixed-point, floating-point,
scientific, or engineering formats.
You can also align the right or left
edges of the output to a particular
column or center the output if you
wish.

Four main data types are available
in Business BASIC. You can use in-
tegers ranging from —32,768 to
+ 32,767, real numbers with 6-digit
precision, long-integers with 64-bit
binary precision, or strings that can
vary from to 255 characters. Arrays

110 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

.

MORE THAN EVER, ATARI HOME COMPUTERS
ARE SPEAKING YOUR LANGUAGE.

With more program languages than ever to choose from, you
now have more opportunities than ever to utilize the amazing
capabilities of the ATARI 800™ Home Computer.

Whether you're a beginning programmer, or at the fore-
front of the art, you'll find an ATARI programming language
that can make your task quicker and simpler than ever
before. Just look at what ATARI has to offer:

ATARI Microsoft BASIC -Now we offer the industry
standard, the most powerful Microsoft BASIC yet. With
simple commands, it allows you to take advantage of unique
ATARI hardware features such as our well-known player/
missile graphics. For ease of programming, it includes
n-dimensional arrays for numerics and string handling. And
importantly, conversion procedures are simple.

ATARI Macro Assembler— Faster and more powerful than
any ATARI language before, the ATARI Macro Assembler
also allows you to access more memory space. And it's excel-
lent for I/O interface and manipulation of such features as:
player/missile graphics, sound registers and peripherals.
In addition, the macro processor and "include" file library
features speed-up program development considerably.

Fig-FORTH- For specialized programming needs, such
as educational or game applications, ATARI Fig-FORTH is
uniquely effective. Fig-FORTH combines power and sim-
plicity in an efficient 10K size, with characteristics of an
interpreter and the speed of machine language code.

ATARI BASIC- An affordable and easy to use BASIC that
requires only 8K of memory. It allows you to take advantage of
the spectacular ATARI graphics and sound capabilities.

And its immediate mode error messages greatly simplify
debugging.

ATARI Assembler Editor — An excellent tool to assist the
assembler-programmer in creating, editing and debugging
assembly programs.

PILOT— ATARI PILOT is an exceptional learning language,
with built-in "turtle" graphics to let you create spectacular
designs and pictures with very short programs. Simple one
or two-letter commands allow you to create a dialogue with
the computer. And a single "match" command can perform
complex text evaluation and pattern-matching instantly.

ATARI Pascal — An excellent high-level language for
teaching structured programming, and for developing and
maintaining programs. In addition to offering all the features
of the ISO Pascal standard, ATARI Pascal offers unique
extensions that allow you to take advantage of ATARI graphics
and sound capabilities.

ATARI is constantly developing new ways to help you get
more out of your ATARI 800 Home Computer. So watch
for more innovative and exciting programming
languages from ATARI in the future.

For more information, write to ATARI, Inc..

Dept. C1Z, P.O. Box 16525,

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A

Circle 40 on inquiry card.

Command

Description

CATALOG

CHAIN

CLEAR

lists a disk directory

executes a program from disk leaving variables intact

clears program variables

CONT

CREATE

DEL

continues interrupted program
creates a new file or directory on disk
deletes a specified range of BASIC lines

DELETE

HOME

INVERSE

deletes a file from disk

clears current text window and places cursor in upper left-hand corner

sets further text output to inverse video characters

LIST

LOAD

LOCK

lists BASIC lines
loads a BASIC program
protects a file from alterations

NEW

NORMAL

NOTRACE

clears a program and variables from memory
sets further text output to noninverse video
turns off trace option

UNLOCK
RENAME
RUN

removes protection from a disk file

changes name of file on disk

loads and runs programs from disk or runs current program

SAVE

TEXT
TRACE

saves current program on disk

sets screen to text mode with full-screen window

turns on trace option

Table 5a:

A summary of Business BASIC commands.

Statement

Description

CLOSE

CLOSE#

DATA

closes all open files
closes a particular file
standard DATA statements

DEFD FN

DIM

END

user-defined function
dimensions arrays
ends program

FOR. . .NEXT

GET

GOSUB

standard FOR loop

reads a single character from the keyboard or an EXEC text file

executes a subroutine

GOTO
1 IF. . .GOTO. . .ELSE
1 IF. . THEN. . .ELSE

continues execution at a specified line
modified IF statement
standard IF statement

IMAGE
INPUT
; INPUT#

defines a PRINT USING format

reads data from the keyboard

reads text from a disk file or other open device

INVOKE
ON EOF#
OFF EOF#

loads an external file module of assembly-language routines
sets up end-of-file error trap
turns off end-of-file error trap

ON ERR
OFF ERR
ON KBD

sets up general error trapping
turns off general error trapping
sets up keyboard interrupt handling

OFF KBD
ON GOSUB
ON GOTO

turns off keyboard interrupt handling
standard computed GOSUB statement
standard computed GOTO statement

OPEN# ...AS

OUTPUT#

PERFORM

opens a file as INPUT, OUTPUT, or EXTENSION
sends subsequent output to file
executes a previously invoked routine

POP
PRINT
PRINT USING

removes one level of subroutine nesting

prints to current output device or file

prints using a given format |

Table 5b: A summary of Business BASIC statements.

Table 5b continued on page 114

without dimensional limits can be
created out of all four data types. To
convert between the various data
types, Business BASIC provides the
numeric functions CONV, CONV%,
CONV&, and CONV$, all of which
will accept arguments of any type and
will produce real, integer, long-
integer, and string results, respective-

ly.

An interesting feature of Business
BASIC is its use of reserved variables
to access and control certain system
functions (see table 5f for a
summary). Reserved variable names
are used to hold error codes, the file
record numbers, or the code for the
last key pressed. Others may be used
to hold or control the cursor position
on the screen, set the listing
FOR. . .NEXT loop indent level, con-
trol the listing line length, or set the
SOS pathname prefix.

One of Business BASICs most
powerful features is its ability to use
invocable modules. An invocable
module is a file of external procedures
and functions, written in assembly
language or Pascal, that can act as an
extension to the BASIC language
once invoked (loaded into the
system). The modules provide
features that are sometimes necessary
but were not built into the Business
BASIC language. The modules in-
clude VOLUMES.INV, which is used
to show which volumes and devices
are present in the system; READ-
CRT. INV, which is used to read
characters from the video display;
DOWNLOAD.INV, which is used to
load special text fonts into the Apple
Ill's character generator; and RE-
NUMBER.INV, which provides a
variety of functions including pro-
gram renumber, append, and merge.
Another more significant module is
BGRAF.UMV which provides all the
graphics procedures and functions
used by Business BASIC.

Once a module has been invoked,
the external procedures and functions
provided in that file are accessed by
using the BASIC commands PER-
FORM and EXFN. For example, the
line

PERFORM PENCOLOR(%BLUE)

would execute the procedure to set

112 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

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SYSTEMASTER® as the master board.

SYSTEMASTER® Features:

Floppy controller: controls mini and/or
maxi drives; variable independently-
justable pre-write compensation.

CPU:4MHzZ80A
• Two RS-232C ports.
• Two full parallel ports.
64K bank-selectable memory
variable from 32K to 60K.
Remaining memory is fixed at top of
64K address space.
• DMA: allows transparent data transfer to
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CPU wait states.
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Real-time clock.

Operating systems available: Digital Research
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Parallel ports may be connected to Teletek's PSC
board for RS-422 capability.

ELETEK

© Teletek 1982

9767F Business Park Drive Sacramento, CA 95827 (916) 361-1777
Circle 457 on inquiry card.

Table 5b continued:

Statement

Description

PRINT#

prints to a particular output device or file

PRINT# USING

prints to a particular file or device using a given format

READ

reads information from DATA statements

READ#

reads information from a data file

REM

standard remark statement

RESTORE

resets read pointer to start of DATA list

RESUME

returns from on ON ERR statement

RETURN

returns from a subroutine, ON KBD or ON EOF routine

SCALE

adjusts PRINT USING decimal-point position

SPC

used in PRINT statements to output numbers of blanks

STOP

stops program execution

SWAP

swaps the values of two given variables

TAB

used in PRINT statements to position the cursor to a particular

column

WINDOW

sets the text/scroll window size and position

WRITE#

writes information to a data file

Function

Description

ABS
ASC
ATAN

absolute value

converts ASCII character to its numeric value

arc tangent

BUTTON

CHR$

CONV

paddle-button state

converts number to equivalent ASCII character

evaluates expression — returns real number value

CONV$
CONV&
CONV%

evaluates expression — returns string value
evaluates expression — returns long-integer value
evaluates expression — returns integer value

COS

EXFN

EXFN%

cosine

executes an invoked external function that returns a real number value

executes an invoked external function that returns an integer value

EXP

HEX$

INSTR

exponential, base e

returns a string that represents the hexadecimal value of the expression

searches a string for a substring and returns location of occurrence

INT

LEFTS

LEN

largest integer less than or equal to argument
takes substring starting with first character
length of a string

LOG

MID$

PDL

natural logarithm

extracts a substring from a given string

returns a game-paddle position

REC

RIGHTS

RND

returns current file record number
takes substring ending with last character
random number

SGN

SIN

SQR

sign of argument

sine

square root

STR$
SUB$
TAN

converts a number to a string
inserts a substring into a given string
tangent

TEN

TYP
VAL

converts last four characters of a string from a hexadecimal text image to a

decimal value

returns the data type of a file record

converts a string to a numeric value

Table 5c:

A summary of Business BASIC functions.

the graphic drawing color to blue,
provided that the variable BLUE has
previously been defined properly.

While external procedures may
be passed only integer values, exter-
nal functions can return either integer
or floating-point numbers. The re-
served word EXFN% is used to call
functions that return integers and
EXFN accesses functions that return
real values.

BASIC Graphics

Although you could use graphics
from BASIC by simply opening the
.GRAFIX driver and sending charac-
ters directly to it, the BGRAF.INV
module provides a much cleaner and
more powerful interface. It essentially
adds a number of graphics commands
to the Business BASIC language. (A
similar library unit is included with
Apple III Pascal.) The .GRAFIX
driver must still be present and
opened because you need a controller
for the graphics hardware, but all
graphics operations are performed by
the external procedures and functions
provided by BGRAF. The following
two lines provide all the setup re-
quired:

100 OPENjjfl, ".GRAFIX"
110 INVOKE "BGRAF .IN V"

BGRAF provides all of the stan-
dard graphics operations. You can set
PENCOLOR and the background
FILLCOLOR, plot dots at absolute or
relative positions with DOTAT and
DOTREL, draw lines to absolute or
relative points with LINETO and
LINEREL, and position the graphics
cursor with MOVETO and MOVE-
REL. BGRAF supports a graphics
VIEWPORT that allows you to limit
graphics drawing to a particular area
of the display screen.

Text may be displayed with graph-
ics by simply sending it to the opened
.GRAFIX driver with a PRINT# state-
ment. NEWFONT lets you redefine
the graphics text font by specifying
character form, height, and width.
The SYSFONT command switches
you back to the current text-mode
display font.

Predefined images stored in integer
arrays may be displayed with DRAW-
IMAGE. A given array may hold a

114 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 338 on Inquiry card.

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116 BYTE September 1982

The best software for
the IBM Personal Computer.
Could it beyours?

Attention, all programmers. Here's a
chance to reach the top.

If you've written software that's completed
and runs on the IBM Personal Computer, we
could be interested in publishing it.

(We also could be interested if it runs
on another computer. If we select your software,
we'll ask you to adapt it to our system.)

But be advised.

Our expectations are great.

Because the software we publish must be
good enough to complement IBM Personal
Computer hardware. In fact, the more you take
advantage of all our hardware capabilities (see
the box at right), the more interested in your
software we become.

Think about incorporating color graphics
into your program, for example.

Use sound. Consider the power of our
keyboard and remember to utilize the ten
programmable function keys.

In all cases, we're interested in "friendly"
software — with emphasis on quality and wide
appeal. Programs with the greatest chance
of being published must be easy to use, offer
a better way to accomplish a task and provide
something special to the user.

What kinds of programs? All kinds.

Education. Entertainment. Personal w

finance. Data management. Self improvement.^*
Games. Communications. And yes, business.

We select programs that will make the
IBM Personal Computer an even more useful tool
for modern times.

j~ IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER SPECIFICATIONS

User Memory

Display Screen

Permanent Memory

1 16K- 5 12 Kbytes*

High-resolution*

(ROM) 40K bytes*

1 Microprocessor

80 characters x 25 lines

Color/Graphics

16-bit, 8088*

Upper and lowercase

u Text mode.

1 Auxiliary Memory

Green phosphor screen* ]6 colors*

1 2 optional internal

Operating Systems

256 characters and

t diskette drives , 5 V\ '

DOS, UCSD-p System,

symbols in ROM*

\ 160K bytes or 320K

CP/M-86?

Graphics mode.

bytes per diskette

4-color resolution:

1 Keyboard

Languages

320h x 200v* i

83 keys, 6 it. cord

BASIC, Pascal, FORTRAN

Black & white resolution:

j attaches to

MACRO Assembler,

640h x 200v*

system unit*

COBOL

Simultaneous graphics ik
text capability*

10 function keys*

Printer

| 10-key numeric pad

Bidirectional*

Communications

Tactile feedback

80 characters/sea >nd

RS-232-C interface

Diagnostics

12 character styles, up to

Asynchronous (start/stop)

| Power-on self testing* 132 characters/line*

protocol

Parity checking*

9x9 character matrix *

Up to 9600 bits per second

| *ADVANCED FEATURES FOR PERSONAL COMPUTERS

So, if you think your software is the best,
consider submitting it. If it's accepted, we'll take
care of the publishing, the marketing and the
distribution. All you have to do is reap the
benefits of our new royalty terms. And you're free
to market your program elsewhere at any time
even if you license it to us.

We're offering the ladder. Think about
taking the first step.

For information on how to submit your
program, write: IBM Personal Computer,
External Submissions,
Dept. 765 PC, Armonk,
New York 10504. ==:= =•

The IBM Personal Computer
A tool for modern times

For an authorized IBM Personal Computer dealer near you (or information from IBM aboutquantity purchases) call 800-447-4700. In Illinois, 800-322-4400. In Alaska or Hawaii, 800-447-0890.
tUCSD p-System is a trademark of the Regents of the University of California. CP/M-86 is a trademark of Digital Research, Inc.

Circle 228 on inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 117

Operators

Type

+ - * / DIV MOD

arithmetic

AND OR = < >
>< <> < =
=< >= =>

logical

NOT

unary logical

+

string concatenation

Table 5d: A summary of Business
BASIC data operators. DIV and MOD
apply only to the long-integer data
type.

Data Type

Type Name

Range

16-bit integer

integer

-32768 to 32767

64-bit integer

long-integer

± 9223372036854775807 ( ± 2 83 - 1 )

32-bit floating point

real

± 10 M with 6 digit precision

character strings

string

- 255 characters

arrays

(all types)

no dimensional limits

Table 5e: A summary

of Business BASIC data types and ranges.

Variable Description

EOF
ERR
FRE

HPOS

INDENT

KBD

OUTREC
PREFIX$
VPOS

holds reference number of file causing an EOF error

holds error type code of most recent error

holds amount of remaining bytes of memory available

, NEXT loops in listings

holds/controls cursor horizontal position
holds/controls number of spaces to indent FOR .
holds the ASCII value of the last key pressed

holds/controls the maximum line length output by the LIST command
holds/sets current SOS pathname prefix
holds/controls current cursor vertical position

Table 5i : A summary of Business BASIC reserved system variables.

Procedure Description

DOTAT plots a single dot at a given position

DOTREL plots a dot relative to current position

DRAWIMAGE draws a rectangular bit-map image at current position

FILLCOLOR sets background color

FILLPORT fills current VIEWPORT with FILLCOLOR

GLOAD loads and displays a FOTO file from disk

GRAFIXMODE specifies graphics mode and buffer choice

GRAFIXON switches display to current graphics mode and buffer

GSAVE saves current graphics display as a FOTO file on disk

INITGRAFIX sets full-screen VIEWPORT, places cursor at upper left-hand corner and

sets normal color and transfer tables

LINEREL draws a line relative to current position

LINETO draws a line from current to an absolute position

MOVEREL positions cursor relative to current position

MOVETO positions cursor at an absolute position

NEWFONT used to specify a new graphics character font

PENCOLOR sets current PLOT and DRAW color

RELEASE frees highest graphics buffer memory

SETCTAB sets a color-table entry

SYSFONT causes normal system character set to be used as graphics character

font

VIEWPORT defines graphics-drawing window size and position

XFEROPTION defines the logical operation that places dots on the screen

XLOC returns graphics-cursor x position

XYCOLOR returns color of dot on screen at current position

YLOC returns graphics-cursor y position

Table 5g: A summary of Business BASIC graphics procedures.

number of images that can be selected
with the DRAWIMAGE arguments.

One of the most interesting features
of BGRAF is its control of color. By
using two controllable processes — the
color table and the transfer option—
you can modify the effects of plotting
and filling operations.

With 256 entries, the color table
specifies which color results from
plotting a dot of a given "source col-
or" on top of a dot of a given "screen
color." The color table is initialized to
simply display the source color re-
gardless of the existing color of the
specified dot position. However, by
altering the mapping conditions in the
color table you can establish a color
precedence. This precedence allows
lines to appear to pass under or over
existing images, or it can produce a
number of other interesting effects.

To alter a color-table entry, you
use the enternal function SETCTAB.
The form of the statement would be:

SETCTAB (%SOURCECOLOR,
%SCREENCOLOR,
%RESULTCOLOR)

The following example would alter
the color table so that when an
orange dot was printed onto a blue
background, the result would be
green:

SETCTAB (%9, %6, %12)

Table 3 shows a summary of the
graphics colors and their color
values.

The black-and-white equivalent of
the color table is the transfer option,
which describes the logical operation
used to place dots on the screen. De-

118 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 414 on inquiry card.

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pending upon the option specified, a
dot (or its inverse) may replace exist-
ing data, overlay it, invert it, or erase
it with new data. The XFEROPTION
procedure and an argument specify
the transfer mode. The transfer op-
tion may also be used with color
data, but predicting the results is dif-
ficult.

Although circle drawing and turtle
graphics are not supported, BGRAF is
still a very nice package of routines
that should allow you to produce a
wide variety of color graphics. (See
table 5g for a summary.)

Business BASIC Performance

Although Business BASIC is much
more powerful than the Apple II's
Applesoft BASIC, it is not much
faster. Tests with the series of sixteen
benchmark programs shown in listing
1 indicated that while Business
BASIC is faster than Applesoft in
some areas, it is slower in others. The
net result should be a slight to
medium speed improvement, depend-

ing upon the program being run.

The best test in the series was prob-
ably the Sieve of Eratosthenes prime-
number program used by Jim Gil-
breath (see "A High-Level Language
Benchmark," September 1981 BYTE,
page 180). Although this program is
more representative of average pro-
gram execution than any of the other

The execution speed

advantage of the

6502B Is largely

cancelled out by

the complexity of

Business BASIC.

benchmarks, it uses only addition
and subtraction and does not have a
wide variety of BASIC statements. In
this test, the Apple III proved to be
slightly faster than the Apple II but
slower than the IBM Personal Com-
puter or the 4-MHz Z80.

From the results of this limited set
of benchmarks, it seems that the exe-
cution speed advantage of the Apple
Ill's 6502B is largely cancelled out by
the increased complexity of Business
BASIC. However, I suspect that in
larger programs Business BASIC will
turn out to be a good deal faster than
Applesoft. The combination of its
powerful built-in features and in-
vocable modules will eliminate the
code required in Applesoft to accom-
plish the same functions. Also, if the
benchmark programs had included
the appropriate code to turn off the
video screen during time-critical
calculations, an additional 30 percent
speed increase could have been
gained by allowing the 6502B to run
at 2 MHz. This would have placed the
Apple III ahead of the IBM and Z80
computers in many tests.

Although benchmarks always have
some validity, they may or may not
be significant in a given application.
It is best to approach the results with
caution— the programmer frequently

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BY 9/82

120 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 335 on Inquiry card.

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Circle 432 on inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 121

Exciting new capabilities can blossom in your lab— when
you automate it with the DAISI family of data acquisition
peripherals for your Apple Computer.
DAISI interfaces, from Interactive Structures, turn your econom-
ical Apple into a personal electronic lab assistant. DAISI prod-
ucts are designed to read instruments and sensors, control
temperature and pressure . . . with reliability and precision.
Here's a rundown on some DAISI interfaces
AM 3, 12-Bit Analog Input System-$550

■ 16 input channels ■ 20 microseconds conversion time.
AI02, 8-Bit Analog Input System-$299

■ 16 input channels ■ 70 microseconds conversion time.
AO03, 8-Bit Analog Output System- $ 1 95- $437

■ up to 8 independent channels ■ range and offset adjustable.

DI09, Digital Interface with Timers— $330

■ timing and interrupt capability ■ direct connection to BCD
digits, switches, relays.

Don't settle for garden variety equipment for your laboratory
applications. Get the best— at a great price. Pick a DAISI!

«s

Call us for the DAISI dealer near you.

Interactive Structures Inc.

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Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
(215)667-1713

All DAISI Interfaces come
complete with cable, In-
structional diskette and
comprehensive manual.

Listing 1: Execution benchmark pro-
grams. See table 6 for a summary of their
results.

Listing la: tests a null loop,

60 0=2.71828

£8 8=3.14159

100 FOR 1=1 TO 5009

320 NEXT I

Listing lb: tests REM execution time.

100

FOR 1=1 TO 5000

120

REM

140

REM

160

REM

188

REM

200

REM

210

REM

240

REM

268

REM

280

REM

300

REM

320

NEXT I

Listing lc: tests the IF. . .THEN state-
ment.

60 fi=2. 71828

80 8=3.14153

100 FOR 1=1 TO 5000

120 IF FKB THEN 320

320 NEXT I

Listing Id: tests addition.

60 R=2- 71828

80 6=3.14158

100 FOR 1=1 TO 5000

120 C=H+B

320 NEXT I

Listing le: tests multiplication.

KM

H=2. 71828

80

8=3.14153

100

FOR 1=1 TO

500£i

120

C=fl*B

320

NEXT I

Listing If: tests division

60

H=2. 71328

80

6=3.14158

100

FOR 1=1 TO

5000

120

C=(VB

32W

NEXT I

Listing lg: tests exponentiation.

60 fl=2. 71828

80 8=3.14159

100 FOR 1=1 TO 5000

120 C=H-'-B

320 NEXT I

Listing 1 continued on page 124

122 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 241 on Inquiry card.

r//

1." N t «■'&&

iX

S

w$%.

ow get a

UJ»

of apple add-ons

°Visb

mam ■ computer

Vista f N r ANY -

Available through your
local computer dealer.

-'v,

MODEL GB75©
Typewriter Interface

Apple to IBM Electronic 50, 60,
75 Typewriters Interface ■
Reads IBM keyboard in parallel
with Apple keyboard ■ Sup-
ports the IBM code functions
using an escape sequence ■
Types at about 13 characters per
second ■ Prints from Integer
or Applesoft programs ■ Sup-
ports the "Control I Number N"
parallel line length mode se-
quence ■ Has switch selec-
table upper/lower case I/O 60,
66, 78 continuous from feed
page lengths, 40+video, 80, 95,
132 character line lengths

Suggested price $225.00

TIMECARD III©

Multi-function time utility forthe
APPLE III computer system.
Contains t he year of the century,
the month, the date, the day of
week, the hour, the minute, the
second. ■ A countdown timer
with a range of one millisecond
to 999 hours, 59 minutes, 59
seconds, 999 milliseconds ■
Selectable 12 or 24 hour time
formats ■ Diagnostic error
reporting ■ Fully compatible
with the APPLE SOS operating
system

Suggested price $195.00

Circle 4 1 8 for Dealers only Circle 4 1 9 for OEM'

MODEL 150 TYPE
AHEAD BUFFER

■ Up to 40 character type ahead
capability ■ Enter commands
or data while your Apple is pro-
cessing previous instructions

■ Compatible with all Apple
computers, keyboards and
software ■ No cuts — no
jumpers — no software patches
required ■ Includes complete
instructions for quick and easy
installation

Suggested price $49.95

A800© FLOPPY DISK
CONTROLLER

■ High speed DMA transfer of
data (1 micro-second/byte) ■
Documentation provided — in-
cludes theory of operation,
schematics and diskettes ■
Uses all standard Apple DOS
commands (OPEN, CATALOG,
LOCK, DELETE, LOAD, etc.)
except for I NIT which has been
improved and enhanced in a
Vista format routine ■ Com-
patible with Apple DOS 3.3,
Pascah/land CP/M 2.2(withthe
Z80 soft card by Microsoft)"
2K x8 PROM contains Autoboot
functions and all eight-inch

s only Circle 420 for all other inquiries

floppy driver code allowing
complete compatibility with
Apple DOS 3.3

Suggested price $545.00

PROM DEVELOPMENT
SYSTEM©

■ Menu driven program devel-
opment monitor ■ Programs
2708, 2716, 2532, 2732and 48016
EPROMS ■ Simulates PROM
from RAM 4K ■ Data and ad-
dress interface for operator
location and control ■ Com-
plete user documentation

Suggested price $495.00

VISION 80

■ Full upper and lower case
character with 3 dot descenders

■ 9x10 dot matrix per line U.S.
(9x11 Europe) ■ 128 ASCII
character set ■ BASIC, FOR-
TRAN and Pascal languages
supported ■ Z80™ and CP/M™
comtible ■ Compatible with
all standard Apple™ peripherals

COMPUTER
COMPANY,
INC.

Vista

Circle 481 on Inquiry card.

••Copyright 1981 Vista Computer Company.
'"Apple Computer Company. Inc.

Shift and lock for upper and
lowercase ■ Source switches
between 40x24 and 80x24 soft-
ware and hardware ■ Rated #1
video card by Softalk and Call
Apple

Suggested price $325.00

VISION 40

Softscreen programmable char-
acter/generator card for the
Apple II computer ■ Allows
use of DOS tool kit upper/lower
case character sets in Apple 40
column mode ■ Permits crea-
tion of new alpha/numeric and
graphic characters under Am-
inatrix ■ Ideal for non-English
language applications ■
Compatible with most popular
word processing software pack-
ages

Suggested price $175.00

VISION 20

■ Cost effective ■ Compat-
ible with the latest Apple II ■
Complete easy to follow instal-
lation guide ■ 120 day war-
ranty ■ Immediate delivery
Suggested price $29.95

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Listing

1 continued:

Listing lh: tests transcendental func-

tions.

60

H=2. 71828

8Q

B=3. 14159

100

FOR 1=1 TO

5000

120

C=SIfr-KH>

320

NEXT I

Listing

li: tests the LOG function.

KM

H=2. 71828

80

8=3.14153

1 00

FOR 1=1 TO

5000

120

C=L06< B >

320

NEXT I

Listing lj: tests the ON.

. .GOTO state-

ment.

80

M=2

100

FOR 1=1 TO

5000

120

ON M GOTO 80*320,100

320

NEXT I

Listing Ik: tests the GOSUB/RETURN

statement.

60

0=2.71828

80

8=3.14153

100

FOR 1=1 TO

5000

120

GuSUB 1 000

320

NEXT I

1000

RETURN

Listing 11: tests the INT

(integer) func-

tion.

80

0=2.71828

80

8=3.14153

100

FOR 1=1 TO

5000

120

C=INT<fi)

320

NEXT I

Listing

lm: tests the MID$ function.

30

fl*= H .3bcdef-9h

iJklw"

100

FOR 1=1 TO

5000

120

B*=MQ*<fi*,6,6>

320

NEXT I

410

PRINT""

420

END

Listing

In: tests random

number speed.

60

0=2.71828

88

8=3.14158

100

FOR 1=1 TO

5000

120

C=RND< 1 >

320

NEXT I

Listing lo: tests the CHR$ function.

80 0$= " abc def sh i j k 1 m "

100 FOR 1=1 TO 5000

120 C$=CHR$(50>

320 NEXT I

Listing 1 continued on page 126

124 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 317 on Inquiry card.

• . : 1 . STRfl :

BWm EUROPE ROBOT JTT 13Bi-i386

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It's a fact. The Strobe Graphics System
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The new StrobeView composer pack-
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But that's just the beginning. With StrobeView, you can create a broad vari-
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Listing 1 continued:

Listing lp: Jim Gilbreath's Sieve of
Eratosthenes prime-number program.

Listing 2: Disk-access benchmark programs. Listings 2a and 2b are write and read tests
for the Apple III. Similar programs were used for the Apple II and the IBM Personal
Computer.

(2a)

40

HS= " 1 2:545673 1 2345678 1 2345678 1 2345678 "

1

SIZE=7000

86

B*=fi*+fl$+fi$+fl$

o

DIM FLPGS<700i;>

80

NR=500

"7

PRINT "only 1 iterat-ion"

100

0F'EN#1, H TEST"

5

COUNT=0

140

FOR 1 = 1 TO NF:

K

FOR 1=1 TO SIZE

160

INPUT#1;B*

i

FLHGS<I)=1

200

NEXT I

8

next i

220

CLOSE* 1

9

FOR 1=0 TO SIZE

240

PR INT" DONE"

10

IF FLOGS* I >=0 THEM 18-

11

PRIME=I+I+3

(2b)

40

fi$= " 1 2345678 1 2345673 1 2345678 1 2345678 "

12

K=I+PRIME

b'0

B*=fi*+fi*+fi*+fi*

13

IF K>SIZE THEN 17

60

NR=500

14

FLOGS< K >=0

1 00

0F'EN#1,"TEST U

15

K=K+PRIHE

140

FOR 1=1 TO NR

16

GOTO 13

160

PRINT#1#B*

17

C0UNT=C0UHT+1

200

NEXT I

18

NEXT I

220

CLOSE* 1

19

PRINT COUNT, "primes 11 i " "

240

PR I NT "DONE"

Apple III

Apple II

IBM

4-MHZZ80

Listing #

Benchmark

Business BASIC Applesoft BASIC

Advanced

BASIC

MBASIC4.51

1a

empty loop

8.9

6.7

6.43

5.81

1b

10REMs

19.2

19.5

21.0

15.8

1c

IF. . THEN

22.9

19.8

17.6

14.9

1d

addition

19.5

17.5

18.2

16.3

1e

multiplication

25.0

27.3

19.6

19.9

1f

division

27.6

28.8

23.8

24.9

19

exponentiation

184.5

249.1

84.8

121.1

1h

sine(x)

98.0

193.1

73.9

63.1

1i

log(x)

87.1

113.6

49.4

55.4

1J

ON. . .GOTO

18.6

17.5

17.3

12.9

1k

GOSUB/RETURN

16.4

13.6

12.4

9.4

11

INT(x)

20.0

19.3

18.1

15.5

1m

MID$

37.3

32.5

23.0

18.6

1n

RND(x)

90.5

33.1

18.4

19.7

1o

CHR$

26.8

23.5

16.2

13.4

1p

prime numbers

222.4

224.4

190.0

151.0

Table 6: Table of execution times (in seconds) for a series of benchmark tests run on Apple III Business BASIC, Apple II Applesoft

BASIC, IBM Personal Computer Advanced BASIC, and

a 4-MHz Z80 computer

running Microsoft's

MB ASIC 4.51. The results

shown may or may

not be indicative <

jf performance in

a particular application;

they should be interpreted with caution. The

results for the IBM Personal Computer

and the Z80 microcomputer were taken from Gregg Williams'

"A Closer Look at the IBM

Personal Computer"

(January 1982 BYTE, page 54). See

listing 1 for the benchmark programs used.

makes more difference than the ma-
chine. (The benchmark results are
summarized in table 6.)

Apple II Emulation

The Apple Ill's ability to emulate
an Apple II is an extremely useful fea-
ture that allows access to the tremen-
dous volume of Apple II software.
Virtually all Apple II DOS 3.3 pro-
grams in either Applesoft or Integer
BASIC can be run on the Apple III
without change — the few exceptions
are those programs that require a

RAM card or language system to
operate. Also, some of the Apple II
arcade games use their own routines
to read the game paddles rather than
calling the routines in the Apple II's
monitor ROM. These programs will
run but will not operate correctly.

To use the Apple II emulation
mode, you must boot a special emula-
tion disk and select either Applesoft
or Integer BASIC as the available lan-
guage. Since the Language Card is not
emulated, only one language at a time
can be resident. The Apple III serial

port can be configured to emulate
either an Apple II serial card or a
communications card. The data rates
and carriage-return handling can also
be specified. Once the emulation pa-
rameters are specified or the defaults
accepted, you can boot a normal
Apple II DOS 3.3 disk and start run-
ning.

The emulation mode has a few
minor weak points. If you have an
Apple III Silentype printer, it will not
be accessible in emulation mode
unless you install an Apple II Silen-

126 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

HAVEN'T YOU HEARD
OF THUNDERCLOCK PLUS ?

■

SEPTEMBhh

^fWv.

If you want to put
your Apple® to work — around the
clock — Thunderclock Plus is the solution. Just plug it
in and your programs can read the month, date, day of
week and time — down to the second — in any of Apple's
languages. So your Apple can do any number of tasks
for you automatically In the office, the lab or at home.

Most good software packages for business, data base
management, communications and time management
are made to read Thunderclock Plus. (It's compatible
with DB Master,* Micro- Courier** and VisiDex 1 , to
name a few). So no matter how you use your Apple now,
Thunderclock Plus can make it a more versatile
and efficient tool.

For example, with business or communi
cations software, your Apple can auto-
matically access a data base or send elec-
tronic mail when the rates are lowest.

In addition, Thunderclock Plus can
organize your disk files. Our optional
DOS-DATER™ software upgrades the
regular DOS on your disks. So every
time a program is saved or a file is modi-
fied, the time and date, to the minute,
are stored in the CATALOG with the file
name. Now you can instantly know
exactly when your files were last updated.

=*=»

/Y^

Thunderclock Plus
can even give you a sense of
security. Or just make your life a little easier. With our
X-10 interface option and a BSR X-10* Home Control
System, your Apple can turn on your lights, water your
lawn . . .whatever you desire, according to schedules you
create. It comes with our menu-driven SCHEDULER
software. So it's easy to design and modify schedules
that can run in the "background" while you have
"hands-on" use of your Apple.

Thunderclock Plus comes with a one-year warranty.
Powered by on-board batteries, it runs accurately for up
to four years without battery replacement.
So now that you've heard of Thunderclock Plus, isn't
it time you put your Apple to work —
around the clock? See your dealer
for a demonstration or contact us.

THUNDERCLOCK PLUS
and BASIC software

$150

DOS-DATER/DEMO disk $ 29

X-10 Interface option

$ 49

PASCAL software disk

$ 29

®Applc is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.

*DB Master is a registered trademark of Stoneware, Inc.

"Micro-Courier is a registered trademark of Microcom.
tVisiDex is a registered trademark of VisiCorp.
IBSR X-10 is a registered trademark ofBSR (USA) Ltd.

Thunderware's DOS-DATER time and
date stamps your disk files to the minute.

THUNDERWARE, INC.

44 Hermosa Ave., Oakland, CA 94618 (415) 652-1737

Circle 462 on inquiry card.

At a Glance

Name

Profile Winchester-technology disk drive

Manufacturer

Apple Computer Inc.
20525 Mariani Ave.
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 996-1010

Price

S3499

Storage Capacity

5 megabytes (equivalent to about 35 normal Apple 5/4 -inch floppy disks)

Size

Height 4.39 inches (1 1.5 cm), width 17.28 inches (43.89 cm). Depth 8.81 inches (22.38 cm)

Weight

I 1 pounds (5 kg)

Power Required

1 10 volts AC (U.S.). 35 watts

Hardware Required

Apple III computer

Software Required

Apple SOS I.I

Organization

Four data surfaces, 1 53 tracks per surface, 1 6 sectors per track, 5 1 2 bytes per sector, 2448
sectors per surface, 9792 sectors per drive

Specifications

Data transfer rate: 5 megabits per second; average seek time: 95 milliseconds; rotational
speed: 3600 revolutions per minute; ready to operate: 60 seconds

Interface

Interface card occupies one Apple III expansion slot; one drive per interface card, up to four
drives per system

Special features

Power-up self-test and disk scan; automatic bad-sector relocation; error checking and limited
error correction

type interface card, which may
violate FCC radio-frequency radia-
tion limits. Nor can you access the
Profile hard-disk drive — Apple II and
Apple III files won't mix on the same
disk. Also, the RGB (red-green-blue)
video outputs will not provide color
signals while emulating Apple II
graphics, but the composite video
outputs will work normally.

The Profile

The Profile hard-disk drive is the
newest component of the Apple III
family and a worthy occupant of an
expansion slot. With a 5-megabyte
capacity, integral Z8-based con-
troller, and built-in power supply, the
Profile is a self-contained intelligent
subsystem with its own self -test, error

checking, and bad-sector relocation
facilities.

When powered up, the Profile's
controller waits for the disk to come
up to speed and does a data integrity
check by stepping from track to track
to verify that all disk sectors read cor-
rectly. If a bad sector is found, either
during this process or during normal
activity, the Profile attempts to cor-
rect the data errors and then relocates
as much data as possible to an alter-
nate good sector.

The key component in the Profile is
the ST-506, a SV^inch hard-disk
drive manufactured by Seagate Tech-
nology Inc. The ST-506 uses the
sealed disk environment and low-
altitude (10-microinch) flying heads
that characterize all Winchester-tech-

nology disk drives (see photo 11).
Because a number of vendors produce
drives that are plug-compatible with
the ST-506, Apple should have no
trouble producing Profiles even if
Seagate's supplies get short.

During operation the disk drive is
relatively quiet, emitting a soft tone
as it steps from track to track. Be-
tween accesses you can hear the main
drive motor, but the sound should
not be obtrusive or even audible in
most office environments.

The Profile is styled to match the
rest of the Apple III system and may
be positioned on top of or adjacent to
the computer.

I found the Profile a pleasure to
use. Its capacity is equivalent to that
of about 35 normal Apple floppy
disks, and its data throughput is
about 10 times faster. Viewing its
capacity in other terms, the Profile
can hold over 1200 pages of typed
text or more than 300 high-resolution
graphics pictures occupying 16K
bytes apiece.

The Profile's performance is ex-
cellent. In the disk-access benchmark
programs shown in listing 2, the Pro-
file effectively tripled the program
speed when compared to an Apple or
IBM floppy disk. Considering that a
significant proportion of the program
execution time is used to execute the
BASIC program statements, the ac-
tual increase in disk-access speed
would seem to be even higher. (The
results of the disk-access benchmarks
are summarized in table 7.)

The weakest point of the Profile
and other similar products is data
backup. If a hard disk fails, you can
lose a great deal of important data.
The only solution is to periodically
back up the most critical files onto
floppy disks or onto a second Profile
hard-disk unit. (Apple Computer will
happily allow you to connect up to
four Profiles to your Apple III, at a
total cost of $13,996 in addition to the
cost of the Apple III.) However,
chances are very slim that the entire
Profile would be wiped out if a
critical component failed. After
repair, it should be possible to
recover virtually all the original data
in most cases.

128 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

One company has sold more printers
to this planet than anybody

Epson.

By now, that shouldn't come as a surprise.
After all, we invented digital printers for the
1964 Tokyo Olympics. We've built more print
mechanisms than the rest of the manufacturers
in the world combined. And our MX Series is
the best selling line of printers for small
computers ever seen.

So is it surprising that the world's first
Notebook Computer should come from Epson?

Not to us. You see,
we have some other
notable feats in our
past. Not only the
world's first print-
er, but the world's
smallest printer, the
world's most reliable
printers, the world's
first disposable print

head, and now, the world's first portable
computer with the power of a desktop.

We intend to be as big in personal compu-
ters as we are in printers. And we'll do it
the same way. By making computers you can
count on to perform. With the options, soft-
ware and interfaces you need. And by deliver-
ing what we promise, at prices people can afford.
But some people don't think we can do in

computers what we've
already done in print-
ers. And for them,
we have this advice:
Just watch.

EPSON

EPSON AMERICA, INC.

3415 Kashiwa Street • Torrance, California 90505 • (213) 539-9140

Circle 191 on inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 129

Photo 11: The Profile with its top cover removed. The intelligent controller is shown
on the left with the switching power supply beneath it. The HDA (hard-disk assembly)
with its sealed internal environment is mounted on the right.

Apple III
Profile

Apple III
Floppy Disk

Apple II
Floppy Disk

IBM
Floppy Disk

Write 13.2
Read 10.2

37.3
33.2

234
273

32
22.9

Table 7: A summary of disk-access-time benchmarks comparing the performance of
the Apple III Profile hard-disk drive and the Apple III, the Apple II, and the IBM
Personal Computer floppy-disk drives. The table shows the times (in seconds) taken
to read and write 500 disk records.

ALF COPY SERVICE

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If you need your software duplicated quickly and conve-
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proof and double-boot formats), and TRS-80 model 1.

Our "no frills" pricing means you don't have to buy extras
you don't need. Of course, we have the frills too — includ-
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ALF (303)234-0871 1448 ESTES DENVER, CO 80215

At $3499, the Profile isn't inexpen-
sive — none of the available hard-disk
subsystems are — but it provides a
truly significant extension to the
capabilities of the Apple III system.

Documentation

Apple Computer's documentation
has always been excellent, and the
manuals provided with the Apple III
are no exception. All the manuals are
in the familiar 6- by 8V2-inch (12.8-
by 21.6-cm) format, and a new flap
has been added to the back cover so
that the manual title is visible while
the book is on the shelf. The manuals
are all clearly written with numerous
charts, tables, and screen photos to il-
lustrate points described in the text.

With a Business BASIC system,
you receive four manuals: the
Owner's Guide and Standard Device
Drivers deal with Apple III features
and SOS, while volumes one and two
of Apple Business BASIC provide a
comprehensive description of the lan-
guage.

The Owner's Guide explains how
to set up the Apple III system and
describes various aspects of SOS and
the Apple III hardware. There are sec-
tions about system installation and
start-up, the operating system, the
System Configuration Program, and
the machine itself. Appendixes ex-
plain error messages, describe proper
disk care and handling, give I/O port
specifications, and tell you how to
use the Apple II Emulator. The infor-
mation is presented in a clear, easy-
to-read style and should be sufficient
to get any novice started.

Standard Device Drivers provides
complete specifications and descrip-
tions of the operation of all of the
standard I/O device-driver routines.
After a short section that explains
what device drivers are, the manual
describes the System Configuration
Program. Separate sections describe
each individual driver in detail. The
appendixes contain quick references
for all the drivers, an explanation of
the system error messages, and a
description of the console data for-
mats.

With a BASIC system, you'll get
Business BASIC volumes 1 and 2.
Although the manuals were not de-

130 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Performance Breakthrough. . .

the CYBERDRIVE for the IBM Personal Computer

13.5 or 27 million bytes of disk capacity in a single cabinet with
an integrated mini-cartridge tape for secure data backup.

Setting an exciting new microcomputer standard, the
CYBERDRIVE 1 combines a full package of features.

It offers new, higher performance levels, with an inte-
grated business-oriented backup device.

As the CYBERDRIVE is made available for other systems,
media transfer is assured regardless of the host hardware or
Operating System.

The CYBERDRIVE slashes the seek time dramatic-
ally— e.g. the usual 5 Megabyte stepper-motor Winchester
disk offers average seek time typically in the range of 100 to
200 milliseconds (incl. head settling).

With the CYBERDRIVE, the average seek time across
more than five times as much data is only 33 milliseconds
(incl. head settling).

This basic speed, coupled with disk cache buffering and
a peak transfer rate of 1 million bytes per second, make the
CYBERDRIVE a performance champ!

The integrated mini-cartridge tapes used for backup of
data allow dumping of (for example) 10 million bytes of data
in about 10 minutes . . . much faster than other tape or floppy
disk backup techniques. Hardware read-after-write error
checking is incorporated in the tape device.

O Copyrttfit 1982 by Cytwroe tics I nc AJ I right r

Prices and specifications subject to change without notice.

m is^eis

...And don't fail to ask about our superb lineup of serious
business software (also offered in CYBERDRIVE format)
including:

RM/COBOL 2 compiler-the micro industry standard.
MBSI 3 RM/COBOL general business applications (derived

from MCBA 4 minicomputer packages). . . thousands

in use . . . money back guarantee . . . source program

license.
CRT! 1 from Cybernetics (COBOL Reprogramming Tool!)-

Program generator for RM/COBOL to ease pro-
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alternative to a Data Base System.
CBASIC2 5 & CBASIC86 5 compilers ... for aficionados of a

useful BASIC.

The software is available on a variety of industry-standard
Operating Systems including CP/M 5 -MP/M 5 (both -80 & -86),
OASIS 6 , PCDOS, and UNIX 7 . Inquire for specific details and
prices.

i - Cybernetics, inc 2 RyarvMcFariand Catp 3 • Micro Business Software, int
4 MinHConHHJtef Business Applications inc 5 Ogital fteaearcn. inc 6 PtUse One Syste*r>s. Inc 7 Bell Labwatones

8041 NEWMAN AVE., SUITE 208
IS-l^lS^ll-lS^ HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA 92647

^ 714/848-1922

IS-

Circle 248 on inquiry card.

The most powerful
Screen Oriented Relational
Database ever designed
that requires no user
programming !

SORD puts You in
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system: quickly, easily,
and at a new low price!

Powerful

•User defined CRTentry

screens speed data input

and editing.
•Makes full use ofCP/M 2.0*

facilities for rapid access

and retrieval.
•User controlled security

access codes.

User Oriented

•A consistent system of help
messages, menus, and
prompts assits the user in all
phases of operation.

Clear Documentation

•Our manual is concise, easy
to understand, and indexed.

Price Reduction

•Sales volume = new low price
• Rebates for current users

,$25
manual

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REQUIRES: CP/M 2.0+SYSTEM WITH
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ADDRESSABLE CURSOR AND 8" DISK
DRIVES ( 5 V Formats Soon)

"CP/M is a trademark of Digital Research, Inc.

132 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

signed to teach BASIC, the 335 pages
contain all the information required
to learn Apple's version of that
language. Volume 1 is primarily a
tutorial section; it gives clear explana-
tions of all of the BASIC statements
and provides numerous examples.
After a short introduction and a
description of the BASIC editor, dif-
ferent sections describe BASIC I/O,
control of program execution, and
file I/O. The manual also explains in-
vocable modules and shows you how
to use external procedures and func-
tions.

Business BASIC volume 2 is
primarily a quick reference quide that
will be of most use to people who
have some familiarity with the Busi-
ness BASIC language. Within the
BASIC reference section, each lan-
guage statement and function is
described and shown in an example
along with descriptions of any error
messages that might be produced
when it is used. Separate appendixes
describe error messages and their
causes, explain variable memory
usage, tell how to program for max-
imum speed, and give syntactic
definitions of the Business BASIC lan-
guage. The Graphics invocable
module (BGRAF.INV) is described in
a 57-page section that gives detailed
examples of plotting and drawing,
saving pictures on disk, creating
graphics text fonts, and setting up
your own color and transfer tables.

If you purchase Apple III Pascal,
you'll get an additional four manuals
that describe the Pascal system, utili-
ty programs, and the Pascal lan-
guage. One distinct benefit of Apple
III Pascal is that the description of the
Pascal assembler provides details
about the 6502 enhanced features that
are not found in any of the other
manuals. Unfortunately, even though
the BASIC invocable modules are
written in Pascal, the manuals do not
tell you how to write them. This may
not be important to small-business
users; nevertheless, the information
should be available.

Summary

It is impossible to do the Apple III
justice in one article. The machine is

very flexible and has a mix of features
and capabilities that are unmatched
in any of its competitors. Some
points, however, deserve special
mention.

First, SOS is a unique and powerful
operating system; it provides a varie-
ty of features that, as far as I know,
are not available on any other 8-bit
machine.

Business BASIC is also very power-
ful and includes options not found in
most versions of the language. The
use of invocable modules allows the
user to maximize available memory
space by adding only the capabilities
needed. Its I/O-formatting and file-
handling capabilities are extremely
versatile and, for most business data-
handling applications, will allow pro-
grams to be shorter and easier to
debug.

As for hardware, although some
people might argue that Apple should
have chosen a more advanced micro-
processor than the 6502B for the
Apple III, I think the company made
the right choice. Without the 6502B it
would have been difficult, if not im-
possible, to transfer files and pro-
grams from the Apple II to the III,
and Apple II emulation would not
have been possible. Admittedly, it
was a conservative choice — more
powerful processors are avail-
able — but actual processor perfor-
mance is much less important than
software availability. Apple's choice
clearly maximizes the usability of the
system.

The Profile hard-disk drive is a
significant enhancement to the Apple
III. Its speed and high capacity will
eliminate 99 percent of the disk swap-
ping required when using only floppy
disks, and the SOS nested directory
structures will keep it well organized.

Finally, one of the strongest points
in favor of the Apple III is Apple
Computer Inc. When early Apple III
users had problems with the first ma-
chines, Apple simply replaced the en-
tire computer immediately — as many
as two or three times in some cases.
This unqualified backing of its prod-
ucts shows a commitment to cus-
tomer satisfaction unequaled in the
industry. ■

GP-100A: US$389

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Other valuable features:

•Graphics, regular and double width character
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• Optional lnterface:RS232C,IEEE488,appleII,etc.

Graphic Printer W_^ Serioa

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Manufactured by SEIKOSHA SYSTEM EQUIPMENT DIV. 4-1-1 Taihei Su m i da -ku Tokyo Japan. Phone: 03-623-8111 Telex: 262-2620

Circle 8 on inquiry card.

THE FIRST AND ONLY
BCARTrOJR IBM PC
MAYEVERNEED.

Your IBM personal computer is a very
versatile piece of equipment. Perhaps
more versatile than you realize. New
applications and functions are being
developed every day. Now with Quadboard

by Quadram you can keep your options
open for tomorrow's technology. Following
in the tradition of Quadram Quality, four
of Quadram's best selling IBM boards
have been combined into one board.
Your remaining slots will be left free and
available to accommodate future expan-
sion needs and uses which you may not
even be able to contemplate today.

s&susah?!

yM7tPM%MiLn

PROVEN DESIGN.

Quadram has been shipping IBM boards
with each of the Quadboard functions
on separate boards since December,
1981. They are still available as separates
(including a Dual Port Async Board) for
those who desire a quality board but do
not need to keep slots open for future
expansion. And they all come with a
one year warranty from the leader in
technology applications.

256K MEMORY EXPANSION.

Socketed and expandable in 64K
increments to 256K, full parity generation
and checking are standard. A Quad-
board exclusive feature allows parity to
be switch disabled to avoid lock-up
upon error detection. The dip switches
also allow it to be addressed starting
on any 64K block so that it takes up only
as much as it has memory installed.
Memory access and cycle time naturally
meet all IBM specifications.

CLOCK/CALENDAR.

Quadboard eliminates the hassle of
manually inputting the date on system
boot-up by providing for the clock and
all software routines necessary for
inserting the appropriate programs on
your diskettes. The internal computer
clock is automatically set for compati-
bility with most software routines which
utilize clock functions, On-board battery
keeps the clock running when the
computer is off.

ALL ON ONE BOARD

Now you can utilize all the PC's capacity
with Quadram's extremely flexible con-
figurations. And it's totally compatible
with IBM hardware, operating systems,
and high level languages. It's a full-size
board that can be inserted into any free
system slot and it even includes a card
edge guide for securely mounting the
card in place.

INCREDIBLE PRICE!

Priced at $595. with 64K installed, $795
with 128K, $895 with 192K and an un-
believable $995 fully populated with
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and still protect the few limited empty
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/08255A
DSII9DP
© 19 7 9 AMI

$595

i*i*i*i*i«iM

with 64K
Installed

$m

:w

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IMIfrast?!'

Mil 1 1 TYTTTTTT

11

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5i [<M£

1 m |

i

III

llllllll

||

in

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^«H*»Hl ;

W7\

PARALLEL PRINTER I/O.

A 16 pin header on Quadboard is used
for inserting a short cable containing a
standard DB25 connector. The connector
is then mounted in the knock-out hole
located in the center of the PC back-
plane. The parallel port can be switch
disabled or addressed as Printer 1 or 2.
No conflict exists with the standard
parallel port on the Monochrome board.
The internal cable, connector and
hardware are all included.

ASYNCHRONOUS (RS232)
COMMUNICATION ADAPTER.

Using the same chip as that on the IBM
ASYNC board, the device is software
programmable for baud rate, character,
stop, and parity bits. A male DB25
connector located on the back connector
is identical to that on the IBM Async
Adapter. The adapter is used for
connecting modems, printers (many
letter quality printers require RS232),
and other serial devices, Switches
allow the port to be configured as COM!
or COM2 and the board fully supports
IBM Communications Software.

AVAILABLE NOW!

Quadram does not advertise products

until shipments have begun. Count on it.

But order today for immediate delivery.

ASK YOUR DEALER.

All products are sold through local

personal computer dealers. If yours

does not stock Quadram,

please ask him to call us

at (404) 923-6666. yfTTN

QUADRAM

CORPORATION

Circle 388 on Inquiry card. \|/ XL /
4357 Park Drive /Norcross, Ga. 30093

Computers Can Play a Dual Role
for Disabled Individuals

Besides providing special assistance,

microcomputers should give disabled individuals

access to standard software.

Gregg Vanderheiden, Director

Trace Research and Development Center

314 Waisman Center

1500 Highland Ave.

Madison, WI 53706

The move toward more portable
and flexible microcomputers is revo-
lutionizing the design and develop-
ment of electronic assistive devices
for the disabled, ensuring the status
of powerful, low-cost microcom-
puters as valuable tools for disabled
individuals and those working with
them.

The past few years have witnessed
a tremendous increase in the number
of individuals and small groups in-
volved in the development of special
aids for disabled persons. Microcom-
puters have given individual de-
signers who don't have access to ex-
tensive laboratory and production
facilities the capability of developing
sophisticated electronic aids. This is
not to say that the design of aids to
assist disabled individuals is easy or
can be easily developed in a few

Gregg Vanderheiden is director of the Trace
Research and Development Center for the
Severely Communicatively Handicapped at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison.

weekends or evenings. The worth-
while developments in this area have
taken a lot of time and effort, not
only in programming and interfacing,
but also in carefully studying the real
needs of the disabled individuals and
the many barriers and practical con-
siderations that are involved in the
successful applications of technology
to meet their needs.

Worthwhile ~~*
developments require

careful study of

disabled individuals'

real needs.

The influx of new people into this
area has resulted in a wealth of new
ideas, energy, and enthusiasm. The
purpose of this article is to provide an
overview of some of the many areas
in which microcomputers can serve
the needs of disabled individuals and
to discuss a few major concepts im-
portant to the development of suc-
cessful applicable software. I hope

this overview will stimulate new
ideas, approaches, and applications
for microcomputers in those inter-
ested in getting involved in designing
for the disabled. The basic concepts
presented can help you learn from
and build upon, rather than dupli-
cate, the early work and mistakes in
this area.

A Dual Role for Microcomputers

When we first think about the use
of microcomputers by disabled in-
dividuals, our minds usually turn to
thoughts of text-to-braille translating
programs, special communication
aids, programs that can teach sign
language, etc. These all involve the
development of special software that
can be run on the computer to pro-
vide a specific function required by a
disabled individual.

In considering the use of computers
by disabled individuals, however, it
is very important to remember that
disabled people also need to use the
same programs and accomplish the
same tasks as anyone else. Thus the

136 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 377 on inquiry card.

PGS

Princeton
Graphic Systems

High Resolution RGB Color Monitor
Designed for the IBM Personal Computer

FEATURES

□ 80 characters x 25 lines

□ 690 dots horizontal resolution

□ 16 colors

□ .31 mm dot pitch tube

□ non-glare, black matrix

□ plugs directly to IBM PC

$795

Princeton Graphic Systems' new HX-12 high resolution color
monitor is designed with an NEC .31 mm dot pitch CRT to give you
up to 690 dots horizontal resolution. You need not compromise the
display quality of your system with monitors rated at less than the
640 horizontal dots generated by your IBM PC. The PGS HX-12
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blind individual who may be able to
make good use of a text-to-braille
program also needs to be able to use
standard text editors, spreadsheet
programs (e.g., Visicalc), and data-
base managers, to name only a few.
Similarly, the physically disabled in-
dividuals who could use a game or
writing program that requires only
the operation of a single switch also
need to be able to use the standard
educational software as well as the
accounting programs and computers
at the companies considering them
for jobs. This is the dual role that

microcomputers must fill: they must
help disabled persons perform tasks
denied to them because of their dis-
ability, and they must be physically
modified to allow disabled persons to
tap all the microcomputers' comput-
ing and word-processing powers.

At present, the vast majority of the
software being developed for disabled
individuals is limited to providing for
a special need, rather than allowing
the use of common general-purpose
software. These special programs (al-
though often quite sophisticated) are
generally easy to implement because

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Write or call for free catalogue

JOHN D. OWENS Associates, Inc.

12 Schubert Street, Staten Island, New York 10305
212 448-6283 212 448-2913 212 448-6298

the full capabilities of the computer
are available to the programmer.
They do not, however, address the
greater need for disabled individuals
to be able to use standard systems.

Trying to provide access to stan-
dard software programs for individ-
uals who cannot see the video display
or cannot use the keyboard is very
difficult. In many cases, the more
powerful standard software takes
complete control of the computer
when it is loaded, disabling the
special routines or programs intended
to provide access to disabled individ-
uals. This is true even when the
special routines are hidden in remote
areas of the memory. In addition, the
standard programs themselves are
often "locked," and the source code is
unavailable, making any direct modi-
fication of the programs impossible.

Despite the many barriers, strate-
gies are being developed now that can
allow extremely motor-impaired in-
dividuals to access all standard soft-
ware, even though the user may have
as little controlled movement as an
eyeblink.

Providing Special Functions

It would be impossible to quote an
exhaustive list of the special functions
microcomputers could provide for
disabled individuals. Almost any
aspect of human activity that has
been impaired could potentially be
aided to some degree through the use
of microcomputers as processors, ma-
nipulators, or controllers.

Sensory enhancement/translation:
Microcomputers can be used to pro-
vide either a clarification of audio or
visual information so that it can be
more easily understood or a transla-
tion from one medium to another.
For example, microcomputers can be
used to expand visual displays, pro-
vide visual displays of auditory infor-
mation, provide auditory output of
visual information, translate a
limited, spoken vocabulary into text,
and provide tactile displays and feed-
back to individuals both deaf and
blind.

Manipulator/controller: For in-
dividuals with severe motor impair-
ments, the use of remote actuators
and powered artificial remote pros-

138 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

theses (or robotics) to give them ma-
nipulative capabilities has been pro-
posed. One of the difficulties has been
the large number of signals that are
required in order to control such
robots or manipulators. One role for
microcomputers might be to help
control these remote manipulators by
developing and remembering com-
plex movement command strings for
specific types of activities. These
command strings could then be called
upon by the user, using a small num-
ber of commands, thus allowing com-
plex motions to be made with reason-
able speed and ease.

Information amplification (for
motor impaired): The problem of
slow information transfer is not re-
stricted to the manipulator/control
field. In fact, its greatest impact is
probably in the area of communica-
tion and writing. Here the speed with
which one can transfer information is
crucial, and the demand for reason-
able speed is extremely high. A dif-
ference in speed by a factor of 4 or 5
(the average factor for a motor-
impaired individual is around 10 to
20) can make the difference between
being able to complete a day's work
in a day and taking a week to accom-
plish a day's work. Similarly, it can
be the difference between being able
to complete one's homework each
night and being able to do one night's
homework every week or two. The
microcomputer can be used in a num-
ber of ways, however, to increase or
amplify the amount of information
that can be relayed with a given
number of keystrokes or signals.
Most of these techniques take advan-
tage of redundancy in information
transferred, but others are more in-
volved.

A simple example would be an
abbreviation expansion routine that
would allow an individual to abbrevi-
ate all commonly used words and
greatly reduce the number of key-
strokes required to type out mes-
sages, programs, etc. The program
would automatically expand the
abbreviations as the user typed them.
The abbreviations could represent
commonly used words, mnemonics,
phrases, sentences, or entire blocks of
frequently used information.

Another technique would be to use
a large word-base that could antici-
pate the word being typed, thus trun-
cating the process of spelling words
out. This can be done based upon
word and letter frequency. More
elaborate schemes involve looking at
idea-to-text or concept-to-text (or
even concept-to-speech) translation.

Also being explored is a semantic-
feature-based phrase/sentence recall
system in which three to five key-
strokes would define an entire sen-
tence (see "Minspeak" by Bruce
Baker, page 186). Only about 60 keys

are involved, but their meanings vary
as a consequence of the order in
which they are pressed. Although this
approach at first seems complex, a
system like this may be necessary in
order to provide the information
amplification necessary to offset the
severe information-transfer problem
that many motion-impaired individ-
uals have. Advances in this field need
not be limited to assisting disabled in-
dividuals either.

Special control interfaces to other
devices: A general method for in-
creasing the information-transfer rate

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HiPad Digitizer $755.

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We are evaluating new products for the IBM
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Overseas Callers: TWX 710 588 2844
Phone 212 448-6298 or Cable: OWENSASSOC

JOHN D. OWENS Associates, Inc.

SEE OUR AD ON FACING PAGE

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 139

uses microcomputers to provide a
special interface between the disabled
individuals and the device(s) that
they are trying to control. The pur-
pose of this special interface would be
to obtain the best possible match be-
tween individuals' residual capabili-
ties and the characteristics of the sys-
tems that they are using.

Depending upon the severity of the
physical handicap, these special inter-
facing techniques can take a variety
of forms. For severely disabled in-
dividuals, single-switch input systems
can be used; the microcomputer con-
tinually presents choices to the user
until the user responds by activating a
switch.

More common and effective, how-
ever, are various special direct-
selection or encoding input tech-
niques. For individuals who have
head control, screen-based optical
headpointing schemes (similar to a
long-range light pen) can be used.
Other individuals may use expanded
and/or recessed keyboards. For those
who are able to point but unable to

point to a large enough array of ele-
ments to represent a full keyboard,
smaller arrays consisting of numbers
can be used in an encoding fashion to
specify the letters, words, etc. Efforts
are also currently being directed
toward cost-effective methods of
using the eyes, both for encoding and

A special interface

obtains the best match

between individuals'

residual capabilities

and the characteristics

of the system they are

using.

for direct selection of items from a
display. All of these approaches can
be adapted in size and arrangement in
order to meet best the needs and
capabilities of specific individuals.

Recreation and development aids:
Disabled individuals can, of course,
use microcomputers to play games in

the same manner as anyone else. For
individuals with severe physical or
sensory disabilities, however, micro-
computers can play a more extensive
role than just recreation. For exam-
ple, manipulation of objects and ex-
ploration of environment important
to development in children may not
be possible. A specially interfaced
microcomputer may be able to offset
some of this disability by providing
children with a reliable means to con-
trol, explore, and manipulate objects
either in real space or on a video dis-
play. It may also allow individuals to
be able to move themselves about in
space to gain new perspectives on
their environments as well as to reach
and act on the objects in it.

Educational aids: In the educa-
tional field, a number of specific
problem areas can be addressed in
part by microcomputers. One area of
difficulty involves the slow rate of
response of severely physically dis-
abled individuals. This response rate
makes any remedial drill or practice
session extremely time-consuming

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140 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 89 on inquiry card.

In this age of runaway inflation...

Look what $825 will buy

The ideal input device for the small
system user.

■is ! ***

g»j[^ 62S.00 s;»-; ™»

w.v>.« 670.00 »i»-< i*«

£i»3^ 725.00. ™*;j **£

s us

m> rnt

MJI* ') l.OWiil

i ' :

Available with stylus or optional cursor.

The HIP AD™ digitizer

Inexpensive input to your computer

The HIPAD™ digitizer can be used for both converting graphic information into
digital values and as a menu. Utilizing either the stylus or the optional cursor, the
operator can input graphic data into the computer by locating individual points on
the digitizers 11" x 11" (28cm x 28cm) active area. In the "stream mode" a contin-
uance of placements of coordinate pairs may be input.

Not a kit, the HIPAD™ comes complete with both RS-232-C and parallel interfaces
and has its own built-in power source. The origin is completely relocatable so coor-
dinates may be positive or minus for a true reference value and oversized material
may by input by simply resetting the origin.

Accurate positional information, free form sketches,
even keyboard simulation

All can be entered using the multi-faceted HIPAD™ digitizer. Its capabilities and
low price make the UL listed HIPAD™ a natural selection over keyboard entry, inac-
curate joysticks, or expensive approximating light pens. It's perfect for inputting
isometric drawings, schematics, X-rays, architectural drawings, business graphs,
and many other forms of graphic information, as well as creating your own graphics.

Use it with Apple II™ , TRS-80 Level II ™ , PET ™ or other
popular computers

The HIPAD's™ built-in RS-232C and parallel 8 bit interfaces make it all
possible. (For Apple II order DT-11 A, for TRS-80 or PET order DT-11).
Furthermore, you get English or metric scaling, data format (Binary/BCD/ASCII),
selectable baud rates, and resolution of either .005" or .01".

For complete information, contact Houston, Instrument, P.O. Box 15720, Austin, Texas 78761.
(512} 835-0900. For rush literature requests, outside Texas call toll free 1-800-531-5205. For
technical information ask for operator #5. In Europe contact Houston Instrument,
Rochesterlaan 6, 8240Gistel, Belgium. Phone 059/27-74-45. Telex Bausch 81399.

Available with optional display.
*U.S. Suggested retail price

TM HIPAD is a trademark of Houston Instrument
TRS-80 is a trademark of Tandy Corporation
APPLE is a trademark of Apple Computer Inc.
PET is a trademark of Commodore Business Machines. Inc.

Circle 48 for literature.

Circle 49 to have a representative call.

INSTRUMENTS &SVSTEMS DIVISION

1bgetner...we'l create tomorrow

BAUSCH S. LOMB (W

Circle 296 on inquiry card.

MODEM

I

129

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(and therefore expensive in terms of
personnel time, etc.). Microcom-
puters can be used to allow individ-
uals to practice lessons independently
and at their own speed.

Learning that involves manipula-
tion, such as might be found in chem-
istry, physics, and other sciences,
presents another problem area. Here,
microcomputers and computer-aided
instruction can allow an individual to
manipulate and explore ideas, con-
cepts, figures, etc., in structured but
flexible ways. Such programs can
allow severely physically disabled in-
dividuals to handle "flasks" and
"chemicals" on the TV screen and
carry out experiments and manipula-
tions that would otherwise be beyond
their direct control.

Another whole area for microcom-
puters in education would be their use
not as direct teaching aids but as aids
in providing fundamental facilities
necessary for a meaningful and effec-
tive education. Examples of these aids
for a "normal" individual might be
eyeglasses or a pencil and paper. The
need to see, read and write, take
notes, and do independent work are
of course necessary capabilities for
receiving an education within our
current system. The severely physi-
cally disabled individual who has no
ability to use a pencil and paper, to
take notes, to write, or to do indepen-
dent work is at an extreme disad-
vantage. Microcomputer-based
writing systems designed to provide
the same flexibility as a scratch pad
and pencil could be used to provide
these individuals with the capabilities
for appropriate and adequate partici-
pation in their educational programs.

Finally, microcomputers can be
used to teach fundamental program-
ming skills. Because of the many
ways in which microcomputers can
aid individuals with disabilities, and
because of the direction in which
many aspects of the employment
world are heading, it is quite clear
that microcomputers hold future
vocational potential for disabled in-
dividuals, whether their vocational
direction is in the computer field or
not. Computer literacy and the abili-
ty to reconfigure or oversee the re-
configuring of computer systems to

meet their changing needs may be ex-
tremely important capabilities for dis-
abled individuals to have.

Communication aids: Because of
the nonportability of microcomputers
up to now, their use has been limited
mostly to work-station types of appli-
cations. These applications include
computer-aided writing and filing
systems as well as work-station
phone control and phone communi-
cations using the new speech-output
capabilities. However, the stationary
systems have not been able to mean-
ingfully address the conversational
needs of individuals with severe
speech impairments.

The recent introduction, though, of
portable and hand-held computers is
opening up the potential for micro-
computers to move out of the sta-
tionary writing-aid category and
begin to address the categories of por-
table writing/note-taking aids and
conversational communication aids.
Because of the fine motor control re-
quired, these portable units will find
their greatest initial application for
individuals having mild to moderate
physical disabilities. When used as
components within systems having
other input techniques, however,
they may also be used by individuals
having more severe disabilities. The
limited memory, I/O (input/output),
and control capabilities of these sys-
tems are currently hampering their
application in many areas. In time,
the memory capabilities may greatly
expand, but the I/O and control
capabilities are generally not empha-
sized in a portable unit and may con-
tinue to present problems for awhile.

The major barrier for using micro-
computers as communication aids,
however, is the need for custom inter-
facing to achieve optimum speed.
This usually involves the develop-
ment of special interfaces not com-
mercially available. As I will discuss
in more detail later, the use of custom
hardware in conjunction with stan-
dard computers can negate many of
the advantages of using a microcom-
puter in the first place. Care must be
taken, therefore, when making a deci-
sion between an adapted microcom-
puter and a specially designed aid to
solve problems in this area.

142 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

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150

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200

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160

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Expanded Print

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Dot Addressable

Graphics (Dot/In., H/V)

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Out-of-Paper Sense

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Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Ribbon, Continuous

Loop Cartridge (Yds)

30

30

30

30

30

Interfacing:

Parallel Cent. Comp.

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

RS-232C Serial

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

DP-9000A

Silent/Scribe. The Quiet Ones from Anadex.

ANADEX, INC. • 9825 De Soto Avenue • Chatsworth, California 91311, U.S.A. • Telephone: (213) 998-8010 • TWX 910-494-2761
U.S. Sales Offices: San Jose, CA(408) 247-3933 •Irvine, CA (71 4)557-0457* Schiller Park, IL(312)671-1717 • Wakefield, MA (617)245-9160
Hauppauge, New York, Phone: (516) 435-0222 • Atlanta, Georgia, Phone: (404) 255-8006 • Austin, Texas, Phone: (512) 327-5250
ANADEX, LTD. • Weaver House, Station Road • Hook, Basingstoke, Hants RG27 9JY, England • Tel: Hook (025672) 3401 • Telex: 858762 ANADEX G

Circle 25 on Inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 143

Rugged, simple, dependable.

RCA Interactive Data
Terminals as low as $236...

Reliable, portable RCA VP
3000 series Interactive Data Ter-
minals feature: video and audio
output; color-locking circuitry for
sharp color graphics and rainbow-
free characters; reverse video;
tone and noise generator; 20 and
40 character formats; resident and
programmable character set; LSI video and microprocessor con-
trol. All have a unitized 58-key, 1 28 character keyboard with flexi-
ble membrane switches, plus the features of the ASCII key-
boards below.

VP 3501 Videotex Data Terminal. (Shown) Built-in RF mod-
ulator and 300 baud direct-connect modem. Ideal for time sharing
data base applications. Works with standard TV or monitor. Also
has expansion interface and 1 6-key calculator keypad. As low
as $265.*

VP 3303 Interactive Data Terminal. Similar to VP 3501,
without modem or calculator keypad. Has selectable baud rates
and RS232C/20Ma current loop interfaces. As low as $246.*

VP3301.

as $236.*

Same as VP 3303, without RF modulator. As low

...and RCA ASCII Encoded
Keyboards as low as $49:

RCA VP 600 series ASCII key-
boards feature: flexible membrane
keys with contact-life over 10 mil-
lion operations; unitized keyboards
are spillproof, dustproof with finger
positioning overlay and positive
keypress; 2-key rollover circuitry;
tone feedback; high noise immunity CMOS circuitry; 5V DC oper-
ation and 58-key, 1 28-character keyboard, selectable "upper
case only."

__ VP 616. EIA RS232C compatible, 20 mA current loop and
TTL outputs; six selectable baud rates. Standard keyboard plus
1 6-key calculator. As low as $78.*

VP 611. Similar to VP 616 with 8 bit parallel output. As low
as $59.*

VP 606. Same as VP 616, less calculator keypad. As low
as $65.*

VP 601 . (Shown) Same as VP 61 1 , less calculator keypad.
As low as $49.*

To order, or more information, call toll-free 800-233-0094.
In PA, 71 7-393-0446. Or write:
RCA Microcomputer Marketing,
New Holland Avenue,
Lancaster, PA 17604.

*OEM quantity prices.

ItC/l

Information resource/manage-
ment: Disabled individuals could use
a microcomputer for information re-
source/management in all of the same
ways that able-bodied individuals
can. In addition to these uses, com-
puters can help physically or sensori-
ly disabled individuals to access
materials that would normally be dif-
ficult for them to handle in a number
of ways. Sensory or, particularly,
physical disabilities may prevent
these persons from making effective
use of notebooks, filing systems,
calendars, dictionaries, phone lists,
etc., due to their inability to quickly
manipulate and scan these materials.
Microcomputer-based systems with
interfaces designed specifically to
work with the individual's residual
capabilities can provide effective and
efficient means of paralleling all of
these functions. At present, most of
these applications are in the area of
user-generated information storage
and retrieval, although in some cases,
such as a dictionary, materials or
databases are being developed for
general use and dissemination.

Security/monitoring systems: A
major barrier to the ability of many
disabled or aging persons to live inde-
pendently is the lack of effective and
economical means to ensure their
safety and the ability to summon
help. Some ways in which a micro-
computer could aid in these indepen-
dent living endeavors would be
through the provision of mechanisms
for physically disabled individuals to
control the locks and windows in
their homes, emergency-call systems
for individuals who have difficulty in
making a call or who are unable to
speak, monitoring systems for per-
sons who could fall or in some way
render themselves unconscious and
unable to call for help, and medica-
tion-reminder systems.

A monitoring system could run pe-
riodic checks and call for help if the
individual does not respond to the
system's queries. Reminder systems
can be developed both to provide
reminders as to when medication
should be taken and to check whether
certain actions necessary in the taking
of the medication (e.g., opening the
refrigerator) have been done. Lack of

144 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 406 on Inquiry card.

DISK DRIVE
IN OPERft 1I0M

Microsoft's RAMCard with RAMDrive"

takes the whir, click and wait

outofthelBMPC.

Solid State Disk. When you add the Microsoft
RAMCard to your IBM® Personal Computer, you
also add RAMDrive, which lets you use
memory as you would normally use a
disk. That gives you "disk access"
that's typically 50X faster than
disk. Without the whirring,
clicking and waiting of mech
anical data access.

Fast and easy. You simply
designate a portion of
memory as "disk." RAMDrive
takes it from there, instructing
the program to go to RAM rather
than disk whenever data access is
needed. The result is faster, smoother,
no-wait computing.

64K to 256K. You can start small, but think big
Start with 64K and add Microsoft RAMChips™
in 64K blocks. Or buy the full 256K now. Either way,
you get both RAM and "disk" capabilities. All in a
single slot

A complete subsystem. The RAMCard package
comes complete with the memory board (64K,

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp.
Microsoft, RAMChips, RAMCard, and RAMDrive, are trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation.

128K, 192K or 256K), documenta-
tion, a diskette which adds

RAMDrive and, a full one year
warranty.

More tools for IBM. Microsoft
wrote PC-DOS, the standard operat-
ing system for the IBM Personal
Computer. And Microsoft is first in
providing a full range of languages,
applications programs and utilities
for the IBM PC. The addition of RAMCard
with RAMDrive is our way of saying that
Microsoft will continue to offer more and
better supported tools for the IBM PC.

See for yourself. Ask your Microsoft or
IBM PC dealer for a demonstration of both
main memory and disk features of the Microsoft
RAMCard with RAMDrive. It's solid state memory
you can also use like a disk. And it takes the whir,
click and wait out of the IBM PC.

BETTER TOOLS FOR MICROCOMPUTERS

/HICRpSOfT

^F Microsoft Corporation ^^ i

V 10700 Northup Way ^ V

Bellevue. WA 98004

Circle 542 on inquiry card.

response to these reminders could be
used as an alerting signal to the moni-
toring/call system, which could, in
turn, summon aid.

Cognitive and language-processing
assistance: Congenital or acquired
conditions often leave an individual
with impaired cognitive processing.
In some cases, it is a general process-
ing deficit, as in mental retardation.
In other cases, it is a specific dysfunc-
tion of a particular process, such as
short-term memory or the ability to
program speech or remember names.
The greatest obstacle to identifying
effective applications of microcom-
puters in these areas is the limited
knowledge about the processes and
remediation methods in general. The
prospect of microcomputer-based
cognitive prostheses is still beyond
the current state of the art but not
beyond the imagination. The use of
microcomputers in remediation,
however, may be much closer and
more realistic, especially in areas
where extensive drill and practice are

associated with the remediation pro-
cess.

Providing Standard Functions

As I stated previously, it is impor-
tant for disabled individuals to be
able to use microcomputers for the
same purposes as everyone else does.
These purposes include word process-
ing, computer games, computer-
aided instruction, control (including
environmental control in both the
home and job site), financial plan-
ning, management, and general com-
puting. In some cases, the disabled in-
dividual may use these standard
capabilities (e.g., word processing) to
help offset specific disabilities (e.g.,
inability to use a pencil). More and
more, however, individuals need to
access the standard computer pro-
grams because computers are an in-
tegral part of their education or jobs.
As our society in general incorporates
the use of computers into every facet
of daily living, access to them is be-
coming more and more essential.

Now add time-
keeping capability to your
RS-232C compatible

on top of othoi

Clock coordinates and W^ompurerCHnpammrSvit™ h— c «„™ .n^n.

logs system activities by (Each requires a dedi-

date and time . , , down to the second. cated RS-232C port.)

The Chronograph is ideal for Keep your computer system up

business or home applications. Use it date with the Hayes Stack Chronogra

with your computer for timing everything Only $249 at computer stores every-

from time-sharing access... to electronic where. There's no fT\||

mail and lights and sprinklers. better time. I f I H3V€

(Each requires a dedi-
cated RS-232C port.)

Keep your computer system up-to-
date with the Hayes Stack Chronograph.

Tie-sharing access... to electronic where. There's no fT\|i

id lights and sprinklers. better time. |f J H3V68

The Hayes StaelCChrar^
K time. And it^ now

Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc.

5835 Peachtree Corners East, Norcross, Georgia 30092 (404) 449-8791
Hayes Stack is a trademark of Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc.
© 1981 Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. Sold only In the U.S.A.

In order to provide disabled in-
dividuals with the ability to run stan-
dard software programs, transparent
modifications that can circumvent the
individual's particular disabilities
need to be developed. (The word
transparent is used here to refer to a
technique that is invisible to any stan-
dard software programs — that is,
modifications cannot be detected by
any piece of standard software when
this technique is used.) A completely
transparent modification does not in-
terfere with the standard program in
any way. Similarly, the standard pro-
gram cannot interfere or negate the
modification. A few examples of
transparent modifications may be
useful here.

The simplest example of a transpar-
ent modification is a weight on a
hinge that can be tipped to hold down
the shift key. This mechanical modifi-
cation can allow a one-handed or
one-fingered (or headstick) typist to
enter shift or control characters on
the keyboard. There is no way for
computers to tell in what manner the
individuals are entering data, and any
programs will run without modifica-
tion.

A somewhat more flexible modifi-
cation may be the use of a keyboard-
emulator module, which would be in-
serted into the computer between the
keyboard and the main computer
board. Electrically, this keyboard
emulator would look exactly like the
standard keyboard. As a result, it
would be impossible for the processor
(or any software) to tell that the
signals coming to it were not coming
from the computer's keyboard.

The keyboard emulator would
have a connector on the side that
would accept RS-232C serial, paral-
lel, or any desired signal format and
inject the characters received into the
computer as if they were typed on the
keyboard. In this manner, persons us-
ing any one of a large number of spe-
cial communication or control aids
could directly control the computer
as if they were typing on the key-
board.

Because the special communication
aids can be custom fitted to the in-
dividual, they can be selected to op-
timize the individual's physical con-

146 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 532 on Inquiry card.

' i #

A GALAXY of featu&es /rakes the LN^VSt) a

remarkable, computer. As you explore the
LNW80, yjou: will find the most complete,
powerful, ready to run,' feature-packed per-
sonal and business computer ever made into
one compact* solid unit.

QUALITY CONSTRUCTION - Instrumenta-
tion quality construction sets LNW80 com-
puters apart from all the rest Integrated into
the sleek solid steel case of the LNW80 is a
professional 74-key expanded keyboard that
includes a twelve key numeric keypad.

HIG.H RESOLUTION GRAPHICS & COLOR-

The stunning 480 X 1 92 resolution gives you
total .display control - in color or black and
white. The choice of display formats is yours;
80, 64, 40 and 32 columns by 24 or 1 6 lines in -
any combination of eight colors.

.PERFORMANCE- Lift-off with,a4MHz Z80A
CPU for twice the performance. The LNW80
outperforms all computers in its class.

HI

1

MODEL I COMPATIBILITY -The LNW&0 is

fully hardware and softwafe compatible with
the Model I. Select from a universaof hardware
accessories and software - from VisiCalc® to
space games, your LNW80 will launch you
into a new world of computing.

FULLY LOAQED - A full payload includes Sm
on-board single and double density disk
controller for 5 W'vffcnd 8" single or double
sided disk drives. RS232C communications
port, cassette and parallel printer interfaces
are standard features and ready to go. All
memory is fully installed - 48K RAM,* 16K
graphics RAM and 12K ROM complete with
Microsoft BASIC.

Our down to earth price won't send you into

, ,2620 WALNUT Tustin, C

(714)641-8850 (714)544-

Monitor and Disk drives not included
M Personal Software, Inc.

Circle 268 on inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 147

ITI ^ r Y x software

>t* Quality Discount

GUARANTEED LOWEST PRICES! We will match any
advertised price. Just show us the ad.

APPLE

ArtScI Magic Window S 79

Dos Boss 22

Utility City 25

Apple Panic 25

Teacher Plus 35

Continental CPA acctg.

moduleea 210

Depreciation planner 335

Datamost Real Est. Analysis 110

Datasoft Mlcropalnter 30

Denver Software

Financial partner $219

Pascal Tutor 108

Pascal Programmer 1 08

Ouosoft Business Planner 265

Edu-ware compu-matlc 32

Ellis Computing

Nevada Cobol S169

Nevada Pilot 129

Nevada Edit 99

Application pkg. ea 22

Hayden Software

Datagraph S 39

Hlstograph 25

Applesoft Compiler 3.2 1B0

ApplepieSeriesea 109

Howard Software

Real Estate Analyzer S145

Tax preparer '82 127

Tax preparer state: CA.NY/NJ/IL . 60

IUS

Datadex S125

Easy writer 162

Easymover B8

Easyjack (Combo) 262

Easymaller 162

Microfocus

CIs Cobol Std S775

Forms-2 175

MicroPro

Wordstar S229

Mallmerge 85

Calcstar .145

Spellstar 145

Games

Sargonll S 25

Zorklorll 32

Deadline 32

Crossword Magic 18

Misc.

Mathemaglc $ 80

Spellguard 267

Edit 6502 82

Locksmith 90

Super Screen II 108

A-stat 79 140

Mailing list 48

G.O.C. I full Acctg. system 1 ,B0D

Stoneware DB Master 179

Muse Software

SuperTextll S125

Address book 43

Form letter 87

Data Plot 52

And Many More

MicroPro

Wordstar S235

Mallmerge 95

Calcstar 199

Spellstar 160

Supersort I 170

Microsoft

Basic 80 S285

Basic Compiler 325

Fortran 80 345

Cobol 80 570

Macro 80 140

Peachtree

General Ledger S399

Accounts Receivables 399

Accounts Payables 399

Inventory 399

Payroll 399

Property Management 799

CPA Client Write-up 799

Star Computer System

G/L, A/R, A/PorPay S350

LegalTimes Billing 845

Property Management 845

Sorcim

Supercalc S225

Trans 86 115

Act 155

Supersoft

Diagnostic I S 48

Diagnostic II 83

. Disk Doctor 84

Fortran 215

C Compiler 175

TCS

GL, A/R, A/P, or Pay $ 79

All modules above 265

Module Compiler 9B

Inventory 95

Ashton - Tate

Base II S595

Byrom Software

BSTAM S160

BSTMS 160

Digital Research

Pascal MT +

MAC S 85

SID (8080 Debugger) 65

ZSI0 (ZB0 Debugger) 90

CP/M 2.2 149

C Basic 2 97

PL/1-80 449

And Many More

IBM PC

Wordstar S285

Mallmerge 95

Easlwritir II 299

Easlspeller 149

Crosstalk 129

DataBase Manager 170

Mailing List 85

Vedlt 165

CP/M 86 295

Write-on 110

Move It 125

Spellguard 247

East (Exec. Acctg. Sys.) 625

Accessories/

1

Hardware

Boards

Co Processors 88 card (Ap. II) . .

S795

Sottcard(ZB0CP/MAp. II) ....

298

CPS Muitllunctlon

178

Mountain A/D + 0/A

289

CCS 12K R0M/PR0M

. 89

CCS A/D Convener

. 98

CCS Serial Asynch

149

Applescope (your Apple as an

Oscilloscope)

595

Vldex Enhancer I

. 149

K & D Enhancer

115

Dan Paymar Lower case

. . 27

ALS Smarterm

. 379

ALS Z-card

269

Percom Doubler II

. 167

Bit3FullVlew80 (ATB00)

. 299

Bit 3 32K Memory (AT400/800)

.159

BTAD 0S-1 (64K, ZB0, CPM

for IBM PC)

^99

Oatamac 64K (IBM PC)

. 399

Vldex Mlcromodem Chip

. . 25

Xedex Baby Blue (IBM PC)

. 550

Quadram Deluxe Board (IBM PC)

. 495

Quadram 128K Ram (IBM PC) . .

495

MIcrofazerBK Printer Buffer . . .

. 135

Versacard

?1R

Computers

Commodore/Atari/NEC/

Xerox

Call for Price Information

Monitors

Amdek Video 300 S217

Amdek RGB Color 750

NEC12"HlresGreen 175

Sanyo 12" Hires Green 220

TEC0TM- 12 GX Green 147

TEC0RGB13" 525

Modems

Novation Apple-Cat II $350

Hayes Smartmodem 225

Mlcromodem II 319

Chronograph 199

Printers

Anadex 9500 Series S1.5B0

Epson SCali

Diablo 630 2,200

NEC 3530 1,890

NEC8023A 525

Okldata Mlcrollne B2A 535

Okldata Mlcrollne B3A 790

Prism B0 (w/ 4 options) 1,177

Prism 132 (w/ 4 options) 1,7B5

Smfth-Corona TP-1 750

Disk Drives

Rana Elite 1 (Ap. II) $339

Rana Controller (Ap. II) 110

Micro SclA35(Ap. II) 399

Micro SclA40(Ap. II) 3B5

MlcroSclA70 540

Micro Scl Controller (Ap. II) 90

Tandon TM-100-1 299

TandonTM-100-2 389

And Many More

One Stop Shopping at
Guaranteed Lowest Prices

Write for our Free Catalog

ORDER TOLL FREE ■ Outside Wl - 1-800-826-1589

Please: • Wisconsin residents - add 5% sales tax

• Add $3.50 for shipping per software and small items.
Call regarding others.

• Foreign - add 15% handling charge. Shipping extra.

We welcome: • Visa, Mastercharge - (Add 4%)

• Checks (Allow 1-2 weeks for clearing)

• COD (Add $1.50 per shipment)

For technical information & in Wisconsin: 715-848-2322

OryX Software • 205ScottSt., Dept. AG • P.O. Box1961

Wausau, Wl 54401

$

148 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 355 on inquiry card.

trol and communication rate. One in-
dividual might be using a "brow
switch" and a special scanning dis-
play. Another individual could be us-
ing a light-beam headpointer. Still
another might use Morse code or
some other encoding system that re-
quires the individuals simply to look
at the characters they want on a dis-
play.

The outputs from these displays
would then be fed into the keyboard
emulator and then into the computer
as "input from the keyboard." Such
an arrangement would be completely
transparent and allow these individ-
uals to utilize any software controlled
from the keyboard. (Game-paddle
emulators can also be used to access
other programs.)

In order to allow use of the com-
puter in its normal fashion, most key-
board emulators also accept input
from the keyboard and pass it along
to the computer as well. Thus, with
the keyboard emulator in place, the
computer can be used in the standard
way by disabled individuals.

Equipping one or more computers
in a classroom with such keyboard
emulators would allow disabled in-
dividuals with special communication
aids to access and utilize the same
educational programs and course-
ware as the other members of their
class or school. Similarly, if a com-
pany had a terminal with an emulator
installed, the terminal would be
usable by disabled as well as able-
bodied personnel without any modifi-
cation to the company's systems or
software. Because the module plugs
in between the keyboard and the pro-
cessor, it can also be removed at any
time (and the keyboard plugged back
into its normal slot) for testing or
maintenance of the computer or ter-
minal. Smart keyboard emulators can
also be plugged into themselves to
run self -diagnostics.

Another transparent modification
deals with output rather than input: a
special audio screen is connected to
the computer's bus; instead of creat-
ing a video image, however, it has a
special flat tablet that lies on the table
beside the keyboard. As blind in-
dividuals move the cursor around on
the tablet, they can cause the tablet to

Circle 286 on inquiry card. »

^r

rocomputer Business industries C

TwoTTSctical Per
- Your

ation

letime'"/Clock Card $99™*

ully Mountain Computer Sohw4rVj£ompatibie
^Disk included with all software*-^*
Includes Datebook™ - a conylete desk calendar
• Time of day • International time-keeping ability
i Calendar datW m Recharging battery backup
Day of weekA • Complete software formating
Proerarf?limer\ • Offset time/date/day readout

Prograrfntimei\* Offset time/date/day readout
™ Card - "Versatile Interface PeripheraP'

mailable for EPSON, NEC, C-ITOH, IDS PRISM, OKIDATA and
her graphic printers soon.) w /

™ C- The Ultimate Graphics Card $1 1 9™^

-#*

* Recommended A \ V —
Retail Price • >

• Enlarged picture mode \j

• Variable line length with left & right margins

• Block graphics | • Chart Recorder Mode

Upgradable to VIP™

• 90° picture rotation

VIP™C+ w
has all the features of the VIP™ G plus:

• A sekd-port with full RS232 capability

• Software baud rate control frorrMIO tc

V| pTMpV -W"

an Interface card featuring: V ^

• Two parallel ports • Upgradable^:

VIP™SP

r'lPTM C+

$^4900*

VIP™ G- The Ultimate Graphics Card $11900* and cable. Features: j± *\

w A Centronics Parallel Interface and Cable featuring^ -^ • Full VIP™ I software capabilities

* • Text and graphics screen dump routine • Plus side-by-side tw^n picture capabilit

• Graphics with inverse & emphasized modes • Self-documentation

■k M Mfc H TM Microcomputer Business Industries Corporation

55L£5 EhS Suite 20 ° • 1019 81h streel M,t^«.i *,

- -— — — 3-- Golden, Colorado 80401 National ai

• Software baud rate control fr omNjIO to 9600 baud

TV $11900*

an Interface card featuring: V \l„

• Two parallel ports • Upgradable^ VIP™ SP

vip™sp ^^ $14900*

an Interface card featuring:

• Two parallel ports • One serial port ^l .

VIP™ Graphics Diskette $1 9 95

ipr the person who already owi^a parallel interface
and cable. Features: 4^ \

• Full VIP™ I software capabilities 1

• Plus side-by-side twin picture capability

• Self-documentation J

(303) 279-8438 TWX: 910-934-0191

National and international
dealer inquiries welcome.

Apple s a trademark of Apple Computer Inc. MBJ, Applefime, VIP, and Daleboolt are Irack'nurks of Microcomputer Business Industries Corporation.

read out the words or letters their
hands are "over." In this fashion,
blind people can easily scan the
screen and have it read off the con-
tents in any random order they
desire. Because they can move their
hands around on the tablet, they can
also get a "special feel" for the infor-
mation. Because it is impossible for
the main computer (or its software) to
tell that this system is in place or in
use, any software that uses the video
display and pronounceable characters
can be used by the blind individual.
Thus, an individual would be able to
access and use most standard soft-
ware without modification.

It's obvious, of course, that pro-
grams that use a video display are
designed for individuals who can see.
The screen presents information to
the user in a parallel format — that is,
the information on the entire page is
presented to the user at one time.
Blind individuals using the above
modification would be able to "see"
the screen only a word or a character
at a time. This would be equivalent to
sighted persons trying to read and
make sense out of words on a screen
by looking at the screen through a
soda straw (a character at a time) or a
small tube (a word at a time). Al-
though they could figure out what the
screen said, the effectiveness of the
visual display is decidedly decreased,
and the organization and presenta-

tion of much of the information on
the screen may be far from optimum
for this type of "serial" input.

For this reason, programs written
specifically for use by blind individ-
uals use considerably different
strategies for organizing and present-
ing information. Thus, although the
audio-screen technique just described
does provide access to standard soft-
ware for blind individuals, it does not
give them equivalent access to that of
sighted individuals; nor does it give

The audio-screen
technique doesn't

give the blind
equivalent or even

optimum access.

them optimum access. Unfortunately,
the software that has been optimized
for use by blind individuals is an ex-
tremely small fraction of the software
generally available. It is likely we will
see the amount of this software in-
crease with little improvement in
quality. As a result, such non-
optimum approaches as the audio
screen will play an increasingly im-
portant role.

In the design of aids for the dis-
abled, insights into the practical
aspects of using special modifications
(such as that gained by the tube

analogy above) can provide program-
mers with a much better understand-
ing of the problems they are trying to
solve and can lead to design of much
more effective special modifications.

Semitransparent Modifications

Hardware intervention is almost
always necessary to achieve full
transparency. Hardware intervention
ensures complete transparency but
comes at a higher cost. As a result, a
number of strategies, termed semi-
transparent, have also been devel-
oped to work with some but not all
software.

Some of these techniques take the
form of special software routines that
are hidden in infrequently used por-
tions of memory. Vectors within the
operating system are reset to cause
the computer to access special
pointers instead of the normal key-
board-servicing routines. These pure
software routines are often loaded
from disk into the computer just prior
to loading the standard program. In
some cases, the routines may be auto-
matically loaded when the computer
is turned on. The individual can then
use the special routine to select and
run other programs.

The major drawback to modifica-
tions of this type is that they usually
rely on pointers that may often be
reset when more sophisticated or
complex programs are loaded into the

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150 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 441 on inquiry card.

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IBM is a trademark of International Business
Machines Corp.

Apple III is a trademark of Apple Computer Inc.
Z-89 is a trademark of Zenith Corporation.
HP-87 is a trademark of Hewlett-Packard Company.
CP/M is a trademark of Digital Research Inc.
Peachware, Peachtree Software, Peachcare,
Peachpak, PeachPay, PeachText and PeachCalc
are trademarks of Peachtree Software Incorporated,
an MSA Company.

Copyright © 1982 Peachtree Software Incorporated,
an MSA Company.

BY 982

Peachtree
Software

computer. In addition, many of the
more advanced programs consume all
of the available memory space, total-
ly wiping out such special programs.
In some cases, special programs can
be hidden in ROM (read-only mem-
ory), and special strategies can be in-
corporated that allow them to con-
tinually retake control of the com-
puter even while more complex pro-
grams are being run. However, this
approach again requires the use of at
least some special hardware.

Examples of purely software modi-
fications are the programs written by
Peter Maggs at the University of Illi-
nois, Champaign-Urbana (see refer-
ence 1) to provide a voice output of
video-screen contents (using a variety
of speech synthesizers). An example
of the ROM-based approach is the
adaptive-firmware card developed by
Paul Schwejda for the Apple II (see
"Adaptive-Firmware Card for the
Apple II" by Paul Schwejda and
Gregg Vanderheiden, page 276;
see also reference 2). In the case of the

adaptive-firmware card, the modifi-
cation is essentially transparent to
most programs except those that have
critical timing loops around keyboard
input routines (the adaptive-firmware
card "steals" the microprocessor dur-
ing these periods).

The SHADOW/VET voice-entry
terminal for the Apple (by Scott In-
struments) is another example in this
category. The SHADOW/VET allows
total control of the Apple using voice
commands. Except for programs that
involve critical timing loops around
input routines, the SHADOW/VET
can be used instead of the Apple key-
board for all operations even inside
protected programs such as Visicalc.
(Some keyboard use is necessary dur-
ing initial voice programming of the
unit.)

Multilevel Program Processing
and Multitasking

In addition to the transparency
problem, designers must understand
two other concepts that are important

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to the development of many micro-
computer-based assistive systems,
particularly for extremely motor-im-
paired individuals. The first concept,
multilevel program execution, refers
to the ability of programs to be
stacked so that the output of one pro-
gram serves as the input to the next
(for example, a special one-switch in-
put program feeding a communica-
tion/spelling acceleration program
feeding a standard text editor or other
standard program). Multitasking
refers to the ability to jump back and
forth between different programs
while keeping all programs active in
memory in the computer at the same
time (see reference 3).

The need for multilevel program
execution stems from practical con-
straints in the development of pro-
grams for disabled individuals. If you
had unlimited funds and time, you
could develop a single program which
contained all of the following:

• input routines (one-switch scan-
ning, Morse code, optical headpoint-
ing, etc.)

• acceleration techniques (abbrevia-
tion expansion, word/phrase capabil-
ity, word prediction, etc.)

• function programs (text editing,
spreadsheet programs, games, educa-
tional programs, etc.)

Similarly, if all of the software
were to be written by one group at
one university (or company or reha-
bilitation center), then the software
could be written in compatible mod-
ules that could simply be linked to-
gether to form the configuration
desired by a given individual.
Because neither of these proposals is
practical, especially in light of the ex-
treme variety of programs and func-
tions that would be required on the
third level, some type of program
nesting is going to be required.

The need for multitasking can best
be seen by first imagining an average
person sitting at his desk, working on
a problem, when the phone rings. He
turns and answers the phone. The
caller, a colleague, is asking for infor-
mation for a project she's working
on. While on the phone, the person
pulls out a file, runs off some calcula-

154 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 15 on Inquiry card.

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THE UPPER HAND
IN COMPUTER
SOFTWARE.

tions, and makes some notes based on
feedback from his colleague. He then
hangs up and goes back to his writ-
ing.

A severely physically disabled in-
dividual who uses an assistive micro-
computer-based system would need a
multitasking capability to accomplish
this. First, he would have had to sus-
pend what he was doing (without de-
stroying it or waiting to update and
store it) before answering the phone.
While on the phone, he would need to
access his information system, use his
writing system to make notes, and
use some computing capability before
hanging up the phone and reentering
the program he had suspended as the
phone rang. During the process, he
would need to enter and exit from
several programs and routines with-
out losing his place in any of them,
thus requiring multitasking.

As with the multilevel program,
this problem would not exist if it were
possible to write a single, all-encom-
passing program for each individual.
The program could then be written to
allow suspension of activity and
jumps from one section to another.
This approach, however, would not
allow the individual to take advan-
tage of any of the standard software
constantly being written and up-
dated. It would also deny him access
to the programs being used by his
peers, as well as programs that may
be necessary for him to access as part
of his education or employment.

Approaches to the Multilevel
and Multitasking Problem

Although current microcomputer
operating systems do not allow multi-
level and multitasking activities,
more sophisticated operating systems
are continually being developed.
With the increasing memory and pro-
cessor capabilities of the newer gener-
ations of microcomputers, designers
can begin to consider the develop-
ment of special versions of operating
systems specifically designed to allow
these types of multilevel and multi-
tasking operation.

If the systems were configured to
look like one of the many standard
operating systems from the outside,
they could in fact run standard pro-

156 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 471 on inquiry card.

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grams along with special-function
programs. At present, such "super
operating systems" do not exist.
Moreover, it would take a fairly high-
capacity machine to successfully im-
plement such a system. The bulk of
the microcomputers being secured
and supplied for disabled individuals
today are of the much more limited
variety. In addition, the software that
the disabled individuals must access
for their education or employment is
also implemented on computers that
do not have multilevel and multitask-
ing capabilities. An alternate ap-
proach therefore is required that can
be implemented now with the existing
systems.

A Dual Central Processing
Unit Approach

Although a true multilevel, multi-
tasking capability is not currently
possible on smaller computer sys-
tems, a reasonable approximation of
one can be achieved using dual,
nested computers. In this configura-
tion, one computer would be used for
the input and information accelera-
tion programs as well as some special-
function routines. A cable would con-
nect this first computer to the key-
board (or keyboard emulator) on a
second computer. The second com-
puter would be used to run the stan-
dard software programs (the func-
tion-level programs).

Because the first computer would
control the second computer through
a keyboard emulator, any standard
software programs could be run on
the second computer without modifi-
cation. At first glance, using two
computers appears to be a brute-force
solution; it is, however, the most flex-
ible and straightforward method for
dealing with many of the problems —
and, in most cases, the least expen-
sive.

Because the function-level pro-
grams would run on a separate com-
puter, they would not require modifi-
cation and could be written in any
fashion and in any language. Because
the entire first computer would be
available for these programs, they
could be written in a high-level lan-
guage, thus lowering the cost to de-
velop these special programs. Modifi-

158 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 243 on Inquiry card.

cations of these special programs for
specific individuals would be much
easier, and complex input routines
and data structures could be used to
optimize the specific user's control
and rate of input. This approach
would also be much easier to modify
and adapt over time to match the in-
dividual's changing abilities and
needs (see reference 4).

If two identical computers were
used in a dual, nested computer ap-
proach, the user would have a built-
in hardware backup capability. If
either computer went down, the other
could be put into the input-level posi-
tion. If the input-program package in-
cluded some basic-function capabili-
ties, the user would have at least a
rudimentary system that could be
used during the repair of the faulty
computer or component.

It is more likely, however, that the
two computers would not be identi-
cal. The system is designed so that the
two computers do not need to be the
same make, brand, model, or size. As
a result, the first computer could be
implemented on an inexpensive com-
puter selected to provide only the
capabilities necessary for the "first-
computer" functions. This computer
could then drive a much more expen-
sive computer, which would be
selected based upon the standard soft-
ware programs the individual wanted
to use.

In fact, the first computer could ac-
tually be used to control several dif-
ferent second computers in different
environments (an Apple II at home,
an IBM at work, and an Atari 400/
800 when playing games with
friends). In one system being devel-
oped at the Trace Center, University
of Wisconsin, an Atari computer is
being programmed to function as a
high-speed, screen-based, optical,
headpointing input system with
abbreviation expansion and dic-
tionary lookup capabilities. The sys-
tem can then feed into a wide range of
second computers (including IBM,
Apple, and Radio Shack) using key-
board-emulator modules. In one case,
the first computer (the Atari 400)
costs less than many of the interface
cards or accessories for the second
computers. No matter which com-

puter is chosen, the software avail-
ability for the first computer is not
important, because it will be running
only the special input routines. It is
the second computer that would be
selected to match the standard soft-
ware packages desired by the disabled
individual.

Conclusion

Microcomputers are providing
existing rehabilitation engineering
programs and firms with valuable
new tools in the development of spe-
cialized communication techniques

and aids. They are also opening up
the rehabilitation engineering field to
an entirely new group of individuals
(programmers, etc.) who previously
were unable to directly contribute
due to the high overhead required in
parts and equipment. Whereas work
on custom electronic aids usually re-
quired that an individual be part of a
research team at a center, practical
solutions can now be created with
little or no hardware components
other than the standard microcom-
puter system and accessories. This is
particularly true for special-function

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Dealers and OEM Inquiries circle 294. All other Inquiries circle 295.

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

159

Learning with Logo makes Logo
come alive at home or in school

Learning with Logo is the ideal intro-
duction to Logo for children and adults.
Written for children between the ages of
ten and fourteen, the book is also
perfect for parents and teachers who
want to learn Logo from the ground up
or to use this unique language with
children. Many of the projects and
activities in the book were originated by
children.

The book starts from the absolute
beginning with detailed information
about the Logo system and basic com-
mands for controlling the Logo turtle.
Dozens of introductory turtle design
suggestions offer each learner a way to
create projects that are uniquely his or
her own, while later chapters map out a
rich universe of mathematical explora-
tions in turtle geometry.

The second half of Learning with
Logo goes beyond turtle graphics to
present a set of interactive computer

games, quiz programs, and language ac-
tivities that introduce the learner to
more advanced programming concepts.

Special sections throughout the book
highlight the powerful ideas contained in
each activity and warn about common
bugs and pitfalls. For adults, "Helpers'
Hints" explain important concepts more
fully and offer practical teaching
suggestions.

The book features detailed instruc-
tions for creating a Logo Procedures
Disk (also available directly from the
author) that contains sample programs
and a number of "tool procedures"
needed to carry out the projects in the
book.

Daniel Watt has been involved in education
as a curriculum developer, elementary school
teacher, teacher trainer, and researcher. He
worked for five years on a series of Logo
research and development projects as a
member of the MIT Logo Group. At present
he is an editor with B YTE Publications and

contributes regularly to Popular Computing
and BYTE magazines.

Learning with Logo is written specifically for
users of the version of Logo developed at MIT for
the Apple //® and distributed by Terrapin, Inc. and
Krell Software, Inc. It contains appendices for users
of Apple Logo® and Tl Logo® .

Learning with Logo

Spiral-bound
ISBN 0-07-068570-3
230 pages
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Circle 69 on inquiry card.

LOGO:

Language of the 80's

Apple

For the Apple II"

Harold Abelson

lis

Harold Abelson

V^v

Apple Logo and Logo for the Ap

II introduce you to a dynamic new com-
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Readers of this book will see that
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at the same time providing sophisticated
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unique procedural language.

The author introduces programming
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advanced projects that utilize Logo's
sophisticated list-processing capabili-
ties; these include the conversational

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program with its simulated
psychotherapist and an INSTANT pro-
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Get in on the ground floor of the
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Apple Logo is for users of Apple Logo™
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specifically for users of Logo software
developed at MIT for the Apple II computer
(distributed by Krell Software and Terrapin,
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programs developed to meet specific
needs of disabled individuals.

The problem of providing trans-
parent access to microcomputers (and
thus allowing access to the vast world
of standard software) usually requires
some type of hardware intervention.
With the advent of keyboard emula-
tors and the use of dual, nested
computers, even this activity prom-
ises to be returned soon to the more
readily accessed and duplicated world
of software. As a result, the im-
mediate future promises to be an ex-
tremely exciting and productive
period, which will see rapid advances
in the development of both special-
function programs and new strategies
to ensure the complete access by dis-
abled individuals to the world of
microcomputers.

If this access can be assured, then
the functional disabilities currently
experienced by these individuals
should decrease markedly as our
society moves more and more into
the electronic information age. If we

fail to ensure access to our computer
and information-processing systems
for disabled individuals, our progress
into the electronic information age
will instead only present new bar-
riers.

With good communication among
the new group of individuals entering
this field, the existing rehabilitation
personnel, and most important, the
disabled individuals themselves, the
amount of truly useful software can
be maximized and many existing bar-
riers reduced. It may even be possible
to effectively eliminate some disabili-
ties in the same way that eyeglasses
have eliminated what would other-
wise be a visual handicap for many of
us. A possible example of this would
be the elimination of the writing hand-
icap currently experienced by many
persons with mild to moderate ma-
nipulative difficulties (due to a
physical disability or severe arthritis)
through the development of very ef-
fective and portable text-editing sys-
tems. Although initially writing speed

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might be slower, the incorporation of
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References

1. Maggs, Peter and Visek, Dianna. "The
Apple Computer as a General Purpose
Vocational Aid for Blind Users," Pro-
ceedings, Fourth Annual Conference on
Rehabilitation Engineering, Washington,
DC, 1981.

2. Proceedings, First Annual Computer
Search for Handicapped Individuals,
Johns Hopkins University, 1981.

3. Vanderheiden, G. V. "Practical Applica-
tion of Microcomputers to Aid the Handi-
capped," Computer, January 1981.

4. Proceedings, Fourth Annual Conference
on Rehabilitation Engineering, Washing-
ton, DC, 1981.

Further Reading

The Bulletin of Science and Technology for

the Handicapped

American Association for the

Advancement of Science

1515 Massachusetts Ave.

Washington, DC 20005

Closing The Gap

(newspaper on computers and the

disabled)

Budd Hagen, Editor

Route 2, Box 39

Henderson, MN 56004

Communication Outlook
Artificial Language Laboratory
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Ml 48824

COPH Bulletin

Congress on the Physically

Handicapped

101 Lincoln Park Blvd.

Rockford, IL 61102

International Software Registry of Programs

Written or Adapted for Handicapped

Individuals

Trace Research and Development Center

314 Waisman Center

University of Wisconsin

Madison, Wl 53706

Link and Go

(includes COPH Bulletin above)
2030 Irving Park Rd.
Chicago, IL 60618

162 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 343 on inquiry card.

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BYTE September 1982 163

r*ggXeX§)

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A New Horizon for Nonvocal
Communication Devices

Using the Panasonic Hand-Held Computer As a Personal,

Portable Speech Prosthesis

Perhaps the greatest potential of
personal computers is for people with
severe physical disabilities. The
power, flexibility, low cost, and
availability of these machines make
them natural tools for people whose
physical limitations restrict their ac-
tivities.

In this article, we will describe how
to use the new Panasonic Hand-Held
Computer (HHC) as a personal and
portable communication device. We
have focused on its use by individuals
who have expressive communication
impairments due to physical disabili-
ties. Expressive communication in-
cludes all of the methods we use to
make known our needs, concerns,
and creative thoughts. The most ob-

About the Authors

Patrick Demasco is a research engineer at the
Rehabilitation Engineering Center at
Tufts-New England Medical Center. Richard
Foulds is Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation
Medicine and Director of Rehabilitation
Engineering at Tufts-New England Medical
Center.

Acknowledgment

The work in this paper has been supported at
the Rehabilitation Engineering Center under
Grant #G008200044 from the National Institute
of Handicapped Research of the U.S. Depart-
ment of Education.

Patrick Demasco and Richard Foulds

Tufts-New England Medical Center

171 Harrison Ave., Box 1009

Boston, MA 02111

vious is the power of speech —
something which most of us use as
our primary means of communica-
tion. Other expressive skills, such as
handwriting and typing, come into
play as well.

Typical of those who may have
communication impairments are
large numbers of people with cerebral
palsy. This form of brain damage oc-

Single-purpose

communication devices

are effective

but very costly.

curs around the time of birth and
results in a lifetime disability. A
smaller group of people are com-
munication-impaired as a result of
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS,
commonly known as Lou Gehrig's
disease), which is a progressive
neurological disease. Those who have
suffered a stroke in the brain-stem
area may also have communication
impairments.

In general, these people often can-
not produce intelligible speech or legi-
ble handwriting. But it is important
to note that communication im-
pairments are not a reflection of

cognitive abilities. Each of these peo-
ple has normal linguistic and intellec-
tual capabilities.

Alternative Communication

A great deal of work on behalf of
people who have communication im-
pairments has been done over the last
decade, and several well-designed
devices have been marketed for their
use. Recently, the Apple II and the
TRS-80 computers have been put to
use as aids for the physically im-
paired. The growing interest in com-
munication devices is undeniable; in
the Johns Hopkins First Annual
Search for the Application of Per-
sonal Computers and the Handi-
capped, 27 of 99 entries dealt with
communication-device concepts.

A moderate number of dedicated,
single-purpose communication
devices have been built. These are
typically microprocessor-based with
some form of printout and display,
and possibly a synthesized voice.
Sizes, weights, and battery-life of the
devices can be tailored to the needs of
the disabled to aid in portability.
They can be packaged to fit on a
wheelchair and to withstand tests of
rugged and continuous use.

But these devices have drawbacks
as well. Their cost is necessarily high.
Low-volume production cannot

166 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 444 on inquiry card.

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Split the screen as often as you want

VisiCalc . ...NO

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FIRST IN SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY P.O.Box1628 Champaign, IL61820 (217)359-2112 Telex 270365

Photo 1: The Panasonic Hand-Held Computer (HHC) along with some of the available
accessories. The HHC is in the lower right. Clockwise, the accessories are the I/O
driver, the RS-232C port, the additional 8K-byte RAM module, and the video/televi-
sion adapter.

possibly compete with the economics
of large-run production. Distribution
and service present additional prob-
lems. Products with limited use can-
not support extensive field-service or
local-service organizations. Repairs
are often done at a central location
that may be inconvenient for many
users.

The personal microcomputer with
its widespread availability offers an
interesting alternative to single-
purpose communication devices.
Software communication aids are
easily distributed on floppy disks that
run on existing hardware. Thus the
basic hardware cost is lower because
of the economics of scale. By using
standard microcomputer components
such as game paddles, digitizing
tablets, keyboards, voice recognizers,
and so on, input to the personal com-
puter can be configured to accom-
modate the existing abilities of the
disabled person.

The personal computer's size is one
drawback; mounting an Apple II on a
wheelchair is impractical. And even if
you did, it consumes too much power
to be battery operated. While the per-
sonal computer is an excellent table-
top communication device and
teaching aid, it does not meet the

voice replacement requirement of the
disabled person.

The Panasonic HHC

An article in BYTE (G. Williams
and R. Meyer, "The Panasonic and
Quasar Hand-Held Computers,"
January 1981, page 34) describing the
new HHC marketed by both
Panasonic and Quasar stimulated our
interest. The computer seemed to be a
bridge between the single-purpose
portable communicator and the flexi-
ble, less costly personal computer.
The HHC is portable enough to
qualify for wheelchair mounting and
is generally available at a reasonable
price.

The Panasonic HHC represents a
significant advance in personal com-
puters. The system consists of a main
unit with a 6502 processor, RAM
(random-access read/write memory),
ROM (read-only memory) monitor,
ROM sockets, keyboard, liquid-crys-
tal display (LCD), and an external
bus connector. Additionally, there
are several peripherals including an
RS-232C interface, RAM modules,
video driver, cassette interface,
printer (only recently available), and
modem (see photo 1).

Two or more peripherals can be at-

tached to the main unit with the I/O
(input/output) driver. If only one
peripheral is used, then it can be con-
nected directly to the main unit. You
can create and run Microsoft BASIC
(MB ASIC) programs. The HHC can
also run SNAP (a derivative of
FORTH) programs. SNAP programs,
however, must be written and de-
bugged on a separate development
system. The working program is then
loaded into a PROM (programmable
read-only memory) and executed in
the HHC. The HHC's operating
system is written in SNAP.

Our goal at the Rehabilitation
Engineering Center at Tufts Universi-
ty, which focuses on technology as it
relates to expressive communication,
was straightforward: to see how close
we could come to reproducing the
valuable features of the single-pur-
pose communication devices by using
the Panasonic HHC.

Design Considerations

Engineers working on solutions to
communication problems of disabled
people must, of course, work around
an individual's existing physical
abilities to generate communication.
In many instances the disabled person
has sufficient manual coordination to
touch a number of keys. If 27 keys
can be conveniently reached, the en-
tire alphabet and space bar can be
used to make words. If more keys can
be reached, their functions can be ex-
panded to include common words or
phrases. We call this one-to-one cor-
respondence (one key for each entry)
a direct-selection method. It is not
much different from typing. Typical-
ly, in this case, a disabled person will
use one finger or a headstick (a wand
attached to a helmet) rather than all
10 fingers.

Sometimes, however, the desired
vocabulary exceeds the number of
keys or switches that can be easily
pressed by the user. In extreme cases,
only one switch may be accessible.
For instance, the user's only con-
trolled movement for purposes of ac-
tivating a switch may be the kick of a
foot. When the user has such a
limited selection capability, an alter-
native presentation of the alphabet
and vocabulary must be found.

168 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 445 on inquiry card.

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FIRST IN SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY P.O.Box 1628 Champaign, IL 61820 (217)359-2112 Telex 270365

Photo 2: The Tufts Interactive Communicator, developed in 1972, was an early scan-
ning communication device. It employed all TTL circuitry and used a dedicated 5-inch
monitor to display 1024 characters.

In earlier work in our laboratory,
we used the scanning method for a
single-switch communicator. The
Tufts Interactive Communicator
(TIC) was a stand-alone, single-pur-
pose device that presented the alpha-
bet in a sequential fashion. The user
faced a keyboard that had a back-lit
array of seven rows of eight entries
(see photo 2). The TIC highlighted
the array row by row from top to
bottom. The user selected a row by
hitting a single switch. The TIC
responded by then highlighting each
entry in the row from left to right.
The user hit the same switch a second
time to choose an entry as it was of-
fered. The chosen letter was then
shown on an accompanying video
display (32 characters by 16 lines).

Using the HHC

In developing the HHC as a com-
munication device, we used both the
direct-selection and scanning
methods. Additionally, we worked
within three design constraints. We
would use commercially available
components. No custom-fabricated
circuits would be considered in the
initial work. The purchase price for
the components would not exceed
$2000.

We purchased two additional
pieces of hardware, a Votrax
Type-'N-Talk for speech output and a
digitizing tablet from Houston In-
strument for use as an input device.
All of our programs, which were
written in BASIC, shared the follow-
ing elements:

The purchase price for

our communicator

could not exceed

S2000.

• User input: Each implementation
has an input handler that recognizes
some action of the user as a selection.

• Message array: The user's responses
are directed to the selection of a char-
acter, word, or phrase. The arrange-
ment of those units is called the
message array. This array is generally
a two-dimensional matrix whose
units can be described with a row and
a column number.

• Control selection: In addition to
those units that are part of the user's
message, additional units are de-
signed to control functions necessary
for the device to operate. For exam-

ple, one unit in a system with speech
output would correspond to a com-
mand to send the output to the voice
synthesizer.

• Message buffer: When the user
selects a message unit, it is stored in
the message buffer. Many of the con-
trol functions (e.g., display) operate
on this buffer.

• Message output: The message
selected by the user is used to com-
municate with another person. There-
fore, it is desirable to have a flexible
output scheme that will closely im-
itate normal communication (e.g.,
speech output, printed copy).

We have developed three imple-
mentations of the HHC as a portable
communication device: a scanning
communicator, a direct-selection
communicator using a keyboard, and
a direct-selection communicator us-
ing a digitizing tablet. We will treat
each of the three methods separately
before returning to a general discus-
sion.

The Scanning Communicator

Our first effort involved duplicat-
ing the function of the TIC on the
HHC through a software emulation.

We needed hardware to display the
8 by 7 array of selections and to pro-
vide a single-switch input and a way
to output the user's message. We used
the LCD to display the array of selec-
tions. The major drawback to this im-
plementation is that only one row of
characters can be displayed at a time.
(This was not a severe limitation, as
we will explain later.) We used the en-
tire keyboard of the HHC as the
single-switch input so the user can hit
any key (with a few exceptions) to
signify a selection.

We used two output modes. For
visual output, the LCD displays the
user's message. The addition of a
Votrax Type-'N-Talk provides syn-
thesized speech of the user's message.
The Votrax is connected to the HHC
through the RS-232C peripheral. A
printer would also be desirable, but
that peripheral was not available to
us when we wrote this article.

We used only one noncommercial
piece of hardware in this configura-
tion. Because certain keys on the

170 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 446 on inquiry card.

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FIRST IN SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY P.O.Box 1628 Champaign, IL61820 (217)359-2112 Telex 270365

Photo 3: The HHC when used as a scanning communicator (a latter-day TIC) uses the
LCD to display rows of characters. The Votrax Type-'N-Talk and a Radio Shack
speaker complete the communication device. A printer can also be added. (The first
row of the TIC array is shown on the LCD.)

HHC should not be hit as a user
switch input (e.g., the Off key), we
installed a Plexiglas guard on the key-
board. This guard also prevents
possible damage to the HHC and
angles the computer so the user can
see the display more easily. The
guard is easy to build (fabrication
plans are available from the Tufts
Rehabilitation Engineering Center).
The scanning communicator is dis-
played in photo 3.

The HHC scanner operates as a
row-and-column scanner. Two
switch closures or key presses are nec-
essary to select a unit. The HHC dis-
plays each of the eight rows in se-
quential order. When the user sees the
desired letter or character on the
LCD, he presses a key that selects the
row. The chosen row remains on the
LCD and the individual letters are
highlighted from left to right by the
cursor. The user presses a key again
to select the single desired character.
At this point the selection process is
complete and that letter, along with
any previously generated part of the
message, is displayed on the LCD. If
the message exceeds 26 characters,
the most recent segment of the
message is displayed. Then, following
a short delay,' the scanning process
begins again at the first row.

Scanning is, of course, an inherent-
ly slow way of selecting messages.
Because a sequence must be followed,
some entries are near the beginning,
while others fall near the end. It takes
a great deal of time to reach those
near the end.

In 1973 we had addressed this
problem on the TIC by arranging the
letters according to their frequency of
occurrence in the English language.
The accepted rank order is:

space etaonrishdlf
cmugypwbvkxj qz

The letter arrangement must combine
the rank order with the procedure of
scanning a two-dimensional array.

Because the scanner moves from
top to bottom and from left to right,
the upper-left entry is closest to the
beginning of the scan. That entry, the
first column of the first row, will be
displayed more frequently during
repeated scanning. The entry next to
it is one step less frequent because it is
in the second column, one step far-
ther away. In this manner, we can
count the number of steps to each
entry in the array. If the upper left
has a value of 2 steps (1 row plus 1
column), the next entry in that row
has a value of 3 (1 row plus 2 col-

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Figure 1: The scanning process moving
from top to bottom and left to right pro-
vides faster access to certain locations.
The numbers shown in this array signify
the distance of each location from the
start of the scan. Each time a selection is
made, the scan starts over.

umns) and the third has a value of 4
(1 row plus 3 columns). The first en-
try in the second row also has a value
of 3 (2 rows plus 1 column), and the
second entry in that row has a value
of 4 (2 rows plus 2 columns). By plac-
ing the value of each entry in an 8 by
7 array, we can see a pattern emerg-
ing (see figure 1).

The entries that are equally as far
from the beginning of the scan are
located along diagonal lines. By tak-
ing the rank order of letters in English
and placing them according to the
best location on the array, we can ob-
tain an optimal arrangement for scan-
ning a keyboard (see photo 4).

When we compared our layout to
similar 8 by 7 arrays that have been
arranged alphabetically or in pseudo-
typewriter fashion, we found our ar-
rangement to be approximately 50
percent faster for the user.

To perform functions that are not
part of the basic system operation,
some of the units in the array are used
as control selections. These are as
follows:

SP (Speak): sends the entire contents

of the message buffer to the

Type-'N-Talk.

DS (Display): displays the contents of

the message buffer.

CL (Clear): clears the contents of the

message buffer.

< — Back (Backspace): moves the
message cursor back one space.

< W (Backword): moves the message
cursor back one word.

172 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

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In three short years, Tele Video
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THE COMPUTERS THAT

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• High speed Z80A microprocessor
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• A high resolution, non- glare
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• Two R232C serial
ports for a printer
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• And a high speed port for plug-in
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• But suppose you need more stor-
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The TS 802 and TS 802H are more
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When it's time to expand, simply
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multi-tasking systems. The TS 802s
then become intelligent, fast response
satellite stations.

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CPU, there's none of the degradation
of throughput and contention for a
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With Tele Video, there's no obso-
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THE SOFTWARE PACKAGE

THAT GIVES YOU MORE.

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, ;7r ^ offers you the
; most popular,
most versatile
software:
MicroPro's®
-- word proces-
sing WordStar™
k and business
: planning
CalcStar™
Whether you
own a small
business, manage a
department in a company,
or are your organization's DP manager,
the combination of TeleVideo com-

puters with WordStar and CalcStar
gives you the quality text editing and
financial planning help you'll need.
If you do require more software, our
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microprocessor software.

When you buy either the TS 802
at $3,495* or TS 802H at $5,995?
TeleVideo includes WordStar and
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a savings of nearly $300.

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TeleVideo's small business computers
are serviced by TRW's nationwide
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around the world.

THE BETTER BUSINESS

SOLUTION?
PROVE IT TO YOURSELF.

Before you begin evaluating business
computers make a list of what you'd
like one to do for you. Then bring that
list to one of TeleVideo's computer
dealers throughout the world. Sit down
at a TeleVideo® computer. Study the
TeleSolutions Package. Even try another
computer. Compare the features, the
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And compare the price.

We don't think you'll find a better
business solution than TeleVideo and
TeleSolutions.

For details and the address of your
local distributor call toll free 800-
538-1780. And in California call
415-745-7760.

tflfeWided

TeleVideo Systems, Inc.
Dept. 610B
1170 Morse Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Please send detajls on TeleVideo computers
and TeleSolutions to:

NAMF.

TITLE

COMPANY

APHFFSS

CITY

STATE
PHCNF nt

ZIP

)

TeleSolutions™ is a trademark of TeleVideo Systems, Inc.
WordStar"' and CalcStar™ are trademarks of MicroPro
International Corporation

CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital Research Inc
*Pnces are suggested retail excluding applicable state
and local taxes — Continental U.S.A., Alaska and Hawaii.

Circle 458 on inquiry card.

Northeast Region 6 17/369-9370. Eastern Region 212/308-0705, Southeast Region 404/447-1231, Midwest Region 312/969-01 12,
South Central Region 214/258-6776, Northwest Region 408/745-7760. Southwest Region 714/752-9488, European Sales (Holland) 31-075-28-7461

n

A

R

D

u

V

?

T
N
H

s
c

1

F
P

L
Y
J

G
X

+

I
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■

K

m

•

CTRL
C

/

3
8

9

I

4
9

M

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Q

1

2

B

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$

5

6

7

a. r. ah

HOME

HACK

SPACE

V

/CR

PAGE

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HOME

9

Photo 4: The optimized scanning array of the TIC is arranged according to the frequen-
cy of letters in the English language.

SR (Scan rate): allows the user to
alter the rate at which information is
displayed on the LCD. In the case of a
disabled person, this control is essen-
tial to optimization of the user's per-
formance.

BP (Beep): causes the HHC to make
an audible beep. This allows the user
to gain someone's attention easily.

The revised design we are now
working on will include these im-
provements:

• User programmability: Including a
user vocabulary makes a communica-
tion aid a personal device. The 8 by 7
matrix does not leave much room for
user vocabulary after the basic alpha-
bet and control commands are added.
We have two alternatives: to make
the array larger (e.g., 10 by 10) or to
layer the scanner so that the user can
switch levels. By offering a large
number of selections, a program-
mable user vocabulary could greatly
enhance the potential of this imple-
mentation.

• External switch: The keyboard as a
switch is not an effective input
scheme for every individual. Connect-
ing an external switch through the
RS-232C port (e.g., foot switch)
could take advantage of the bodily

movement over which the user has
the most control.

• Anticipatory scanning: Rather than
display the same 8 by 7 matrix to the
user every time, it is possible to
develop a scheme in which the device
offers the user a choice based on his
previous letter selection(s). For exam-
ple, if the user selected "Q," the
device would then display "U" as the
first option. (The probability that "U"
would follow "Q" is high). This
scheme could significantly increase
the efficiency of the device for the
user.

Direct Selection Using a Keyboard

This configuration of the HHC is
easy to do. Simply described, a
direct-selection communicator uses
the keyboard of the HHC for message
entry. The necessary hardware is the
HHC main unit, the RS-232C adap-
tor, and the Votrax Type-'N-Talk.
Output is through the LCD and the
Type-'N-Talk.

Because the keys on the HHC are
much smaller and closer together
than those on a conventional key-
board, we had to implement a
keyguard. We designed one to fit
over the HHC keyboard that would
help prevent the user from making

false entries that could impede the
communication rate. Initially, we at-
tempted to use Plexiglas, but we
found that the drilling necessary to
make the sheet fit the square keys of
the HHC was extremely difficult.

Finally, we used the telecomputing
overlay that comes with the RS-232C
peripheral. This is a thin vinyl die-cut
overlay that fits over the keyboard
and changes the legend to the
equivalent of a teletypewriter key-
board. The overlay was originally
designed to fit so that the keys would
stick through and project above it.
Our modification used y 8 -inch-thick
double-stick tape placed between the
rows of keys. We placed the overlay
on the tape to elevate it to a level even
with the top of the keys.

The HHC now has a flat surface.
When a finger hits between two keys,
neither key is pushed, because the
overlay, supported by the double-
stick tape, cannot move. When a key
is hit directly, the vinyl dimples down
and allows the key to be pushed. This
modification provides a workable
keyguard without expensive altera-
tion.

To operate this device, users type a
message at the keyboard. As they
type, entries appear on the LCD of
the main unit. The assignable-
function keys serve as command units
to enable them to output the message
to the voice synthesizer and clear the
message buffer. The drawback to this
implementation is that the keyboard
is small and many disabled in-
dividuals might have difficulty mak-
ing accurate selections despite the
presence of a keyguard.

Direct Selection Using a Tablet

The usefulness of the direct-
selection communicator is restricted
by its small keyboard. To overcome
this limitation, we decided to use a
digitizing tablet from Houston In-
strument as an input device.

The digitizing tablet has an
11.5-inch-square active area and out-
puts the coordinates of the cursor
through an RS-232C port. The device
has several operating modes that in-
clude single-point digitization and
continuous digitization. The tablet is
easily connected to the HHC with the

176 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 226 on inquiry card.

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Photo 5: A Houston Instrument Digitizing Tablet is added to the HHC and
Type-'N-Talk to allow for an expanded and flexible keyboard.

Photo 6: Jim Viggiano, a nonvocal consumer consultant at Tufts-New England Medical
Center, demonstrates his method of communicating using his index finger on the
language board. The keyboard arrangement is the WR1TE-400 system of language
clusters.

RS-232C peripheral. Message output
is accomplished by the LCD and the
Votrax Type-'N-Talk. This con-
figuration appears in photo 5.

A 12 by 12 matrix of character and
word selections is overlaid on the
digitizing surface: To operate the tab-
let, the user holds the digitizer pen
and touches the desired unit, which

appears on the LCD for user verifica-
tion. A potential for greater com-
munication rates exists because the
user does not have to wait for the
selection to appear as in the scanning
system. He only has to pick it out of
the array by touching the tablet.
Naturally, the user of this device
must have greater motor control.

Q G Y Z

U I P

R S

J M N SPACE E H W

T

C AD

F L

K V

Figure 2: An optimized direct-selection ar-
rangement for the alphabet using the
relative frequency of letters to place them
in concentric circles around the space.

We decided on a 12 by 12 arrange-
ment, but that is only one of many
possible layouts. The digitizing tablet
has a resolution of 100 targets to the
inch. Under software control it is
possible to select layouts that include
small or large targets and even arrays
of targets with mixed sizes and
shapes.

The same sort of array-optimiza-
tion scheme that we used in the scan-
ning method can also be used in direct
selection. The typical disabled person
may use only one finger or a head-
stick, so the standard typewriter
layout is inefficient. Because a space
is the most commonly used "charac-
ter," it can be located in the center of
the keyboard. An optimized key-
board design can be completed by ar-
ranging the characters around the
space in concentric circles or squares.
The more frequently used characters
will be placed closer to the center.
Figure 2 provides an example of this
implementation for an 8 by 7 array.

The designer of any communica-
tion system must choose the char-
acters, words, or phrases that will ap-
pear in the array. While this choice of
units is dependent on many things,
the most important factor is the size
of the array. The scanning-com-
municator array was not much larger
than the size of the alphabet. In the
direct-selection tablet communicator
the array is 144 elements, which gives
us much greater flexibility in our
choice of units. Instead of an alphabet
and word scheme, we chose the
WRITE system, developed at the
Rehabilitation Engineering Center by

178 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

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Dr. Cheryl Goodenough-Trepagnier.
It consists of a statistically derived list
of the most commonly occurring
letter clusters in the English language.
(Photo 6 shows the language clusters
on the digitizing tablet.)

The rationale for this system is that
it provides a set of language units that
will produce all English words by
means of the lowest possible number
of selections. For example, in an
alphabetic system the average num-
ber of selections per word is 5; in a
WRITE-400 system, the average num-
ber of selections per word is 1.54.

The control selections implemented
on the direct-selection communicator
include all that were used on the scan-
ning communicator, with the excep-
tion of the scan rate.

Of the many ways to improve this
system, user programmability is pro-
bably the most significant enhance-
ment that can be made. Because the
direct-selection implementation has a
much larger array than the scanning
communicator, an individualized
user vocabulary is a more desirable
feature. In addition, programmability
would enable the user to select the
size of the array. The array size is
ultimately dependent on the user's
motor-control ability. Because in-
dividual abilities vary significantly,
no single configuration can optimize
every user's communication speed.

BASIC Implementation

We wrote all three implementa-
tions in the supplied MBASIC lan-
guage using information from the
HHC's reference manuals. (See listing
1 for the scanning configuration pro-
gram.) Along the way, we discovered
it was not possible to use the INPUT
or GET commands to look at the key-
board because both of those com-
mands wait for an input before pro-
ceeding to the next command. With a
scanning arrangement, the display
must be changing while the device
waits for an input. Therefore, to im-
plement a keyboard scanner we had
to use the keyboard buffer. The key-
board-buffer pointer will change any
time a key is depressed. In the pro-
gram in listing 1, PEEK(518) rep-
resents the value of this pointer.

There is a major disadvantage to

Listing 1: MBASIC program for the scanning configuration of the HHC.

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

REM DATA FOR DISPLAY ARRAY
DATA "' "V E "," A V R "," D V U
DATA " T V V 1 V L V G "," K
DATA " N V S "," F V Y "," X n ,"BP
DATA " H "," C "," P ", M J "," + V "
DATA " M V W "," Q V' ">" l ">" 2
DATA " B V Z "," $ "," 5 "," 6 "," 7
DATA M CL ","<- ","<W ","SP ","DS "," *

REM DATA FOR MESSAGE DISPLAY ARRAY
DATA " ,, , ,, E ,, , ,, A ,, , ,, R ,, , ,, D ,, ,"U","V ,, , ,, ? n
DATA "T", "0", "I", "L", "G", "K, " ". ", " , "

"m" i»c" "tt " "v" "v" "11" ,! 12 ,! ,l! "

11 11 11

11 7 ti

","SR ",

j

II i it

•

"," / ",

it _ it

"," 3 ",

.. 4 ..

"," 8 ",

" 9 "

"," ( ",

.. ) i.

DATA "N'V'S'V'F",' Y'V'X'
DATA "H", "C", "P", "J", " + ", "-", "/","="
DATA ,, M n , n W ,, , ,, Q M , n n , ,, l ,, , ,, 2 ,, , l, 3 M , M 4 M
DATA "B ,, , n Z ,, , ,, i} ,, , ,, 5 ,, J ,, 6 ,, , ,, 7 ,, 3 ,, 8 ,, , ,, 9 n

DATA l, 13 l, > l, 14 l, > ,, 15 l, > l, 16 l, > l, 17 , V , * l, , l, ( l, , l, ) M

DIM A$(8,7),Bfc(8,7)

ATTACH 7 TO #2
REM

100 REM EXECUTABLE CODE
105 GOSUB 555
110 REM
115 REM THE FOLLOWING CODE LOADS THE TWO ARRAYS

12 REM A$ AND B$ WITH DATA
125 FOR 1=1 TO 7

130 FOR J=l TO 8

13 5 READ A$(J,l)
140 NEXT J, I
145 FOR 1=1 TO 7

15 FOR J=l TO 8
155 READ Bfc(J,l)
160 NEXT J, I

16 5 REM

17 REM THE FOLLOWING CODE WILL EXECUTE A ROW

17 5 REM SCAN AND TESTS FOR A KEYBOARD ENTRY
180 XLAST= PEEK(518)

18 2 PRINT

18 3 PRINT BUF$

185 FOR 1=1 TO 7

195 FOR J=l TO 8

200 PRINT AH(J,I);

2 05 NEXT J

210 PRINT

212 IF PEEK(518)<>XLAST GOTO 240

215 NEXT I

2 20 GOTO 18 5

225 REM

230 REM THE FOLIO WING CODE EXECUTES A COLUMN

235 REM SCAN AND TESTS FOR A KEYBOARD ENTRY

240 YLAST=PEEK(518)

245 PRINT

250 FOR J=l TO 8

255 PRINT A$(J,I);

2 60 FOR L=l TO WAIT

26 5 NEXT L

270 IF PEEK(518,OY'LAST GOTO 315

275 NEXT J

280 PRINT Listing 1 continued on page 182

180 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Computer Graphics To Get To Know Your Business Better.

GRAFTALK IS POSITIVE PERFORMANCE SOfTWARt, DESIGNED EXPLICITLY FOR THE BUSINESS USER,
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GRAFTALK ADDRESSES THE JOB, NOT THE COMPUTER SCIENCE! 1

GrafTalk functions as a business tool, not a computer adjunct,
You don't have to know the intricacies of computers to use
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GRAFTALK TAKES COMMANDS

...in the way YOU want to give them — in straightforward English-like
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Whether you are a tender foot or a veteran in
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GrafFalk's more than
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are fully de- \
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GrafTalk works with most
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#

&

lifeboat Associates

Lfeboal Associates

1651 Third Avenue

New York. New York 10028

Tel (212) 860-0300

TWX 710-581-2524 (LBSOFT NYK)

Telex 640693 (LBSOFT NYK)

Liteboal Associates. Ltd
PO Box 125
London WC2H 9I.LI
United Kingdom
Telephone 01-836-9028
Telex 893709 (LBS0FTG)

Lifeboat Associates. SARI.
70 Avenue D Argpnteuil
92600Asmeres. France
Telephone (1)733-08-04
Telex 620154 (LBFRA)

Lileboal Associates GmbH
Hmterbergstrasse 9
Poslfach 251

CH 6330 Cham. Switzerland
Telephone 042 36 8686
Telex 865265 (MIC0CH)

World's foremost software source.

Inlersolt. GmbH
Schlossgarlenweg 5
0-8045 Ismamnq W Germany
Telephone 089-966-444
Telex 521 3643 (IS0F0)

Liteboal. Inc
5-13-14 Shiba

Minalo-ku. Tokyo. 108 Japan
Telephone 03-456-4101
Telex 2423296 (LBJTYOJ)

Circle 266 on inquiry card.

developing flexible input schemes
from a BASIC-based system: the key-
board buffer is the only HHC device
that can be programmed easily from
that language. Unfortunately, the
status of peripheral devices such as
the RS-232C interface is hidden from
BASIC. Because the peripheral
devices lie in the same address range
as the MBASIC ROM, you must
switch banks to access those
peripherals. This can be done only
from a SNAP program.

Realizing Full Potential of HHC

We believe communication aids
can be successfully developed on the
HHC through the use of SNAP. In
addition to SNAP'S greater accessibil-
ity to the HHCs unique memory ar-
chitecture, it offers the advantage of
greater execution speed and smaller
memory requirements.

Although you will never be able to
program directly in SNAP on the
HHC, a SNAP-based development
system on the market includes emula-
tion software to run on an Apple II.
This development system (available
from Friends Amis Inc., 505 Beach
St., San Francisco, CA 94133) allows
the programmer to create and debug
programs on the Apple II and then to
burn PROMs that are placed inside
the main HHC unit. Because the
Panasonic machine does not have a
disk storage system yet, PROMs are
an ideal storage system.

Using a SNAP-based system would
also make way for the expansion of
the HHCs usefulness to the disabled
individual. We are now focusing on
having the HHC operate in two
modes. The first mode, which has
been the topic of this article, is the
operation of the HHC as a personal
communication device. The second
mode would incorporate the three in-
put strategies (e.g., scanning) into the
actual operation of the HHC. This
mode would give the disabled in-
dividual an opportunity to operate
the HHC as a personal computer.
This strategy clearly presents the
greatest potential for using a personal
computer as a rehabilitation aid and
comes closest to our ultimate goal of
eliminating the need for special-pur-
pose devices. ■

Listing 1 continued:

285 GOTO 245

290 REM

295 REM THE USER HAS MADE A SELECTION

300 REM THE FOLLOWING CODE DETERMINES IF IT WAS

305 REM A CHARACTER OR A COMMAND. IF IT WAS A

310 REM CHARACTER THEN THE MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED

315 IF LEN(BluJ,l)=2 GOTO 355

320 BUF$=BUF$+Bij(j, I)

3 25 N=N+1

335 GOTO 180

3 40 REM

345 REM THE FOLLOWING CODE EXECUTES THE COMMAND

35 REM SELECTIONS

355 COM=VAL(Bfc(J,l))-10

360 ON COM GOSUB 37 5,515,400,450,470,435,420

363 PRINT

3 55 GOTO 18

3 70 REM BEEP(BP) SUBROUTINE

375 FOR 1=1 TO 5

380 PRINT CHR$(7)

38 5 NEXT I

3 90 RETURN

3 95 REM CLEAR SUBROUTINE
400 BUF$=""

405 N=0

410 RETURN

415 REM DISPLAY SUBROUTINE

42 5 RETURN

4 30 REM SPEAK SUBROUTINE

43 5 PRINT #2 ;BUF$
440 RETURN

445 REM BACKSPACE SUBROUTINE

45 BUF$=LEFTJ}(BUFJ} ,N-1)

455 N=N-1

460 RETURN

465 REM BACKWORD SUBROUTINE

470 C$=RIGHT$(BUF$,1)

475 IF C$ = " " GOTO 505

47 7 IF C$=' f " GOTO 505

480 BUF$=LEFT$(BUF$,N-1)

495 N=N-1

500 GOTO 4 70

50 5 RETURN

510 REM SCAN RATE CHANGE SUBROUTINE

515 XLAST=PEEK(518)

517 PRINT

520 FOR 1 = 1 TO 10

525 PRINT I; M ";

52 7 FOR L=l TO WAIT

5 28 NEXT L

5 30 IF PEEK(518;oXLAST GOTO 550

535 NEXT I

540 PRINT

545 GOTO 517

550 POKE 535,1

55 5 WAIT=145+(PEEK(535)*200)

560 RETURN

565 END

182 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

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D Thorough 100% final test and burn-in

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multi-user applications

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MACROTECH International Corp.,
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Circle 278 on inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 183

Performance,
quality,

reliability.

CompuPro delivers results in the toughest business, industrial, and
scientific computing environments. Backed by a one year limited warranty
(two years for boards qualified under the Certified System Component
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When you depend on your computer, choose a computer on which you
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Disk Controllers/Sub-System

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enclosure, Disk 1 , power supply, and software: CP/M® 2.2, CP/M-86, SuperCalc-86, dBase II! $3295.

Disk 1 . High speed DMA floppy disk controller. $495, $595 CSC.

Disk 2. High speed DMA hard disk controller for SA4000/F2300 interface. $795, $895 CSC.

Disk 3. High speed DMA hard disk controller for SA1 100/ST506 interface. Avail. Q4.

CPUs

CPU 8085188. The original dual processor board runs 8 and 16 bit software. $425, $525 CSC.
CPU Z. High speed Z80 board. $295, $395 CSC.

CPU 86187. 16 bit CPU; provision for 8087 math co-processor. $695, $850 CSC. 8087: list $300,
factory installed option.

CPU 1 6032. Provision for MMU and math co-processor. Avail. Q4.

Static 1 2 MHz Memory

RAM 20. Extended addressing or bank select. RAM 20-8K: $210, $280 CSC. RAM 20-1 6K: $285,
$355 CSC. RAM 20-24K: $355, $425 CSC. RAM 20-32K: $425, $495 CSC.

CMOS Static 1 2 MHz Memory

RAM 1 6. 64K X 8 or 32K X 16 - works automatically with 8 or 1 6 bit systems. $650, $750 CSC.
RAM 1 7. 64K X 8; ultra low power. $599, $699 CSC.

RAM 21 . 128K X 8 or 64K X 16 - works automatically with 8 or 16 bit systems. $1350, $1450 CSC.
RAM 22. 256K x 8 or 128K X 16 - works automatically with 8 or 16 bit systems. Avail. Q4.

M-DRIVE. The first 'solid-state disk drive' can increase operating speeds up to 3500%. 128K M-
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Interfacers

Interfacer 1 . Two RS-232C serial ports. $249, $324 CSC.

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Interfacer 3-5. Five RS-232C serial ports (2 sync/async, 3 async). $599, $699 CSC.

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Documentation.

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'Interfacing to S-100/IEEE 696 Microcomputers'. By Mark Garetz and Sol Libes.

Softcover, $15.

Individual technical manuals also available.

CP/M, CP/M-86, and MP/M are trademarks of Digital Research. SuperCalc is a trademark of Sorcim Corporation.
* MP/M 8-16 is Compu Pro's proprietary edition of MP/M -86 (V2.X), with XIOS by G & G Engineering for CompuPro.

For more information on high-level business, industrial and scientific computing, visit
your authorized CompuPro Systems Center or circle the reader service number.

Circle 101 on inquiry card.

Minspeak

A semantic compaction system that makes self-expression easier
for communicatively disabled individuals.

Minspeak is a new language pros-
thesis designed for disabled people
who cannot express themselves
through speech or hand signs. It is a
semantic interface that uses micro-
processor technology in a radically
new system of communication that
reduces the time and effort required
for self-expression.

A person using a Minspeak board
with fewer than 50 keys can produce
thousands of clear, spoken sentences
with fewer than 7 strokes. Minspeak
users don't even have to know how to
spell; they can produce complete
sentences without selecting letters,
phonemes, or words. The unique
Minspeak process permits the user to
translate thought into speech.

Minspeak has a modern linguistic

About the Author

Bruce Baker did his undergraduate and
graduate work in Greek and Latin at Wabash
College, Indiana University, and the University
of Paris and has taught widely in the United
States and Europe. Currently, he is a doctoral
candidate in French and Spanish at Middlebury
College and Consulting Linguist to the Prentke
Romich Co. in Shreve, Ohio. Last year he was
named Contributing Editor to Communication
Outlook, a publication of the Artificial
Language Laboratory of Michigan State
University.

Bruce Baker
840 Rolling Rock Rd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15234

coding system based on general ideas
underlying human communication.
The coding technique uses sequence
to define context, thus exploiting the
human mind's ability to process
semantic information. Easy-to-under-
stand symbols on each key represent
ideas. The meaning of each key image
changes according to the sequence in
which it is hit. By combining these
symbols, whole spoken sentences can
be generated. The simplicity or com-
plexity of the symbols will depend on
the needs and abilities of the user.

The best way to explain how
Minspeak can do all of this is to start
with the reasons behind its existence.

Research and Insights

Several years ago, as research for
my dissertation, I set out to study the
attitudes of able-bodied people
toward people with obvious physical
disabilities. To do the research, I
needed to speak to disabled as well as
able-bodied individuals. The most in-
teresting and insightful group of peo-
ple I met had cerebral palsy. Ironical-
ly, the condition which caused them
to have these insights also prevented
them from being able to express those
insights easily. Communication was
slow and inconclusive. Unless you
have had some personal experience

with severe physical communication
disabilities, you may not fully realize
what slow and inconclusive means in
this context.

One man I met can communicate
only with the aid of an IBM Selectric
typewriter. His lack of voluntary
muscle control, stemming from a
birth injury, precludes not only hand
signs and speech but also a reliable
eye blink for Morse code. He ex-
presses himself by pushing down on a
board with his chin. This signal is in
response to the presentation of letters
on a revolving metal disk. The disk
pauses for two seconds to position
each letter in front of a stationary
arrow. When he sees the letter he
wants, he presses the board with his
chin, and the letter is typed. This
method is slow and tedious. Creating
the word "can" requires two and one
half scans of the entire alphabet, and
a single sentence often takes 30
minutes to complete.

Another man uses a communica-
tion system based on eye motion. A
movement of the eyes upward and to
the left indicates yes, while a move-
ment downward and to the right
means no. In this system, the conver-
sational partner performs the func-
tions of the revolving disk. As I slow-
ly recited the alphabet, he signaled his

186 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

A Communications Impasse

The communicatively disabled con-
stitute a group for whom access to
microprocessors could mean a real rev-
olution, and a common assumption is
that recent technological advances
have produced the necessary commu-
nication aids. Unfortunately, this is
not the case, but the problem does not
lie in the new technology.

Neurological damage sufficiently ex-
tensive to hamper intelligible vocaliza-
tion is regularly accompanied by dif-
ficulty in control of physical move-
ments. To use any communication aid,
the user must be able to actuate some
type of switch. Consequently, existing
communication systems do not solve
the basic human-engineering problem
of transferring information from the
mind of the communicator to the com-
munication aid, because all systems for
complete communication, voiced or
unvoiced, have been based upon ac-
tuating letters, words, word parts, or
phonemes (minimal sound units).

Magnetized or light-sensitive key-
boards, new scanning methods, and
eye-tracking systems can make the
selections easier, but still cannot
reduce the number of selections re-
quired to communicate whole
thoughts.

A nonspeaking person with cerebral
palsy faces the task of accessing be-
tween 30 and 40 keys to produce a
single sentence. A neurologically im-
paired person able to make one selec-
tion every five seconds requires many
minutes of intense concentration and
labor to produce a single statement.

The normal response time in conver-
sation is less than three seconds. If
someone is forced to wait 10 seconds
for a reply, anxiety results. If a person
is forced to wait five minutes, commu-
nication falters; conversation becomes
impossible.

If letters are too slow, what about
words? Sadly, systems based on actu-
ating words are too extensive and iron-
ically too restrained. The more words
there are, the longer it takes to scan
through them. Imagine going one by
one through 200 words. Even being
able to jump through them five at a
clip requires an enormous amount of
time. And yet 200 words is really a
small vocabulary.

If direct selection is physically possi-
ble for the user, imagine a board with

Photo 1: Hale Zukas has cerebral palsy and uses a communication board and head-
stick of his own design. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate in mathematics from the
University of California at Berkeley, he is one of a group of highly skilled commu-
nication-aid users whose cooperation and insights into Minspeak have been in-
dispensable.

400 words. The huge size of such a
board, the smallness of the individual
squares, and the intellectual complexi-
ty of remembering locations of words
present obvious difficulties.

Coding can reduce the size of a word
board and increase the available
vocabulary. A three-number sequence
can address up to 999 words, but the
human memory requirements are stag-
gering. "What is word 643? Is it
'potato'? No, that's 512." The average
person uses thousands of different
words every day. And even if the word
board could contain most of a user's
vocabulary, a simple sentence like
"Are you going to the store today?"
would require the user to select 7 codes
by hitting 21 keys. Research has shown
that most people who have tried to use
fixed-word boards return to alphabet-
spelling boards.

What about a hybrid system that
mixes words, letters, and word parts?
Photo 1 shows a person using such a
system, which he actuates with a head-
stick. The board has more than 100
squares, each inscribed with a letter,
word, or word part. (The word parts
are morphemes, un-, -ed, -ly, or fre-
quently used letter combinations, -th,
-wh, -tion, -ize.) This approach is an

improvement but, like the others, is
still very slow. An average sentence re-
quires in excess of 20 actuations. To
get the number of actuations below 20,
the board would have to have more
than 400 keys. By combining the de-
mand this would make on human
memory with the considerable effort
required to make a single key selection,
it becomes obvious that communica-
tion on these systems demands con-
siderable effort from sender and
receiver.

A system based on letters is not the
answer, and one based on words is
worse. A mix of words and letters af-
fords some relief, but not enough.
People with communications disorders
simply need more "bang to the punch"
if they are going to be able to exploit
the computer's potential for equalizing
physical differences.

The source of the difficulty seems to
lie outside the realm of technology.
The very nature of the alphabet is at
the heart of the problem. The quantity
of information borne by a single letter
is quite small. Information transfers
conducted in such small units will nec-
essarily require many units. Biomed-
ical engineering cannot change this.
Perhaps a semantic approach can.

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 187

letter choice by making the "yes" eye
movement. Although we divided the
letters of the alphabet into separate
groups of vowels and consonants,
and further divided the consonants
into those before and after "L" for
easier reference, this system is still
terribly slow and very limited.

For him to ask the simple question
"What did you say?" requires a dozen
scans through the alphabet and many
questions to establish whether a word
is ending or a new word is beginning.
The degree of concentration that this
system demands of the conversation-
al partner is so great that my friend
often lets many misunderstandings
pass just to get the central message
across. I often wonder if I have
understood his message correctly or if
my friend feels that the correction
isn't worth the time and effort re-
quired to make the meaning clearer.

The inability to express oneself is
one of the most widespread and
catastrophic disabilities. According
to a report from the University of

Wisconsin's Trace Research and
Development Center for the Severely
Communicatively Handicapped, as
many as 500,000 people in this coun-
try are unable to communicate either
vocally or with standard hand signs.
The causes are numerous, but among
the most common are cerebral palsy,
strokes, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(Lou Gehrig's disease) and vehicular
head trauma. One family in four is at
some time touched by a serious com-
munication disorder.

Because hundreds of thousands of
these people have unimpaired cogni-
tive abilities, the need for easy com-
munication methods becomes all the
more important. As the realities of
physical communication disorders
became apparent to me, I decided to
focus my research on finding some
means of facilitating nonvocal com-
munication.

Addressing the Need

Minspeak began as a simple
remedy to a single aspect of nonvocal

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communication needs, the problem of
feedback — called phasis in linguistics.
Sentences that check the channel of
communication between sender and
receiver serve a phatic function.

In face-to-face conversation,
speakers need to be assured either
through verbal or body language that
the message is getting through.
Because the listener is aware of this,
he nods, makes sounds such as
"unhuh,hmm" or says "yes, I see." If
the message is complex or the speaker
is anxious, the speaker may request
additional phatic signs by saying
"you know" or mentioning the
receiver's name. When a person has a
severe physical communication
disorder, phatic problems take on a
pressing importance for both conver-
sational partners.

Able-bodied speakers have a wide
range of vocabulary and syntactical
phatic strategies at their disposal. In
principle they can generate an infinite
number of different phatic sentences,
but they do not. Instead, the same
phatic utterances are used again and
again. A limited number of responses
meets the five basic phatic needs most
people experience in conversation.
They are:

1. To ascertain the quality and
quantity of the information being
received at the other end of the
communication channel. (Am I
being heard? Is my meaning com-
prehended?)

2. To learn whether the informa-
tion, once understood, is being
judged correctly or erroneously.
(Am I right, Joe?)

3. To determine how the transmit-
ted information is affecting the
emotions of the receiver. (Doesn't
he care the article is late?)

4. To estimate how the transaction
is affecting the receiver's opinion
of the sender. (I won't tell her
that; I'll sound so stupid.)

5. To collect information about
what's going to happen in the im-
mediate future concerning: (a)
the duration of the conversation,
(b) possible topic shifts, (c) even-
tual results of the interaction.

188 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 109 on inquiry card.

Circle 467 on inquiry card. .

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Hewlett-Packard on

the professional use of personal

There's a considerable differ
computer and one that really fits.

There are a lot of places where the
basic one-size-fits-all type of per-
sonal computer fits in really well.
But if you're like most of the tech-
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That's why we've developed
these five very different personal
computers just for people like you.
And configured each one specif-

just like a real craftsman's tool
fits your hand.

Now we'd like to show you, in
some detail, just what we mean.

TheHP-41.

You might remember the series
9100 engineering computer we in-
troduced in 1968 for $5000. Now,

able computing system. Add a
printer for hard-copy output. Or
our 128 k byte cassette for mass
storage. Or add both; they'll only
take up as much space in your
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You can even use your HP-41 as
a remote data collector, then link
it up with any HP Series 80 per-
sonal compu-
K terviaHP-IL.

HP 9836

/ ia B5

HP-87

HP-41

ically to operate in
technical environ-
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We also offer you a full range
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Plus over 5000 software programs
at last count.

As a result, you can practically
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a personal computer that fits
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for a base price of $250, you can
hold all the power of that system
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All by itself, this hand-held
computer can help a petroleum
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in the field.

Add the new
Hewlett-Packard
Interface Loop
(HP-IL),andyou
can turn your
HP-41 into a
powerful, port-

Aii the power of our 9100 Series Desk-top Engineering Computer.
Now you can hold it in the palm of your hand

The HP-85.

Complete with an integrated
tape drive, printer and CRT, this
typewriter-size system fits easily
in a crowded work area. Where
you can use its impressive number-
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ways. For waveform analysis. Re-
gression analysis. Linear
programming.

Add the HP-IB interface,
and you can control up
to 14 instruments simul-
taneously. Add our Data
Communications Pac and
you can tie into another

computers.

ence between the one-size-fits-all

Our 7470 Plotter. One of many peripherals

that help make our personal computers really personal.

on-site computer, a major data net-
work, or a national timesharing
service.

You can even use this portable
machine to do all these same jobs
out in the field. And more.

The HP-87.

The HP-87 sets a new level of per-
formance for personal computers
in its price range. You get built-
in screen graphics, up to 544k
bytes of RAM, and an 80-column
integrated CRT. Plus the same
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applications as the HP-85. Be-
cause of its extended memory, you
can take advantage of a VisiCalc®
PLUS worksheet withup to 16,000
cells. And since the HP-87 has a
built-in HP-IB, it's easy to add in-
struments, disc drives, printers,
plotters, and even a graphics tab-
let. To give you even more to work
with, there's an optional CP/M®
module. And all applications devel-
oped for the HP-85 in BASIC are
upward-compatible to the HP-87.

The HP 9826.

Designed to handle high-speed
data acquisition
and tests, the
9826 has a pow-
erful MC 68000
CPU, a built-in
flexible disc, up
to 2 megabytes
of read/write
memory, and
power-fail pro-
tection. Plus a
built-in HP-IB in-

VisiCalc® is a registered trademark of VisiCorp,
CP/M* is a registered trademark of Digital
Research, Inc.

RS232

terf ace and a var-
iety of other inter-
face cards, so
you're free to con-
centrate on test-
ing. Instead of sys-
tem configuration.

To give you even more flexibil-
ity, you can run applications in
HP-enhanced BASIC, HPL, or
Pascal. We've also built a CRT
display with advanced graphics
into the system, so you can see
and interpret your data the in-
stant you get it. And since every-
thing about this system is built
for speed, we've developed a spe-
cial rotary control knob that lets
you edit programs, calibrate instru-
ments, and control motor speed,
all with fast analog inputs.

The HP 9836.

This full-function workstation
does it all: design, computation,
and high-speed testing. Because it
gives you all the high-performance
features of the 9826. And then
some. With the 9836, you get a
big, easy-to-read CRT. So-
l phisticated graphics capa-
bility. Two flex-
ible disc drives.
Room for up to
two megabytes
of memory.
And an even
longer list of
engineering
software and
peripherals to
choose from.
And those

are just the five
personal compu-
ters we've devel-
oped for technical
professionals; we
also make a full
range of person-
al computers for business
professionals.

So. Before you decide to adapt
your routines to fit the needs of a
one-size-fits-all computer, we think
you should get in touch with us
first. And see what it's like to
have a personal computer that
really is personal.

Just return this coupon, and
we'll send you full information on
any or all the personal computers
we make.

I Hewlett-Packard
1820 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303

I'd like to see which of your personal computers
fits the way I work best. Please send more
information on these models:

□ HP-41 □ HP-85 □ HP-87 □ HP 9826

D HP 9836

HP-IB

HP-IL

Name.

Title_

Company.
Address

City/State/Zip.
| 77136

m

HEWLETT
PACKARD

A wide variety of interfaces for technical environments, including
HP-IB, HP-IL, RS 232, GPIO, and BCD.

TCG-203

Please Circle The Product/Products for Which You Would be Interested in Receiving Information:
HP-41 -CIRCLE 216 HP-85-CIRCLE 218 HP-87-CIRCLE 220
HP-9826 -CIRCLE 217 HP-9836-CIRCLE 219

KEYBOARD

VOICE SYNTHESIZER

j

1
1

*

SENTENCES IN EPROM

-<:

Figure 1: The bulk of the Minspeak's memory is erasable programmable read-only
memory (EPROM). The voice synthesizer used in the first prototype was the Votrax
SC-01.

I prepared 26 sentences to satisfy
these phatic needs. The simplicity of
implementation can be illustrated
with the rotating-disk communica-
tion system. English sentences do not
begin with question marks, so I decid-
ed to use them to designate the begin-
ning of a phatic comment. Each of the
26 sentences is written on the user's
lap tray and marked with a single let-
ter. He can communicate an entire
sentence by hitting the ? key and a let-
ter. The receiver then consults the lap
tray to see which sentence corres-
ponds to the letter. For example,
when the user selects ?G, the receiver
can look at the lap tray and read "I'm
pleased by what is being said."

These sentences facilitated conver-
sations on a number of different silent
systems and had the potential of be-
ing even more effective if they could
be generated on voice-synthesis
equipment. If phatic sentences could
be designed context free and reusable,
so could other sentences. The success
of the phatic experience could be ap-
plied to the rest of the communication
process.

If users of communication aids had
at their disposal a collection of
several hundred multipurpose
sentences, all sorts of routine but im-
portant transactions could be made
easier for them and for their
associates. If users could access these
sentences through short codes, com-
munication could be conducted
almost at the speed enjoyed by able-
bodied speakers.

Taking It One More Step

The redundant character of daily
speech as seen in the phatic project

became a primary concept of a new
system for communication. I called it
Minspeak, a parody on the "new-
speak" in George Orwell's 1984, with
the Min for minimum. My first task
involved constructing thousands of
sentences that were reusable and ap-
propriate for most daily situations.

I designed short codes to access
these sentences through a radical
alteration in the representational in-
formation of an alphanumeric key-

Users can easily

remember a large

number of sentence

sequences.

board. Instead of letters, the keys
bear images taken from daily life.
These images stand for concepts
rather than words. Some symbolize
linguistic functions, some the ac-
tivities of daily life; others denote
styles of speech and mood.

Most important, each key has a
range of significance, including a
function, several activities, a style,
and a mood. The sense of each key is
defined by the order in which it is
struck. This multiplicity of meaning
is called polysemy and is the way
human language works.

For example, in the sentence "They
will play a tape of the play," no one
would confuse the two uses of the
word "play." Many of our words in
English are polysemous and depend
on their context for meaning.

Polysemy and redundancy are the

foundation of Minspeak. The incor-
poration of polysemy into the design
allows a small number of keys to
have hundreds of referents. The
amount of information carried by a
letter is small; that borne by a word is
considerably larger. The information
in a visual image is enormous.

Hardware Configuration

Minspeak requires a keyboard
coupled with a microprocessor. The
EPROMs are used to store complete
sentences without regard to in-
dividual words, phonemes, or letters.
In addition, a commercially available
speech synthesizer such as the Votrax
Speech PAC with an SC-01 voice-
synthesizer chip can be used. The out-
put of the voice synthesizer is in turn
coupled to a loudspeaker which
generates audible synthetic speech.
Because the preprogramming is done
on the basis of semantic rules,
Minspeak will be able to achieve a
vocal quality unobtainable with text-
to-speech methods. (See figure 1 for a
diagram of that configuration.)

The keyboard design is illustrated
in figure 2, with each circle represent-
ing an individual key. Each key has
an illustration of a common object or
an action. In most Minspeak em-
bodiments the majority of the keys
also have identifying sequential
numbers, a letter that corresponds to
the number, a portion of the human
anatomy, and a proper name. The
keyboard design shown in figure 2
was intended to be used by someone
with a relatively high level of intellec-
tual achievement. (See table 1 for a
detailed description of the keys.)
Simpler keyboards are designed for
users with different intellectual levels.

For example, with this keyboard
design, key #10 has an illustration of
philosopher Bertrand Russell, famous
for his paradox, "the set of all sets,
not sets of themselves, etc." This key
is used to change topics. A simpler
board would use the same key for this
purpose but would illustrate it with a
frog that is jumping. (See figure 3 for
examples of other keyboard images.)

The microprocessor is programmed
so that hitting any one key twice des-
ignates that key's central image as the

192 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

How To Sell More Software

No. 3 in a series of
software marketing bulletins
from Prompt Doc, Inc.

THE PramptDoc

Manual Maker

You know better usermanuals sell more software, but
how do you make better user manuals? How do you
identify just the right details to motivate prospective

users to buy? How do you organize these details into a
sequence that makes sense to first-time users while it
provides ongoing reference to veterans? How do you
format and package a manual so it's attractive enough to
get attention yet clear enough to be readily understood?
And, how do you do all this at a pace that keep up
with your product release schedule? The Prompt Doc®
Manual Maker is the answer.

Introducing Computer-assisted Writing

Imagine a software product that prompts you through
the process of planning, outlining and writing a user
manual and even supplies boilerplate introductory and
transitional text. Envision reducing your user manual
preparation process to this:

1. Identify manual, select boilerplate chapter files
from menu

2. Edit chapter table of contents to tailor sequence
and terminology to your product needs

3. Pause while computer modifies boilerplate chapters
to match edited table of contents and builds a
skeletal manual in preformatted CP/M® text files

4. Use your word processortoeditthe skeletal man-
ual into a workingdraft.supplying product details
as prompted

5. Tell computerto purge prompts and instructions
from working draft, and build new Table of Con-
tents; publish review draft

6. Review the draft for accuracy and usability; revise,
polish and publish as instructed by documen-
tation

Compared to your current process that may sound
more like a software maker's dream than a real product.
It's a dream all right— a dream come true called the
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Consider These Benefits

Improved productivity— with Prompt Doc® you can
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Project control— with prestructured modular chapters,
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Manual uniformity— by product, by product line, by
company.

Quality assurance— the boilerplate files help assure
completeness and usability; the Prompt Doc® Writer's
Guide gives publishing instructions.

Proven performance— based on the Prompt Doc®
methodology, the structures and outlines have been
proved in myriad applications for the past four years;
now we've tailored it specifically for the commercial
software vendor.

Reasonable Price

$245 for software and two manuals, $45 for manuals
only. This productwill begin paying for itself the minute you
start using it and continue making you money each time
you publish a manual. Whatcould be more reasonable?

CP/M® Compatible;l)ses Your Word Processor

Now available for use with WordStar® and other word
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Use The Coupon Now

You know a better way to
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enhance your competitive
position. Why wait another
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not wait for the mail, call
(303)471-9875.

PramptOac

See our seminar ad in this issue.

Prompt Doc is a registered trademarkof Prompt Doc, Inc. Appleand Apple
II are registered trademarks of Apple Computer Inc. Softcard is a registered
trademarkof Microsoft Corporation. CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital
Research, Inc. WordStarisa registered trademarkof M icroPro International
Corporation.

I needthe Prompt Doc Manual Maker now! Send a copyto:

Name

Address,

.Telephone ( )_

Configuration: D Apple II

□ Other

□ Send manual only.

□ My check is enclosed for $

□ You may charge my VISA

Account #_

Amount $.
Signature.

□ CP/M □ 8" CP/M

.□ UPSC.O.D.
MasterCard

-Expiration Date.

□ I need more information. Send ittothe address above.
Dealer inquiries invited.

Circle 384 on inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 193

Figure 2: The images on Minspeak keys represent neither letters nor words, but concepts. Because a picture is, indeed, worth a thou-
sand words, the meanings of the symbols can change according to the order in which the keys are struck. Each image is rich in asso-
ciations. In short and obvious combinations, they represent whole thoughts. When such combinations are actuated, sentences are
spoken by the synthesizer. (See table 1 for a description of the information on the keys. See table 2 for examples of specific
sequences.)

Key# Image

Theme

1

apple

eating or food

2

turkey

bad or danger

3

cathedral

wheelchair

4

tie, shirt

dressing or clothing

5

directional arrow

transport or travel

6

privy

ablutions, bathing, or water

7

equation

philosophy or ideas

8

tuxedo

formalities, departures, or greetings

9

Chinese symbol, center

personal opinions or disclosures

10

Bertrand Russell

logic or modality

20

elephants

tag questions

29

caduceus

medical

30

sun

positive expression or happiness

50

scales

typing mode

60

electric current

electricity or control

Letter

Anatomy

Person

A

arm

Ann

B

bone

Bob

C

coccyx

Cathy

D

diaphragm

Dan

E

ear

Everest

F

feet

Fred

G

gall bladder

God

H

I

head
eye

Hades

I

J

jugular

Jesus

K

tongue

Tom

ovary

Table 1: Each key may have several functions depicted. The majority of the keys have a number, a letter, a portion of human
anatomy, a name, and an illustration. The theme of the key is the topic that is selected when the key is hit twice. The information
in this table corresponds to the keys pictured in figure 2.

194 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

NO COMPROMISE ON P 3 *

I/O TECHNOLOGY S-100/IEEE-696 PLUG-INS

DUAL GPID-488 INTERFACE BOARD

The Dual GPIB-488, is a Stand-Alone, independently controlled Dual
Channel IEEE-488, 1978 Interface Controller. Interface Activity Modes
such as Controller In-charge, Controller Assigned or Terminal Bus Slave
and all Interface Functions, their Sub-Functions including Extended
Functions, are handled by an On-Board 5MHz Processor and DMA Con-
troller. 500K Byte Data rates are easily achieved with minimum host
processor overhead.

Assembled and tested, P/N 52748-800-100 $475.00

12-BIT A-D-A CONVERTER BOARD

8 Channel A-D: 12 microsec. Conv. time, Programmable Gain & Offset Voltage control, Diff. /Single Voltage or Current Input.
8 Channel D-A: 2 microsec. Settling time, Bipolar V / Unipolar I Output, Programmable Reference levels, DUAL-PORTED
Refresh RAM. 16 or 8-bit Data Transfers via Program I/O or Memory Mapped I/O, Extended Addressing and much more.

Assembled and tested, P/N 52748-900-100 $375.00

SOLID STATE DISK/BULK MEMORY SYSTEM

Up to 10M Byte capacity w/battery back-up. May be shared among 16 different users / S-100 Systems. Complete with software
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P/N 52748-010

128Kx8/64Kx 16
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MULTI-FUNCTION I/O BOARD

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LOGIC AND

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Two Serial SYNC/ASYNC
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BOTTOM BOARD
96K x 8/48K x 16 RAM

150 nsec. Access, 2716 compatible RAM devices, Ex-
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Assembled and tested, P/N 52748-650-128 $825.00

PROTOTYPING BOARD KIT

:-_ iBB^BilSr

Can be used for wire-
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Kit P/N 52748-400 $49.95

* PERFORMANCE, low POWER, PRICE

s&

VISA

Calif, residents add 6 1 /2% sales tax.

U.S. Domestic Price, F.O.B. Factory.

<c;l/0 Technology, 1982.

POST OFFICE BOX 2119

CANYON COUNTRY, CA 91351

(805) 252-7666

Circle 227 on Inquiry card.

®

CANYON COUNTRY
CALIFORNIA

Figure 3: Minspeak keyboards designed for people who can read have numbers and let-
ters to aid in sequencing and lessen any unnecessary memorization. The letter generally
stands for a word associated with the central concept behind the key. Key §1 prefaces
statements dealing with numbers. The associated word ; s algebra. This key was de-
signed for a 40-year-old man with cerebral palsy who is beginning college. Key #2 deals
with cleaning and liquids. It's associated word is bath. Key §20 deals with transport and
is from a keyboard for a person who does not like the traditional wheelchair symbol.
The associated word is throne. Key #4 is from a keyboard designed for a Minspeak user
who does not read. The associated idea is "call 4 help. " Key #6 is for commands. The
associated word is fetch. The names in the upper left area of the keys are of family
members and friends.

topic (see figure 4). All keys hit there-
after designate ideas associated with
that topic. This continues until the
user signifies a change of topic by hit-
ting key #10.

For example, when the user hits
key #1 twice, the topic of eating is
established. When key #2 is hit, the
sentence "Get that food out of my
mouth!" is read from memory and
spoken through the voice synthesizer
and loudspeaker. If key #3 had been
hit after the eating topic had been
established, the sentence "The posi-
tion of my chair is not right for eat-
ing" would have been generated. Us-
ing key #4 would have produced
"Look out; the food is getting on my
clothes."

The programming also recognizes a
single keystroke after the establish-
ment of a topic as a request for a neg-
ative sentence or expression. This was
done because negative sentences are
often of an emergency nature and the
user needs to be able to convey the
message quickly and easily. A posi-
tive phrasing of each of the preceding

General
Software

Mailing Address:

1454 S. 25th St.

Terre Haute, IN 47803

WE HONOR

VISA and MASTERCHARGE

TOLL FREE - Outside Indiana
1-800-457-0517
ORDER DESKS
(812) 234-9421

Best Selection

Best Service

Write for our famous CATALOG.
Contains many Items not In ad.
Still only $1.00 (refund with pur-
chase) Outside US add $10 plus
Air Parcel Postage. Add $3.50
postage and handling per each
Item. Indiana residents add 4%
sales tax. Allow 2 weeks on
checks. COD add $3.00 per Item.
Prices subject to change without
notice. All Items subject to
availability.

Disk Manual
with Only
Manual

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ^ *

Dental (PAS-3) $849/40

Medical (PAS-3) $849/40

BYROM SOFTWARE

*BSTAM $149

'BSTMS .$149

DIGITAL RESEARCH
CP/M

2.2 Intel MDS-800 $149/25

Northstar (Horizon) ' $149/25

Micropolis $169/25

TRS Model II $159/35

CB-80 $459/35

CBasic2 $ 98/20

Pascal MT+ $429/30

Compiler $316/20

SPP $140/15

FRIENDS

ACCESS80I $249/50

ACCESS 80 II $429/50

FRONTIER SOFTWARE
Professional

Time Accounting $549/40

General Subroutine $269/40

Application Utilities $439/40

ISA

Spellguard $229/25

SP/Law $109

PASCAL LANGUAGE

Pascal Z $349/30

Pascal MT+ V5.5 $429/30

Compiler $316/20

SPP Only $140/15

KEY BITS

Wordsearch $179/50

String 80 $ 84/20

String 80 (Source) $279

String Bit $ 65

MICRO AP

Selector IV $269/35

SelectorV $469/50

SBasic $269/25

MICRO TAX

* Level I $249

•Level II $995

* Level III $749

'Combo II + III $1495

Microsoft 5.3 49

Run time module

MICRO PRO®

Wordstar $309/60

WS Training Guide 20

WS Custom Notes $429/na

MailMerge $109/25

WS-Mailmerge $419/85

Datastar $249/60

DS Custom Notes $429/na

Calcstar $259/na

Supersort I $199/40

Spellstar $175/40

MICROSOFT

Basic-80 $298

Basic Compiler $329

Fortran-80 $349

Cobol-80 $629

M-Sort $124

Macro-80 $144

Edit-80 $ 84

MuSimp/muMath $224

MuLisp-80 $174

ORGANIC SOFTWARE

"Textwriter III $111/25

*Datebook. $269/25

•Milestone $269/30

PACIFIC SOFTWARE
Sequitur

Onyx, Plexus $3495/NA

PDP-11 $5000/NA

PEACHTREE® SOFTWARE

General Ledger $399/40

Accounts Receivable $399/40

Accounts Payable $399/40

Payroll $399/40

Inventory 399/40

Mailing Address $399/40

for P5 Version add $119

Series 6-Peachtree

CPA $799/40

Property Mgt $799/40

Passive Payroll $449/40

Series 7-Peachtree

Sales Tracker $3049/55

AR-Sales Analysis $1299/50

Inventory $799/40

Order Entry $699/40

SOHO GROUP

Matchmaker $ 97/20

Worksheet $177/20

SORCIM

•Pascal/M Z80 $349/40

Pascal/M 86/88 $449/40

*Act65 $149/20

•Act 68
•Act 69

*Act86/88 $149/25

•Trans 86 $119/25

* Supercalc $269

SOUTHERN COMPUTERS

•Raid $224/35

•RaidFP $349/35

*FFP $224/15

•Recover $ 75

•RADAR $449/25

ISIS $224/20

STRUCTURED SYSTEMS GROUP

GL, AR, AP, PR, OE $849/40

Call for others
SUPERSOFT

•Diagnostic II $ 84/20

•Forth $149/30

*SSS Fortran $219/30

•Fortran w/RATFOR $289/35

*C Compiler $175/20

•Disk Doctor $ 84/20

•Term I $129/25

Term II $169/25

Z8000 Xassembler $449/35

Others less 10%
WHITESMITHS

C Compiler $700/40

Pascal (incl C) $900/45

Cross Compiler 8080/Z80 host
Target M68000, PDP11, 11/70, VAX

$1400/50

IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER

Wordstar3.0 $309/60

Mailmerge $109/25

Supercalc $269/NA

Visicalc (256K) $229/NA

Optimizer $200/NA

CP/M-86

Supersof t C $500/NA

Pascal MT + 86 w/SPP $730/NA

CBasic-86 $299/NA

SuperCalc $369/NA

SuperSoft C Compiler $450/NA

Wordmaster $Call

MISCELLANEOUS

•dBASEII $575/50

Ptan-80 $269/30

•Fabs(B-Tree) $159/25

Ultrasort $159/25

•Super vyx : . . $ 89/1 5

•Micro B +

(Specify Language) $229/20

•Mini Model $449/50

•Spellbinder $349/45

•Statpak $439/40

*"The Word". • •$ 75

•Lynx $199/20

Mfg. Inventory and Control Program
TI990, 300 Meg. storage required
Distributed in Cobol object code

Call for Info $20000/NA

Write for catalog ($1.00) and other listings

Available for Apple with Softcard

196 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 205 on inquiry card.

INFOWORLD

RAVES ABOUT

PERFECT WRITER!

Read for yourself
what InfoWorld
said about this
incredible word
processor!

■ ■ Perfect Writer would be my
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■ ■ Perfect Writer lives up to its
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Text handling is convenient and
versatile and you are given

an unusually complete set
of commands J J

All quotes are from InfoWorld's Perfect Writer
software review, by John Ford, June 14, 1 982.

■ ■ 'User friendly' is a trite, but true
description of Perfect Writer. J J

■ ■ Personally I found the full-
screen text to be comfortable and
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■ ■The documentation is
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CHECK THESE OTHER
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AMERICAN!
iBjCPRESS

Copyright 1982 by CW Communlca-
tlons/lnc, Reprinted from InfoWorld.

PW10

Circle 2 on inquiry card.

The Influence of Language

Language has such a pervasive in-
fluence on perceptions and thought pro-
cesses that so far we've been unable to
devise a way to measure the depth or
extent of that influence. To say an issue
is "just semantic" is a contradiction. A
person may as well say "just life or
death." Americans of African descent
are not nit-picking when they insist that
"black" replace "colored." Non are
women being petty when they use
"Ms. " The way a person is described af-
fects how he or she is treated.

People with physical disabilities can
be isolated by the language used to
describe them. I recently formed a small
company and one of my two partners
uses a communication aid because he
has cerebral palsy. For me to call him or
even think of him as "afflicted" would
be bad for business. To call someone a
"victim" of polio or to say a person is
"suffering from multiple sclerosis"
leaves a negative impression. Most peo-
ple find it hard to deal with anyone they
view as a "suffering victim. " To say "He
had polio" is easier and clearer.

"Confined to a wheelchair" is an
especially unfortunate phrase. People
are not "confined" by wheelchairs; they
use them for mobility. Some people are
tortured for years by unsuccessful at-
tempts to enable them to walk. Wheel-
chairs can operate with grace and effi-
ciency. It's harmful to perpetuate pre-
judices against them.

Adults with disabilities are often
spoken of and hence thought of as
children. I know a gray -haired profes-
sional with cerebral palsy whose wife
was recently asked who the crippled
boy with her was.

On the other hand, try not to let this
list of "don'ts" make you feel anxious,
because people with disabilities are
often isolated by other people's fear of
making a faux pas. Be natural. Most
people with disabilities are skillful in
dealing with all kinds of situations. It's
the prejudices of the able-bodied com-
munity that are destructive.

When I am in a quandary about
whether to use a certain word or not, I
just ask myself, "Would I like my part-
ner described that way?"

More information is available in a
pamphlet, "4 Letter Words in the Dic-
tionary of the Disabled, " from United
Cerebral Palsy, 66 East 34th St., New
York, NY 10016.

f START J

SET

'NO THEME'

?

FIRST KEY
ACTUATION
SYMBOL (A)

SECOND KEY
ACTUATION
SYMBOL (B)

DECLARE
ERROR

SET
'THEME'

THIRD KEY
ACTUATION

SPEAK
SENTENCE

GET NEXT
SYMBOL

Figure 4: The Minspeak algorithm. To select a topic strike the corresponding key twice.
All sequences then deal with that topic until another topic is selected. Escapes, though
not shown, are available for a variety of emergency situations.

examples can be made by modifying
the key sequence. The following se-
quence — key #1 twice (to set the
topic), key #30 once (to denote a
positive response), and then key #2 or
key #4 — would result in "It's okay;
I'm not choking" or "It's all right if a
little food gets on my clothes."

For a severely disabled person to
say these sentences on a text-to-
speech or phonemic system would re-
quire the user to select dozens of keys
plus have the ability to read and spell
very well. Minspeak requires no more
than four key selections, and reading
and spelling don't matter.

Many other variations and com-
binations of the keys are available to
the user and will result in different

sentences being output. For examples
of other sequences, see table 2. For
users with some linguistic sophistica-
tion, a series of keys can provide a
method for altering existing sentences
through insertions and deletions.

Other options include changing the
person, number, tense, voice, and
mood of verbs. Subjects and objects
can be modified, eliminated, or
reversed. A "fudge-factor" key intro-
duces sequences to produce more
than 100 sentences linguistically de-
signed to correct or clarify enunciated
sentences that inaccurately represent
the user's thoughts. An example of
one of these sentences could be
"That's not what I meant." Style and
context keys can easily alter the

198 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 496 on Inquiry card.

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Sinclair technology is also available in Timex/Sinclair computers
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■ Multi-dimensional
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The ZX81 is also very convenient to use. It
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Ask for operator #509. Phones
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*Plus shipping and handling. Price includes connectors for TV and cassette, AC adaptor, and

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"Does not apply to ZX81 kits.

NEW SOFTWARE: Sinclair has
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To order call toll free: 800-543-3000

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Price*

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Amount

ZX81

$99.95

ZX81 Kit

79.95

16K Memory Module

49.95

Shipping and Handling

4.95

$4.95

TOTAL

MAIL TO: Sinclair Research Ltd.,
One Sinclair Plaza, Nashua, NH 03061.

Name-

Ad dress-

Topic Key Seqi

jence Key

Possible Meaning

3

1

oil the chair

3

2

bad brakes

4

2

tie is choking; belt is tight

5

2

chair won't move

29

2

bone, joint pains

7

3

philosophy of religion

29

3

coccyx and seating problems

29

4

breathing, diaphragm problem

5

1

eating plans for a trip

60

6

no water in wheelchair battery

7

1

eating preferences; I'm a vegetarian.

29

8

head

29

9

eye problems

—

10

next sentence theme will differ

10

—

clear buffer; start a new topic

20

—

tag questions; "He's gone, isn't he?"

30

—

changes negative context to positive

50

—

change to typewriter mode

60

electrical control; telephone dialer, TV switches

Table 2: To generate

a sentence,

the user must hit a key twice to set the topic, and

then hit one or more

keys to select a sentence pertaining to the topic. For example, if

the user hits key #3

twice to set the topic and follows that by hitting key §1, a

sentence pertaining to oiling the chair would be generated. The information in this

table corresponds to

the keys pictured in figure 2.

Photo 2: The Express 3, developed by Prentke Romich Co., is a portable communica-
tion aid powered by internal rechargeable batteries and designed for mounting on a
wheelchair. A special Express 3 is being prepared to implement the Minspeak concept.
The system will use a combination of power-strobed EPROM and CMOS RAM. A
Votrax Speech PAC with an SC-01 voice synthesizer marketed by Vodex will be
coupled to the output of the microprocessor. It will retain other features of the original
Express 3, including a 40-character upper- and lowercase liquid-crystal display with
corresponding thermal printer and serial ASCII output for connection to other com-
puters and environmental-control devices.

vocabulary and social tone of the
stored sentences.

Considering the Possibilities

If you had 1000 sentences carefully
constructed to cover most of the
typical activities in your day, perhaps
75 percent of your utterances would
be included in that group. Imagine
adding 3000 more sentences com-
posed to express a wide range of
statements and questions concerning
emotion and personal goals. If you
then added another 1000 sentences
which included statements of courte-
sies, greetings, thank yous, and
you're welcomes, you would have
enough sentences to cover most of the
routine contingencies of life.

If communication-aid users could
access any of these sentences with a
few physical responses, their expres-
sive difficulties would be on the road
to resolution. Actual field work has
shown that the number of sentences
whose sequences can be easily
remembered and used is unexpectedly
high, perhaps approaching the
thousands for a large percentage of
potential users.

Minspeak is currently under devel-
opment at the Prentke Romich Co. in
Shreve, Ohio. PRC is working on the
development of expressive com-
munication aids for the severely
physically disabled. A demonstration
prototype of Minspeak will be avail-
able from the company later this
year. Until now, the effectiveness of
communication aids has caused agen-
cies to question their definition as a
prosthesis and this has limited the
amount of outside funding available.
Because of the advances represented
by Minspeak, a coordinated multi-
state legal campaign has been
launched to persuade private and
public health care funding agencies to
make funding available for purchase
of this device.

People who hear and cannot speak
have an enormous potential for con-
tributing to society through their in-
sights into human communication. It
is my sincerest hope that Minspeak
will give them access to modern tech-
nology that will enable them to make
this contribution in an easier and
more productive way. ■

202 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

MVP-FORTH

A Public Domain Product

ORDER TODAY!!!

In keeping with the public domain release of FORTH by its inventor, Charles
Moore, and the promotion of the language by the FORTH Interest Group, MVP-
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are also placed in the public domain and may be used freely without restriction.

MVP-FORTH contains a kernal for transportability, the FORTH-79 Standard
Required Word Set, the vocabulary for the instruction book, STARTING FORTH,
by Brodie, editor, assembler, many useful routines, and utilities.

MVP-FORTH PRODUCTS

□ MVP-FORTH Programmer's Kit including disk with documentation, ALL ABOUT
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□ MVP-FORTH Disk with documentation. Assembly source listing version. $75

□ MVP-FORTH Cross Compiler with MVP-FORTH source in FORTH. $300

□ MVP-FORTH Programming Aids for decompiling, callfinding, and
translating. $150

□ MVP-FORTH Assembly Source Printed listing. $20

□ ALL ABOUT FORTH by Havdon. $20

• ••MVP-FORTH operates under a variety of CPU's, computers, and
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8080/Z80® , 8
H89/Z89, 5V4

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D 8086/88 by Laboratory
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D PET by FSS, F & X $150

□ TRS-80/I or III by Miller
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F, X.&79 $130

□ 6809 by Talbot Micro-
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□ Z80 by Laboratory Micro-
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CROSS COMPILERS Allow extending, modifying and compiling
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DOCUMENTS

□ Starting FORTH by
Brodie. Best instructional
manual available, (soft
cover) $16

D Starting FORTH (hard
cover) $20

D METAFORTH by Cassady.
Cross compiler with 8080
code $30

□ Systems Guide to fig-
FORTH $25

□ Caltech FORTH
Manual $12

□ Invitation to FORTH $20

□ PDP-11 FORTH User's
Manual $20

D CP/M User's Manual,
MicroMotion $20

a FORTH-79 Standard $15

D FORTH-79 Standard
Conversion $10

D Tiny Pascal in

fig-FORTH $10

Installation Manual for fig-FORTH, contains FORTH

model, glossary, memory map and instructions $15

Source Listings of fig-FORTH, for specific CPU's and
computers. The Installation Manual is required for
implementation. Each $15

□ 1802 □ 6502 □ 6800 □ AlphaMicro

□ 8080 □ 8086/88 □ 9900 □ APPLE II

D PACE □ 6809 □ NOVA □ PDP-11/LSI-11

Ordering Information: Check, Money Order (payable to MOUNTAIN VIEW
PRESS, INC.), VISA, MasterCard or COD's accepted. No billing or unpaid
PO's. California residents add sales tax. Shipping costs in US included in
price. Foreign orders, pay in US funds on US bank, include forhandling and
shipping by Air: $5 for each item under $25, $10 for each item between $25
and $99 and $20 for each item over $100. Minimum order $10. All prices and
products subject to change or withdrawal without notice. Single system
and/or single user license agreement required on some products.
DEALER & AUTHOR INQUIRIES INVITED

FORTH MANUALS, GUIDES,&

D FORTH Encyclopedia

by

Derick & Baker. A com-

plete programmer's

manual to fig-FORTH

with

FORTH-79 references

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THE FORTH SOURCE™

MOUNTAIN VIEW PRESS, INC.

PO BOX 4656

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94040

(415)961-4103

Circle 330 on inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 203

FDA Regulation of
Computerized Medical Devices

What designers of medically related hardware and software

should know.

Most people know that when a
device is used for medical purposes, it
falls under the jurisdiction of the
Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) of the U.S. Public Health Ser-
vice. Now, with the advent of the
microprocessor, many existing
medical devices have become com-
puterized, and new medical equip-
ment is being designed with micro-
processors. Consequently, many
hardware and software producers
may be required by law to notify the
FDA of their medical devices. And
those designing such devices or pro-
ducing software for medical purposes
should be aware of the regulations
and the manufacturing controls that
must be followed in order to comply
with the Medical Device Amend-
ments of 1976.

The Law

The Medical Device Amendments
of 1976 to the Federal Food, Drug,
and Cosmetic Act gave the FDA the
responsibility and authority to assure
that medical devices are safe and ef-
fective.

As defined by the amendments, a

Joseph Jorgens III

Carl W. Bruch

Frank Houston

Bureau of Medical Devices

Food and Drug Administration

8757 Georgia Ave.

Silver Spring, MD 20910

medical device is an "instrument, ap-
paratus, implement, machine, con-
trivance, implant, in vitro reagent, or
other similar or related article, in-
cluding any component, part or ac-
cessory, which is intended for use in
the diagnosis of disease or other con-
ditions, or in the cure, mitigation,
treatment, or prevention of disease,

Many hardware and

software producers

may be required by law

to notify the FDA of

their medical devices.

in man or other animals, . . . which
does not achieve any of its principal
intended purposes through chemical
action within or on the body."

Levels of Control

The amendments provide three
levels of controls to assure the safety
and effectiveness of medical devices.
They are Class I, devices requiring
general controls; Class II, those re-

quiring specific performance stan-
dards; and Class III, those requiring
premarket approval. Medical devices
such as bedpans and surgical instru-
ments for which general controls are
adequate to ensure safety and effec-
tiveness fall into the Class I category.
General controls prohibit adultera-
tion and misbranding of a medical
device. Under the amendments, adul-
teration may include failure to follow
Good Manufacturing Practice Reg-
ulations, comply with an FDA stan-
dard for a device, or submit a pre-
market approval application. Mis-
branding may include failure to reg-
ister production facilities, list a
device, or properly label the medical
device, e.g., by not providing ade-
quate directions for use. Labeling is
not confined to the label on the device
itself but may include any literature
accompanying the device, operating
or service manuals, and advertise-
ments for the device.

Class II products require a specific
performance standard, as well as the
general controls, in order to provide
reasonable assurances of safety and
effectiveness. For example, devices
such as those that make measure-

204 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

£

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SuperBrain and CompuStar are registered trademarks of Intertec Data Systems Corportion.

Circle 86 on Inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 205

Butch Brown believed

"logic seeking heads"

lived in the hippie district

Until he became an
Orange Micro Printer Expert.

Printers Can Be Confus-
ing. Sometimes, even the
informed personal com-
puter owner is caught short
by the mound of technical
differences in printers. After
one visit to Orange Micro,
Butch learned a logic-
seeking print head skips
over blank spaces and
seeks the fastest path
to the next printable

character— for
quick stock record
printouts.
We Educate

First. With so many different

printers out there with as many

different features, we feel a printer

education is in order. We take what you already

know about computers and explain printers in

the same terms. Our current customers seem

to like that because of the friends they refer.

(Nearly 50% of our business is referral.)

It's Easy To Be An Expert. Orange Micro

printer specialists are there to make you feel

comfortable with your newfound printer

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We Have The Right
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Circle 353 on Inquiry card.

ments or amplify physiological sig-
nals fall into this category. The
amendments gave the FDA authority
to establish mandatory performance
standards for these products. Equip-
ment such as electrocardiographs,
blood-pressure meters, and medical
thermometers are in Class II. Class II
also contains some devices whose use
entails some risk for the patient, such
as defibrillators and electrical nerve
stimulators.

A Class III device is one that may
pose a significant risk to health from
its use and for which there is insuffi-
cient information available to devel-
op a performance standard. This
would be the case, for instance, in
new measurement techniques, new
treatments, or artificial organs. Many
implantable devices are in this class.
In order to bring a Class III medical
device to market, a manufacturer
must demonstrate to the FDA that the
device is safe and effective. The
results from animal studies, clinical
trials, and in vitro studies for the
medical device are submitted in a pre-
market approval application to the
FDA for review.

In the FDA, the Bureau of Medical
Devices has the primary responsibili-
ty for regulating medical devices as
defined above. Several working
groups within the Bureau are charged
with carrying out different provisions
of the act. Medical device manufac-
turers usually interact with the Office
of Compliance, the Office of Device
Evaluation, or one of the FDA's field
offices.

The Office of Compliance is
responsible for assuring good manu-
facturing practices as well as ad-
ministering recalls and examining any
violations of the act. Legal actions
such as seizures, injunctions, and
prosecutions are also part of its ac-
tivities. Manufacturers who bring a
new device to market generally deal
with the Office of Device Evaluation,
which is divided into seven medical
specialty groups. (For this discus-
sion, the term manufacturers will in-
clude producers of both software and
hardware.) Advisory panels com-
posed of experts from outside the
FDA assist each division in its special-
ty area.

Circle 213 on Inquiry card. »

Four times faster than any 300

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detect, auto-answer and high speed.

your branch offices, or exchange programs
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THE EPROM

PAOMAN

HAVE ROOM FOR

Presenting the Intel 27128.

The biggest EPROM in the world— able
to take 16K bytes (or 128K bits) of software
in a single gulp.

But enough with the introductions.

The fact is now it makes sense to put
application and system software— once re-
served for floppies— on an EPROM instead.

Why?

A lot of reasons.

You can make a computer less of a com-
puter for people using it. Operating systems,
compilers and application software can all
be pressed into action with one easy-to-
remember pushbutton instead of 15 or so

computer startup procedures.

You can make a computer react faster.
Compared to software stored on a floppy, 80
times faster. Or faster than Blinky can wipe
out your man.

You can also make a computer more
reliable. Since Intel EPROMs have the MTBF
to keep going 600 times longer than floppies.

Yet you re not locked into a program for
life. Unlike its ROM counterparts, an EPROM
is meant to be changed.

And even though the 27128 EPROM
can help shrink your system, you have all the
room you need. So the CP/M operating

BURP!

THATCANEAT
AND STILL
SPACE INVADERS.

system can fit in one chip. And a BASIC
interpreter in one.

Of course, you get all the other no-
nonsense advantages of an Intel EPROM.
JEDEOapproved bytewide pinouts for easy
upgrades. The 0.1% AQL that made our
2764 a world standard. And the immediate
availability for non-stop production of
your system.

All this without blowing your systems
costs out of the water Because as sure as an
EPROM has 28 legs, the 27128 EPROM
will set a new low for cost per EPROM bit
within the next year.

After all, the way we see it, the way to

make software friendlier is to make it hard.

To see how our 27128 software carrier
can improve your game plan, contact your
local distributor or Intel Corporation,
3065 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, CA
95051. (408) 987-8080.

intel

delivers
solutions

United States and Canadian Distributors: Alliance, Almac/Stroum, Arrow Electronics,
Avnct Electronics, Component Specialities Inc., Hamilton/ A vnet, Hamilton Electro Sales,
Harvey, L.A. Varah. Measurement lechnology Inc., Mesa, Pioneer, Wyle Distribution
Group, Zentronics. In Europe and Japan, contact your local Intel sales office.

PAC-MAN is a trademark of NAMCO-America, Inc.. Space Invaders is a trademark
of'Iaito America Corporation. CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital Research. Inc.

Circle 239 on Inquiry card.

Device evaluation is concerned
with new products that will be placed
in commercial distribution. Products
that are new, those that have been
"significantly modified/' and "me-
too" products (copies of devices
already on the market) from a new
manufacturer require a premarket
notification from the manufacturer 90
days prior to marketing the device.
The premarket notification is called a
510(k) submission since it is required
by regulation 510(k) of the Federal
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Dur-
ing this 90-day period, the appropri-

ate Device Evaluation division
reviews the premarket notification
and determines whether or not the
product is substantially equivalent to
a device that was in commercial
distribution before May 28, 1976, the
date on which the Medical Device
Amendments became law. If the pro-
duct is substantially equivalent, it
may be commercially distributed. A
product that is not substantially
equivalent to a pre-amendments
device, and which has not been
reclassified, is placed in Class III and
requires a premarket-approval ap-

Time up your LA36

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• 1000 character print buffer

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• 20 mA Current Loop interface

• Top of Form

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• Double wide characters

• ferity selection

• Optional APL character set

Over 5,000 DS120 units are now being used by customers ranging from
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plication that is reviewed by FDA
staff as well as by the advisory panel
to determine whether the safety and
effectiveness of the device have been
demonstrated. If they have, the pro-
duct will be allowed into commercial
distribution.

Computers and Medical Devices

With the advent of micropro-
cessors came two developments for
medical devices. First, micro-
processors began to replace discrete
components, and second, totally new
devices became possible. The first
development augments the reliability
of medical devices and also allows
great flexibility without the necessity
for major hardware design changes.
The second development arises from
the ability to implement very com-
plex logical decision schemes with a
relatively inexpensive piece of hard-
ware. In addition, the proliferation of
personal computers and associated
software allows individuals to pro-
duce small, very intelligent medical
devices and medical software.

Microprocessors that are com-
ponents of medical devices or of large
computing systems that interface
with medical instruments are normal-
ly considered medical devices. Soft-
ware that is written for such systems
may be classified as a medical device.
By identifying the purpose of the sys-
tem and the function of the software
within the system, you can determine
if your hardware and software are
medical devices.

Hardware

Products that apply the latest tech-
nology (often using microprocessors)
to perform the functions of discrete
component designs will not be
regulated in a manner significantly
different from their predecessors if
the use of the microprocessor does
not change the medical nature of the
product. Consider, for instance, the
electrocardiogram monitor, which
has evolved from electron tubes, to
transistors, to integrated circuits, and
finally to microprocessors. The hard-
ware and software of the latest
generation of monitors are regulated
to the same extent as the tube model
was, as long as the two generations of

210 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 150 on Inquiry card.

monitors are substantially equiv-
alent.

If a microprocessor in the monitor
automates a process, say, by auto-
matically infusing a drug when a cer-
tain electrocardiographic pattern is
present, then the medical nature of
the device may be considered
changed. The monitor may be no
longer primarily a provider of data; it
might now be a maker of medical
decisions, and if this device were the
first of its kind, it might be regulated
as a new (Class III) device.

Software

The subject of software is a bit
more complex. Software gives
medical devices flexibility and can be
portable from one computer system
to another. For the sake of simplifica-
tion, consider four software
categories:

1. software that is permanently in-
stalled in a specific medical device

not intended to be altered by the
user and required for the device to
function

2. software that may be temporarily
installed in a specific medical
device with the capacity to alter
the function or performance of the
device

3. software designed for use on a
single, general-purpose computer
(that is, a computer not specifically
dedicated to one particular device)

4. software designed for use on multi-
ple, general-purpose computers

Category 1. In this case, the soft-
ware is really a fixed component of
the instrument. If the instrument is a
medical device, so is the software.
The level of control will be governed
by the device function or purpose of
the instrument.

Category 2. This software is a
replaceable component, somewhat
like a phonograph record. It may
change the performance of the instru-

ment and make it function as a dif-
ferent medical device. Again, if the
instrument operates as a medical
device, the software enabling such
operations will also be considered a
medical device.

Category 3. Suppose a software
package is developed for one mini-
computer system that might accept
EKGs from a 10-bed intensive care
unit, analyze the electrocardiograms,
and make a diagnosis of the patients'
heart conditions. This would fall into
Category 3. Because it accepts data
from a patient and makes a diagnosis,
it falls within the definition of a
device and is subject to regulation.

Category 4. Category 4 would
apply to a package developed in one
of the high-level languages such as
FORTRAN, BASIC, or Pascal.
Categories 3 and 4 contain gray areas
with respect to the medical-device
definitions. If someone takes several
medical textbooks, develops a deci-
sion process leading to a diagnosis,

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your own menus or other dialogs.

D Simple— If you use CP/M, you can learn OKARA in an hour
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mark of Digital Research.

Circle 259 on inquiry card.

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 211

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212 BYTE September 1982

Circle 394 on inquiry card.

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Circle 394 on inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 213

and automates the process, is the
resulting program a medical device?
No definite decision has yet been
made. Even if this automated process
is considered a medical device, how
should the Bureau of Medical Devices
analyze the 510(k) submissions?
Perhaps the appropriate method
would be to ask whether the
algorithm that is used is substantially
equivalent to the algorithm that was
employed manually. If the algorithm
were the same, the computerized ver-
sion of that process would be deter-
mined to be substantially equivalent
to the manual version and would not
be covered by Class III regulations.

As you may imagine, the issue of
software as a medical device is com-
plex and still in a state of flux. Per-
haps some examples of software pro-
ducts that have already been exam-
ined by the Bureau of Medical
Devices will provide some clarifica-
tion.

One product that was reviewed by
the Bureau of Medical Devices was a
microprocessor-based monitor that

measured several patient parameters
such as blood pressure and heart rate,
manipulated those measured
parameters, and displayed the mea-
surements in both a real-time fashion
and in a trend plot. The product, in-
cluding its software, was considered
to be a medical device.

Another product used hardware,
leased or sold to a hospital, that mea-
sured pulmonary parameters. The
raw data was sent to a computer by
way of phone lines. The computer
manipulated the raw data and re-
turned a display of the patient's pul-
monary functions to the hospital.
Because the data manipulator and its
software made claims for medical
purposes and required the leased or
purchased front-end hardware sys-
tem, it was considered a medical
device rather than a service and fell
under the Bureau of Medical Devices
regulations.

A new pulmonary-function
analyzer uses an Apple II microcom-
puter to measure a patient's breathing
with an electronic flowmeter, analyze

the information, and print out a
graph of the patient's pulmonary
function. This is considered a new
medical device, but because it merely
does the same analyses that were once
done by hand, it was determined to
be substantially equivalent to a pre-
amendments device and was not
placed in Class III.

Another firm uses a computer to
analyze X rays and patient informa-
tion received from hospitals to deter-
mine the patient's future growth
statistics. Several X rays and a history
of the patient are mailed to the com-
pany where the future growth
parameters are predicted by way of a
programmed algorithm. The Bureau
of Medical Devices considered the
firm a service provider, and although
the programmed algorithm is a
medical device, it is not subject to ac-
tive regulation except for the regula-
tions regarding misbranding and
adulteration.

Products that fall into this limited
level of regulation must meet the
following criteria:

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1. The product must be a computer
software package essentially based
on data-analysis methods appear-
ing in the literature.

2. Only services provided by the soft-
ware can be sold. The software
itself can't be sold or leased to
users or other service providers.

3. The data used as input by the soft-
ware must be generated by a com-
mercially available device.

In this instance, if the firm were to
market the software package that
guides the calculations, such a
package would be an actively
regulated medical device.

Conclusion

This article has been a limited dis-
cussion of FDA regulation of com-
puterized medical devices and
medical software. Many details have
been omitted. Designers of medical
software and hardware should obtain
additional information by contacting
the Office of Small Manufacturers
Assistance, Room 1431, S757 Georgia
Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301)
427-7184. ■

214 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

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CONTRpL DATA

Circle 133 on inquiry card.

How to get

You're not alone, you know.

We've all been through that same excru-
ciating moment when we realized that we were
going to have to learn a lot more than we wanted
to know about programming, in self-defense.

But most of us survived.

Many of us with a little bit of help called
dBASE II, the relational database management
system (DBMS) for micros.

The best defense is a strong offense.

Don't get seduced by BASIC, because
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dBASE II is much easier because it's a
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You can prepare your forms and formats
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Here's the catch.

With any language, you'll need to under-
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With dBASE II, you'll also get an easy
way to make choices (IF.. THEN.. ELSE) and a
powerful way to perform repetitive tasks
(DO WHILE..).

216 BYTE September 1982

With these tools, you're ready to tackle
your accounting and time billing, project man-
agement, and any other data handling and record
keeping. You can work interactively and get your
answers right now. Or save your instructions and
repeat everything with two words: DO Man-
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Use dBASE II to help make your choice.

If you've got a 48k CP/M micro with a
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the best of
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Call (213) 204-5570 today or drop by your
local computer store for the rest of the story.

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©1982 Ashton-Tate

CP/M is a trademark of Digital Research

BYTE September 1982 217

Talking Terminals

Text-to-speech translation involves
looking at the problem from a different "viewpoint. "

David Stoffel

Scion Corporation

12310 Pinecrest Rd.

Reston, VA 22091

Imagine for a moment that you are
sitting in front of a computer video
terminal working on a program when
suddenly the screen goes blank. The
display tube has failed. Could you
continue to work on the program
even though you couldn't see the
screen display? That's exactly the
problem that faces many visually dis-
abled persons when they try to use
standard microcomputers.

An answer to that problem is the
"talking terminal." Simply, a talking
terminal resembles a conventional
computer terminal except that it
speaks information instead of, or in
addition to, displaying that informa-
tion visually. This article aims to of-
fer an understanding of the human
factors involved in selecting a talking
terminal and to compare current talk-
ing-terminal products.

About the Author

David Stoffel has participated in the research
and development of voice-response technology
for six years. He has built his own talking ter-
minal as a research tool and for his personal
and professional use.

In addition to conventional ter-
minal capabilities, a talking terminal
requires several additional features
and capabilities. First, of course, the
terminal must be able to talk intel-
ligibly for you to understand its

Speech Is an elusive

method of

communication;

once those sound

waves are heard,

It's up to the listener

to remember what

was said.

speech. So, we want to assess the in-
telligibility and acceptability of the
product's speech. Second, speech is
an elusive method of communication;
once those sound waves are heard,
it's up to the listener to remember
what was said. So, just as many
video-display terminals provide local

editing and memory, a talking ter-
minal has to. provide a "say again"
feature. Finally, consider, for a
moment, how you would read this ar-
ticle aloud to someone. Would you
read the punctuation as pauses, or
would you say the names of the punc-
tuation symbols? Would you pro-
nounce acronyms, such as ASCII, or
would you spell them out letter by
letter? Would you read the string of
digits 1234 as "one thousand, two
hundred, and thirty-four," or "one,
two, three, four," or use some other
method? A talking terminal should be
able to present the information in a
variety of ways, suited to your needs
and preferences.

Today's commercially available
talking-terminal products (see table 1)
represent two different design
strategies. The speech-related features
and capabilities have either been built
into an existing conventional com-
puter terminal, as with the Total Talk
and the FSST-3, or are in a self-con-
tained accessory module connected in
series on the communication line be-
tween the computer and the terminal,
as with the VERT. These two design

218 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

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Product: VERT (Verbal Emulation in Real Time)

Self-contained speech unit connected
line between computer and any terminal.
Price: $5900 (with educational discount $4990)
Manufacturer: Automated Functions Inc.
Suite 813

4545 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 362-6292

Product: Total Talk (other models are available)

Hewlett-Packard HP-2621 terminal with added speech circuitry.
Price: $4990
Manufacturer: Maryland Computer Services Inc.

2010 Rock Spring Rd.

Forrest Hill, MD 21050

(301) 838-8888

Product: FSST-3 (Free-Scan Speech Terminal)

Zenith Z-19 terminal with added speech circuitry.
Price: $4495
Manufacturer: Triformation Systems Inc.

3132 Southeast Jay St.

Stuart, Fl_ 33494

(305)283-4817

Table 1: Manufacturers of talking terminals.

strategies have significant ramifica-
tions in two of the three areas of com-
parison: speech review and speech-
parameter control.

Translation Algorithms

An exhaustive comparison of the
intelligibility and acceptability of the
speech output — measures of listener
comprehension and preference — re-
quires rigorous performance mea-
sures. Such scientific evaluation is
beyond my resources. Nevertheless, I
can offer some useful observations on
the different text-to-speech algo-
rithms used in these talking terminals.

Though some manufacturers do
not acknowledge the ancestry of the
text-to-speech algorithms they use, it
is reasonably safe to infer that both
the VERT and Total Talk use the
Mcllroy (Bell Laboratories) algo-
rithm, as enhanced by NIH (National
Institutes of Health), and that the
FSST-3 uses the NRL (Naval Research
Laboratory) algorithm. The Mcllroy
enhanced algorithm uses about 1000
rules, and the NRL uses about 600 in
performing the letter-to-phoneme or
word-to-phoneme translation. (A
phoneme is the smallest sound unit of
speech. When we speak, we string
phonemes together to produce
words.)

Both algorithms are quite ade-

quate, with translation accuracy, lin-
guistically speaking, of about
90 percent. In my experience, I find
that the Mcllroy algorithm handles
difficult words correctly more often
than the NRL. Neither of them makes
any particularly egregious errors in
the text-to-speech translation.

Choosing Synthesizers

The only viable synthesizers to
date are those that use phoneme syn-
thesis, rather than synthesis by
analysis (speech encoding), because
the synthesizer must be able to speak
an unrestricted vocabulary. The
speech-encoding synthesizers, such as
Texas Instruments' TMS5221 LPC
(linear-predictive coding) synthesizer
or National Semiconductor's Digi-
talker, are still limited to fixed, pre-
recorded vocabularies. Both the
VERT and the Total Talk use the
Votrax VSB single-board speech syn-
thesizer; while the FSST-3 uses the
older Votrax VSA.

Both Votrax synthesizers are
capable of independent variation in
speech rate and pitch, under either
manual or program control. The
VERT takes advantage of the pro-
grammable-speech-rate control to en-
hance the pronunciation duration of
very short and very long words,
while also providing you with

220 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

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company.

WESTICO

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manual speech-rate and pitch con-
trols. The Total Talk and the FSST-3
offer you manual speech-rate and
pitch controls.

The Votrax VSA and VSB syn-
thesizers seem quite similar with
respect to their phoneme production,
but the FSST-3, which uses the VSA,
definitely sounds inferior; whether
this is an artifact of the VSA syn-
thesizer or poor audio amplification,
I don't know.

You may wonder why none of
these products uses the new Votrax
SC-01A integrated circuit, which is

less expensive. The single-quantity
cost of the VSB is about $800, while
the SC-01A is $70. But there are two
major reasons why the SC-01A is not
used. The speech-rate and pitch con-
trols are both dependent on the same
clock signal or timing circuit, affect-
ing the ease with which intelligible
speech may be produced. Also some
people are concerned about the
acceptability of the SC-OlA's sound
quality. Only scientific performance
measures can determine which
Votrax synthesizer is ultimately more
intelligible. (For a description of an

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application using the Votrax SC-01A
speech-synthesizer chip see Steve
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issue.)

Speech-Review Capabilities

Imagine that a talking terminal is
reading this article to you. Suddenly,
you wonder at what you just heard —
either a terrible pronunciation of a
proper name (like "Ciarcia" perhaps)
or maybe just a word that you don't
recognize. You would like to stop the
speech, perform some review func-
tions to repeat the last few lines or
words, or spell the word in question,
and then continue the speech just
where you stopped it.

Stopping the speech output of a
talking terminal requires that the
stream of characters coming from the
host computer to the terminal be
halted. (Some remote computers
make this very difficult.) Only the
VERT attempts (when the feature is
enabled) to tell the host computer not
to send any more text when review-
ing. The Total Talk loses data after
receiving 120 characters of yet-
untranslated text from the host com-
puter. The FSST-3 loses data after ac-
cumulating 1920 characters of yet-
untranslated text.

All three products allow you to
review the text saved in memory. The
VERT saves the most recent 12,000
characters, the Total Talk saves two
screens (48 lines of 80 characters
each) in the HP-2621's display
memory, and FSST-3 saves from one
to three screens (depending upon the
amout of memory installed) in the
Zenith Z-19's display memory. All
three products can repeat the text in
its entirety or by character, word, or
line. In addition, the VERT can repeat
text by phrase, sentence, or
paragraph.

The Total Talk and the FSST-3 per-
form their review functions as a result
of using the standard cursor-move-
ment and screen-print functions of
the HP-2621 and Z-19 terminals. The
VERT responds with its review func-
tion to an ASCII (American Standard
Code for Information Interchange)
escape-code sequence from any data-
terminal equipment.

222 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 63 on inquiry card.

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The integration of speech capabili-
ty with an existing, popular terminal
design — the case for both the Total
Talk and the FSST-3 — has positive
and negative consequences. Such
integration negates the need to ac-
quire a computer terminal separately
when you shop for a talking terminal.
On the other hand, building the
speech circuitry into terminals has
resulted in a performance characteris-
tic especially annoying to pro-
grammers: both the FSST-3 and the
Total Talk (Z-19 and HP-2621 ter-
minals, respectively) never speak cur-
sor, character-attribute, or print-
function codes.

Anyone who buys a VERT must
also acquire a standard computer ter-
minal. This terminal is connected to
one of the VERT's two ports, while
the computer (or modem) is con-
nected to the other. The VERT trans-
mits all characters received from the
host computer to the terminal, while
translating and speaking if appropri-
ate. The VERT can also transmit all
characters received from the terminal
to the host computer, though usually
some are trapped as the VERT func-
tion codes. This black-box filter-like
approach to the problem of providing
a talking terminal is modular and
well formed.

Speech Parameter Control

A talking terminal should give you
the option of setting speech-control
parameters. It should either decide
the most appropriate way to translate
and speak segments of text where
machine-based decisions are compe-
tent or provide you with the capabili-
ty of manually setting those decision
parameters which cannot be success-
fully handled by a machine. A pro-
gram can decide whether to pro-
nounce or spell IBM, NIH, or ASCII.

The VERT uses truth tables for
prefixed and suffixed letter pairs to
determine whether to spell or pro-
nounce alphabetic tokens. It is rather
more difficult for a program to decide
whether to say 370 as "three seven
zero/' "three hundred seventy," or
"three seventy." If the text is referring
to an IBM 370 mainframe computer,
the choice will be obvious to you. But

224 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 465 on Inquiry card.

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measurements.

The cost: $1100 for the 221 3*.
$1400 for the dual time base 2215.

You can order, or obtain more
information, through the Tektronix
National Marketing Center, where
technical personnel can answer
your questions and expedite
delivery. Your direct order includes

probes, operating manuals, 15-
day return policy and full Tektronix
warranty.

For a demonstration stop by your
local Tektronix Sales Office.

ORDER TOLL FREE

1-800-426-2200

Ask for Department J0333

In the state of Washington,
Call (206) 253-5353 collect.

•Price FOB Beaverton. OR

Tfektronix

COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE

Copyright© 1982 Tektronix, Inc. All rights reserved. 135

BYTE September 1982 225

Circle 433 on inquiry card.

CP/M DATA ENTRY

"RADAR"

RADAR is a high speed data entry system
that will run on any CP/M system pro-
viding a "3741" style key-to-disk en-
vironment. RADAR is ideal for replacing
KEYPUNCH machines and older, slower
key-to-disk systems like the 374 1's and
42's.

Features:

Verify Mode

Check Digit Processor

Auto Dup/Manual Dup

1 6 Accumulators

Parameter Driven (No
Programming)

"Virtual" File Access

Add or Delete Records

Record Retrieval By Number
Or Content

Full Editing Capability

Operator Prompts

Extremely Fast (Written In
Assembly Language)

In addition to "heavy.-duty" data entry,
RADAR is also the ideal "front-end" for
many applications programs, providing
aquisition and retrieval of keyed data with
a degree of reliability simply not possible
with any other technique. RADAR can cut
programming time by more than 30%,
simply because there is no longer any
need to write the "input" portion of a pro-
gram, just let RADAR handle it!

Write or call for free brochure. The
RADAR manual is also available
separately for $25.00.

SOUTHERN
COMPUTER
SYSTEMS,
Inc.

P.O. Box 3373A
Birmingham, AL 35255
Phone: 205-933-1659

Text-to-Speech Translation

Several independent efforts have
resulted in various grapheme-to-
phoneme translation systems for
speech synthesis. Graphemes are let-
ters or other characters, and phonemes
are the sounds of speech. There are
two approaches to the problem of
translating written language (ortho-
graphy) to its spoken (phonetic) form.
All current efforts to create artificial
speech use either one or both of these
approaches.

The first approach searches a dic-
tionary of words and/or word frag-
ments (morphemes) for corresponding
phonetic representations. Such diction-
aries that are expected to satisfy a wide
variety of contexts must be quite large.
The software responsible for searching
a dictionary must be able to account
for various forms of a given entry.
When dictionaries of morphemes are
used, the software must be capable of
separating the words to be translated
into their constituent morphemes.

The second approach uses
grapheme-to-phoneme translation
rules. Such rules attempt to describe a
correspondence between the ortho-
graphic and phonetic forms of the lan-
guage. Some efforts have resulted in a
combination of these two methods of
translation, resorting to the second
when the first fails to satisfy a transla-
tion request.

Unrestricted Text

In order to remove all restrictions on
the content of the text being translated,
the translation system must be able to
distinguish among English words,
acronyms, mnemonics, abbreviations,
etc. The input stream of text to be
translated is parsed into tokens that
contain characters of the same type.

Tokens may be divided into types
alphabetic, punctuation, numeric, or
symbolic. A token is complete when a
character in the input stream of
another token type is encountered.
The type of a token determines the
classification of rules used in translat-
ing the token. The selection of the rule
set is dependent on the token type.
There are currently rule sets for
English, numerals, punctuation, and

spelling. Spelling is the English pro-
nunciation of a single character's
name. You must also consider that
alphabetic characters do not always
represent an English word.

Frequency tables representing the
occurrence of letter pairs (digrams) or
triplets (trigrams) offer significant help
in deciding whether a group of charac-
ters represents an English word, an
acronym, or a mnemonic. The fre-
quency tables currently in use were
derived from a lexicon of about a quar-
ter of a million words. The digram-fre-
quency table is reduced to a binary
table that represents the occurrence or
nonoccurrence of letter pairs in the lex-
icon. The use of digram or trigram
tables could be expanded to the detec-
tion of specific subsets of English
vocabulary. One case where this is use-
ful: frequency tables derived from a
common-usage dictionary and a lex-
icon of medical terms are significantly
different.

Rule-Directed Translation

Orthographic representations of text
are translated to phonetic representa-
tions by means of a production system.
The rules used in the English-to-
phoneme translation match context-
sensitive patterns to the word or word
token. The rules are of the form:

left-context {current -token]

right-context — phonemes

The current-token is the characters)
that is currently being translated by a
rule. The left-context and the right-
context are the text in which the cur-
rent-token must be matched. These
left- and right-contexts may contain
special symbols that define arbitrary
patterns of characters. The current-
token may not contain these special
symbols and must match, character for
character, the token of the word being
translated. The right-hand part of a
rule gives the phonetic symbols repre-
senting the current-token. English
phoneme rules are classified in
subgroups of alphabetic, numeric,
punctuation, and spelling rules. The
phonetic replacements selected by the
successful matching of rules are used to
drive a speech-synthesizing device.

226 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

a translation program has no way of
"knowing" the correct pronunciation
of a number or word on the basis of
the context in which it was used. The
Total Talk and the FSST-3 simply
speak numbers digit by digit. The
VERT does the same or says numbers
as whole words depending on your
parameter setting.

Ironically, it's often desirable to
make your talking terminal remain
silent, while continuing to display
and save text. The reasons are many,
varied, and a matter of preference,
but the capability is important. Total
Talk will remain silent when you
depress its Silence key. The VERT can
be made to remain silent until a new
line, speech command, or predefined
text pattern is received. The FSST-3
can start or stop speaking on com-
mand.

No matter what the accuracy and
proficiency of a text-to-speech trans-
lation system, there will always be
words or symbols that you would like

to have spoken your own way. For
example, it is becoming popular in
academic computer-science circles to
use the word "bang" or "shriek" for
the exclamation-point character (!). I
am sticking with the conservative
"exclamation," even though the new-
comers are shorter and can be spoken
more quickly. The VERT offers you
the power to define, in English, your
own translation preferences. You
simply define a rule that says
! = "bang," or whatever.

On the Horizon

We may see the cost of talking ter-
minals either decrease as new speech
synthesizers are used, or increase as
speech capabilities are integrated with
personal computers. Whatever the
result, the cost of a talking terminal
will remain a serious problem for
visually disabled persons. Talking-
terminal manufacturers should ex-
pand the market for their pro-

ducts — not limit it to the visually dis-
abled. Increased sales will lower costs
and benefit everyone in the long run.

One perplexing problem remains.
The rapid advance of video-display
technology has promoted the ever-
increasing use of video-dependent
software. Users of talking terminals
will require programmed solutions
for describing essentially visual infor-
mation. Unfortunately, information
science is still far from providing ac-
curate verbal descriptions of two-
dimensional space, thus, for instance,
making it impractical to run a screen-
oriented program like Wordstar sole-
ly from spoken output.

Though the sound quality of avail-
able phoneme synthesizers is defin-
itely far from human-sounding, I've
found that visually impaired persons
find it intelligible and acceptable with
use. I believe that computers with
natural-sounding speech and more
sophisticated algorithms for transla-
tion will be achieved in this decade. ■

WHAT'S

ECC (Error Correction Code) is a poly-
nomial derivative which is used to detect
and correct errors. In simpler terms, this
means that the computer will detect and
automatically correct data errors sometimes generated
spuriously in the equipment.

ECC?

VR Data's HARD DISK III has this feature.

If your system will abend or die during a

data error or if you must always have the

correct data for your functions, ECC is a

necessity. This feature has filtered down from the larger

computer systems and is now used by manufacturers of

superior micro computer products.

Imagine a 5 meg Winchester Hard Disk with the following features:

FOR *1 899. Complete

• ECC— onboard buffer

• FCC approval— Heavy Duty Power Supply

• Automatic power on with system

• Heavy duty linear power supply

• Gold plated contact on all connectors

• Heavy gauge aluminum chassis

• 115/230 VAC 60/50 HZ Standard

• State-of-the-art controller

• 2 pass forced air cooling system

Interfaces to: Radio Shack TRS 80 Model I • Radio Shack TRS 80
Model III • IBM Personal Computer • Others to be announced

ONLY
FROM

MR

data

777 Henderson Boulevard N-6 Folcrofr, PA 19033
(515)461-5300 1800)315-8102

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 227

A

ATARI

400

16K ... $ 249
32K . . . $ 389
48K . . . $ 489

410 Recorder $76.00

810 Disc Drive $449.00

822 Printer $269.00

825 Printer $589.00

830 Modem $159.00

820 Printer $259.00

850 Interface $1 69.00

CX40 Joy Stick $18.00

CX853 16K RAM $77.95

. HOT ATARI-
JK GAMES A<

PAC-MAN $35.00 I

Centipede $35.00

Caverns of Mars S32.00

Asteroids S29.00

Missile Command $29.00

Star Raiders $39.00

Canyon Climber $25.00

Protector S24.00

Mouskattack $31.00

Jawbreaker S27.00

Ghost Hunter S24.00

Telecommunications

Modems

Hayes

Smart S239.00

Chronograph $1 99.00

Micromodem II $279.00

Micromodem 100 S309.00

Novation Auto S239.00

D Cat S169.00

Cat S159.00

Anchor Modem S79.00

VISICORP

VISICALC

Apple II + S189.00

Atari S189.00

Commodore S189.00

IBM $189.00

| Also available are:

VISIDEX VISIPLOT

| VISIFILE VISITERM

| VISIPACK VISITREND

800

16K . . . s 649
32K . . . $ 724
48K . . . $ 769

Microtek 16K RAM $74.95

Microtek 32K RAM $119.95

Ramdisk (128K) $429.95

Intec 48K Board $219.95

Intec 32K $119.95

One year extended warranty $70.00

481 Entertainer S69.00

482 Educator $130.00

483 Programmer S49.00

484 Communicator $344.00

KBYTE

ROM CARTRIDGE GAMES
FOR YOUR ATARI

I Krazy Shoot Out $39.00

K-razy Kritters $39.00

K-razy Antics $39.00

| K-star Patrol $39.00

STICK STAND «L
s 6" jk

ARCADE ACTION FROM YOUR IF

ATARI JOYSTICK ^

AMDEK
MONITORS

300G $169.00

Color I S339.00

Color II $699.00

Color III $429.00

OTHERS

Zenith 9 " (Green) S119.00

BMC 12" Green S85.00

SOFTWARE

We stock manufacturer's and third patty software
for most all computers on the market! Call today
for a copy of our new

CATALOG

You'll find programs by Atari, APX, Data Soft
Crystal Software, EPYX, Synapse, OnLine, Arcade
Plus, K-BYTE, Magis, Canadian Micro Professional
Software, Creative Software, BPI, VISICORP, Com-
modore, NEC and of course our own!

FRANKLIN
ACE 1000

64K Personal Computer

Hardware, software and

peripheral compatable with the
Apple II and even has some fea-
tures not found on the Apple.

Call now for best price!!

Finally, a dual disk drive for
the Atari 800/400. Both single
and dual drive models read
both sides of the disk! Will
read all disks written for Atari
810. CALL FOR INTRODUCT-
ORY PRICE!

NEC

COMPUTERS

8001-A $749.00

8031 S749.00

8012 S549.00

PRINTERS

8023 $549.00

7710/7730 $2399.00

3510/3530 $1789.00

MONITORS

JB-1201 S179.00

JC-1201 S349.00

JC-1202 S899.00

Maxell Disks

MD I (box of 10) $36.00

MD II (box of 10) $46.00

MFD I (8") S44.00

MFD II (8" Double Density) S54.00

Syncom (box of 1 0) S29.00

Computer Covers

Commodore VIC-20 S6.99

Atari 400 S6.99 Commodore 8032 S14.99

Atari 800 $6.99 Commodore

Atari 810 $6.99 8050/4040 S10.99

WESt

In Nevada
CALL
1(702)588-5654

8QQ- 648-33 1 1

P.O. Box 6689
Stateline,
NV. 89449 J

m

HEWLETT
PACKARD

HP* 85

5 1969

HP-87 $1799.00

HP'125 S1999.00

HP-85 16K Memory Module S1 69.00

5'/i " Dual Master Disc Drive $1 799.00

Hard Disk w/ Floppy $4349.00

Hard Disk $3549.00

"Sweet Lips" Plotter $1 199.00

) Column Printer $649.00

ra

HEWLETT
PACKARD

HP41CV

CALCULATOR

$ 239

HP 41C $189.00

HP11C $79.00

HP 12C $114.00

NEW 15C $119.00

NEW 16C $125.00

HPIL PERIPHERALS IN STOCK!

EPSON

PRINTERS

MX 80 w/Graftrax $449

MX 80 FT III CALL

MX 100 CALL

ADA 1600 Parallel Printer to CBM $119.00

ATC-1 Parallel Printer to Atari $29.00

AP-80 Apple Parallel Card & Cable $69.00

IBM-1 Parallel Printer to IBM $32.00

In-stock items shipped same day
you call. No risk, no deposit on
C.O.D. orders. Pre-paid orders
receive free shipping within the
continental United States with no
waiting period for certified checks
or money orders. All prices shown
are cash prices. Add 3% for
Mastercard and Visa. NV and PA
residents add sales tax. All items
subject to availability and price
change.

CBM 8032

s 999

fr

Word Pro 5 + $319.00

Word Pro 4 + $299.00

Word Pro 3 + $199.00

The Administrator $379.00

InfoPro Plus $219.00

Power $79.00

Televideo
Terminals

910 $579

912C $699

920C $749

925C $749

960 $939

802 SCalt

802H SCall

816 SCall

806 SCall

CITOH

PRINTERS

Star-writer

F10-40CPS $1439.00

F1Q-55CPS CALL

Prowriter $499.00

ADA 1450 Serial Printer to CBM $139.00

ATC-2 Serial Printer to Atari $29.00

AP-S10 Apple Serial Card & Cable $95.00

Commodore

Business Machines

CBM 64 CALL

4032 $969.00

8096 Upgrade Kit $369.00

Super Pet $1 599.00

2031 $529.00

8250 Doubled Sided Disk Drive $1699.00

D9060 5 Megabyte Hard Disk $2399.00

D9090 7.5 Megabyte Hard Disk S2699.00

8050 $1299.00

4040 $969.00

8300 (Letter Quality) $1799.00

8023 $769.00

4022 $499.00

Pet to IEEE Cable $37.00

IEEE to IEEE Cable $46.00

Tractor Feed for 8300 S240.00

VIC 20 /° — wozo •
$ 239 'S=^-. - -)

VIC 1530 Commodore Datassette $69.00

VIC 1540 Disk Drive $499.00

VIC 1515 VIC Graphic Printer S339.00

VIC 1210 3K Memory Expander $32.00

VIC 11 8K Memory Expander $53.00

16K VIC Expansion $94.00

VIC 1011 RS232C Terminal Interface $43.00

VIC 112 VIC IEEE-488 Interface S86.00

VIC 1211 VIC 20 Super Expander $53.00

VIC Mother Board $99.00

Smith-Corona

TP-I

649

Letter Quality

Daisy Wheel

12 CPS Text Printer

CENTRONICS
PRINTERS

739-1 $519

739-3 $619

2 Meter RS232-RS232 Cables $29.95

- ALSO -

Diablo 630 Special $1799.00

Talley 8024-L $1629.00

IDS Prism CALL

OKI DATA
PRINTERS

82A $489.00

83A $729.00

84 $1 099.00

NOTE

All of the above OK I DATA Printers come equiped
with both parallel ports & RS232 Serial ports.

I 477 E -
THIRD ST.

Williamsporl

PA 17701

IN PA

CALL

(717)327.9575

*/////////////////////

%

'

: r< u

if

The RAM67

Our RAM67 static RAM offers low power for
cool operation and high reliability. It is the
first SI 00 memory of its size to ofFer battery
back up. The RAM67 will run without wait-
states with any present SI 00 bus CPU.

Advanced static RAM67 features:

□ Low power CMOS RAM

□ 100 ns access time

□ No wait states with our 10 MHz
Lightning One™

□ 8/16 bit operation

□ Phantom disable

□ Battery back up option

If you need high performance and high relia-
bility at an affordable price, the RAM67 is the
memory for you.

128KRAM $1495.00

Battery back-up option $100.00

The Lightning One

The Lightning One is the fastest SI 00 CPU
board presently available. The 8086 processor
with its two co-processors, the 8087 and 8089,
provide exceptional data manipulation, nu-
meric processing and I/O handling capability.

The Lightning One features:

□ 8086 or 8088 16 bit processor

□ 4,5,8, or 10 MHz jumper selectable
operation

□ Optional 8087 and 8089 co-processors

□ Onboard monitor with diagnostics

□ 9 vectored interrupts expandable to 65

When you need mini-computer performance
at micro-computer prices, the Lightning One
should be your choice. Benchmarks available.

Prices start at $395.00

Other LDP Products

In addition to the RAM67 and Lightning One,
Lomas Data Products offers the following fine
products:

□ HAZITALL System Support

2 serial ports, 2 parallel ports, clock/calendar,
9511 or 9512 math support (option), hard disk
controller host interface A & T, $325.00

□ LDP72 Floppy Disk Controller

Single or double density operation, single or
double sided disks, controls both 8" and 5 l A"
floppy drives, digital data separator for adjust-
ment free reliable operation

A & T, $274.95

For 16 bit computing on the S100 bus,
come to the leader . . .

LDP

□ LDP128/256K Dynamic RAM

An advanced dynamic RAM with static like
performance. An ideal choice for large mem-
ory configurations where cost is an important
consideration. No DMA, or reset restrictions
.... A & T, 128K $795.00, 256K $1395.00

□ LDP88 8088 CPU Board

Ideal for inexpensive systems requiring the pro-
cessing power of a 16 bit instruction set. The
LDP88 has up to 8K of on-board EPROM, IK
bytes of RAM, 1 serial RS232 port, 9 vectored
interrupts, 5 MHz operation. Useable as a single
board 8088 processor A & T, $349.95

Software Available

□ CP/M-86*

Full track buffered BIOS, memory disk support,
double density format $300.00

D MP/M-86*

Full MP/M-86 implementation, hard disk and
floppy disk support, plus memory drive. 1, 2 and
5 user configurations.

□ MS-DOS 44

The IBM Personal Computer operating system,
includes macro assembler $250.00

□ Other software:

BASIC86, BASCOM86, FORTRAN86, C,
FORTH.

*CP/M-86 & MP/M-86 trademark of Digital Research.
**MS-DOS trademark of Microsoft.
Lightning One trademark of Lomas Data Products, hie.

Dealer and O.E.M. inquiries invited.

LOMAS DATA PRODUCTS, INC.

729 Farm Road, Marlboro, Massachusetts 01752 □ Telephone: 617-481-2822

230 BYTE September 1982

Circle 270 on Inquiry card.

Hardware Review

The Cognivox VIO-1003

Voice recognition and output for the Apple II

Dr. William Murray

Computer Science Department

Broome Community College

Binghamton, NY 13902

The Cognivox VIO-1003, manufactured by Voicetek of
Goleta, California, is a speech-recognition and voice-
output peripheral for the Apple II computer. It is difficult
to believe that for a modest $295 for hardware and soft-
ware, you can actually carry on a conversation with your
computer.

The Cognivox can be "trained" to recognize a set of up
to 32 words or short
phrases (e.g., one, two,
alpha, syntax error, etc.)
This allows you maximum
flexibility because the Cog-
nivox can be trained with a
game, business, or scientific
vocabulary. As a matter of
fact, you can save several
sets of vocabularies on a
disk. During a training ses-
sion you enter the vocab-
ulary into the computer by
repeating each entry three
times into the Cognivox
microphone and typing the
entry once. This trains the
machine to recognize your
voice. Voicetek cautions that other people's pronuncia-
tions of the same words may or may not be recognized.

The Cognivox, working within the frequency range of
100 to 3200 Hz (hertz), compresses essential speech infor-
mation for one entry into a 48-bit pattern. This pattern is
saved during the training session and will be used as a
"mask," or model, for future comparisons. The system
uses only 4K bytes of storage for the program and tables,
and Voicetek claims up to a 98-percent word-recognition
rate.

Photo 1: The Cognivox VIO-1003 Voice Recognition and Voice
Output System.

The voice-output vocabulary is entered in much the
same way as the speech-recognition vocabulary. During
a training session your words are digitized and stored in
memory for future use. If you want your program to
have voice output, the word or phrase is assembled and
"spoken" through the built-in amplifier and speaker. The
voice output sounds just like you, the trainer. Because the

speech-recognition and
voice-output vocabularies
are independent of each
other, a wide range of
responses is possible.

It should be noted here
that the Cognivox is not a
speech synthesizer; it is a
speech digitizer. The voice
output is strictly limited to
the words or phrases that
you enter. However,
because you can use multi-
ple vocabularies, this is not
a serious limiting factor.

Steve Ciarcia's article
"Use Voiceprints to Ana-
lyze Speech" (March
1982 BYTE, page 50) covers the techniques used to record
voice prints. Steve points out that the quality of the
speech-recognition system depends on what he calls the
"templates" of the spoken words. The template or mask
quality in turn depends on how much storage is available.
His device, which produces voice patterns on an oscillo-
scope, uses bandpass filters starting at 31 Hz and covers
an 8-octave range up to 4000 Hz. The results presented in
the article show that most speech falls between 1000 and
4000 Hz, which is just about the range of the Cognivox.

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 231

At a Glance

•

Name

Capabilities

The Cognivox VIO-1003

Recognizes isolated speech; digitizes up to 32 words or short

phrases per vocabulary set; allows separate recognition and

Manufacturer

speech vocabularies; accepts words or phrases up to three

Voicetek

seconds each in spoken length; typical recognition accuracy of 98

POB 388

percent for the voice it is trained to accept

Goleta. CA 93 ! 1 6

(805) 685-1854

Hardware Required

Apple II with 32K or 48K bytes of memory, one disk drive, and

Price

DOS 3.3

S295

Documentation

Hardware

26-page manual

Includes the Cognivox V\O-]003 (housed in a 5- by 6- by

I 'A -inch plastic case), microphone, and power supply; frequency

Warranty

response 1 00 to 3200 Hz; audio output 1 50 mW; power con-

1 20 days repair or replacement

sumption 1 50 mW during recognition and 450 mW maximum

during voice output; power supply 9 V DC, 300 mA (unregulated.

Audience

wall-transformer type); microphone jacks provided on front panel.

Those seeking to communicate by voice with their computers;

remote amplifier jack provided on back panel

potential uses include security functions, helping the disabled, and

audio games

Software

:

The control program VOX4 and demonstration programs

VDUMP, VTRAP, VOTK and TONES, all on a 5 '/4 -inch floppy

disk

TheCognivox VIO-1003 comes completely assembled
in an attractive 5- by 6- by lV4-inch plastic case. The
device plugs into the game-paddle I/O (input/output)
port of the Apple and operates from a 9-volt power sup-
ply provided with the device.

The Cognivox contains an internal amplifier and
speaker but also has an audio output jack for use with a
higher-quality amplifier system. Voicetek provides a
120-day repair-or-replacement warranty on the Cogni-
vox. Perhaps the best part of the system is the disk in-
cluded in the package; it has several programs that allow
you to save and restore vocabularies and play games.
The Cognivox system requires the Apple II, 48K bytes of
memory, and DOS 3.3 (16 sector).

Getting Started

If you're like me, the first 10 minutes after the delivery
of a computer peripheral can be very dangerous — you're
extremely tempted to experiment with the hardware first
and study the instructions later. But with the Cognivox
you've just got to take time to read the first few pages of
the 26-page Cognivox User Manual. All installation steps
are explained in detail, but here is a summary of what
gets your computer up and listening:

• First, plug the power supply into both the Cognivox
and the wall outlet.

• With the computer off, plug the Cognivox into the
game I/O port of the Apple.

• Next, plug the microphone into the Cognivox and set
the volume control.

• Now boot the Apple using the program disk provided
with the system.

• Type "RUN PROG4" and away you go.

When the system is booted you are provided with a
menu of the disk selections. In addition to the main pro-
gram (PROG4) Voicetek also includes four demonstra-
tion programs (I'll explain more about these later).

PROG4 is a demonstration program that immediately
allows you to digitize your voice for voice output or
speech recongition. You can also save or recall stored
vocabulary from the disk. Let's imagine that you want to
record a speech-recognition vocabulary. The program
will prompt you with the question "How many words
are in this vocabulary?" You may enter up to 32 words.
Digitized words must be greater than 150 milliseconds
(ms) and less than 3 seconds in length. The silence gap
between words is 150 ms. Voicetek warns that to achieve
maximum speech recognition you must enunciate clearly
and distinctly. When training is complete a playback op-
tion for each entry is provided that allows you to check
the clarity of your entries. You can then test the system's
ability to detect words corresponding to its stored
vocabulary by speaking the words you just stored. The
program will display each word it recognizes on the
screen. (Remember that the system is trained to one per-
son's voice, and others pronouncing the same words
might be rejected.)

To test the system's ability to recognize digitized
words, I performed two tests. One test used a vocabulary
of 32 words that I entered; some of these entries were
similar in sound. The second test used the same
vocabulary, but my wife pronounced the words. The
results are shown in table 1. Notice that the Cognivox
recognized every word spoken by the trainer. This
recognition rate of 100 percent is better than that claimed
by Voicetek (98 percent). My wife was not as well re-
ceived; the Cognivox recognized 8 words correctly, 7 in-

232 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 16 on inquiry card.

Gerald Cannon, Vice President of Operations, Dexter
Lock, Division of Kysor industrial Corp.; with family
at Chewacfa State Park, Auburn AL, home of
Auburn University.

Dexter Lock says a key to the extremely high pro-
ductivity of its Auburn plant is a unique Alabama job
training program. The state-funded program y-»
developed a proficient work force from scratch, f
beginning with screening. It followed with hands- i
on training in mobile classrooms and shops f
and continues with on-going screening, up- '
grading and renewal programs. Dexter Locks f
Gerald Cannon credits the program for the I
plant's low 2% turnover and absenteeism rates f

Eve job training

is second nature

toALabama.

and extremely high productivity. Other significant bene-
fits Mr. Cannon has found include: • Business oriented
___.. state government • An unequaled zero tax pro-
I gram • A total transportation network of roads, rail,
1 air facilities, navigable rivers and a major ocean
I port • An abundance of engineers and techni-
I cians • State grants for industrial site develop-
\ ment • High technology support industries.
t Find your key to greater productivity in
i Alabama by writing for details.

ALABAMA

Cut out for business.

For more information: Reuben Finney, Director, Alabama Development Office, State Capitol, Montgomery AL 36130, 205/832-6980

Word

Voice A

Voice B

microprocessor

microprocessor

microprocessor

daisy wheel

daisy wheel

business

interface

interface

(no response)

graphics

graphics

graphics

digital

digital

(no response)

editing

editing

interface

computer

computer

computer

conclusions

conclusions

conclusions

analog

analog

(no response)

acquisition

acquisition

(no response)

harmony

harmony

monitor

directory

directory

(no response)

byte

byte

free

Apple

Apple

call

encyclopedia

encyclopedia

(no response)

inexpensive

inexpensive

(no response)

import

import

(no response)

call

call

call

heart

heart

(no response)

technology

technology

(no response)

sales

sales

(no response)

free

free

free

technical

technical

technical

costing

costing

(no response)

cost

cost

heart

matrix

matrix

(no response)

mountain

mountain

(no response)

monitor

monitor

graphics

BASIC

BASIC

(no response)

Pascal

Pascal

Pascal

professional

professional

(no response)

business

business

(no response)

Table 1: Voice response test results. The Cognivox had been
programmed to respond to voice A (the author). When voice
B (the author's wife) replaced voice A, the Cognivox usually
responded with the wrong word or gave no response. The
first column of the table lists the words actually spoken by
both voices; the second and third columns show how the
Cognivox interpreted voice A and voice B, respectively.

correctly, and failed to respond to 17. This is to be ex-
pected, of course, because the device works with masks
of the trainer's voice.

Demonstration Programs

The four demonstration programs included on the
Cognivox program disk are VDUMP, VTRAP, VOTH,
and TONES.

VDUMP is a voice-output program that reads selected
locations of the Apple's memory. You enter the vocab-
ulary (the hexadecimal numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
alpha, bravo, charlie, delta, echo, and fox), select the
area of memory for review, and listen as the computer
reads its own memory in your voice.

VTRAP is another voice-output program. This one is

in the form of an entrapment game. You enter a vocab-
ulary of words that will control the moves of your player
on the video display. To move in a particular direction
you merely speak into the microphone and the player
responds.

VOTH is an interactive game program that allows you
and the computer to speak with each other. VOTH is
actually the game of Reversi (also known as Othello). In
this game the computer decides where it will place its
piece and tells you the location. When you are ready for
your turn, you tell the computer the coordinates of the
location for your game piece.

TONES is actually not a demonstration program by
itself. If used in conjunction with PROG4 or your own
program, TONES permits dialing a Touch-Tone (a regis-
tered trademark of the Bell System) telephone with a sim-
ple connection to the phone line. TONES contains the
corresponding tones for each of the 12 buttons on the
telephone. By selecting the correct sequence, any number
can be dialed.

Your own programs can be adapted to have voice out-
put or speech recognition by following the steps provided
in chapter 3 of the User Manual. Several routines are pro-
vided in the manual that can be spliced into your main
program. These routines assist you in training the
Cognivox to recognize your voice, developing a
vocabulary for response, and setting memory locations.
The instructions are clear, but you will probably have to
read them twice before attempting the actual installation.

Applications

The Cognivox could be used effectively in several ap-
plications, including security systems, aiding disabled
persons, and games.

Because the Cognivox is trained to recognize voice pat-
terns, it could be installed in security systems in place of
key and combination locks. The device could be pro-
grammed to select a sequence of five words at random
from a stored vocabulary. The person wishing to gain en-
trance to a room, safe, or computer would have to match
the recorded patterns. (As shown in my test results, my
wife would have a hard time getting into the family safe if
it were protected in this fashion.)

Because the Cognivox operates in the audio mode and
thus permits communications with the computer without
the necessity of a video display or keyboard, applications
for disabled persons abound. Using just the voice-output
mode, the Cognivox could be helpful to those with poor
eyesight. Blind people could communicate with the com-
puter using the keyboard for input and the Cognivox for
output. People unable to use the computer's keyboard
could use the speech-recognition mode to communicate
with the computer; the computer could either speak back
or offer a display on the video screen. Now that govern-
ment and educational institutions are becoming more and
more committed to helping the disabled, Cognivox could
play a significant role in training these people in com-
puter science and computer-related occupations.

234 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

A

communications
package
that's slightly
easier to use
than

MICRO/TerminaL

But

a lot less

functional.

Circle 300 on inquiry card.

At MICROCOM we Ve made communicating with

all kinds of computers easier and less expensive. Now, with

MICRO/Terminal? users of Apple IT," Apple III™ or IBM®

Personal Computers can easily access any in-house or

remote database. Directly, with a minimum of effort.

With MICRO/Terminal, communications set-ups

and log-on routines are entered only once. From then on

they can be called up automatically. A built-in editor lets

you change part of a program without re-doing all of it,

and you can edit off-line.

Plus you can access your company computer and more

than 1,000 commercial services. The price? Under $100.

So that by comparison with other systems, anything else

is like talking through a tin can.

Just ask your computer dealer for more details.

MICROCOM

We make little computers talkbig

1400A Providence Highway, Norwood, MA 02062

MICRO/Terminal is a Trademark of MICROCOM, Inc. Apple II and Apple 111 are trademarks of Apple Computer Inc.
I BM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.

BYTE September 1982

235

Name Means a Great Deal

Toll Free? s 800-854-6654

CALIFORNIA & INFORMATION (714) 698-8088

• 15 Day No Risk Policy

We accept all
major credit cards.

• Most Orders Shipped
Within 24 Hours

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since 1977

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NEC

^WUT COMPATIBLE
k^sf== ACCESSORIES

PC-6000

The serious fun machine for liv-
ing, learning, working and play-
ing. Please call lor details.

PC-8001 A Microcomputer (32K) CALL

PC-8031A Dual minidisk drives ... . CALL
PC-8012A 1,0 unit, 32K. 7 slots .. . , . 489"
FDC I/O port ... 139"

NEC 8023 Printer 489"

32K Memory Addon card 169"

PenTec 2 port RS 232 card . . 155"

RenTec Wedge Expansion w/32K . , 489°°

RGB to Composile Video Converter .129"

NEC PC 8001 Software

349°°

NEC CP/M Operating System
FORTRANbyMicrosolt .
General Accounting System 249°°

Accounls Receivable System 249 00

Inventory Control Syslem 249"

Payroll System ... 249"

Job Cost System 249"

Select Word Processing w/speiler 349"

Report Manager . ...... 149"

Games Pack 1 Alien. Space War 29"

Games Pack 2 UFO Galaxian. Bomber 29"

WordStar by Micropro ...299 00

Dalastar by Micropro 249°°

Maiimerge lor NEC Wordstar . 109"

Speilstar by Micropro 169°°

Superson by Micropro .

Basic-60 Compiler by Microsoft . .349"

Basic BO by Microsoft 319"

Cobol-80by Microsoft 649°'

Racet NEC DOS

Term II Communications Pkg 149"

FiieFax System 149"

Prolran (converts TRS 80 software) .. .99"
KFS80ISAM Package

fl- •••■."':' J]!V»

64K memory card by microsoft . . 379"

128K memory card by *' 499"

192K memory card by" 659"

256K memory card by" . .. .799"

64Kramchip upgrade kit . . . 169"

Serial Async Comm. card wM porl. 129"

Serial Async. card with 2 ports 249"

ClockCalenciarcard. . . 105"

Combo Card by Apparat . . 235"

IBM Joysticks 55"

Expansion Chassis CALL

Baby Blue Z-80 W/64K&CP/M CALL

Percom mimlioppy drives (addon) CALL

Tandon TM 100 minifloppy drives CALL

IBM compatible software

Continental Home Accounlant Plus

TIM. II! by Innovative

SuperCalc . .

SuperWnler .

Easywrileril

Easy Speller

Easy Filer

Qcommodore B^SIS ©

The Alternative

THE COMMODORE 64 COULD BE THE
MICROCOMPUTER INDUSTRY'S OUT
STANDING NEW PRODUCT INTRODUC-
TION since the Birth of this in-
dustry-

— SheaisorvAmencan Express

COMMODORE 64

The Commodore 64 is a compact unit tnat
can even hi inio a Ijnefcase Complete with
Ihese fealuros

• Full sue lypev;nler keyboard
. Full ASCII charactei set

• Upper and lower case

■ High leSOlutron color graphics

• 40 rjrjlumn video display

■ 6JK RAM under memory (Sltindaidl

• CPi'M operating syslem oplion

■ TV modulator interface

• Game cartridge slot

• Music Synihisizer

■ Smail peripherals

PLEASE CALL US FOR MORE DETAILS

We are a

full-line

Commodore

Dealer.

Please Call

For More
Information

• Apple II Compatibility m both peripheral
cards and software

■ 6502 and Z-80 CPU s

• 6.1K RAM. expandable to I28K

■ RGB and Composite Video Oulput
■Selectable 80 or 40 column display

■ High Resolution Graphics. 6 colors
280 x 192 with tour lines of texl

• 8 bit Parallel I/O mierlace

■ Detachable Keyboard All standard ASCII
characlers and keyboard funcnons.
upperlower case, and a numeric keypad
cursor control block, and 15
programmable special function keys

• Buiitm hardware for mounting two 5 l *
inch minifloppy disk drives

Six Apple II compatible slots lor plug in

ponpheial cards

Please call or write tor more details.

FRANKLIN
ACE lOO

TheFrankhn ACE 100 is a prolesstonal per-
sonal compute* thai is hardware and soil-
waie compatible with me Apple ll and in
cludesmany features not tound on the Apple
uml All piograms written Itir the Apple II
will run on the ACE 100 without modifica-
tion including Ihose using high and low
losolution black and white graphics The
ACE 100 is plug compatible wiih Apple AM
peripherals that operaie in the Apple II will
operate in the ACE 100 without modifica-

FRANKLIN ACE 100 FEATURES

• Apple II Compatible

• G4K RAM User memory

• Upper and lower case

• Typewnier style keyboard

• Twelve key numeric pad

• Alpha lock shill key

• VisiCalc friendly
■ 50 wait power supply

• BuiM m Fan

S-lOO BOARDS

CLEARANCE
SALE

-£357

Z-80 4Mhz CPU Card (CB2). A&T 239 00

VB3 80x24 S-100 Video Card. A&T . . 349"
VB3 80x48 S-100 Video Car J. A&T 389"

ExpandoRam 64K Dynamrc Memory Kil 199°°

(3®DQSDDDuQ@[F

j We Bring Prices Down to Earth

Call or Write for Free Catalog

Ordering Intormalion: Phone orders using VISA. MASTERCARD. AMERICAN EXPRESS.
CARTE BLANCHE and bank fund wire transfer. Send cashiers or certilied check, money order
oi personal check (allow ten days to clear). Unless prepaid with cash please add 5% lor shipping,
handling & insurance (minimum S5.00I. Calilornia residents add 6% sales tax. Foreign
customers please add 10% lor shipping & export documentation (minimum S50.00). Educa-
tional Institutions and Corporations please send lor written quotations. All equipment is sub-
ject lo price change and availability without notice. All equipment is new and complete with
manufacturer's warranty (usually 90 days). We will not honor prices which aie typographical
errors. C.O.D. orders require a 20% cash deposit in advance. If you are not completely
satisfied, return product within 15 days for a refund (only with original container and unfilled
warranty card — Applies to hardware items only — No returns on software). All other returns
subject to a restocking fee. Please call lor more details.

Send Orders to: B338 Center Drive. La Mesa. CA 92041

VIO20

The Friendly Computer

$244 50

VIC 20 Personal Computer 244"

VIC I540 Single Disk Drive 469"

DataselleCassette I/O unit 65"

Joystick Controller 10"

VIC 1515 Graphic Printer 329"

ViCSuper Expander 54"

3K Ram Cartridge 34"

8K RamCartndge 49"

16K Ram Cartridge 99"

VIC IEEE-488 interface 79"

VIC RS-232C Terminal Interlace . . 39"

UMI SOFTWARE
FOR V!C 20

ViCalc- Viable Calculator (T) 11"

ViCat • Visible Catalog <8K)(T) CALL

ViCheck - Checkbook Mgt. <8K)(T) ,. 19"

VtTerm- Dumb Terminal (T) 16"

Basic Programmer Utility ROM 27"

SpidersolMars(C)

AMOK(C)

AMOK(T)

Meteor Run(C)

Alien BhlZ(C) 32"

Alien Blitz(T) is»

Simon(T) 7"

Kiddie Checkers (T) 7"

3-D Maze (T) 11"

Raceway(T) 11"

Kosmic Kamikaze (8K/T) 20"

Kiddie Pakt (4 Tapes) 31"

Super Four I (4 Tapes) , . . . 39"

TheAlienOK/T) 19"

Renaissance-Otheito(C) 39"

SkyMathtSKT) 12"

LongDive(8KT) 12"

SpaceDiv(8K/T) 12"

Super Hangman (3K/T) 17"

T = Tape, C = Cartridge. 8K = 3K expansion

From Us and Save Your Green

Toll Free-,'" 800-854-6654

CALIFORNIA & INFORMATION (714) 698-8088

* 15 Day No Risk Policy

• We accept all
major credit cards.

• Most Orders Shipped
Within 24 Hours

* Serving people everywhere
since 1977

We will try to meet * Free Shipping
or beat any currently (Pre-Paid
advertised price. Cash Orders)

16K RamBoardl

FOR APPLE II

$50&°t

ASSEMBLED & TESTED $69°

•SOFTWARE

^ visicorp

VisiCalc 185"

VisiCalc Templates (New!) CALL

VIslFlle (Data Base Manager) 185"

VisiTrendWIslPlot 199"

VlsiSchedute(New!) , ,239"

VisiTerm 89"

VisiDex 185"

Desktop P/an II , . i85<™

$■'

Tax Preparer 119"

Real Estate Analyzer 1 1 9-'

Creative Financing 119"

mkroPfO

WordStar by MicroPro .199"

MailMerge* by MicroPro ' . 79"

SpellStaf by MicroPro 115"

OataStar" by MicroPro 169"

CalcStar- by MicroPro 115"

Supersort r by MicroPro 115"

WordStarCustomization Notes 269"

/MICRpSOfT

MICROSOFT SOFTCARD PREMIUM SYSTEM
(Includes: Saftcard, RAMCard, Videx
Vldeoterm 80 Col.. Softswitch, Osborne
CP/M User Guide) List . . . 755" .only 659"
Mtcrosolt TASC Applesoft Compiler . . 149*°

Fortran-80' 149"

A.L.O.S 89"

Basic Compiler' 269"

Cobol-80- 499"

Time Manager 129"

Super Text tl Word Processor Muse ...119"

PFS: Personal Filing System 79"

PFS: Report ....79"

DB Master 165"

Systems Plus Accounting Software . .CALL
Peachtree Accounting Software" . . . .CALL

Continental Accounting Pkgs 189'°

'Requires a Z-80 Solt-Card

WordStar 289"

Supersort 189"

MailMerge 109"

DataSlar , 239"

SpellStar 189"

CalcStar 235"

/H*CnpSDfT

BASIC 80 289"

BASIC Compiler 309"

Fortran 80 , 359"

CobolSO 569"

Macro 80 179"

mti Malh/mu SIMP 215"

mu LISP/mu STAR 169'°

d BASE M 499"

PLAN 80 . , 249"

CBASIC 115"

PASCAL MT+ Ver. 5,5 399"

Spallguard 299"

PASCAL 2 329"

SUPERCALC 225"

APPLE li COMPATIBLE

Accessories

(D Hayes

Hayes Micromodem II 289"

Hayes Smartmodem 245"

Hayes Chronograph 199"

Novation!

ry*&

Novation AppfeCat modem 319"

Expansion-Mod 39"

Handsel 29"

BSR X-10 control interlace mod 19"

Touch-Tone Firmware CALL

Videx VideoTerm 80 column card 245"

Videx Keyboard Enhancer I (orlg.) 75"

Videx Keyboard Enhancer II 129"

/UCNpSOfT

Z-80 SoltCard by Microsoft 289"

16K RamCard by Microsoft 155"

ThunderClock/Calendar card 199"

Smarterm 80 column card 289"

** CORVUS SYSTEMS

Corvus Winchesters Mb Disk 2950"

Corvus Winchester 10 Mb Disk 4295"

Corvus Winchester 20Mb Disk 5195"

Mirror Back-Up 699"

B Mountain i Computer

CPS Multi-Function Card 169"

Music System (16 voices) 299"

A/D + D/A Interlace 279"

Expansion Chassis (8 slots) .569"

Clock/Calendar card 229"

SuperTalker SD-200 149"

Romplus + card 129"

Keyboard Filter ROM for Romplus .40"

CopyRom for Romplus 40"

Rom Writer card 149"

RamPlus32K ram add-on(w/16K) 149"

VSVA

Sorrento Valley Associates

SVA 2 + 2 Sgl. Den. 8" Disk Cont CALL

SVA ZVX4 Megabyter 8" Disk Cont. . . CALL
Apple Cache 256K by SVA CALL

Miscellaneous

Form (Apple compatible) Drives CALL

IEEE-488lnterfacebySSM .389"

Vision-80 Col. card by Vista 255"

Prom Development System by Vista . . 355"

8" Disk Drives by Vista CALL

Adwar Video Processor Mod CALL

Videodisk-Apple Interface 475"

Echo II Speech Synthesizer 219"

Symtec Lightpen 210 < '°

The Mill-6809 Processor 319"

Lazer Lower Case Adapter 55"

Houstonlnst.GraphicsPlotter CALL

16K RAMBoard assembled & tested . . . 69"

16K Ram Board by CCI in kit form 50"

SYNERGY Multi-Card .CALL

Prometheus VersaCard 219"

ALF3Voice Music Card 179"

ALF 9 Voice Music Card 169"

Joysticks by Keyboard Co , 44"

23 Key Numeric Keypad by " .115"

Versawriter Digitizer Table 249"

GrapplerPrlnter Interfaces 139"

Microbuffer II 32K(specify prntr.) 289"

Microbuffer II 16K (specify prntr.) 249"

8K Serial Buffer Card tor Epson 149"

t6K Parallel Buffer l/F tor Epson 149"

Sup-R-Fan 45"

Sup-R-Terminal 80 column card 299"

We have more items too. . . Please Call Us.

fJ-SO

MICRO SCI APPLE II COMPATIBLE
DISK DRIVES

A2 with controller 469"

A2 w/o cont roller 399"

A40 with controller 479"

A40 wilhoul controller 389"

A70 with controller .599"

A70 without controller 499"

Clearance
Sale 1 .

PRINTERS A ATARI

Jtf^/l California
J^5* Computer

Clearance

u „t.40%OFF!

This Offer Good White Supplies Last
AsynchronousSerialCard(77l0A) . . .139"

Synchronous SerialCard(7712A) 99"

Centronics PrinterCard(7728A) 89"

Cable for Prism/Tigers to 7728A 29"

Parallel I/O Card (7720A) 89"

Calendar/Clock Card (7424A) 79"

Arithmetic Process (781 1C) 269"

Programmable Timer Card (7440A) 60"

3% Digit BCC A/D Converter 60"

GPIB (IEEE-486) Card (7490A) 1 69"

12K ROM/PROM Card (71 14A) 59"

Extender Card (7520A) 19"

HARDWARE from APPLE COMPUTER

SAVE UP TO 50%
Clearance Sale

Parallel Printer Card .99"

Hi-Speed Serial Card 99"

Centronics Printer Card 119"

APPLE II
SPECIAL DELIVERY SOFTWARE

CLEARANCE SPECIAL
SAVE over 50% OFF!

Pascal Animation Tools 37"

PSORT Pascal disk file sort 42"

Formulex . . 37"

Goodspell 30"

PianBO 92"

Order Tracking System 25"

VisiCalc Real Estate Templates 32"

Hand Holding Basic 50"

Supermap 17 00

Pilot Animation Tools 37"

Topographic Mapping 32"

Bridge Tutor 20"

Bridge Tutor Extended 30"

Artist Designer 32"

Galactic Wars 17"

Utopia Graphics Tablet System 37"

Diet Analysis 22"

Stepwise Multiple Regression 75"

We have more Apple Computer Inc. soltware
at greatly reduced prices , . Please call.

APPLE II GAMES

SOFTWARE
CLEARANCE

We are reducing our inventory ol software
at increadible savings to you. Hurry we have
a limited supply.

ANY GAME
ONLY $15.00

GalacticTrader(Broderbund) 15 00

Galactic Revolution (Broderbund) 15"

Galaxy Wars (Broderbund) 15"

Tawala's Last Redoubt 15"

Golden Mountain (Broderbund) 15"

Space Invaders (Cosmos Mission) 15"

Head-On 15"

Shuflleboard 15"

Microchess 15"

BridgePartner 15"

Monty Plays Scrabble , 15"

Monty Plays Monopoly , , , 15"

Rainbow Writer 15"

Checkering 15"

Gammon Gambier 15"

Fastgammon 1 5"

Bright Pen (Light pen) 15"

Both Barrels 15"

Rnadex

DP-9501 w/2K buffer 1149"

<3E C. Itoh

F-10 40 CPS (parallel) 1 399"

F-1040 CPS (serial) 1450"

ProWriter8510 10" (parallel) 489"

ProWriter 8510 10" (serial) 579"

ProWriler II 1550 15" (parallel). 699"

ProWriter II 1550 15" (serial) . 749"

EPSON

MX-80 T Type III w/graphics ..... ... CALL

MX-80 F/T Type III w/graphics ... , . , CALL

MX-82 F/TType III w/graphics CALL

MX-lOOType III w/graphlcs . CALL

Epson Graxtrax 60 ROM 59"

\d- lnli-^r.il I K1I.1 S\slt'im.lw.

Prism 80 witf lout color option 1049"

Prism 80 with color 1 299"

Prism 132with color 1569"

Apple Prism color software 55"

NEC

8023 Impact Dot Matrix 489"

35t033CPS serial 1749"

3530 33 CPS Centronics parallel 1749"

Bi-directional tractor for 3500 - s '229"

7710 55 CPS serial 2349"

7730 55 CPS Centronics parallel . 2349"

Tractor for 7700 series 229"

OKIDATA

OkidataMicroline80(ltdquan.) 319"

Okldata82Aw/tractor, 80 col .489"

Okldata83Aw/tractorl32col 725"

Okidata84A 132 col. serial 1169"

Okidata84A 132 col. parailei 1029"

SSB

Smith Corona Printer Parallel 649"

MONITORS

y4fN/IDEEK

Amdek Video 300 12" Hi-ResGreen . . .169"

Amdek Video 100 12" B&W 129"

Amdek Color 1 13" Coior w/audio 379"

Amdek Color II Hl-Res RGB monitor. . ,769"
Amdek Apple II DVM RGB card 169"

NEC

NEC9" Hi-Res Green monitor 179"

NEC 12" Hi-Res Green monitor 169"

NEC 12" Composite Color monitor 349"

NEC 12" Hi-Res RGBColor monitor . . .799"

SANYO

Sanyo9" B&W 1 69"

Sanyo9" Green monitor 179"

Sanyo 12" B&W 169"

Sanyo 12" Green (New case style!) . . . 269"
Sanyo 13" Color Monitor 389"

Zenith 12" Green monitor 119"

Atarl800(16K)

Atari 800 W/32K . . .7

Atari400(16K) 329"

Bit 3 80 Column Card tor 800 ..... 299"

410 Program Recorder 79"

810 Disk Drive 439"

850 Interface Module 169"

Epson cable for 850 module 34"

AtariJoysticks(pair) 20"

Axion Ramcram32K module 149"

Atari 16K Module by Microtek 69"

ATARI Software

EDU-PAK Educational 1 4 Tape Series . 149"

VisiCalc for Atari (D) 185"

Word Processor (D) 119"

Personal Finance Management (D) ... .47"
Dow Jones Investment Evaluator(D) . , .99"

Microsoft Basic (D) 89"

Macro Assembler & Text Editor (D) 89"

Conversational French (T) 49"

Conversational German (T) 49"

Conversational Italian (T) 49"

Conversational Spanish (T) 49"

Pac-Man (cartridge) 34"

Centipede (cartridge) 34"

Asteroids (cartridge) 34"

Missile Command (cartridge) 34"

Star Raiders (cartridge) 39"

Space Invaders (cartridge) 34"

Caverns of Mars (disk) 34"

Assembler/Editor(cartridge) 49"

We carry all ATARI software and hardware.

• ••

Control Everything In your Home

BSR Ultrasonic Command Console .

BSR Appliance Module

BSR Lamp Module

BSR Timer Module

SUPPLIES

Orange AC Surge Protectors 119"

Lemon AC Line Filter 50"

Executive Library Case 5- y<" 24"

Cableworks Cables (all sizes) CALL

Plexiglass cover for Apple II 24*

5-Vi" Disk Bank Storage Box 5"

8" Disk BankStorage Box .8"

GENERAL RIBBON PRODUCTS

NEC Multi-Strike Ribbon 8"

NEC Black Fabric Ribbon B"

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The Cognivox's potential extends to game applications
as well. The two games included on the demonstration
disk should only whet the appetite of game enthusiasts
everywhere. Imagine moving game pieces by using a
microphone instead of the keyboard. Computer graphics
could be twice the fun if you controlled the sketching by
yelling "up/' "down," "left/' "right," and so on. Think
how exciting a game of vocal chess might be.

System Limitations

A number of limitations in the system become ap-
parent after a few minutes of use. First, the audio quality
of the built-in amplifier and speaker is awful. Voicetek
recommends that the Cognivox be connected to a high-
quality stereo system for improved performance. The on-
ly problem with this suggestion is that my stereo system
is on the second floor and my office is on the first floor.
The poor quality of the audio should have the highest
priority for the first revision of the product.

Voicetek promotes the interface of the Cognivox to the
Apple by declaring, "It plugs into the game I/O port in
the Apple and does not use up the valuable peripheral
slots." Now that's a clever advertising ploy of accentuat-
ing the positive while downplaying the negative. Most of
us have a peripheral slot or two to spare, but how many
game I/O ports did you get with your Apple? If the
Cognivox is installed, you must give up your joysticks,
game paddles, and simple computer control of output cir-
cuits. This is a major loss if you want to control motors
or relays from a vocal alarm circuit. It also limits how far
you can go in flexible game design because you must give
up the push buttons.

I decided to take the Cognivox apart to see what
Voicetek had used for an audio amplifier; the two screws
holding the unit together weren't much of a challenge. It
looked like someone had spilled a milkshake on the inside
of the case: all the critical parts had had their numbers
either filed off or coated with a hard plastic material. The
Cognivox must be the hardware counterpart of the pro-
tected disk. If you have ever lost a chip or two because of
static electricity, you know how convenient it is to be
able to quickly repair your equipment by direct substitu-
tion of components. You won't be able to do this if the
Cognivox breaks down; you'll have to return the device
to the factory for repair, which will cost you time and
money.

Conclusions

The Cognivox VIO-1003 is what the manufacturer
claims it to be — a state-of-the-art speech-recognition and
voice-output peripheral for the Apple II computer. The
Cognivox records voice masks during a training session
and stores these on disk for future voice output or speech
recognition. Once trained to a voice, the recognition rate
is very high (98 to 100 percent) for a device that uses ap-
proximately 4K bytes of storage for programs and tables.

The Cognivox should open new vistas for security
systems, aid to disabled persons, and computer games. ■

.

Disk Storage
Needn't Double The Cost Of

A, ^N

Your Apple III

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can be an expensive proposition.

But Micro-Sci hos a better proposition tor you,
because our disk drives tor the Apple III give you
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And no compatibility problems. The A3 is a direct
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affording extra storage and tastseek rates tor all ot

"Registered Trademark of Apple Computers. Cupertino, California.

he programs mat run under that operating system.

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So see your Micro-Sci dealer today.

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Hardware Review

The Abilityphone

William L. Rush
817 C St., Apt. 1
Lincoln, NE 68502

I had awakened in the middle of the night with
stomach cramps. To an able-bodied person, getting up
would have posed no particular problem. But I have
athetoid cerebral palsy: I'm a person who is a quad-
riplegic as well as unable to speak. As a result, an other-
wise minor case of cramps became a cause for alarm.

I waited and prayed for the attack to subside. When it
didn't, I groaned, hoping I could arouse the student assis-
tant for my dorm floor. I hated to wake him up at 2 a.m.,
but I didn't have much choice. The cramps grew stronger
and more frequent by the minute, and sweat began run-
ning off my body. Why hadn't I taken a class in Lamaze
breathing? Finally, my groans alerted the student assis-

Photo 1: The author at work. The Abilityphone appears in the
background.

tant, who came into my room and asked, groggily,

"What's wrong, Bill? Are you too hot?"

I shook my head "No."

"Is something wrong with your electric wheelchair and
how it's charging?"

"Is something wrong with your voice synthesizer?"

"Is something wrong with your door opener?"

"Is something wrong with your physical body?"

I nodded "Yes" to his last question.

"If I call your attendant, would she know what to do?
Great. What's her number? Oh, you can't tell me that,
can you? How do I call her for you?" A mixture of frus-
tration and fatigue was in his voice. His training hadn't
covered situations like this.

I looked in the direction of my new Abilityphone,
which had my personal-service aide's number stored
somewhere in its electronic memory. The student assis-
tant only had to push the button marked "Help," and the
phone would do the rest. He was trying to find the num-
ber when he spied the Help key and asked, "If I push this
'help' button, will the phone give me your aide's
number?"

I nodded "Yes." He pushed the button with a picture of
a hand on it (so it can be spotted easily in an emergency).

About the Author

William L. Rush is a senior studying journalism at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln as well as a freelance writer. He has a personal inter-
est in electronic aids for people with disabilities because he has cerebral
palsy. In addition to the Abilityphone, he uses a personal computer as a
voice synthesizer and a word processor.

240 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

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At a Glance

Name

Abilityphone

Manufacturer

Basic Telecommunications Corporation

44 1 4 East Harmony Rd.

Fort Collins, CO 80525

(303] 226-4688 (Voice/TDD option]

Price

S2335 (suggested retail price]

Warranty

Two-year limited on all BTC equipment against defects in material
and workmanship

Shipping size

1 3/2 by 15 by 3% inches

Weight

8/2 pounds

Other physical characteristics

32-character alphanumeric display; I '/2-hour battery backup;
adjustable-membrane keyboard with 22 keys that responds to as
little as 5 ounces' pressure for activation; Lexicon plastic housing;
brushed aluminum base panel that accepts 2.5 mm external
switch jacks, 3.5 mm audio output jacks, modular phone jack, and
modular headset jack

Software needed

None

Audience

Anyone interested in devices that assist individuals with disabilities
of all types; people with disabilities who have unique telecom-
munications problems

homes. The Abilityphone, made by Basic Telecommuni-
cations Corporation (BTC) in Fort Collins, Colorado, is a
prime example of what can be done with a dual-micro-
processor-based system, persistence, and some luck.

The luck came in when I was selected as one of ten peo-
ple to participate in a three-month field testing of the
phone in May 1981. My first reaction to the concept of
the Abilityphone was that it was too good to be true. But
it sounded interesting, and I had learned not to underesti-
mate the potential of electronics. Besides, I was interested
in anything that would improve my ability to communi-
cate.

Workshop for "Test Pilots"

BTC invited me to a workshop designed to familiarize
the "test pilots" with the new telecommunications device.
We learned that the Abilityphone can answer itself auto-
matically, dial and redial a number by itself, and function
as an alarm clock, a four-function calculator, an en-
vironmental controller, and a calendar. It can even re-
mind its user to take daily doses of medication. The ter-
minal includes more than 40 features.

Some time after the workshop, I learned that this
phone was the result of a six-month market-research
study done in 1974 by BTC corporation president Tom
Cannon, then a human-factors and product-development
consultant. The study, designed to determine the special
telephone needs of people with disabilities, concluded
that there was a "significant" need for special telephone
devices. According to Cannon, the study was not in-
tended to result in a specific product but to identify
specific telephone problems of people with disabilities.

What happened next reminded me of something from a
science-fiction movie. The 13V2- by 15-inch Lexicon plas-
tic phone said "Help on" in a clear and computer-gen-
erated voice to confirm that the Help function had been
activated. Then it calmly (at least one of the three of us
was calm) said, "I am calling for help now: calling help
number one."

As it spoke, a 32-character alphanumeric display
flashed the messages so that if I had been deaf I would
have been able to understand what it was doing. Next, I
heard my personal-service aide's phone ringing through
the speaker (the Abilityphone does not have a conven-
tional receiver). When my aide, who lives in an adjoining
dorm, picked up her phone, my phone again spoke in its
electronic voice: "There is an emergency at 8117
Selleck . . . forced entry is authorized."

My aide had a Help-Answer beeper, which sent a
message to the Abilityphone terminal that help was on
the way. The phone, in turn, flashed a message to that ef-
fect on its display. Had my aide failed to answer the
phone within five rings, the Abilityphone would have
called another help number until it heard the beeper.

When the crisis was over, I marveled at how far the art
of computer technology has progressed in helping people
with disabilities to live outside institutions or nursing

Developing the Abilityphone

In 1974, four major obstacles stood in the way of de-
veloping a special telecommunications product. Most im-
portant, the technology to solve problems raised by the
study wasn't available. Even if it had been, the people
who could benefit most from it were the most difficult to
reach because of social service agencies' privacy-protec-
tion policies. Additionally, those who needed the product
often could not pay for it, and third-party sources of
money, such as insurance companies, were reluctant to
assist paying for it. Finally, the product would have had
to be sold through existing phone companies, which then
did not have the experience to deal with the unique needs
of people with disabilities.

But between 1974 and 1978, many changes had taken
place that made designing a special device for individuals
practicable. New technologies, such as microcomputers,
were available at a reasonable cost to provide solutions
to many problems. New laws and regulations made equal
opportunities for those with disabilities a reality, not just
a dream, and people with disabilities were demanding to
be treated as equals. In addition, government deregula-
tion of the telephone industry opened the field for com-
panies to sell new products to be hooked up to telephone
lines.

242 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

THE ANN ARBOR AMBASSADOR "300

WHY SETTLE FOR AN EMULATION?

When you

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60 line? (4800 character) display

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Area qualifications: protect, guard, numerics,

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Operator convenience modes

Erase and editing controls

Supports DEC*\rr52*/ANSI Mode, Origin Mode
and scrolling regions

Printer output: local and remote copy, print
format control

Block and character transmission
48 programmable function keys
Self diagnostics

Now you don't have to give up a full page display to use your VT100*-oriented software. The
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Circle 28 on inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 243

Photo 2: The Ability phone. Note that the keyboard and display
sections can be tilted at any angle. The membrane keyboard ad-
justs to respond to as little as five ounces of pressure. A fluores-
cent alphanumeric display of 32 characters is standard.

These developments encouraged Tom Cannon to
recommend that BTC develop a simulator that would
allow the corporation to test its ideas for solving the tele-
communication problems of disabled individuals. Such a
simulator incorporated a home computer, and people
with various disabilities were asked to test the simulator
for three months. Another version of the simulator was
portable and consisted of a computer in a suitcase, which

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took 18 months and about 6000 man-hours to build and
test. BTC took the suitcase simulator to rehabilitation
and independent living centers across the country to get
more feedback.

The goal of the simulators' designers was to build a
product that would serve people with all types of dis-
abilities so that it could be mass produced and, as a
result, more affordable.

The Finished Product

In March 1981, at the American Occupational Therapy
Conference in San Antonio, Texas, BTC unveiled the
result of more than three years and 24,000 man-hours of
work. In the five months that followed, BTC went into
full-scale production. During this time, the Abilityphone
underwent a battery of tests by an independent testing
laboratory that made sure it met a wide variety of
governmental and other standards.

The Abilityphone uses two microprocessors. The main
one is an RCA 1802. The terminal contains 24K bytes of
ROM (read-only memory) and 4K bytes of RAM (ran-
dom-access read/write memory). In addition, all I/O
(input/output) devices are memory-mapped. The RAM,
ROM, and I/O all reside in the lower 32K bytes of the
processor's address space.

The second microprocessor is an Intel 8048 with on-chip
RAM and ROM. It is a peripheral processor that moni-
tors the phone line and performs the environmental con-
trol functions (the unit will send commands to any BSR
remote-control module). The terminal uses prioritized in-
terrupts. The main processor and peripheral processor
are set up in a master-slave arrangement. When the
master sends a command to the slave, it causes an inter-
rupt to occur on the slave. When the slave has finished its
task, it sends a status message back to the master.

The Abilityphone's I/O devices include a membrane-
style keyboard (see photo 2), but it doesn't have a full
alphanumeric or typewriter keyboard. It uses a fluores-
cent alphanumeric display that is readable at about 20
feet. It has a serial port and a modem. A speech synthe-
sizer, also included, has a limited vocabulary and is not a
true phonetic synthesizer. More memory can be added to
increase the unit's vocabulary. Figure 1 shows a block
diagram of the Abilityphone.

BTC does a thorough "burn-in" on every terminal to
check for faulty components. Testing takes from six to
eight hours.

Features

The following is a selective list of some of the Ability-
phone's features.

Emergency dialing. The Abilityphone will dial up to six
predetermined phone numbers in sequence when the user
pushes the Help key. Depending on the options selected
on the terminal, the Help message can be either spoken or
transmitted as data. The party called can respond with a
Help- Answer beeper.

Monitoring. At predetermined times, the Abilityphone
can ask, "Are you OK?" If the user doesn't respond with-

244 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc Circle 112 On inquiry Card.

*e

t*

APTURE

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^Orange Micro, Inc. 1982

ACTUAL APPLE II PRINTOUT USING GRAPPLER AND EPSON MX100

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and CPM.

The Grappler + interfaces with
the following printers:

• Anadex • Centronics • Datasouth

• Epson* * • IDS • NEC • C-ltoh • Okidata**

OT

Orange micro

* Inc.

Circle 354 on inquiry card.

3150 E La Palma, Suite G
Anaheim, California 92806
(714) 630-3620

CPM is a registered trademark of Digital Research, Inc.
Apple is a regisleredtrademark of Apple Computer, Inc.

Foreign Dealerlnquiries Welcome TX183511 CSMA

LED

KEYBOARD

INDICATORS

KEYBOARD
MATRIX

VACUUM

FLUORESCENT

DISPLAY

KEYBOARD
CONTROLLER

DISPLAY
CONTROLLER

SYSTEM
MASTER
MICRO-
PROCESSOR
(CMOS 1802)

SYSTEM
ROM

SYSTEM
RAM

i r

q

r

:>

SERIAL
PORT

RS-232C

SPEECH
MEMORY

PHONE HANDSET MIKE

AUDIO IN MIKE

REMOTE SWITCH IN

SPEECH
MICRO-
PROCESSOR

SYNTHETIC SPEECH OUTPUT

ANALOG FSK DATA SIGNAL

MODEM
CIRCUIT

TELEPHONE
INTERFACE
MICRO-
PROCESSOR
(8048)

DATA BUS

I I ADDRESS BUS

ADDRESS

DECODE

AND

DATA BUFFER

AUDIO CONTROL
INTERFACE

INCOMING AUDIO

TONE OSCILLATOR

PULSE DIAL
AND HOOKSWITCH CONTROL

POWER SUPPLY
AND ENVIRON-
MENTAL
CONTROL
INTERFACE

ENVIRONMENTAL
CONTROL CODE

AC-LINE ZERO-CROSSING
DETECTOR SIGNAL

m

ADDRESS

DECODE

AND

DATA BUFFER

ANNUNCIATOR

CONTROL

INTERFACE

ANALOG
CONTROL

PHONE LINE

HANDSET
SPEAKER

TAPE OUTPUT

REMOTE
SPEAKER

ANNUNCIATOR
SPEAKER

Figure 1: A block diagram of the Ability phone.

in five minutes, the Abilityphone dials an emergency
number. This assures the user that help will be sum-
moned even if he or she can't get to the phone.

Reminding. The Abilityphone can be set to remind the
user at predetermined times to perform routine tasks that
are necessary to prevent a crisis. This function is ideal for
providing prompts to take medicine, eat special meals, or
change position to avoid pressure sores.

Automatic answering. After three rings, the Ability-
phone will answer itself, allowing the user with limited
mobility additional time to get to the phone.

Repeat dialing. When a dialed number is busy or the
party called fails to answer, the Abilityphone will redial
the number until the party is reached.

Conclusion

You might wonder if all the time and effort that goes
into building such equipment is worth the benefits to its

users and to society. I can't answer the question for socie-
ty. I can only hope society sees that through the use of
such equipment, it will gain more productive members.

As a user, however, I can attest to the Abilityphone as
invaluable. Of all my electronic devices (electric wheel-
chair, door opener, and computerized voice synthesizer),
the Abilityphone makes me feel most secure. One of its
40-odd features, a monitoring function, is a good exam-
ple. I can set it so that, at predetermined times, the ter-
minal can ask me, "Are you OK?" Then if neither I nor an
aide presses one of its 22 keys within 5 minutes, the
phone will call for help on its own.

I used to panic when my morning personal-service aide
was 15 minutes late to get me out of bed. Now when that
happens, I wait serenely to hear the phone say, "Are
you OK?" And if nobody answers its musical ring within
five minutes, it announces, "I am calling for help
now. . . . "■

246 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Interested in the
IBM Personal

Computer?

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need PC magazine.
PC magazine is the
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issue brings you hundreds of
colorful pages of evaluations,
insights, and straight talk from
respected experts —
professionals in computer
science as well as writers,
businessmen, lawyers,
educators, and many others.

PC covers software,
hardware, applications and
most every topic of
importance to the thousands
of IBM Personal Computer
users who read it. To ensure
that we give you the
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includes a special "User-to-
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about IBM Personal

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For a limited time, you can
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refund.

This is the
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that tells you
all about it

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The Independent Guide
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Phone Credit Card Orders to:

(Toll Free Number)
California: 800/792-0990. ext. 1136
All Other States: 800/227-3800, ext. 1 136

BYTE 9

Circle 366 on inquiry card.

B YTE September 1982 247

Introducing the first affordable

Thesaurus software

Good writing is hard writing. And finding just the
right words is the hardest part. You could use a
thesaurus— but who wants to wrestle with a five
pound book? So you go with what comes to mind.
And your writing suffers.

No more! Thanks to the Random House
Electronic Thesaurus/. As these actual photos at
right show, you can now have instant, on-screen ac-
cess to more than 60,000 synonyms indexed to the
4,700 most used and overused words in English.
Without exiting your word processing program. With-
out waiting more than two seconds, on average.
Without giant hard disks. Without complex direc-
tions. And your selections are automatically inserted
into the text.

The Random House Electronic Thesaurus-
fits all systems: The 60,000 synonym version
requires 240K, Abridged versions are available in
80k and 150k sizes. You can update to a larger size
for just $25. The software is totally compatible
with WordStar* 1 2.6; 3.0 and later. Or use it directly
from CP/M k

It comes in all popular system formats, by mail
from Dictronics or from your local dealer. Peachtext*
(Magic Wand H ) users can buy it from Peachtree ven-
dors or directly from Peachtree Software. This fall,
look for Osborne*, Scripsit^ EasyWriter TM and
WordStar-IBM " versions.

The Random House Electronic Thesaurus is
based on the popular Random House Thesaurus,
edited and backed by one of the most respected
names in publishing, It will change the way you feel
about writing. The price is right, too — only $150.

And we'll even throw in the book.

Ifcf I** mil 'iy.

PiSily kiti 'iitadillsly

For information and orders, please call
Dictronics Customer Service at

505-281-5444.

Dictronics

PO Box 367, Tijeras, NM 87059.
S150.

Qiiy_

State

_Zie_

Computer

O peratin g S ystem

Dealer Inquiries Invited — please call:
Dictronics Business Office at 21 2-564-0746.

witi«|. Jtod i\ viil ch*r.gs i\it ny ytu feel itout vrtUt|

To find a synonym, simply position your cursor
on the desired word. Or just type the w

,

mMHBIHI nrMlws. renrtiOle, wssie, |jr*culous, prudisieus.

■■.|

JUfafjBj^swKJiiig, jiMNtMli mcmus, ilrup, odd, ntrurtiniry,

ii 138 »d 8tt S 53 i( i ™ tnn^t LuAu disjuj
igNRgij is « . - ms. If in slit stmkH I

iiitf' '■ { \

( \

Hi u» hw* is ti i>4J.» |M art* h the rtrsf y*u ml
Hftomi im prf;s i Uf: 1H syt^Mju wi II ifpur rijfcf an Ikt • 1 1
««*» ■ Thfi i« it mr «f«r 1» tht s$»6ftyi iwu hi* tnd prtjs
tki tl) ijjiin T<*uf dioict if iRSfrtei - usilij md i stedia . (

ft*, hatu* Rouse EUcb"«ic Ihtsww will ' i^rm year

m$L

"^^■^■^^.^.Ff.^^A^f^f^-^S^

?*

When you press ESCAPE twice — or a special key
in custom installations, the top of the screen clears
. ,.n*h . .« to ioo synonyms. When you find a suitable
jrsor to it and press ESCAPE again.

ici T J H»J iWitllf ] dill* VM9 1 i

MM

tfF%B — Ik* t«&» "

f ittMt,...

i u™ »j»r it, in

iti*»«»i .' hcm» F*en »ith lUnltfd fitppj

, h| ffc«f1 rf |ir,<yJjOto{

PI I ifCM f>w lo Jo II mlt i|L'ur| turgor lo ihf ««»rd ij_ .

— n, !fWw*t ¥<w cursor 'a (hi s^Mmji uw J ■!« «nd

' lie* i* i»w<td -- tis»t"j Md imdiiielg.

J Hrtlfffmt ffcmurus will iipri
,. .hiityt IK* wky you f»tt *bout uritu

I

Your old word is deleted and the synonym is
automatically inserted. Or you can press
RETURN and return to your text without making any
changes. You can even scroll through the listings.

(BYTE Magazine written in braille)

Braille Writing in Pascal

A Pascal program, a strip of cellophane tape, and a rubber
glove combine to make a line printer write in braille.

Alfred Fant Jr.

POB 26284

Austin, TX 78755-0284

Braille writing for the blind was de-
veloped by the Frenchman Louis
Braille, who was himself blinded at
the age of three. Since the invention
of his language in 1824, thousands of
books, magazines, musical scores,
and other literary works have been
translated into braille. One of the
most ambitious translation projects
to date has been the braille edition of
the World Book Encyclopedia by the
American Printing House for the
Blind in 1961. The largest project in
the history of braille, it will probably
be the last time such a large undertak-
ing is done by hand. The final edition
of the encyclopedia contained 136
volumes — truly, a magnificent ac-
complishment.

Today, numerous publications are
translated into this readable print for
the blind. Still, it is not unusual for a
book on the best-seller list to be re-

maindered before it is finally brailled.
This happens because there is much
more material to braille than there is
funding to do it. Blind people (and
libraries serving the blind) are queried

The software treats the

braille characters as

four lines of graphics

output per line of

braille type.

periodically as to what publications
they would like to see brailled next
and to rank them by priority. The
limited funds and computer time
available make it mandatory to trans-
late only those publications that
would have the greatest readership.

Hence, in a situation similar to
military triage, many worthwhile
books are never translated.

My interest in braille translation
began when a local Boy Scout troop
asked for help in acquiring scouting
materials for its new blind members.
A survey of the literature found much
in the way of audio-tape materials.
Unfortunately, precious little
material was in braille. The Scouts
had found it difficult to use the tape
library because they could not readily
locate specific topics. You just cannot
skim a tape as you can a printed
braille book.

I proceeded to learn braille from
the instructions given in the Scout
Handbook, soon progressed to a col-
lege textbook on the subject, and
finally purchased a braille machine to
use with the visually disabled boys.
After months of practice, study, and

250 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

For serious business microcomputing,

only one operating system

exactly fits.

Whether you're in business and do
microcomputing, or in computing
and sell to business, you'll like OASIS*
Not a hobby or scientific system warmed-
over for business use, ^^^^^m
OASIS is the only operating
system designed from the
ground up for business.

SERIOUS BUSINESS
COMES IN ALL SIZES.

Whatever your business
need, OASIS has the oper-
ating system to match:
8-bit or 16-, single-user or
the multi-user system that
professionals tell us makes
micros run like minis. And
that's even truer now with
new OASIS-16.** (OASIS
exact business fit #7;
choice.)

ANY SYSTEM IS ONLY
AS GOOD AS THE

BUSINESS

PROGRAMS IT RUNS.

available, type 'HELP' and the command
function title — OASIS displays the
syntax and options available.

And it's all in your language — not
computerese. (OASIS
exact business fit #5:
useMriendliness.)

OASIS

^> j^ m

HOBBY

SCIENCE

BUSINESS

AND, AND, AND.

Some of the best, most
extensive documentation
in the industry; a packed
Application Software
Directory; multi-level train-
ing; direct telephone support;
worldwide sales & service;
options like CONTROL
Relational Data Base
Management System and
MASTERPLAN Financial
Modeling Package; OASIS
has it all. (OASIS exact
business fits #6 through #12.)

The acid test for any business
operating system is the application
software available to run on it. There's
plenty for OASIS — for nearly any job.

And it's top quality, too, because our
integrated tools are top quality — and
there are more of them. Like a high-level
BASIC Interpreter/Compiler/Editor/
Debugger; ISAM/Keyed/Direct/
Sequential Files; a smart Print Spooler;
Automatic Record Locking ( OASIS
exclusives! ); plus COBOL & 'C
Languages. These tools are mandatory
for high-quality business application
program development — ask any
developer. (OASIS exact business fit #2:
high-quality application software.)

PORTABILITY PROTECTS BUSINESS
SOFTWARE INVESTMENTS.

OASIS is custom-fitted to manufac-
turers' hardware so application software
developed to run on one OASIS
equipped machine can also run on
others — and is upwardly compatible
from 8-bit OASIS Single-User to Multi-
User, on up to OASIS-16. This kind of
ap plication software portabilit y is
exclusive with OASIS.

Device independence allows various
printers and terminals to be used —
with no modification to application

software: OASIS system software com-
pensates for differences. (OASIS exact
business fit #3: portability.)

ACCURATE DATA & A SECURE
SYSTEM REDUCE BUSINESS RISKS.

Data integrity — a challenge for any
multi-user system — is insured by OASIS
File & Automatic Record Locking. With
it, normally all users can view a record
at the same time. BUT, if the record is
being updated by one user, other users
are automatically denied access until
the update is complete. That means
data is always accurate and up-to-date.
And it's still another OASIS exclusive.

For system security, there's OASIS
Logon, Password & Privilege Level.
User Accounting keeps track of who used
the system, when. (OASIS exact business
fit #4: data integrity/system security.)

A FRIENDLY SYSTEM IS

GOOD BUSINESS.

For user-friendliness, OASIS sets new
standards. Example: the EXEC Job
Control Language is so smart it walks
users through their applications —
and around the operating system.

With our 'HELP' feature, if you are
unsure of the functions and options

Now you know why there's
no reason to struggle trying
to put a square peg in a
round hole. For serious
business microcomputing,
there is one operating system that
exactly fits: OASIS. Call or write us
today for details.

* For Z80.
** For 8086, 68000, Z8000, LSI-11, & others.

■ STRICTLY BUSINESS^

PHASE ONE SYSTEMS, INC.

7700 Edgewater Drive. Suite 830

Oakland, CA 94621-3051

Telephone 415/562-8085 TWX 910-366-7139

I'm serious about my business —

please send me :

D OASIS-16 Manual, $75

□ OASIS Manual, $60

□ Free Application Software Directory
and put me on your mailing list.

(Add S3 for shipping; California residents add sales tax.)

Name.

St. (No Box#)_
City

State Zip__

□ UPS C.O.D.

□ Check enclosed

D VISA □ Mastercharge

Card No Exp. date

Signature ,

BYTE September 1982 251

NSS Offers

An Incredible

Advantage.

NSS software, written specifically for Northstar's

ADVANTAGE™, outperforms any software available for

Northstar computer systems. Our fully integrated accounting

package includes general ledger, accounts receivable,

accounts payable, inventory control and payroll —

the first Northstar payroll package.

Why NSS software? If you're a Northstar dealer, it means

greater ease in closing sales of Northstar's computer

systems within vertical markets. Or, if you own a Northstar

computer, it means greater flexibility and expanded capability

for your Northstar as a business tool.

Our vertical market applications, such as those we have

developed for tire dealers, are the best on the market.

Let the ADVANTAGE Tw talk to you with NSS' unique cassette

training tapes, demonstration disks and sales kits. NSS also

provides dealer seminars and a toll free support hotline.

That's The Incredible Advantage!

Order your Introductory

Dealer Kit NOW

or

CALL TOLL FREE FOR
MORE DETAILS

1-800-722-3446

ADVANTAGE and Northstar are registered
trademarks of Northstar Computers

NATIONAL SOFTWARE

SYSTEMS

P.O. Box 510911

Salt Lake City, Utah 84151

hand-brailling of various scouting
materials, I felt there had to be a
faster way to translate our literature.
Eventually, the idea of a computer
translation came to my mind.

While working on a program to
graph multifunctions on a line
printer, I devised a software method
to allow brailling on a standard line
printer with no permanent modifica-
tions. Basically, the software treats
the braille characters as four lines of
graphics output per line of braille
type. I hasten to add that you have to
add a strip of specially prepared cello-
phane tape to the printer, but it is not
necessary to remove the inked ribbon
or readjust the printer's impact force.
Indeed, regular printer output can be
handled concurrently with the braille
output.

The Latex Cushion

The devised modification for the
line printer had to be simple, quick,
and easily removable. The solution
was a 9-inch strip of half -inch-wide,
double-stick cellophane tape covering
a similarly sized strip of thin latex
rubber, which was cut from common
household gloves used for dishwash-
ing. The best results were obtained by
using so-called flock-lined gloves.
Place the latex side of the strip against
the cellophane tape, leaving the flock
lining exposed. Finally, press this as-
sembly into place on the metal platen
behind the computer paper. When the
printer head strikes the paper, it will
leave an indentation because of the
minute additional travel afforded by
the flock cushion.

Please note that the double-stick
tape must be completely covered by
the latex strip. This is very important
because if any part of the tape is ex-
posed, the computer paper will drag
on it and cause paper-feeding jams.
Of course, if you have a printer that
uses a rubber platen (for example, an
IBM Selectric), you would be able to
eliminate the latex-tape cushion alto-
gether.

The Software

The accompanying program (see
listing 1) is written in standard, trans-
portable (we can hope) Pascal.

252 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 336 on inquiry card.

"My Legend memory expansion cards enhance
my Apple and are a superb product for the Apple
Computer.*

I think the cards are mapped appropriately
for extra storage.

The software supplied makes the cards useful
even for those who can't modify DOS on their own.

I look forward to upcoming products from
Legend."

Steve Wozniak

Co-Founder,

Apple Computer, Inc.

If Steve Wozniak, Co-Founder of Apple Computer,
Inc., thinks this highly of Legend products, we're
doing something right.

Go to your nearest computer dealer today and find
out for yourself about Legend products.

The Original HI -Density RAM Products
for APPLE II

2220 Scott Lake Road

Pontiac, MI 48054

(313) 674-0953 Office

(313)674-1340 Modem

Europe: B.I.P.

25 Rue DuMont-Cenis

75018 Paris, France

(1) 264-02-32

'Apple II is a product of Apple Computer, Inc.

Circle 265 on inquiry card.

Chances are,

you've already purchased

two-thirds of our digital,

programmable

oscilloscope.

1

r

.

it n wwmimjm, m v ». m mm ._
'or oar a, aal <t «0 > .flriK.a^ ess mm mm mm wm mm

Apple II, Apple II Plus, Disk II and Silentypeare trademarks of Apple Computers, Inc. Epson MX-80 is a trademark of Epson America, Inc.

Now for $995 you can have the rest.

In a word, the Model 85
aScope™ is a dual channel, DC
to 50 MHz, fully programmable,
digital memory oscilloscope de-
signed to operate with any Apple
II™ or Apple II Plus™ equipped
with Disk II™ and display, 48K
memory and DOS 3.3.

But don't let aScope's re-
markably low price deceive you.
Because in about 80 percent of
all design a test applications
where this sort of instrument
would be used, aScope will per-
form onpar with systems in the
$15,000+ category. (Something
we feel comfortable saying, hav-
ing spent a number of years
working in research and devel-
opment for one of the world's
leadina suppliers of those
$15,CO0 instruments.)

Still we recognize it's a
somewhat extraordinary promise.

system. But frankly, we suspect
you are probably as intrigued
as you could be on the basis of
one advertisement.

So we'll proceed with a few
action recommendations de-
signed to accommodate anyone
from the casually curious to the
virtually convinced.

First, you should call 800-
547-4445. That will provide you
with an aScope data sheet and
an opportunity to determine
whether you'd like to invest $1
in our comprehensive aScope
demonstration disk.

Or simply yield to your initial
impulse and order the system,
safe in the knowledge that
(a) you may use the system for
fifteen days, and if not satisfied,
return it, and b) NWIS system
engineers stand ready to assist
you with any questions you may

Single keystroke calls aScope™
operations menu. All sub-menus
provide complete prompting.

A reference waveform loaded from
disk into Channel 2 for comparison
with active signal on Channel 1.

Cross-cursor indicates point
where aScope™ digital voltmeter
(DVM) is calculating waveform
voltage for display at bottom of
screen.

One example of a user-defined
co-resident BASIC program; in
this case designed to plot an
amplitude responsecurve for an
active filter.

So, perhaps before telling you what
aScope can do, we ought to tell you
how it does it so inexpensively.

Essentially what we've done is depart
radically from the existing instrumentation
architecture upon which all currently avail-
able digital programmable oscilloscope
systems are dependent. It simply doesn't
make sense to combine a stand-alone

Bandwidth : DC to > 50 MHz equivalent time
digitizing (-3dB) DC to > 10 KHz resolvable
with real-time digitizing (-3dB)
Resolution : 8 bits (1 part in 256)
Range ; 10ns/di vision io 20s/di vision
Sensitivity : 5mV/division to 5V/divtsion
Input Impedence : 1MQand20pF

programmable oscilloscope with a con-
troller when to a great extent the micro-
computer circuitry and capabilities of one
are already available in the other; So we
didn't combine, we integrated. Making the
aScope a peripheral part of the computer.
Supplying only what was necessary to
make the computer a high-performance
instrument. An instrument capable of
things until now assumed impossible for

Circle 347 on inquiry card.

anywhere near its price.

Things like what, you wonder?

Well naturally, since aScope is fully pro-
grammable you may configure a setup, de-
fine the analysis of the acauired data you
desire and produce an end result display in
whatever form is most productive. Many
frequently performed routines are already
part of aScope's software. However, be-
cause no two engineers' needs are exactly
the same, the system's architecture was
designed to accommodate considerable
user modification via co-resident BASIC or
assembly language programs.

In addition, aScope will average
waveforms. Store a waveform on disk in
binary or text form. Store instrument con-
trol settings for future automated setup,
Or load and display reference waveforms.

aScope is also equipped to deliver
waveform voltage readings utilizing a
cursor-controlled digital voltmeter. And
to generate hard copies via an Epson
MX-80™ or Sileniype™ printer.

Space permitting, we could go on about
the menu-driven commands and other
user-sensitive features we've built into this

have regarding aScope capabilities and
applications.

The $995 Model 85 aScope. We admit
the performance it delivers for the money
is so remarkable, it may initially strike you
as unbelievable. However, when you recall
all the breakthrough products this industry
has seen over the last decade, sounding
unbelievable atf irst is practically a tradition.

NORTHWEST
INSTRUMENT
SYSTEMS, INC.

P.O. Box 1309

Beaverton, Oregon

97075

800-547-4445

Listing 1: BRAILLE, a Pascal program that converts standard English text into standard Form I braille.

<*
U

<*

(41
<#

c*

PROGRAMMER : ALFRED F ANT , . A . E .
PROGRAM: BRAILLE

10/21/81 *)

*)
*)
*)

ABSTRACT: *>

THIS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO PRODUCE "REVERSE" BRAILLE FOR *>

USE WITH AN STANDARD LINE PRINTER. THE BRAILLE CHARACTER ARE *)

REVERSED TO ENABLE TACTILE READING ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE PAPER. *>

*>

PROGRAM BRAILLE;

CONST P-- '" O '" ; C Your printer mav sive better results with "0" or "@" 3-

VAR

CAP I TAL , NUMBER , CELL , FORM ■» I ■» J : I NTEGER '
CHARACTER: CHAR?

TA-*TB,TC: PACKED ARRAY CI.. SO 3 OF CHAR;
TEST27, TEST27C: PACKED ARRAY CI.. 30] OF CHAR;

PROCEDURE CONVERT (VAR CHARACTER: CHAR);

BEGIN (^CONVERT*)
CASE CHARACTER OF

CELLa=CELL+2 5

•-(
-' )

#■

*"

•' a 1
•- b ■

•• I-

BEG1N TCCCELL+2 3:«'Pi

BEGIN TBCCELL3:=P? TBC CELL+2 3 : =P?

TCC CELL 3 : =P ? TCC CELL+2 3 : =P 5
BEGIN TBCCELL]:»P5 TBC CELL+2 ]: =P 5

TC C CELL 3 : =P ; TCC CELL+2 "J : ~P ;
BEG I N TC C CELL+2 3 : =P 5
BEGIN TBLCELL3:=P; TRCCELL+23S-P?
BEGIN TBCCELL3:=P; TB C CELL+2 ]: =P 5

TCCCELL3:=P?
BEG IN TBC CELL 3 : =P 5 TBC CELL+2 ] : »P ?

TCLCELL3:«P3
BEGIN TBCCELL3:«P?

BEG I N TC [ CELL ] : =P ? TC L CELL+2 3 : =P ;
BEGIN TBCCELL3:=PS TCCCELL3 : =P;
BEGIN TBCCELL3s=P? TBC CELL+2 ]: =P;
BEGIN TBCCELL3:«P;

TCCCELL3 : -P5 TCC CELL+2 3 : -P?
BEGIN TBC CELL 3 2 =P; TBC CELL+2 3: = =F;

TCCCELL3:=F'5
BEGIN TACCELL+2 3:«P?

BEGIN TAC CELL+2 3 : =Pi TBC CELL+2 3 = = P;
BEG I N TA C CELL 3 : -~-P ? TAC CELL+2 3 : =P 5
BEG I N TAL CELL 3 : =P ? TA C CELL+2 3 : =P ;

TBCCELL3:«P?
BEGIN TACCELL+23:=P$ TBC CELL 3 : ==P;
BEGIN TACCELL+2 3:«P? TACCELL3:«P?

TBCCELL+2 3:=P?
BEGIN TACCELL3:-P? TAC CELL+2 3 : =P 5

TBC CELL 3 : =P; TBC CELL+2 3 a =p;
BEGIN TACCELL+-2 3:=P;

TBLCELL+23:-P; TBLCELL3:=P?
BEGIN TACCELL3:=P; TB C CELL+2 3 : =P;
BEGIN TAC CELL 3: «P;

TBCCELL3 : = P; TBCCELL+23 : «P;

CELL:=CELL+4; END;
CELL:«CELL+4? END;

ELL:=*CELL->4; END;
ELL:=CELL+4; END?
ELL:~CELL+4 5 END;

CELL:=CELL+4; END 5

CELL:=CELL+4; END;

CELL:~CELL+4; END;

CELL:=CELL+4; END;

CELL:^CELL+4; END;

CELL:=CELL+4; END;

CELL**=CELL+4 5 END;

CELL:=CELL+4; end;

CELL:=CELL+4? END;

CELLS «CELL+4? END;

CELL:--CELL+4; END;

CELLs«CELL+45 END;

CELL:=CELL+4; END;

CELL:=CELL+4; END;

CELL:«CELL+4 5 END;

CELL:=CELL+4; END;

CELL:=CELL+4; END;

CELLft=CELL+4? END;

Listing 1 continued on page 260

256 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

The Most Versatile Integrated System Available! — Without Compromise.

From the crystal clear monitor with a
true typist keyboard to the high
performance switching power supply— an
engineered solution— the 5000 IS system
is designed with IEEE standard S100 Bus
architecture, giving you the flexibility and
compatibility expected of an industrial
grade computer.

Now you can have 1 MByte Floppies,
25 MByte Winchesters with ECC,
extended RAM memory (beyond the
basic 64K), various peripheral controllers,
and best of all, the 5000 IS can serve as

the host processor of a multi-user, multi-
processing system. Up to four I/O
processors may be resident in the 5000
IS, each with its own Z80 Micro-
processor, 64K of memory and two Serial
I/O Channels.

With this flexibility you can configure
the highest performance, lowest cost
multi-processing system available.

Memory parity— of course! Two year
warranty— naturally!

For complete information and
specifications on the 5000 IS plus the

location of your nearby IMS International
dealer, call or write today!
(714) 978-6966 or (702) 883-7611

2800 Lockheed Way
Careon City, NV 89701
lelex: 910-395-6051

INTERNATIONAL

We Build Computers As If Your Business
Depended On Them.

See us at Fall COMDEX booth 1144 for more surprises!

IMS INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTORS:

Argentina Canada France India Korea Netherlands So. Africa Sweden United Kingdom

Australia Chile Greece Israel Malaysia New Zealand Singapore Switzerland U.SA

Austria Ecuador Hong Kong Italy Mexico Phillipines Spain United Arab Imerates West Germany

Circle 230 on inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 257

■

■--*?.

On °Q

o n °o

'•'*-*i

THE COMMODORE 64. ONLY $595.

What nobody else can give you at twice the price.

'O,

oo.%;

"THE COMMODORE 64

COULD BE THE

MICROCOMPUTER INDUSTRY'S

OUTSTANDING NEW PRODUCT

MTRODUCTION SINCE
THE BOTH OFTHB INDUSTRY."

-SHEARSON/AMERICAN EXPRESS

They're speaking to a group as interested
as anyone else in the future of computers: the
people who buy stock in the companies that
make computers.

If, on the other hand, you're a person
whose livelihood depends on a personal com-
puter— or whose leisure time revolves around
one— what follows should impress you even
more than it impresses investors.

MIGHT MAKES RIGHT .

The value of a computer is determined by
what it can do. What it can do is largely deter-
mined by its memory.

The Commodore 64's basic RAM is 64K.
This amount of power is unusual enough in a
micro at any price.

At $595, it is astonishing.

Compared with the Apple II+" for in-
stance, the Commodore 64 IM offers 33% more
power at considerably less than 50% of the cost.

Compared with anything else, it's even
more impressive.

PILE ON THE PERIPHERALS .

Because the basic cost of the 64 is so low,
you can afford to buy more peripherals for it.
Like disk drives, printers, and a telephone modem
that's priced at around $100.

This means you can own the 64, disk
drive, printer and modem for a little more than
an Apple II+ computer alone.

HARD FACTS ABOUT SOFTWARE .

The Commodore 64 will have a broad
range of custom software packages including
an electronic spreadsheet; business graphics
(including printout); a user-definable diary/
calendar; word processing; mailing lists,
and more.

With BASIC as its primary language, it is
also PET BASIC compatible.

The Commodore 64 will also be program-
mable in USCD PASCAL, PILOT and LOGO.

And, with the added CP/M® option, you

will have access to hundreds of exciting soft-
ware packages.

THE FUN SIDE OF POWER .

The Commodore 64 can become very
playful at a moment's notice.

You can use Commodore's plug-in game
cartridges or invent your own diversions. All
will be enhanced by brilliant video quality
(320 x 200 pixels, 16 available colors, 3D
Sprite graphics), plus outstanding sound.

The 64's built-in music synthesizer has
a programmable ADSR (attack, decay, sustain,
release) envelope, 3 voices (each with a 9-octave
range) and 4 waveforms. All of which you can
hear through your audio system and see in full
color as you compose or play back.
NOW'S Y OUR CHANCE .

If you've been waiting for the "computer
revolution," consider it as having arrived.

Through its 25 years of existence,
Commodore has been committed to delivering
better products at lower prices.

Today, the company's vertical integration
has resulted in the Commodore 64's price per-
formance breakthrough heralded by Shearson/
American Express.

Visit a Commodore Computer dealer and
discover the 64 soon.

It will expand your mind without deflating
your wallet.

CP/M* is a registered trademark of Digital Research. Inc

[Commodore Business Machines/Personal Systems Division
P.O. Box 500 Conshohocken, Pennsylvania 19428

Please send me more information on the Commodore 64.
Name

Address.

City

Phone_

„State_

_Zip_

C= commodore

* COMPUTER

BY-S

Circle 93 on Inquiry card.

Listing 1 continued:

•- k - i
■" 1 -

BEGIN

: BEGIN

T A I! CELL+2 ] : =P 3 TC C CELL 1-2 ] s =P 5
TAi:CELL4 23 = =P5 TBCCELL+2 3 : =P?

CELL:

=CELL+4?

END5

TC 1." CELL+2 ]:=P 3

CELL:

=CELL+4 3

END 3

•'" m ""

. BEGIN

TACCELL3 : =-p; TACCELL+2 3 : =P?

T CC CELL+2 ]:=P 3

CELL:

=CELL+4 3

END 3

■"' r i ■''

: BEGIN

T A C CELL ] : =F 3 T A C CELL+2 3 : =P '

TCC CELL f 2] : «P; TBCCELL 3 : =P3

CELL:

=CELL+4S

END 3

"■ o "*

: BEGIN

TACCELL-i23:=P3 TBCCELL] : «P5

TCC CELL+2 ]:=P 3

CELL:

=CELL+4 3

END 3

"' p '

s BEGIN

TACCELL] : =P? TACCELL+2] : -P3

TB C CELL+2 ] : =P; TC C CELL *-2 1 : =P ;

CELL:

=CELL+4 3

END 3

■" ^ •''

I BEGIN

T AC CELL ] : --P ; T AC CELL+2 ] : =P 3 TB C C

::ELL ] :

=P3

TBC CELL+2 3 : =P 3 TC C CELL t-2 ] : =P ;

CELL:

=CELL+43

END 3

■-- r , ■•■

! BEGIN

TACCELL+2] : =P3 TBCCELL] : »P;

TBC CELL+2] : =Ps TCC CELL+2] : =P3

CELL:

=CELL+4S

END 3

"' c. •'"

'. BEGIN

T A C CELL ] : =P 3 TBC CELL+2 ] : =P 3

T CC CELL+2 ]s=P 3

CELL :

=CELL+43

END 3

•'■ t ■■■

: BEGIN

T A C CELL 3 : =P 3 TBC CELL ] s ^P 3

TB C CELL+2 ] : =P 3 TC C CELL+2 ] : =P 3

CELL:

"CELL+4 3

END 3

'" u "' •

BEGIN

T A C CELL+2 ] = «P 3 TC C CELL ] : «P 3

T C C CELL+2 ]:=P 3

CELL:

=CELL+4 3

END 3

•" v " i

BEGIN

TACCELL+2] : =P3 TB C CELL+2 ] : =P5

TC C CELL+2 ] : =P ' 1 C C CELL ] : =P 3

CELL:

=CELL+4 3

END 3

•-ur" i

BEGIN

T A C CELL ] : =P 3 TB C CELL ] : =P 3

T B C CELL+2 ] : -P 3 TC C CELL ] : =P 3

CELL:

-CELL+4 3

END 3

"' '.:< ""' >

BEGIN

TACCELL]--=P- TACCELL+2] : =P 3

TC C CELL ] : =-P 5 TCC CELL+ 2 ] : =P 3

CELL.:

=CELL+4 3

END 3

BEGIN

T AC CELL ] s =P ? TA C CELL+2 ] : =P 3 TBC C

:ELL ] :

=PS

TC C CELL ] : =*P 3 TC C CELL+2 ] : =P 3

CELL:

=CELL+4 3

END?

■" z ■"

BEGIN

TA C CELL ] : «P 3 TB C CELL+2 ] : =P ;

TC t CELL ] s =P 3 TC C CELL-* 2 3 : --=P 5

CELL:

=CELL+4?

end;

OTHERWISE WRITELNC-'ERROR- UNPRINTABLE CHARACTER:

- , CHAR AC

:TER)3

END', <*CASl

■*>

END; (sCON VI

iRT*>

TEST27CCI]s=-

BEGIN <* BRAILLE*)
RESET ( INPUT) 3
REPEAT

FOR l:=?l TO 28 DO BEGIN TEST27 1 1 3 s = '
I : :=0 3
.J: -0;
REPEAT
IS =1+1 3

READ (CHARACTER);
TEST27CC I ] : --CHARACTERS

IF TEST27CC I ] = - ' AMD TEST27CC I- 1 3« "' ' THEN I: = 1-1 3
I F CHARACTER I N C " A • ' . . " Z -" ,, - ■' . . ' 9 "' 3 THEN J : = J+ 1 5
UNTIL I+.J >- 20 OR Cl+J >= 15 AND CHARACTER-- ■' > OR EOF (INPUT) 3

END;

FOR I : = 1 TO 20 DO TEST27 C I 3 : =TEST27C E 2 1 - 1 3

( -K--K--K--K--K--K--K--K--K--K-K--K--K--K--K--K--K--K- )

<# Reverse letter * )
(# order- to al 1 o»u *>
<•* tactile reading*)

FOR l:=l TO SO DO BEGIN

TACI]:--
TBC 13:='
TC C I ] : = -
END 3

C* Intial ize Brai lie *)
i * Print: buffer #)

260 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Listing 1 continued:

I :=05
CELL = = 1 "
REPEAT

I: =1+1 5

CAPITAL: =05 C Flag to indicate capitals >

NUMBER :»05 •[ Flag to indicate numbers >

(* Present Braille Cell *)
CHARACTER: *TEST27CI 35 (# Position number *)

I F CHARACTER IN [ ' A "' . - - Z ' 1
THEN BEGIN

CAPITAL: «1 5

(# allows space for capital sign * )
CHARACTER s =CHR ( ORD < CHARACTER ) +32 ) 5 ( *G i ve s 1 owe r * )
END; (ttcase char. * )

I F CHARACTER IN C ' -' . - ' 9 "' 1
THEN BEGIN

NUMBER: =15

( * allows s p a c e -T o r n u m b e r sign * )
IF CHARACTERS '0-' THEN CHARACTER: =•' k *
ELSE

CHARACTER: *CHR < ORD ( CHARACTER ) +43 ) :
END 5

CONVERT ( CHARACTER ) 5

IF CAPITAL**! THEN BEGIN

TCCCELL3:«P5
CELLS =CELL+3?

END;

IF NUMBER^ i THEN BEGIN

taccell:i:=p;

TBCCELL'J:=P;

TCCCELL 3 : ~P? TCCCELL* i II \ =p?
CELLs-CELL+35
END;
UNTIL 1=213

<* DEBUGGING TOOL: Used to write the English forwards and backwards *)
<* WRITELN(TEST27Cv ' ',TEST27>3 *>

WRITELN? ( ****************************'M-*******^***********^« )

WRITELN<TA)3 <* Used to write the three line Braille cells *>

WRITELN < TB ) ; ( ^^^^^^^^^^^^s^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^-fr^^ )
WRITELN(TC) 5

UNT 1 L EOF ( I NF'UT )
END. <*BRAILLE*>

Special program functions have been This restriction of 20 characters is not always be exactly 20 braille cells

avoided in the interest of dissemi- used because only about that many on each output line. The program

nating this program as widely as braille cells will fit on the standard continues to loop back and forth be-

possible. 80-column page. BRAILLE then calls tween the reading and the translating

The listing consists of the main pro- CONVERT to translate each charac- until the end-of-file marker is reached

gram BRAILLE and the procedure ter into its corresponding braille cells. on the text file. The program then ter-

CONVERT. BRAILLE reads a text However, since capital letters and minates. A sample of the program

file character by character until it has numbers require two braille cells for output is shown in listing 2.

20 letters and/or blanks in its buffer, their proper interpretation, there will Although the reader obviously can-

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 261

90 Percent Perspiration

Almost every story has a "story
behind the story, " and this article is no
exception. Just as Thomas Edison tried
thousands of materials for his first light
bulb filament before finally discover-
ing his wife's cotton thread, 1 spent
many months trying to come up with
the right material for the braille printer
pad. It wasn't easy.

1 started with a pair of latex surgical
gloves and found them to be too thin.
Our blind Scouts, reading transcripts
prepared with this material, com-
plained that the braille faded after only
a few readings.

1 therefore tried strips cut from
thicker and softer gloves, but the
printer then began to jam. No matter
how many different materials I tried,
nothing seemed to work quite right.
The answer had to be there — some-
where.

Success finally came with my dis-
covery that flock-lined gloves were
available at the Safeway supermarket.
The cotton lining of these gloves pro-
vided just the right amount of padding
for the computer brailling idea to
work. Thomas Edison would have
been proud.

not "feel" the indentations on the
reverse side of listing 2, this output
has been used successfully with the
blind Boy Scouts. The monthly troop
newsletter is now produced in both
braille and regular print. As a result
of this newsletter, we have found that
the best indentations occur on thicker
paper. The indentations are good for
only about 15 readings by a blind per-

son, after which the braille becomes
too faded to allow correct letter iden-
tification. Even so, this method is
ideal for short-lived publications such
as newspapers and correspondence.

You may have noticed that
BRAILLE allows at most only four
words to be printed per output line.
Though Braille does have a hyphen to
mark divided words, it is better to

divide as few words as possible. From
personal studies of computer dic-
tionaries, I know that five-letter
words make up the vast bulk of the
English language. Therefore, the pro-
gram counts characters and looks for
a space from the fifteenth to twentieth
character (a word break). If a space is
found, the line is ended. Otherwise,
the line is broken after the twentieth
character. Four brailled words may
occasionally fit on the line of 20
braille characters, but it is wise to
keep a one-word safety margin.

This program produces what is
known as Form I or Grade I level
braille. In Form II braille, abbrevia-
tions are used to increase the number
of brailled words per page. These
standard braille abbreviations are for
often-used words and letter combina-
tions in the English language. This
program does not address this ques-
tion because of memory require-
ments. On a larger computer, how-
ever, it would be easy to program a
look-up table for these abbreviations
and their braille counterparts. Table 1

r

f

CAN'T MAKE ENDS MEET?

We couldn't either. At least, not until 1978 when we
began connecting RS-232 devices to IEEE-488
computers with our family of serial interfaces. Three
units available for use with Commodore's PET/CBM,
the HP-85, Osborne-1 and others, plus our auto-
answer/auto-dial 103 Modem, automatic calling unit
(Operator), and data communications software. All with
cabinet, one-year warranty, documentation. Priced
from $129-389. Details from Sam Edwards:

#THW

V

Dept. B., 3444 Hancock St., San Diego, CA 92110

(714) 296-2115 • TWX 910-335-1194

V ISA/MasterCard • Dealer Inquiries Welcome

MULTI-PROGRAMMER

atures SYSTEM-10

Features: SYS

Dedicated keys and large
display vocabulary for ease of use.
I/O - 6 baud rates, 13 formats including
Intel lee, Textron ix and Motorola.
EPROMs, E 2 PROMs and bipolars.
Gang option - programs eight at once.
Remote control option.

$1,295

PROGRAMS
OVER 250
DEVICE TYPES

262 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 464 on inquiry card.

Circle 72 on inquiry card.

^

11

M&mj JBHkk. ^^|^^^^^^ ' mmmmkm^^^ ^^^^^^^^r ^^^^^^0^^ .M^^m x^^^.

On Your Microcomputer
Investment

Up until now, you might have
thought that microcomputers
weren't powerful enough to
handle those returns you send
off to your computer service
bureau each tax season. Micro-
Tax™ and your microcomputer
with CP/M* changes all of that.

With Micro-Tax™ you can save
time and have the complete
security of total in-house, com-
puterized tax preparation.
Nothing ever leaves your office.
You won't give up versatility
and power either. Micro-Tax™
computes and prints over 30
schedules and forms for multi-
ple clients, even partnership
and corporate returns. Micro-
Tax™ can also compute depreci-
ation by individual items or
groups as well as handling the
accelerated cost recovery sys-
tem. Underpayment penalties,
self-employment taxes, mini-
mum and alternative minimum
and maximum taxes as well as
income averaging are all com-
puted automatically. Plus, each
tax season Micro-Tax™ can
provide you with an update
package quickly.

Micro-Tax™ is friendly. [Da : ta
entry is organized very much
liRe the sequence you use in
manual tax preparation. It's flex-
ible too, because you can jump
to a specific f.orm and compjete

1962 SCHEDULES AND FORMS INCLUDED

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

INDIVIDUAL PROFESSIONAL PARTNERSHIP/

PACKAGE
1040. 1040A x
1065. 1120.
1120S

A, B, C, E, ES,
G, SE x

D. F. x

K. K-1
R. RP
1116

2106 x

2119
2210
2220
2440

2441 x

3468
3903
4137
4562
4625
4626
4684
4726
4797
4835
4952
4972

5695 x

6251
6252
6765
ACRS
BATCH
Print

Substitute x

On IRS

Forms

Blank

Paper

Continuous

Preprinted

Forms

S195.00
Trans-
parencies S 50
22 state returns covered.
Yearly Updates Available for all 3 levels

CORPORATE

the instructions given by the
computer.

Micro-Tax ,M is your answer to
the already high and increasing
costs of computer service bu-
reaus. You will be able to enter
data at the time of the client
interview and produce returns
that look exactly like those re-
quired by the government, right
in your own office. In the batch
mode, you can enterdata all day
and print returns at night. That's
productivity, and it leaves you
time for more creative approach-
es to your client's tax problems.

For more information call
your local software dealer
or call direct.

$1,000

sioo

S 1.000

sioo

it rather than starting
with the 1040. Just
choose the func
tion you want
on the Micro-
Tax™ menu,
and follow

MICROCOMPUTER TAXSYSTEMS, INCORPORATED

22458 Ventura Boulevard, Suite E. Woodland Hills, California 91364 (213) 704-7800

*CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital Research
"Micro-Tax is a trademark of MicrocomputerTaxsystems. Inc.

Circle 321 on inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 263

Stop talking

ABOUT NETWORKING

AND START TAKING

ADVANTAGE OF IT.

EASY-TO-IMPLEMENT,

SINGLE CARD DESNET™ NETWORKING

FOR S-100 BASED SYSTEMS.

If you design multi-user computer systems, you face
a dilemma. You want the system to be powerful.
Yet cost-effective. You want each user to have an
individual CPU. Yet you can't afford to provide each
user with a high-performance printer, hard disk,
and modem.

Obviously, you need some way to share
system resources. But until now, the alternatives
haven't been all that attractive.

Desnet is the simple, elegant solution.

A Desnet Network Interface Board in the
backplane of each device in your multi-user S-100
system makes shared resources a practical reality. The
Desnet common bus topology can network up to 350
devices without sacrificing performance or economy.
And with generous maximum cable lengths. Devices
can be added, removed, or disabled without affecting
the rest of the system.

Not only does the system benefit from the
economies of shared resources, it gains capabilities.
Like electronic mail, central database access, and
on-line telecommunications.

Low cost, high performance.

In OEM quantities, Desnet S-1 00 cards cost less
than $650. Media taps cost under $50. A similar pair
of devices for an Ethernet™ hookup typically costs
more than three times as much. For less flexibility

Desnet network topology \s media-independent.
You can install a baseband network today, then upgrade
to broadband or fiberoptics at any time in the future.

Powerful on-board firmware makes it easy to
convert your applications to networked systems. The
comprehensive Reference Manual gives you easy,
step-by-step instructions.

Order a starter kit today.

A Desnet S-100 starter kit gives you everything
you need to get a sample network up and running for
only $1,295.

• 2 DESNET S-100 Network Interface Cards

• 2 Baseband Taps

• 20 Feet RG59U Coax Cable

• Applications Demo Disk

• Reference Manual

Pay by major credit card if you wish. To order,
call or write The Destek Group, 2111 Landings Drive,
Mountain View, CA 94043 (415)968-4610.

Today, S-100 -tomorrow the world.

Our S-1 00 card is just the beginning. Soon Destek
will be shipping Desnet cards for Multibus, 71 " OBus,™
Unibus,™ Versabus,™ Apple,® IBM-PC, and general
purpose buses.

So while everyone else is talking about network-
ing, you can be taking advantage of it.

Ethernet is a trademark of Xerox Corp. Multibus is a trademark of Intel Corp.
Apple is a trademark of Apple Computer Inc. Desnet is a trademark of
The DESTEK Group.

WE BUILD ACCESS TO PRODUCTIVITY

Circle 157 on Inquiry card.

Listing 2: Sample output from the BRAILLE program, shown in listing 1. This is the first few lines of the Boy Scout troop's newsletter
done in braille type. For the convenience of sighted readers, the English words are printed both backward and forward above the
braille text. The text is printed in reverse because the blind reader must turn the paper over in order to read the braille cells by touch.
The backward English enables the programmer to check for proper letter order. To keep from confusing braille readers, the program-
mer should "comment out" the English-written line of the final program.

September 1981 1891 refometpeS

Q

m

00 00 00 00

EVOKE Troop poorT EKOVE

O

o
23 Newsletter rette 1 swelM 32

o

13

00 00

W e ui a n t t o u« e 1 c o m e e m o clem o t t n a w e W

O o

back Crais Fowler reluioF giarC kcab

n

* Del 1 Garner, ,renraG 11 eD ,

Matthew Jackson, , noskcaJ ujehttatt

o o o

m o

Bobbv Wrisht:

, thsirW vbboB

and their- friends sdneirf rieht dna

o

O

fron TSB. Their riehT . BST morf

o

O

f - j

first fall visit tisiv 1 1 af tsrif-

o

o o

i n c 1 u d e d a t o li r ■ r . u ,-, tad e d u 1 c n i

266 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

-tf*

DATAFLEX

THE MULTIUSER DATA BASE

TM

Bring your CP/M* software applications to life with DataFlex.

From menus to multi-key ISAM, DataFlex has the features
and power you need to create complete turn-key software
applications in a RELATIONAL data base environment.

Compare. ..what else gives you: up to 125 data files with 4
indexes each, fast on-line multi-key ISAM file maintenance, a
multi-file report generator; on-line multi-file transaction process-
ing, an easy to use Query, even a "soft" menu to replace the
CP/M command mode. All of this using DataFlex's configuration
utilities, and NO PROGRAM CODE!

Is it easy to use? You can type in a screen format "image" of a
file with your text editor. Then, DataFlex's AUTODEF utility will
create the file definition from the screen image. ..in about five
seconds'

DataFlex will handle your multi-user requirements too! It runs
under Software 2000's TurboDos Network O/S with data protec-
tion to the field level. That means multiple users in the same
record at the same time!

If the 16 bit world is your domain, an 8086 version of DataFlex

"Dealer; Systems House and OEM inquiries invited."
Circle 142 on inquiry card.

will be available second quarter '82. And, you can develop now
on your 8080/Z-80 system, and transport completed applica-
tions to the 8086.

If you need applications now, Data Access has a Library of
existing DataFlex applications developed by other creators.
They're ready to go at prices that will get you going. The DataFlex
Library has Order Entry/ Inventory, Accounting, Pharmacy, and
Legal Billing, with more being added all the time. For highly
specialized requirements, DataFlex's PASCAL Library is avail-
able to application developers.

DataFlex can change the way you do business. And, at $750
it's ihe best software value in the business. A demo package,
which limits file sizes inter-
nally, is only $1 00 including
the manual.

Get the full system, or
get the demo, but get your
hands on DataFlex.

It's software for creators.

JATAAGCESS

CORPORATION
4221 Ponce De Leon Blvd.,
Coral Gables, FL 331 46
(305)446-0669

*CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital Research, Pacific Grove, CA.

The braille alphabet starts by using 1 combinations of the top 4 dots. The same 1 charac-
ters, when preceded by a special number sign, are used to express the numbers 1 to 0.

k I m n o p q r s i

Adding the lower left-hand dot makes the next 10 letters. Adding the lower right-hand dot
makes the last 5 letters of the alphabet (except w) and 5 word symbols, below.

and

for

of

the with

Omitting the lower left-hand dot forms 9 digraphs, or speech sounds, and the letter w. This
construction continues until all possible combinations have been used.

ch

gn

sh

th

wh

ed

ou ow

Table 1: The braille alphabet and some standard braille abbreviations. (Courtesy
World Book Encyclopedia,)

shows some of these abbreviations
and the complete braille alphabet.
(See reference 1 for all the standard
abbreviations. )

Conclusion

Braille writing for the blind has
been an important contribution of
Western civilization. It has brought
many blind people into the realm of
literature and music. As a program-
mer, you can now take part in help-
ing the blind to read. Volunteer your
computer and time in translating for
the blind people in your town. ■

Further Reading

1. Ashcroft, S. C. and F. Henderson. Pro-
grammed Instruction in Braiiie. Pitts-
burgh: Stanwix House Inc., 1963. (An ex-
cellent textbook for the adult who has had
no previous knowledge of braille. A "learn
to braille in 10 lessons" type of book.)

2. Day, Margaret R. "Tactual Mapping and
Nonvisual Perception." Master's thesis,
University of Texas at Austin, 1976. (A
major work in braille mapping, it covers
the history of such special maps and the
efforts to make them using computers.)

m

CROMEMCO

CS1

Z2H

CS3

CS1D2E

CIO
DYNABYTE

NORTH
STAR

TERAK

•LSI/11
graphic*

ALTOS
*B0B6"

Best Price • Good Quality • Swift Delivery • Export

COMPUTER

'The Best Graphic

Personal Computer* $

Z80A, 65K, 4B0 x 1 92 1,395

w/CPM compatible 1 ,670

125K.CPM compatible 2.100

RGB interface 125

"Multiuser Business/Engineer*

Best Price Anywhere

5%" floppy 2,956

hard disk system 7,396

64K, B" 5,177

256K RAM, 6B000 & ZBO

2 B" floppy 4,067

64K sp w/12" monitor 950

5200 64K, 1MB, Z80A 3,300

5605 64K, 6MB hard d 6,550

'Professional/Word Process*

Z90-B0, 64K 2,050

Z90-82, 64K, 1 disk 2,350

ZB9, 4BK, 1 disk 2,050

Z37 1.2MB Drives 1,450

HORIZON. 1

quad drive. HD5 3,999

ADVANTAGE, 2

quad drives, 64K 2,999

64K. 12" monitor, 390K

floppy, letter quality printer,

CP/M type O.S. + word processing

+ spreadsheet $2875

• 1 6-bit CPU*

S150 1FSl-user 7,520

256K RAM, CRT, 2 floppies

S150WS 1-user 8,999

256KRAM, 10MB hard disk,
960KB floppy CRT, OS + 1 language

SI 50-3 WS 3-users 10,800

same as SI 50 WS

S1 50-6 WS 6-users 1 2,800

5 1 2K RAM same as S 1 50 WS

Graphics 300x400 900

B510A w/CRT B.000

320x240, DD

8600 w/1 3" color 17,000

monitor, 640 x480

ACSB600-1 500KB 8,350

RAM, 10MB hard disk, 500KB floppy

multiusers ACS8000-2 2.850

64K, 1M, 8-bit

PDP/1 1 , MINC, Professional Call

PRINTER

Integral Data System

PRISM BO 1 50 cps. BO col. . . .

w/graphic 84 x 84 . .

W/color & graphic . . .

W/all options

PRISM 132 132 col

w/graphics 84 x 84. .

w/color & graphic . . .

w/all options . ,

EPSON MXBO w/Graftrax . . .

MX70

MXBO F/T Graftrax . .

MX100

NEC PC-B023A

ANADEX DP-9500

OKIDATA MICROLINE BO

84 sp

PRINTEK920 340cps, 144x144.

. . . 740
. . .820
. 1 , 1 20
.1,340
.1,050
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DIABLO

C.ITOH

QUME

BROTHER

NEC

"Letter Quality*

630

Starwriter F-10

9/35 R.O

HR-1 1 excellent. , , .
7710

. 1,995
.1,395
. 1.B00
. .950
, 2,299

ZENITH
AMDEK

BMC

TM-12

Electrohome

MONITOR

12" green

COLOR II RGB 13".

COLOR I 13"

300 G 12" green. .

13" color

13" RGB

1 2" green

12" color

A 12" green. . . . .
RGB, 8 colors, . . .
RGB

.114
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.350
.179
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.170
.330
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.550
.725

HAZELTINE

BEEHIVE

IBM

TELEVIDEO

TERMINAL

Z19

ZT-1 w/modem . . . .

ESPRIT

DM5 smart ter

3101-10

3101-12

3101-20

910

CROMEMCO Compatible .

. .635
. .560
. . 595
. .800
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. 1,225
. 1,400
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. 1,350

CORVUS, APPLE ACCESSORIES

SOFTWARE

database
dBASE II Ashton-Tate.
CONDOR I

financial IAR, AP, Inventory etc.)
Accounting Plus Software Dimension .

M8SI

other

VISICALC

MICROSOFT softcard

FORTRAN 80

BASIC BO

BASIC Compiler

SUPERCALC Sorcim

Micro Pro WORDSTAR

MAILMERG

SUPERSORT I

Digital Research CPM 2.2

CPMB6

PASCAL MT & 86

IBM Personal Computer Software . . . .

.499
.250
.450
. 850

.450
. . Call

. 199

.330
.345
.285
.310
.250
.295
. 105
. 165
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. Call

DIGITIZER/PLOTTER

HOUSTON INSTRUMENT
HI PAD DIGITIZER DT-1 1 11" x 11".

DT-1 1 A w/APPLE Interface

DT1 14 4 controls

HIPLOTDMP-2 8%" x 11"

.725
.750
.875
. 920

MODEM

PRENTICESTARRS232. .
D.C. Hayes Smartmodem .

.175
.220

CALL (212) 937-6363
free consultation, catalogue

Prices subject to change. American Express, Visa/
Mastercard add 3%. F.O.8. point of shipment. 20%
restocking fee for returned merchandise. Personal
checks take 3 weeks to clear. COD on certified check
only. N.Y. residents add sales tax. Manufacturers'
warranty only.

Computer Channel
21-55 44th Road
Long Island City, NY 11 101

268 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 104 on inquiry card.

Super Specials on SUPERB RAIN IIS

SUPERBRAIN® DD, $2099

QD, $2495

NEW D 80 % B i E J IDED SV. $2949

INTERTEC has introduced a new model,
the SD (super density) with dual doub-
le sided 80 track drives— TWICE THE
CAPACITY OF THE QD-. The SD
SUPERBRAIN is available from Mini
MicroMart for $2799

SUPERBRAINS come with CP/M;
with the addition of an appropri-
ate printer, and the necessary
software you can have a com-
plete data processing and
/or word processing sys-
tem.

You can take advantage of
our MicroPro word processing
/tfOW WE* software special. WordStar for only $269;

We will include MailMerge with WordStar for $358 or
for only $489 you get the full package— WordStar, MailMarge and SpellStar

vSoftBa*

MiniMicroMart stocks the full INTERTEC line.

Basic 80 is FREE, and a complete
accounting package— GL, A/R, A/P, and payroll
are available to run in MICROSOFT BASIC for
only $269

You can add capacity to your SUPERBRAIN
by adding their 1 megabyte DSS Hard Disk. We
offer it for only $2995-. We include the adapter
cable to the SUPERBRAIN (if requested) at no
extra charge.

If you need a distributed processing system,
INTERTEC has lowered prices on their full ser-
ies of COMPUSTARS- the VPU 10, the VPU 20
the VPU 30 and the VPU 40. Virtually any num-
ber of these can be daisy- chained to share one
of their hard disks, or they can be utilized as a

stand alone computer, just like a SUPERBRAIN.
-CALL US FOR PRICING-

SUPERBRAINS and COMPUSTARS come
with two built in serial ports, so you can support
two printers or a printer and a modem. Among
the printers suitable for the SUPERBRAIN are:
Centronics 730-3, the 739-3, the 704-9 the Tl 810s
or 820s, or Okidata 82s, 83s or 84s (serial version)
the IDS PRISM series is also suitable. If you
choose to use an Epson, you will also have to
buy one of their serial interface boards. If you
want a letter quality printer there is the NEC 3510
or 7710, the Diablo 630 or the Qume Sprint 9/45.

All prices, F.O.B. shipping point, subject to change. All of fers subject to withdrawal without notice. Advertised prices reflect a 2% cash discount (order prepaid
prior to shipment). C.O.D.'s and credits cards are 2% higher.

MiniMicroMart, Inc.

943 W. Genesee St. P.O. Box 2991 B Syracuse, N.Y. 13220 (315)422-4467 TWX 710-542-0431

SNTTCTEC COMPUSIAR'-
[>\TA D6KSORAS6
ESYSTBVtS. SV3HV1

Circle 325 on inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 269

Education Forum

Computers and the Special
Education Classroom

Thomas R. Sicoli

404 Darlington Dr.

West Chester, PA 19380

These students enter the classroom one or two at a
time. They are in wheelchairs, on crutches, or in bed,
because they are patients in a children's orthopedic
hospital. Dan, for example, was injured in a diving acci-
dent and is now a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the chest
down. Bob suffered brain damage in an automobile acci-
dent; he is now without speech and cannot walk. His
memory and concentration are very poor. Jim has been
paralyzed since birth. He was born with spina bifida (a
congenital defect of the spinal cord). He is normal in
some cognitive skills but lags far behind in others. He
gave up trying to learn his "times tables" years ago. These
are the students for whom the question was asked, "How
can computers be used in a special education resource
program serving kindergarten through twelfth grade?" In
order to answer this question, an extensive search of
available Apple software was made (see tables 1 and 2).

A major concern of special educators has always been
the difficulty in getting and holding the attention of
brain-damaged or socially and emotionally maladjusted
students. The student's attention span is greatly im-
proved when using computer-aided instruction. Large
color graphics are excellent attention-getters and are also
beneficial for those with impaired vision. Programs that
refer to the student by name personalize the lesson and
keep him or her stimulated. Finally, the instant feedback
on every item in the lesson also helps to sustain the stu-
dent's attention.

Another need in this classroom is for new and in-
novative instructional strategies. Many special education
students need much more repetition of lessons than "nor-
mal" students. This can quickly become tiring for both
teacher and student. The computer can relieve this
drudgery. A student and a computer can work together,
leaving the teacher free to work with others.

Records on each individual student can be kept by the
computer, with the scores from drills and quizzes
automatically recorded. Instructional lessons and cues
can be presented automatically. New programs for
microcomputers are even exhibiting branching instruc-
tional design. Instead of just a drill, programming can
contain extra help in the form of remedial lessons for
those having trouble with a particular lesson. For exam-
ple, a student consistently having problems with reducing
fractions would automatically receive a remedial lesson
or be returned to a previous lesson that covers finding the
greatest common factor of two numbers.

Language development is an important part of the
special education teacher's job. Computer speech synthe-
sizers show great promise in helping those with speech
defects to monitor and shape their own speech effective-
ly. Recording devices can be built into a program to help
in this task by playing a master pronunciation and the
student's effort back-to-back for comparison. Computers
can also be programmed to recognize regular but unintel-
ligible sounds made by those without effective speech and
then to output an intelligible word or phrase that enables
the student to communicate. For example, a particular
sound at a certain pitch could trigger the computer to
output the greeting "Hello!" Finally, programs are avail-
able to turn the computer into an electronic communica-
tor. The push of a single button can cause an entire pre-
programmed sentence or paragraph to be printed on a
monitor or piece of paper, or to be spoken by a voice syn-
thesizer.

Valuable skills can also be acquired or improved by
using microcomputers. Many disabled people have got-
ten started on a career in computer programming with
courses in computer literacy and BASIC programming.
Motor skills, such as typing and eye-hand coordination,

270 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Best Prices Anywhere I We Beat 'em All

COMPUTERS:

ALTOS List Less 20%

NorthStar

HORIZON 2Q-64K $2685

ADVANTAGE $2985

TeleVideo
Computer Systems Call

-/VewSUPERBRAINII-

64K Double Density Jr., $1995

64K Quad Density $2395

64K Super Density $2795

DSS-10 Meg. Hard Disk $2895

— Cromemco—

CS-1 List, $3995 Our Price. $3195

CS-1 H List, $6995 Our Price, $5595

CS-2 List. $4695 Our Price. $3549

CS-3 List, $6995 Our Price, $5595

Z2H List, $9995 Our Price $7995

Soft Ware &• Accessaries Call

Ymhizh I data

systems

Z-89 List, $2895
Our Price

$2099
Z-90,...$2299

MONITORS:

-AMDEK-

100 $129

300 $189

Color I $345

Color II $759

-BMC-

BM-12 $159

1401 RGB 400x150 Res $345

ZENITH ZYN-121 $120

TERMINALS:

—TeleVideo—

910C $569

912C $659

925C $719

950C $915

-SOROC-

IQ-130 $585

IQ-135 $719

IQ 135 w/Graphics $789

IQ-140 $995

-HAZELTINE-

1420 $589

1500 $845

1510 $1029

ZENITH Z-19 $689

DISK SYSTEMS:

-MORROW-

Discus2D $835

Dual Discus 2D $1385

Discus 2 + 2 $1069

Dual Discus 2 + 2 $1855

M5, 5Meg Hard Disk $1949

M10, 10 Meg. Hard Disk $2995

M26, 26 Meg. Hard Disk $3349

-CORVUS-

5 Meg. Hard Disk $2555

10 Meg. Hard Disk $3955

20 Meg. Hard Disk $4755

MODEMS:

D.C.Hayes Smart Modem $219

NOVATION DCat $149

PRINTERS:

-CENTRONICS-

730-1 Parallel. . .

$349

739-1 Parallel. . .

$499

739-3 RS232. . . .

$599

704-11 Parallel. .

$1569

704-9 RS232. . . .

$1519

—Texas Instruments—

TI-810 Basic $1289

TI-810 Full $1549

TI-820 RO Basic $1545

TI-820 KSR Basic $1739

-NEC-

3510 RS232 Call

7710 RS232. 7730 Parallel $2295

7720 RS232 $2795

8023 $495

Diablo 630RO $2049

Smith-Corona tp 1 $685 |

QU ME Call For Prices

— Paper Tiger-
Prism 80 vWo color Call

Prism 132w/ocolor Call

Color Option (for 132) Call

— Epson—

MX-80 $441

MX-80FT $548

MX-100 $745

-OKIDATA-

Microline80 $329

Microline 82A $469

Microline 83A $739

Microline 84 Call

C.ITOH Call For Prices

Prices apply to prepaid orders only, and reflect acashdiscount.
Charge card orders are slightly higher.

Most items are in stock for immediate deliverymfactorysealed
cartons, with full factory warrentees. N.Y. state residents must
add appropriate sales tax. Pricesdonotmcludeshipping.C.O.D.
orders require 25% deposits. All prices are subject to change
and all offers subiect to withdrawl without notice.

COMPUTERS WHOLESALE

P.O. Box 91 Brewerton, New York 13029

(315) 472-3055

Circle 119 on inquiry card.

BYTE September 1982 271

Could you pass

this Red Cross

swimming test?

SWIM:

1. Breaststroke-100 Yds.

2. Sidestroke-lOOYds.

3. Crawl stroke -100 Yds.

4. Back crawl — 50 Yds.

5. On back (legs only) —50 Yds.

6. Turns (on front, back, side).

7. Surface dive— underwater swim— 20 Ft.

8. Disrobe— float with clothes —5 mins.

9. Long shallow dive.
10. Running front dive.
11. 10-minute swim.

Anybody who's taken a Red Cross swim course knows
how tough it can be. There's a good reason.

We believe drowning is a serious business.

Last year alone, we taught 2,589,203 Americans not
to drown— in the seven different swim courses we offer
all across the country. (Incidentally, most of the teaching —
as with almost everything American Red Cross does —
is done by dedicated volunteers.)

A good many of the youngsters not only arc learning
to keep themselves safe. Thousands upon thousands of
them are learning to become lif esavers.

And the life they save — may be your own.

Red Cross
is counting
on you.

A Public Service of This Magazine & The Advertising Council

Coukm

Hartley Software

3268 Coach Lane #2A

Kentwood, Ml 49508

Letter Recognition — Kindergarten and first grade —

Large characters $19.95

Word Families — Changing letters to form new words $29.95

Skilldrills— Arithmetic & Verbal— Large characters $14.95-$79.50
Clock-Telling Time — Clock and digital style times $39.95

(Scorekeeping automatic with most programs)

Educational Activities Inc.
POB 392

Freeport, NY 11520

Introduction to Mathematics on the Computer — Level 1-4

Basic Math Competency Skill Drills — Covers +, —, x r

•*- , fractions, decimals, areas
O'Brien Vocabulary Placement Test — Self-scoring
Our Weird and Wacky World — Literal and critical

reading using the Cloze technique
English Basics — Parts of speech, synonyms, antonyms,

homonyms
Flash Spelling — Teachers may add their own words
(Most are self-scoring)

$39.95

$203
$19.95

$79.90

$269.95
$33.50

George Earl

1302 South General McMullen

San Antonio, TX 78237

Spanish Hangman — 1600 words and 450 sentences

French Hangman — 500 words and 1 75 sentences

(Self-scoring)

$29.95
$29.95

Grover Associates
c/o Scholastic Inc.
904 Sylvan Ave.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632

The Microcommunicator Version C — For a child without speech$46
The Microcommunicator Version A — Adult vocabulary $46

Program Design Inc.

11 Idar Court

Greenwich, CT 06830

Pre-School I.Q. Builder — Readiness activities, colors

and shapes $19.95

Vocabulary Builder 1— Beginner— J. H.S. $19.95

Vocabulary Builder 2 — Advanced — S.A.T. preparation $1 9.95

Analogies — S.A.T. preparation with instruction $19.95

Number Series — Projecting Series — S.A.T. preparation $1 9.95
Spelling Builder— Rules and tests $23.95

Reading Comprehension — What's Different?

Categorization (2-4) $1 9.95

Story Builder — Word Master — 4th grade and up $19.95

Step-by-Step Course — Computer programming in

BASICwithtext $59.95

BLS Inc.

2503 Fairlee Rd.

Wilmington, DE 19810

Arithmetic Fundamentals — Tutor Course 2-5 — 29 disks $1479
Reading Comprehension — Tutor Course 3-6 — 15 disks $714

Fractions — A Review Course — Tutor Course 6-7 —

15 disks (color graphics) $765

(Programs incorporate branching instruction design for remedial
help.)

Edu-Ware Services Inc.
POB 22222
Agoura, CA 91301.

Algebra 1 — Definitions, Sets, Evaluation Expressions $39.95

Perception 3.0 Visual Discrimination, Shapes and Length $24.95

Table 1: Publishers of educational software packages and
their products. These packages have been effective in a
special education resource room.

TEAM PLAYERS

Master/Slaves

1C©Q Micro UIQITQI, WG D0MBV0 In

Hon between computers and
ieir operators. That' s why our new team
S-100 master and slave processors are

designed with your team in mind and
teature superlative reliability and ease of
operation.

Our team captain is SUPER QUAD, a
unique multi-function master processor
combining 64K of bank selectable RAM,
single- and double-density floppy disk
controller, system monitor EPROM, Z80A
CPU, two serial and two parallel
communication ports on a single board.

r ers consist of one or more SUPER-
he latest addition to Advanced
itai's line of superior multi-

S-1 00 boards.

Each SUPER-SLAVE is a powerful single-
board slave processor designed for use
with the SUPER QUAD in either network
or stand-alone configurations, The out-
standing features of the SUPER-SLAVE
include;

r more information write or call: Sales Dept.

• A DEDICATED Z80A CPU FOR EACH
USER

• IEEE-696 standard conformity

• 4 serial 2 parallel interface ports

• 2/4K EPROM (monitor)

• 64/128K bank switchable RAM

• One year warranty

• Turbo-DOS™, the state-of-the-art
operating system with an
advanced failure detection and
recovery facility that makes the
master-slave network virtually
crash-proof.

• Also, for the first time CP/NOS®
operating system from Digital
Research. Plug as many SUPER-
SLAVES into the BUS as you need
users.

Your team needs the strong support of
the SUPER QUAD/SUPER SLAVE team from
Advanced Micro Digital Corporation. The
Super System includes SUPER QUAD and
CP/M operating system. The shugart SA-
1000 or quantum Q2000 hard disks are
also supported.

12700-B Knott Street • Garden Grove, California 92641 * (714) 891-4004 TELEX 678401 tab irin

■ Registered Trademark of Digital Research Corp
" Registered "rademark of Software 2000 li

r Copyright 1981 Advanced Micro Digital Corp
Circle 12 on inquiry card.

Gamco Industries Inc.

Opportunities for Learning Inc.

POB310P

8950 Lurline Ave.

Big Spring, TX 79720-0120

Chatsworth, CA 91311

(915)267-6327

(213)341-2535

Scholastic Software

The Micro Center

Scholastic Inc.

POB6

904 Sylvan Ave.

Pleasantville, NY 10570

Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632

(914) 769-6002

(212) 867-7700

Table 2: Mail-order software

retailers specializing in educa-

tional software. These retailers can supply most of the soft-

ware listed in table 1.

can be taught and evaluated with existing software.
Mathematical problem solving, equation writing, and
plotting on a graph are just three of the many mathe-
matical skills being taught with the aid of computers.
Students can sharpen skills for the S.A.T. or G.E.D.
tests. Finally, visual perception, manual dexterity, and
eye-hand coordination can be taught through computer-
ized electronic games, accessed through the keyboard
paddles or joysticks. These games can be a motivational
reward to be earned by students for achievement in other
areas.

Computers are highly adaptable tools and endlessly
patient teachers. They can give the special education stu-
dent useful skills to cope with everyday life, a method to
communicate his or her needs, and perhaps a brighter
outlook on life. ■

For The Best In Price, Selection and Delivery,

%PCl|| 111 O WW I %#LL rlltt PRENTICE STAR: 300 Bd..$ 124

800-368-3404

(In VA, Call Collect 703-237-8695)

AMPEX»INTERTEC«TEXAS INSTRUMENTS'GENERAL DATA

COMM. • ANDERSON JACOBSON*C.ITOH*QUME • BEEHIVE*

DATASOUTH'DIABLO'CENTRONICS -NEC 'PRENTICE

Sprint 9, 45RO, Lim. Pan . $1845

ONLY $1975
ONLY $2350
ONLY $2750

SUPERBRAIN MICROS

INTERTEC:

64K DD*

64K QD*

64K SD* (96TPI)

'(includes M/Soft BASIC)

DDS- 1 Meg

(H ard Disk ) BgBEIE B

rjiTTrnraw

NEC:

7710 $2196

771 5 Call for Special Price

7730 $2196

7720 Call for Special Price

7725 Call for Special Price

Std. Forms Tractor $ 200

3510 $1390

DATASOUTH: Call

DIABLO: 630-R102 $1995

630-R110 $1795

630-R153* $1745

•(for IBM P.O. Apple II, TRS-80)

630-K104(KSR) $2385

620-SPI $1195

QUME:

Sprint 9, 35 KSR $1840

Full Panel $1969

Sprint 9, 55 F.P.Ex.Mem. . $2186
Sprint9,55RO,Ltd.Ex.Mem.$2095
Bi-Dir. Forms Tractor $ 199

TERMINALS

AMPEX:

Dialogue30 $ 775

Dialogue 80 $ 939

BEEHIVE: (SMART DISPLAY)

DM5 Call

DM5A Call

DM31 0(3101 Emulator) Call

NOTE: IBM and Burroughs compatible ter-
minals available. Please inquire.

C. ITOH

CIT 101 $1350

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS:

745 Standard $1390

745 Std. (Reconditioned) . . . Call

810 Basic $1249

810 Package $1439

820 Package RO Package .$1610

820 KSR Package Call

840 RO Basic $ 795

840 RO Tractor Feed Pkg. . $1 059

DISC DRIVES

QUME:

Data Trak 5 .
Data Trak 8 .

.$300 or 2 for $549
.$525 or 2 for $999

SOFTWARE

BISYNC-3780 $ 769

Wordstar $ 289

Data Star $ 1 94

Mail Merge $ 99

Spell Guard $ 229

Plan 80 $ 249

Super Calc $ 249

Wordstar (IBM P.C.) $ 284

Mail Merge (IBM P.C.) . . . .$ 96

d Base II $ 529

CalcStar $ 1 89

SuperSort $ 186

Nevada Cobol $ 176

Special! While They Last!

SOROC TERMINALS

IQ 1 20

IQ 130

IQ 140

ONLY S625
ONLY $525
ONLY S989

In addition, we can make EIA RS232
or RS449 cables to your order, and
supply you with ribbons, printer
stands, print wheels, thimbles for
all printers listed. And many, many
more items. CALL NOW.

All items shipped freight collect either motor freight
or UPS unless otherwise specified. All prices already
include 3% cash discount. Purchase with credit card
does not include discount. Virginia residents, add 4%
Sales Tax. For fastest delivery, send certified check,
money order or bank-wire transfer. Sorry, no C.O.D.
orders. All equipment is in factory cartons with manu-
facturers' warranty (honored at ourdepot.) Prices sub-
ject to change without notice. Most items in stock.

m

TERniflBLS TERRIFIC

Terminals Terrific, Incorporated, P.O. Box 216, Merrifield, VA 22116, 800-368-3404 (In VA, Call Collect 703-237-8695).

274 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 459 on inquiry card.

"QUAD

THE
QUAD

The QUAD is a relational data base man-
agement system and applications devel-
oper allowing the non-programmer to
develop his or her own business and per-
sonal applications around a powerful rela-
tional data base. Some of the applications
you can build with the QUAD are:

BUSINESS

• Accounts Payable

• Agricultural Management

• Construction Management

• General Ledger

■ Human Resource Management

• Inventory Control

• Job Costing

• Mail List

• Order Entry

• Payroll

• Personal Scheduling

• Professional Time and Billing

• Property Management

• Sales Analysis

PERSONAL

• Appointment and Gift Register

• Budgeting

• Car Maintenance

• Family Medical Data

• Home Improvement Information

• Income Tax Information

• Insurance Information

• Inventory Information

• Investment Information

• Recipe Information

• Shopping Lists

• Time Management

• Vacation Planning »

The QUAD is designed for YOU, the
computer user who wants to take full
advantage of his computer.

EXTENSIVE REPORTING CAPABILITIES

The QUAD enables you to create an
unlimited number of reports in any spe-
cific size or form you desire using data
from the QUAD database or another data-
base. You may process and/or print data
during any report.

PROCESSING DATA

• access information in up to 10 or more
files during a report

• perform arithmetic calculations on any
data from any file

%tD

• updateand/or create files based on
report processing

• easily compare date information for
quick aging analysis

• perform up to 5 levels of subtotal ing
within each report

• retrieve records in sequential or indexed
order

• perform processing based on compari-
son of data such as nested IF THEN
logic

PRINTING DATA

• utilize your printer's capability by
printing on any size paper anywhere
on the page

• print checks using the English equivalent
for dollar and cent values

• specify content of page headings,
control headings and footings, detail
lines and total lines

• pause between printing of forms

SAMPLE REPORT

POWERFUL UPDATING CAPABILITIES
The QUAD gives you two methods to
update data within the data base. One
way is directly through the terminal using
a data entry process. The other is through
batch updating based on existing data
within the data base.

• update as many as 10 or more files
simultaneously, using the batch update
mode

• totally user defined screens

• full screen editing

• record sizes up to 900 characters

• perform calculations based on data
entered and data residing in other files

■ access three different help screens
during the data entry process

• utilize your terminal's video capabilities
when creating your terminal update
screens

• restrict alt or some c
future changes

• edit each data field for items such as
phone numbers, numeric data, alpha-
numeric data, date, time, social security
number, etc., or your own defined edits

• IF-THEN logic available during both
terminal and batch updating

SAMPLE SCREEN

06/08/82

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OTHER FEATURES
SORT, INDEX, and REORGANIZE data
files quickly and easily. Also link to user-
written programs directly from the QUAD.
Automatically generate menus to access
each of your applications.
The QUAD comes complete with an
Accounts Receivable application ready for
your use and a Checkbook Balancing
application for you to build.

The suggested retail price
for all this is only $495.00.

Available for most CP/M compatible
hardware.

To order your copy of the QUAD, contact
your computer dealer, or call QuanTeckna
Research today.

QuanTeckna.

Research Corporation

6902 220th St. S.W. MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, WA.
98043 206/364 6940 or 206/771-2488

CP/M is a trademark of Digital Research. Inc

QUAD and QuanTeckna are trademarks of
QuanTeckna Research Corporation

Circle 524 on inquiry card.

Adaptive-Firmware Card
for the Apple II

Alternative input techniques give physically disabled
individuals immediate access to standard software.

At the present time, interest is
growing in the use of microcomputers
to help solve the needs of people with
disabling conditions. A number of
programs allow individuals to use a
computer even though they may be
too severely disabled physically to
use the keyboard directly.

Presented here is a low-cost
adaptive-firmware card that can be
inserted into an Apple II microcom-
puter to provide a variety of "trans-
parent" input routines including scan-
ning, Morse code, and direct selection
techniques. (The term "transparent"
here indicates that the routines work
in conjunction with other programs
without requiring that the programs
be altered in any way.) In addition to
providing "keyboard" input, the card
can also simulate the use of game
paddles and switches for people who
cannot use the game paddles them-
selves.

Paul Schwejda

Alternative Communications Project

Child Development

and Retardation Center

WJ-10 University of Washington

Seattle, WA 98195

Gregg Vanderheiden, Director

Trace Research and Development Center

314 Waisman Center

1500 Highland Ave.

Madison, WI 53706

A large number of programs have
been written that allow disabled in-
dividuals to accomplish specific func-
tions with a microcomputer. A vari-
ety of special single-switch scanning
routines, expanded keyboards, and
encoding routines have been devel-
oped; some of these programs require
only a slight movement of one eye to
allow an individual to select words,
phrases, or commands from menus
presented on the video screen. Most
of these programs, however, cannot
be used in conjunction with other
standard microcomputer software
packages. It is not possible, for exam-
ple, to use many of them to control
Visicalc (a spreadsheet program) or to
enter characters and words into Easy-
writer (a text-editing program). As a
result, disabled persons are able
to tap only part of the potential of
microcomputers and the vast world
of software that is available.

In order to overcome this barrier
and allow physically disabled in-
dividuals access to standard software,
transparent techniques and modifica-
tions are being developed. These
allow the disabled user to access the
computer in such a way that both the
computer and any software written
for it function normally, just as if the
computer were not controlled
through a special input routine. Truly
transparent techniques allow total ac-
cess to any software written for the
computer.

One strategy for providing trans-
parent input is the use of a keyboard
emulator driven by a separate com-
munication aid or another computer.
Although very powerful and very
transparent, this approach is costly
because it involves the expense for
both the emulator module and the
communication aid or second com-
puter.

276 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

The New Gazelle
8086 16-Bit Compute:

In the microcomputer jungle/
one beast stands alone. The new
Gazelle 8086 from Seattle Computer.

Like the animal for which it's
named/ the Gazelle is one of the
fastest micro computers you can buy.
And the Gazelle is more than just fast.
It's fully integrated and ready to run
with BASIC, FORTRAN, Pascal/
COBOL/ spread sheet simulator/ and
word processor available now from
Seattle Computer.

To show you how swift our sleek
new Gazelle is, it includes: an 8 Mhz.
8086 CPU set, 1 28K of RAM, three
RS-232 serial ports and a parallel port
two 8" double-sided double-density
floppy disk drives with controller
(which provide 2.5 megabytes of
storage), MS-DOS operating system

(fully compatible with IBM PC-DOS/
SB-86).

Also provided at no extra cost is
Microsoft's BASIC Interpreter and the
Perfect Writer word processor. There

is space and even a built-in power
supply for our future Winchester hard
disk option. All in one package. Just
add a terminal and printer and you're
in business.

Here is the best news. Gazelle is
not only built to move quickly, it's
priced the same way. You can buy the
fully tested Seattle Computer Gazelle
from your local dealer for $5995.

Call toll-free 1-800-426-8936
for more information. Dealers who
have been hunting for a swift and
sleek Gazelle are encouraged to call.

TER

11 14 Industry Drive, Seattle, Washington 981 88

Circle 418 on inquiry card.

Basic Description

The purpose of the adaptive-
firmware card is to provide complete-
ly transparent control of the Apple II
to people with severe physical
disabilities who are unable to use the
keyboard and game paddles in their
normal fashion. To accommodate the
largest number of individuals, 1 of 10
different input modes may be selected
by using a thumbwheel switch on the
box mounted to the side of the Apple
II (see photo 1). With each of the
techniques, the normal keyboard re-
mains active and can be used at any
time. Also, a number of options
available with the card facilitate its
use by offering adjustable timing
rates.

The complete interface consists of a
specially designed printed-circuit card
that is inserted in slot 7 of the Apple II
computer and a small plastic box that
snaps onto the side of the computer
(this contains the input jacks and the
mode-selection thumbwheel). The
card has a jumper cable ending in a
16-pin DIP (dual-inline pin) connec-

tor; it is very similar in appearance to
the Apple language card. The DIP
connector replaces a decoder IC (inte-
grated circuit) located directly in
front of slot 7 and gives the firmware
card control over the I/O (input/out-
put) decoding in the Apple.

To install the firmware card, sim-
ply remove the 74LS138 decoder im-
mediately in front of slot 7 and insert
the jumper plug. Then insert the
adaptive-firmware card into slot 7
and snap the interface box to the side
of the Apple II. Photo 2 shows the
adaptive-firmware card installed. In-
stallation (or removal) takes less than
a minute and, unlike that of other
keyboard emulators, does not require
the removal of the bottom of the
Apple, nor does it require that the
keyboard be disconnected from the
main circuit board; this is done elec-
tronically during operation.

Operation

To use the adaptive-firmware card,
select the desired output mode with
the thumb switch and turn on the

computer. The disk will not be loaded
immediately; instead, a message will
appear on the screen asking for the
sampling (timing) rate desired for the
input routine. Once the rate is
entered, the disk will boot as during
normal operation of the Apple II.
From this point on, whenever input is
required, you may use either the key-
board or the selected special input
method. (The selected input method
can be changed, as can the rate, sim-
ply by resetting the system twice.)
Now let's examine the available input
modes.

With the switch set in the normal-
keyboard position, the Apple II acts
as if the firmware card is not installed
in the Apple. Input is accepted from
the keyboard in the usual manner.

With one-switch scanning, all input
is handled through a single switch.
When you press the switch, an array
of letters and symbols will appear at
the bottom of the screen, and the cur-
sor will automatically begin scanning
at the rate previously set. The letters
are arranged in groups, and the

Now available from your computer store-
the whole line of AJ couplers and modems.

Starting now you can buy A J acoustic data couplers and
modems directly from your local computer store.

Not just selected models. Any models. Ranging from the
0-450 bps A 242A, the world's most widely used acoustic data
coupler, to the revolutionary AJ 1259 triple modem that
handles 300 bps Bell 103, 1200 bps Bell 212A, and 1200
bps VA 3400 protocols.

Whether you need full or half duplex or both in one;
originate or answer, auto answer; acoustic coupling, or
direct-connect— there's a model for you in the AJ line.

Starting now you don't have to settle for second best.

For the location of your local
computer store handling the AJ line, call toll-free:

800/538-9721

California residents call 408/263-8520, Ext. 307.

|T1 ANDERSON
UU JACOB5DN

278 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 27 on inquiry card.

YOU PICK
IE COMPUTER,
MICROPRO
MAKES ITPERFORM.

There are a lot of fine names in microcomputers. But there's
only one name in software to remember. MicroPro. Because
MicroPro has taken the best ideas in business software and
put them together to make the MicroPro Software System™—
a family of software products that work together on more
than 100 of the most popular brands of microcomputers,
probably including yours*

Software makes the difference.

The key to getting the most out of your computer is the
software you use. And the Software System is designed to get
the most out, faster. The Software System is our new name
for the MicroPro family of software products, each remarkably
powerful and versatile— and even more so when you com-
bine them.

The products: WordStar®(word processing), MailMerge™
(WordStar option— personalized form letters and other
file-merging uses); SpellStar™ (WordStar option— spelling
checker); DataStar™ (data entry and retrieval); CalcStar™
(electronic spread sheet and financial modeling); SuperSort™
(sorting, selecting, and merging); and WordMaster® (video
text editing).

More solutions, less work*

The Software System enables you to use your micro-
computer to its fullest with less time and effort. That's
because, for one thing, most MicroPro products have
similar methods of operation, so it's easier to move
from one product to another. And they readily adapt
to your way of doing business, instead of forcing you
to make changes to fit a rigid software package, like
you have to do with many other software products.
Most important, you can combine MicroPro products' infor-
mation and abilities. The result a lot more ways to make your

business more productive than you'd get from just using each
product by itself.

The System doesn't stop*

Count on MicroPro to keep expanding the Software
System with new products that make it even more useful and
powerful in your business. Coming this year, a series of
in-depth accounting packages; InfoStar™apowerfulreport
generator and partner to DataStar; and StarBurst™anewkind
of software that will link our products together into an even
friendlier and easier to use package.

If you're shopping for a computer, we recommend you
shop for software even more carefully. After all, there are a lot
of good hardware systems to choose from. But there's only
one Software System. From MicroPro.

To get our brochure on the MicroPro Software System,
visit any of our 1200 dealers around the world.

Or phone toll-free 800-227-2400, ext 933
an California 800-772-2666, ext. 933.)

(fflkfoPfCt

INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION

*Ask your MicroPro dealer to let you know which microcomputers can use MicroPro software. For the IBM®Personal Computer, WordStar and MailMerge are now available-other products coming. MicroPro Apple
software requires a CP/M®-Z-80® adaptation device. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. Apple is a trademark of Apple Computer Inc. CP/M is a registered trademark

of Digital Research, Inc. Z-80 is a registered trademark of Zilog, Inc. c 1982 MicroPro International Corp.

Circle 310 on inquiry card.

vpp

EIGHT USERS TO GO

Pick up an Altos 16-bit, UNIX-based

computer system today, and get minicomputer

networking power at a microcomputer price.

Looking for a powerful, yet
affordable, 8-user computer system
that has everything your business
needs, including communications?

Then getyour hands on an ALTOS®
field-proven, XENIX"/UNIX"-based
ACS8600 microcomputer.

Our powerful 16-bit 8086 is
packed with an 8089 for disk/memory
interface, an optional 8087 math
processor and an intelligent 780" I/O,
which share the workload for faster
execution and response.

A unique memory management
and protection system subdivides up

INTER-ALTOS
LOCAL NETWORK

ACS8600-12
20 MByte
Winchester
1-8 USERS
with
ALTOS-
NET/
UNET"'

ACS8600-14
40 MByte
Winchester
1-8 USERS
with
ALTOS -
NET/
UNET

REMOTE COMMUNICATIONS

ACS8600-12
20 MByte
Winchester
18 USERS
with
ALTOS-NET/
UNET
2780
3780
3270
SDLC
X.25

ACS8600-14
40 MByte
Winchester

1-8 USERS
\ with
2780
3780
3270
SDLC
X.25

to one megabyte of memory (500K of
RAM is standard), automatically giv-
ing each user the maximum available.
Built-in Error Detection/Correction
(ECC) maintains system integrity. And
it's all available today on our highly
reliable, fully socketed, proven single
board.

Altos has exactly what you need
for a smooth migration into the
office of the future. Communications
and local networking support, includ-
ing Ethemer and ALTOS-NET ,M for
inter-Altos networking. Large data
storage capacity- integrated Win-
chester, floppy and tape back-up in a
wide range of configurations and
capacities, from 20 to 80 megabytes,
starting with the ACS8600-12 with 20
MBytes and the ACS8600-14 with 40
MBytes. Plus support of popular
multi-user operating systems like
XENIX/UNIX. MP/M-86'" and OASIS-16.

Produced in the heart of Cali-
fornia's technologically fertile Silicon
Valley, Altos microcomputers are the
professional choice of Fortune 500
companies, computer service organ-
izations, major software developers,
and even mainframe computer
manufacturers.

Founded in 1977, Altos has
already delivered more than 25,000
multi-user systems to major OEM
customers. Plus Altos maintains a
worldwide sales and service network.

So when you want a multi-user,
multi-tasking computer system that
has the communications capabilities
your business demands, and you
want it today, pick up an Altos. For
further information, call our toll-free
number or write:

Altos Computer Systems,
2360 Bering Drive,
San Jose, CA 95131.
Tfelex 171562 ALTOS SNJ
or 470642 ALTO Ul.

Packed with
fresh ideas
for business

COMPUTER SYSTEMS

800-538-7872

(In Calif. 800-662-6265)

Circle 21 on inquiry card.

ALTOS is a registered trademark and ALTOS-NET is a trademark of Altos Computer Systems. Ethernet is a trademark of Xerox Corp. MP/M-86 is a trademark of Digital Research. Inc. OASIS-16 is a product
of Phase One Systems. Inc. XENIX is a trademark of Microsoft and is a microcomputer implementation of the UNIX operating system. UNIX is a trademark of Bell Laboratories. Z80 is a trademark of
Zilog, Inc. UNET is a trademark of 3Com Corp. 8086. 8087 and 8089 are products of Intel Corp.
?' 1982 Altos Computer Systems

Photo 1: The adaptive- firmware card. The device allows disabled users to run standard, unmodified software (such as games,
Visicalc, Easywriter, etc.) using any of 10 input routines, some of which require use of only a single switch. (Photo by Ed Crabtree.)

Photo 2: The adaptive-firmware card as installed on an Apple 11. The device plugs into slot 7 of the Apple; it remains hidden to the
Apples system yet allows the disabled user complete access to the Apple and its software. (Photo by Ed Crabtree.)

groups are scanned first. When you
select the desired group, the cursor
will then scan the individual letters or
symbols within that group; they are
arranged in such a fashion that the
most-used letters are easiest (that is,
fastest) to reach (see table 1). This
routine uses the screen without alter-
ing the contents of the screen, and can

be used in a transparent fashion with
any screen-display program, in-
cluding those programs that use the
graphics screens.

When step scanning is selected, all
input is controlled through a single
switch, as in one-switch scanning.
When you press the switch, an array
of letters appears at the bottom of the

screen, but the cursor does not auto-
matically begin scanning. In step
scanning, you hit the switch repeated-
ly to advance the cursor group by
group. When you reach the desired
group, wait a moment. After a brief
delay (the duration is user-selectable),
the group will begin flashing. Then
you hit the switch repeatedly to ad-

282 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

vance, letter by letter, within the
group. When you reach the desired
character, wait again. After another
brief delay, the computer will accept
the letter as if it had been typed on the
keyboard. (This method is useful for
individuals who are unable to handle
the precise timing required for the
one-switch scanning method.)

Inverse scanning operates in the
same manner as one-switch scanning
except that you hold the switch down
to scan and release it to select a group
or item.

In the Morse code 1 mode, you
press a single switch to send short or
long signals ("dits" and "dahs") to the
computer. International Morse code
or any other code can be used. In ad-
dition, all other signals available
from the keyboard are also sup-
ported, including Repeat and Reset
(see table 2).

With Morse code 2, two switches
are used to form an automatic keyer.
One switch sends dits, and the other
sends dahs. If either switch is held
down, it will send out a series of dits
(or dahs) until released. In addition,
the software for this mode has a
memory buffer and will allow you to
get ahead of the computer; thus, if
you send "dah dit dah" and hit the dit
switch before the first dah is finished,
the firmware card will still accept the
input.

In the assist ed-keyboard mode,
two auxiliary switches are used for
the Shift and Control functions. If
you hit the auxiliary Control switch
once, the next character will be a con-
trol character, but following key-
strokes will be unaffected. However,
if you hit the auxiliary Control switch
twice, the system will lock in the
Control mode, and all subsequent
key presses will be sent as Control
keys until the auxiliary Control
switch is activated a third time. The
auxiliary Shift switch operates in the
same fashion. These switches allow a
one-finger typist or someone using a
headstick to type all shift and control
codes.

A special mode is also provided
that allows the Repeat function. To
repeat a character, first type the
character on the keyboard. Then ac-

Array

Contents

Special Meanings

Alphabet

R<#.+ EOHWY TIRUP ANLBK

R

carriage return

SMFVQ DCX JZ G . ! ?

<

backspace

#

call numbers array
call punctuation array

+

repeats last character

Numbers

R<A. 1234 567 890+ *-/=

R

carriage return

<

backspace

A

call alphabet array
call punctuation array

■*

multiplication symbol

Punctuation

. ,?! #"$% '( )* /~:_

R

reset

+ ; @/ -= REC

E

escape

C

control

Table 1: Speed-oriented grouping. To maximize

the user's speed, the letters are

grouped so that the most-used letters take the least time to reach. Spaces can be

generated by stopping at any space in the array.

Numbers and special characters

are accessed through special scanning lines called

up from the main scan line using

the "#" and ". '

' characters.

tivate the auxiliary Shift switch, character typed will repeat. (Ac-
followed by the auxiliary Control tivating the Control switch first
switch. As long as you hold down the followed by the Shift switch will
auxiliary Control switch, the last result in a shifted control character,

DOUBLE YOUR
DISK SPACE
INSTANTLY! l

I M A G I N E
ELIMINATING
YOUR CRAMPED
DISK STORAGE
PROBLEMS
IN LESS THAN
FIVE MINUTES

THE G&M SYSTEMS'
UPGRADE KIT

WORKS ON VIRTUALLY
EVERY BRAND OF
SINGLE SIDED FLOPPY
DISK PRESENTLY
MANUFACTURED

5.25

Ube fore

G6.M SYSTEMS, P.O. BOX 111
FLOURTOWN, PA. 19031

Please send me:

5V Upgrade kit(s) £ $25.00

8" Upgrade kit (s) e $28.00

Order both and save $14.00

Combo kit(s) 5V&8" $39.00

Total Enclosed $

We pay all taxes and shipping
D Check □ Money Order

NAME

ADDRESS

CITY

STATE

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 283

• '•-::' ; ; '"'■.'■.-'. r'-;:-:

'

IBM-PC SUPPLY CEI

ITFR

_ _ ^ m _^_ •>__

ii cn

■Z Z^mZ b^^Zh

PERIPHERALS 1 SOFTWARE

FOR THE IBM PC

PERSONAL COMPUTER

HARDWARE:

CORVUS, Hard Disk Systems. See Corvus section this page

SAVE

Microsoft, 64K RAM Card

New!

$395

20%

128K RAM Card

New 1

$555

20%

256K RAM Card

New!

$875

20%

64K RAM Chips

New 1

$160

20%

Quadraoi, Quad Board 256K, 4 function brd. New!

$689

31%

$ 49

25%

SOFTWARE:

Automated Sim. Temple of Apshai

$ 29

25%

Cavalier, Championship Blackjack

$ 29

25%

$112

25%

Denver. Easy (Exec. Accounting Sys.

$545

25%

Infocom. Deadline

$ 39

25%

Zorkl

$ 23

25%

Zork II

5 23

25%

Innovative. T.I.M. Ill (a DBMS)

$369

25%

ISM, Mathmagic

$ 69

25%

W Insoft. Accountant

ForeachGL.A/R. A/P or Payroll. Absolutely the best IBM-PC accounting software

we have seen. We use it and recommend it highly. A best buy!

$ 99

Info. Unlimited.

Easywrrter II

New!

$259

25%

Phone Support on Easywriter II

Call

Call

Easyspeller (88K words)

New!

$129

25%

Easyfiler (a DBMS)

New!

$299

25%

Micro Pro, Wordstar

New!

$249

40%

MailMerge

New 1

$ 79

40%

SpellStar

$149

40%

Sorcim. Superwnfer

$295

25%

Super Calc

$219

25%

Visicorp, Visicalc

$159

20%

Visicalc/256K

$199

20^

^C commodore

VIC 20 Home Computer

DatasetteVIC 1530

Disk DriveVIC 1540

Super Expander VI0 1211A 3K with lots of extras

3K Memory Expander Cartridge

8K Memory Expander Cartridge

16K Memory Expander Cailridge

VIC Modem. Telephone Interface

VIC/IEEE-488 Interface

Joystick

Game Paddle Pair

Software full line in stock. Call

$229 24%

$ 59
$479
$ 56
$ 32
$ 48
$ 88
$ 96
$ 80
$ 8
$ 15

A

ATARI 1

800 Computer 16K
800 Computer 32K
800 Computer 48K
400Computerl6K
810 Disk Drive
850 Interface
410 Recorder

Special!

820 Printer 40 Col. Impact
822 Printer 40 Col. Thermal
830 Acoustic Modem
16K RAM
32K RAM

Le Stick by DatasoM
Game Paddles (pair)
Joystick (pair)
SOFTWARE:

Visicalc. Disk

Word Processing, Disk

Pacman, Cart

Centipede, Cart

Caverns of Mars, Disk

Touch Typing, tape

Personal Financial Mgt. Disk

Entertainer Kit, Carf

Educator Kit. Cart

Programmer Kit, Cart

Communicator Kit, Cart

Dow Jones Invest. Disk

Temple ol Apshai by Automated, Disk

Apple Panic by Broderbund. Disk

Raster Blaster by Budgeco. Disk

Bug Attack by Cavalier, Disk

Text Wizard by Datasoft, Disk

Compu-senes by Edu-Ware. Disk

Deadline by Infocom, Disk

Zork II by Infocom, Disk

Asteroid by On-Lme. Disk

New!
New!

$665
$747
$777
$225

$444
$159
$ 79
$269
$279
$159
$ 85
$109
$ 29
$ 18
$ 18

$189
$119
$ 35
$ 35
$ 31
$ 19
$ 55
$ 79
$125
$ 55
$335
$ 99
$ 29
$ 23
$ 23
$ 23
$ 75
Call
$ 37
$ 29
$ 20

20%
SAVE
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%

SAVE
38%
37%
40%
25%
26%
25%
21%
14%
14%
28%
15%
20%
28%
20
20

25%
23%
22%
22%
23%
23%
22%
33%
29%
22%
26%
24%
25%
25%
25%
25%
25%
25%
25%
25%
25%

Portland, OR, Cash & Carry Outlet

11507-D SW Pacific Hwy., Pacific Terrace Shop. Ctr., Tigard. OR. Over-the-
counter sales only. On 99W between Rte. 217 and Interstate 5. Call 245-1020.

f\W% /llfl BUSINESS & DEVELOPMENT
V/r/ IVI SOFTWARE

SAVE

Adventure, Adventure's #1 to 812 inclusive, 8" $ 95 26%

* Ashion-Tate, dBase II, 8" $495 30%

Datasoft, Mychess, 8" $ 39 25%

Fox & Geller. Quickcode for dBase II $249 13%

Quickscreen for d8ase II $129 13%

dUtil for dBase II $ 75 25%

Infocom, Deadline, 8" $ 45 25%

Zork II, 8" $ 39 25%

Innovative. Spellguard, 8" $220 25%

"A" Insoft. Accountant, 8", each module

For each GL. A/R, A/P or Payroll Absolutely one of the best accounting software

system available. We use it and recommend it highly. A best buy! $ 99

MicroCraft. Legal Billing & Time Keeping $395 45%

Prof. Billing & Time Keeping $395 45%

MicroPro. Wordstar, 8" $249 40%

Datastar. 8" $199 40%

Mailmerge. 8" $ 79 40%

Super Sort, 8" $150 40%

Word Master. 8" $ 90 40%

Spell Star. 8" $150 40%

Calc Star. 8" $180 40%

Microsoft, fortran-80, 8" $325 25%

Basic Compiler, 8" $295 25%

Cobol-80, 8" $545 25%

Basic 80, 8" $275 25%

Peachtree. Magic Wand, 8", Word Processor $275 30%

GL, A/R. A/P, PR or I nventory, 8" $325 35%

m

HEWLETT
PACKARD

Special!

Special!

New!

Special!

New!

Special!

"A" H/P 85A Microcomputer/Monitor/Printer

H/P 87A CP/M Microcomputer
*H/P 125 CP/M Microcomputer

H/P 82901M 5" Dual Drives

H/P 72258 Professional Graphics Plotter

* H/P 7470A Graphics Plotter
*H/P 8290B Serial Printer

H/P 41C Calculator
H/P 41CV Calculator 2.2K
Card Reader for HP41
Printer/Plotter for HP41
Optical Wand for HP41
Software:

Visicalc + for HP87

Visicalc ♦ for HP125

* Accountant by Insoft for HP125
ForeachGL.A/R. A/P or Payroll. Absolutely the best HP125 accounting software we
have seen. We use it and recommend it highly. A best buy!

Full line of HP accessories and software Call Call

$1795
$1795
$1965
$1595
$1795
$1125
$ 850
$ 185
$ 245
$ 159
$ 289
$ 89

$ 189
$ 159
$ 99

SAVE
36%
29%
30%
28%
35%
28%
50%
25%
25%
27%
25%
25%

* ** CORVUS SYSTEMS

• *

SAVE

6 Meg Hard Disk $2495 20%

1 1 Meg Hard Disk $3995 20%

20 Meg Hard Disk $4795 20%

Mirror built-in for easy backup $ 649 20%

Apple Interface $ 239 20%

Apple III Interface (SOS) $ 239 20%

IBM PC Interlace (IBM DOS) $ 239 20%

Xerox Interface (CP/M) $ 239 20%

NEC Interface (CP/M) $ 239 20%

TRS-80 Interface (call) Call 20%

Other Interfaces. Omni-Net. Constellation. Mirror. All in Stock.

SEC

SAVE

8001 32K Computer $ 739 25%

286K Total. Dual Drive PC8031 $ 739 25%

32K addon and 1/0 Unit PC8012 $ 485 25%

Ren Tec "The Wedge" 32K $ 495 17%

8023 Impact Printer F/T $ 480 25%

Impact Printer Cable $ 49 25%

3510 Letter Quality Daisy Wheel Printer $1995 20%

Monitor, 12" Green $ 159 25%

Monitor, 12" Color $ 349 25%

Software:

NEC CP/M DOS for NEC 8001 $ 115 25%

NEC Report Manager $ 135 30%

NEC General Accounting $ 239 40%

NEC Accounts Receivable $ 239 40%

NEC Inventory System $ 239 40%

NEC Payroll System $ 239 40%

NEC Game Pack I $ 24 20%

NEC Game Pack II $ 24 20%

NEC Word Processor $ 395 20%

Infocom. Zork II $ 29 25%

Deadline $ 39 25%

Insoft, Accountant

For each GL A/R. A/P. or Payroll. Absolutely the best NEC accounting software we

have seen. We use it and recommend it highly. A best buy! $ 99

fJSCl

MICRO-SCI

FOR THE ftPPtf 1

DIRECT SUBSTITUTES lor
APPLE DRIVES

Micro-Sci A2 drives and/or controllers are direct plug compatiable substitutes foi

Apple drives and controllers. A2 will run all Apple software. Save over $350 on an A40

or A2 dual drive system. We use them and highly recommend the product.

*A2, 5'/«", 143K Disk Drive $369

Controller Card for A2 Drive $ 79

A40, 5U", 160K Disk Drive $359

A70, 5W", 286K Disk Drive, Double Density $479

Controller Card for A40 or A70 Drive $ 79

Filer, Disk Utility Software System for A2 Drives $ 15

23%
21%
20%
20%
21%
25%

OVERSTOCK SPECIAL

, ^32 : for the

'^Tcippkz N/N+

SAVE

ALS 16K AddRAM Card

$ 59

60%

ALS ZCard, 280 CP/M Card

$199

27%

ALS Smarterm 80 Col, Card

$229

34%

ALS Synergizer Pack

$450

40%

ALS Synergizer Pack with Supercalc

by Sorcim (while they last)

$495

53%

PRINTERS, Daisy Wheel

SAVE
* Quife. Sprint 9,45 Cps.RO SPECIAL! $1750 33%

Sprint 5, 45 Cps. R0 SPECIAL! $1795 40%

-frOlympia (Typewriter/Printer) ES 100 18CPS, with lull cable

and interface to Apple II $1295 24%

PRINTERS,

Impact

SAVE

Epson See Epson section below

See below

IDS. Prism 132, Color w/Graphics

$1595

20%

Prism 80. Color. w/Graohics

$1495

17%

Pager Tiger 445IJ, w/Graphics & 2K

Special!

$ 595

35%

Pager Tiger, 560, w/Graphics

$ 995

30%

Okidata, Microline 82A. 120 Cps. 80 Col. Para & Serial

$ 495

15%

Microlme 84S. 200 Cps. 136 Col. Serial, 200 Cps.

$1295

15%

tl OvJIM PRINTERS & ACCESSORIES

SAVE

MX80 w/Graffrax

$425

31%

Mx80 F/T w/Graftrax ♦

$525

25%

MX100 F/T w/Graftrax +

$695

27%

Apple Interface and Cable for MX80/MX100

$ 95

15%

Graftrax 80 for MX80

$ 79

20%

Epson/Atari Cable

$ 30

26%

Epson TRS 80 Cable

$ 30

26%

Grappler by Orange Micro, Specify Computer

$129

21%

MONITORS

SAVE

NEC. 12" Green

$159

25%

12" Color, Composite

$349

25%

Sanyo.

9" B&W

$149

25%

"A" 9" Green, Overstock Special

$139

36%

12" B&W

$199

20%

12" Green

$199

25%

13" Color, Composite

$349

25%

Zenith, 12" Green

$119

30%

Amdek. 12" Green #300

$159

38

13" Color 1, Composite

$359

20%

13" Color II. RGB

$799

20%

Color II to Apple II Interface

$159

20%

Comrex, 13" Color, Composite

$349

27%

13" Color. RGB for IBM-PC

$529

15%

DISKETTES

•CDC 12 for 10 Special. L

mited Time!

SAVE

CDC. 120 each, 5'4. with ring, SS, SD (Apple, IBM

, etc.)

$195

57%

12 each, 5U, wtth ring, SS. SD (Apple, IBM

etc.)

$ 22

45%

12 each, 5U, with ring, SS. DD (H/P. etc.)

$ 28

45%

12 each 8", SS, SD

$ 28

45%

Verbatim, 10 each 5'4, with ring, SS, SD

$ 28

45%

Maxell, 10 each 5 '/., SS. SD

$ 35

33%

Dysan, 10 each 5U, SS. SD

$ 39

30%

10 each 5, DS. DD

$ 49

25%

ORDERING INFORMATION AND TERMS: WeshipimmediatelyonCashierChecks,MoneyOrders,Fortunel000Checks,andGovernmentChecks.
PersonalChecks and Company Checks allow 20 days to clear. Add 3% for VISA or MC. Add 3% for shipping, insuranceand handling (minimum$5). UPS ground is standard. Add 10% more
for US Postal, APO or FPO. Include telephone no. No COD. Prices subject lo change and typographic errors, so call to verify. All goodsare new, include factory warranty, and are guaranteed
to work. Due to our low prices all sales are final. Call before returning goods for repair or replacement. ORDER DESK HOURS: 8 to 6 PST, M-F. 10 to4 Sat.& Sun. 1 p.m. here is4 p.m. in NY.

OUR REFER EN CEo! We have been a computer dealer since 1978 and in mail order since 1980. Banks: First Interstate Bank, (503)776-5620 and Jefferson State Bank,
(503) 773-5333. We belong to the Chamber of Commerce, (503) 772-6293, or call Dun & Bradstreet if you are a subscriber. Computer Exchange is a division of O'Tech Group. Inc.

fi!3 53Q

NO SALES
TAX

Oregon Order Desk
(503) 772-3803

Ad #937

NATIONAL TnTT rnrr
ORDER DESK 1ULL ri\tt

(800)547-1289

Circle 106 on inquiry card.

?^%^^tl

Exclusively for

ifll Belle- HovvgII by Kippkz computer

LIST
PRICE

OUR
PRICE

SAVE

B&H Apple 11 +

64K (48K+ALS16K)
DISK II w/3.3 Cont.

DISK II Only
OR:

M725 $ 1195 $ 530

$ 645 $ 520 M25

$ 525 $ 450 $ 75

SAVE OVER s 350 on a pair of drives.
Buy a pair of Micro-Sci A2 Drives.
See opposite page.

cippkzn/ii+

supply center

HARDWARE

for Apple ll/IM

$ 149
$ 59
$ 169
$ 319
$ 459
$ 75
$1145

$ 229
$ 249

SAVE

33%
60%
25%
25%
25%
25%
20%

34%
28%

15%

34%
27%
60%
40%

$ 495 53%

MICRO-SCI. Disk Drives, Plug/software compatiable
to Apple. See opposite page.
RAM CARDS:
Microsoft. 16K RAM Card
* ALS. 16K ADDRam
Saturn Systems, 32K
64K
128K
VC Expand 40 or 8
Axlon, 320K RAM Disk system
80 COLUMN VIDEO CARDS:
ALS, Smarterm
Videx. Videoterm

See more ALS and Videx under Miscellaneous
Vista, Vision 80 $279 30%

M&R. Sup R term $ 319

MISCELLANEOUS:

ALS, Smarterm 80 Col. Card Special $ 229
Z Card (2 80) W/CPM Special $ 199
16K ADDRam Special $ 59

Synergizer Pack Special $ 450

if Synergizer with free Sorcim
Supercalc. (While they last)
Apple Computer,
Srlentype II Printer
Graphics Tablet
Joystick II
Game Paddle
Numeric Keypad
Axlon. 320K RAM Disk System
CCS. Serial Interface 7710A

Other CCSCards in stock
Dan Paymar. Lower Case Chips
Hayes, Micromodem II

Smartmodem
ISC, Videostick Paddle
Kensington, System Saver Fan
it Keyboard Company,
Joystick II
Game Paddle
Numeric Keypad
M&R. RF Modulator
SupRFan
if Microsoft. Z80 Softcard
16K RAM Card

SoftcardPremiumPack $ 579
Mountain.
CPS Multifunction Card
if Clock/Calendar

Novation. Applecat Modem
Orange Micro, Grappler

$ 335
$ 675
$ 39
$ 19
$ 119
$1145
$ 139
Call
$ 34
$ 289
$ 229

$ 119
$ 25
$ 39
$ 269
$ 149

$ 209
$ 195
$ 329
$ 129

15%
15%
22%
27%
21%
20%
22%
Call
33%
25%
20%
23%
20%

22%
27%
21%
27%
25%
33%
33%
25%

13%
30%
16%
21%

if Practical Peripherals, w/cable & Conn.)

MBS 8K Serial (Epson) New! $ 129

MBP 16K Para (Epson) New! $ 129

if Microbuffer II 16K New! $ 209

Microbutler II 32K New' $ 229

RH Electronics. Super Fan I) $ 59

SSM, AlOSenal/Para Interface $159

TG Products: Game Paddles $ 29

Joystick $ 45

if Videx. Videoterm 80 col. $ 249

Soft Video Switch $ 25

Enchancer II $ 99

Function Strip $ 59

Enchancer (Rev 6 or 7 +) $ 99

Full Videx Line Call up to 35%

20%
20%
20%
24%
21%
20%
28%
25%
28%
29%
34%
26%
25%

TEN! r $1,795

B&H APPLE II

64K STARTER SYSTEM

SAVES 765

• 48K B&H Apple 11+

• ALS 16K RAM Card

• Disk II with 3.3 DOS & Controller

• Sanyo 9" Green Monitor
Add $60 for Apple Beige color.
Save $832 total. Substitute a A2 Micro-Sci drive

for the Disk II.
Add another A 2 drive and save a total of $888.

B&H APPLE 11 +

64K BUSINESS

STARTER SYSTEM

$2,240

SAVE $1,125

Starter System above plus:

• ALS ZCard, Z80 CP/M Card

• ALS Smarterm 80 Column Card

• Sorcim Supercalc (while they last

SOFTWARE

on disk for Apple 11/11 +

BUSINESS

Warranty: Factory warranty is by Bell and Howell (not
by Apple) and is one year parts plus 90 day fabor.
Warranty service available at Bell and Howell service
centers or return to Computer Exchange.

Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Inc.

Apple Computer. Inc.

SAVE

Osborne/C.P. Soft.. (Disk and Book

50% Off on Apple III Software

Call

50%

if Some Common Basic Programs.

SAVE

The Controller (Accounting)

$499

20%

75 Business. Statistics and Math

Apple Writer 1.1

$ 59

20%

programs for the Apple II

$ 49

50%

Apple Pascal

$199

20%

if Practical Basic Programs.

Apple Fortran
DOS Tool Kit

$159
$ 59

20%
20%

40 more very valuable programs
beyond "Some Com. Basic Prog"

$ 49

50%

* Means a BEST buy.

DOS 3.3 Upgrade Kit

$ 59

20%

Peachtree, GL, AR, AP or Inv. each

$189

36%

Apple Plot

$ 59

20%

"W Magic Wand (Specify board)

$250

50%

DJ News & Quotes

$ 75

20%

Phoenix. Zoom Grafix

$ 29

28%

OJ Portfolio Evaluator

$ 45

20%

Sensible, Apple Speller

$ 55

27%

How to!

$ 39

20%

Silcon Valley. Word Handler

$150

40%

Microcourier

Micro Telegram

$199
$199

20%
20%

Solldus/Softech
if Stocklile

$250

60%

HOME & EDUCATION

Time Manager

$119

20%

Stockseller

$425

40%

Many Others

Call

Call

Software Publishing,

SAVE

Applied Soft Tech.. Versa Form

$289

26%

PFS II or III NEW version!

$ 89

30%

Autom. Sim.. Crush Crumb Chomp

$ 30

25%

Artsci. Magic Window

$ 75

25%

PFS Report II or III

$ 69

30%

Broderbund.

Ashion-tate. dBase II (CP/M)

$495

30%

Sorcim. Super Calc. (CP/M)

$219

25%

Apple Panic

$ 21

30%

Beagle Bros.. Utility City

$ 22

25%

Southeastern,

Arcade Machine

$ 32

30%

Broderbund. Payroll

$269

30%

Data Capture 4.0. specify brd.

$ 69

25%

Red Alert

$ 21

30%

General Ledger

$349

30%

Source. The Source

$ 75

25%

Space Warrior

$ 18

30%

Continental. CPA fll General Ledger

$189

25%

Stoneware. DB Master

$179

22%

Star Blazer

New!

$ 24

30%

CPA H2 Accounts Rec.

$189

25%

DB Utility lor II

$ 75

10%

Many others

Call

Call

CPA #3 Accounts Pay.

$189

25%

VisiCorp/Personal Software.

Budgeco. Raster Blaster

$ 22

27%

CPA U Payroll

$189

25%

Vis.calc 3.3

$189

25%

Calif. Pacific. Ultima

$ 30

25%

CPA #5 Property Mgt.

$189

25%

VisiDex Special!

$175

30%

Cavalier, Bug Attack

$ 23

23%

Denver. Financial Partner

$185

25%

VisiFile

$199

25%

Continental, Home Accountant

$ 56

25%

dBase II for Apple 11/11+ CP/M

$495

30%

Desktop Plan II or Ifl Special!

$175

30%

Home Money Minder

$ 26

25%

Fox & Geller. Quickscreen for dBase II

$129

13%

Visiplot

$159

20%

LA Land Monoply

$ 23

25%

Quickcode for dBase II

$259

13%

VisiSchedule New!

$239

20%

DataMost. Snack Attack

$ 22

25%

Hayden. Pie Writer (Specify brd.)

$125

25%

VisiTrend and VisiPlot Special!

$210

30%

Thief

$ 22

25%

H&H Trading. Stock Tracker

$129

32%

VisiTerm

$ 79

20%

Edu-Ware, Compumath

$ 29

25%

Market Tracker

$199

33%

Zork

$ 33

20%

Hayden, Sargon II (Chess)

$ 29

22%

High Tech.. Store Mgr.

$189

25%

Infocom. Deadline

New!

$ 38

25%

if Job Control Sys.

$469

40%

UTILITY & DEVELOPMENT

Zork

$ 29

25%

Info Master

$119

40%

Beagle. Utility City

$ 22

25%

Insoft, Electric Duet by Lutus

New!

$ 25

20%

Info. Unlim., Easywriter (PRO)

$139

25%

DOS Boss

$ 18

25%

GraFORTH by Lutus

New'

$ 59

25%

if Innovative. Spellguard (CP/M)

$150

50%

Central Point Software:

Lightning. Mastertype

$ 29

25%

Insoft, Accountant (CP/M)

$ 99

Filer, DOS Utility

$ 18

25%

Microsoft. Olympic Decathlon

$ 24

24%

For each GL A/R. A/P or Payroll. Absolutely the best

if Copy II Plus (bit copier)

$ 35

10%

Typing Tutor

$ 19

30%

accounting software available for the Apple 11/11*.

Will copy most copy protected software for your

Muse. Robot War

$ 29

25%

Better than Peachtree. We use it and recommend it

backup in 45 seconds or less! Highly recommended.

On-Line, Pegasus II

$ 22

25%

UK. Letter Perfect

$112

25%

Epson. Graphics Dump

$ 9

35%

Mouskattack

New!

$ 26

25%

+ Micro Craft.

(CP/M) Legal Bilfing & timekeeper

Insoft.

Time Zone

New!

$ 75

25%

$250

65%

+ GrafFORTH by Paul Lutus New'
ALD System II by Paul Lutus

$ 59

22%

Jawbreaker

New!

$ 23

25%

Prof. Billing & timekeeping

$250

65%

$ 59

22%

Ultima II

New!

$ 27

25%

Micro Lab, Data Factory ver 5.0

$249

20%

TransFORTH II by Paul Lutus

$ 99

20%

Marauder

New!

$ 26

25%

Visifactory New!

$ 56

25%

ElectricJ)uet by Paul Lutus New!

$ 25

20%

Threshold

$ 30

25%

Invoice Factory

$129

35%

Microsoft,

Cranston Manor

$ 26

25%

Tax Manager

$ 95

38%

A.L.D.S.

$110

10%

Mission Astroid

$ 15

25%

Micro Pro. (all CP/M}

SAVE

8ASIC Compiler

$299

25%

Mystery House

$ 19

25%

if Word Star NewVersion

$199

47%

Cobol 80

$559

25%

Softporn (X Rated)

$ 22

25%

MailMerger

$ 69

45%

Fortran 80

$149

25%

Ulysses and Golden Fleece

$ 22

25%

SpellStar

$119

40%

Olympic Decathlon

$ 24

24%

Piccadilly. Falcon

$ 23

25%

DataStar

$169

40%

TASC Compiler

$159

22%

Star Blaster

$ 23

25%

CalcStar

$169

40%

if Omega. Locksmith (bit copier)

$ 75

25%

Sentient. Oo-TOPOS

$ 25

25%

SuperSort 1 or II

$119

40%

On-Line. Expediter II

$ 75

25%

Sirius. Sneakers

$ 22

25%

Muse, Super Text II

$113

25%

Phoenix. Zoom Grafix

$ 29

28%

Gorgon

$ 29

25%

Super Text 40/80 New!

$129

25%

Source, the Source

$ 75

25%

Twerps

$ 22

25%

Form Letter New!

$ 75

25%

Southwestern. ASCII Express

$ 59

25%

Sir-Tec. Wizardry

New!

$ 39

22%

On-Line. Expediter II

$ 75

25%

Sub-Logic. Flight Simulator

$ 28

20%

Strategic. Southern Commanc

$ 30

25%

Screenwriter II

$ 95

27%

Tymac. Super Pix

$ 20

20%

OTHER BRANDS IN STOCK. CALL.

THE WORLD'S LARGEST COMPUTER MAIL ORDER FIRM

Computer Exchange

A Division of

OTECHtam

ALL MAIL: P.O. Box 1380, Jacksonville, OR 97530

WAREHOUSE AND OFFICES, BY APPOINTMENT AT 6791 UPPER APPLEGATE ROAD.

Ad #937

Circle 106 on inquiry card.

Internationa

1 Morse Code

Additional Codes

A .-

W .--

space bar

B --■■

X

backspace ----

C

Y

carriage return .-.-

D -..

Z

escape (OE) — .

E -

1

control (KS) -.-...

F ■•-.

2

right arrow (UU) ......

G «■

3

repeat (HM)

H ■ ■ i ■

4

! (exclamation point)

1 ..

5 .....

$ (dollar sign) .....

J ....

6

* (asterisk) .....

K ...

7 -

+ (plus sign) .....

L

8

= (equals sign)

M «

9

" (quotation marks) .....

N -.

( (open parenthesis) .. — .

---

■ (period) .-.-.-

) (close parenthesis)

P

; (semicolon) -.-.-.

( (ampersand) .....

Q

: (colon) — . . .

# (number or pounds) — ...

R ■-.

, (comma) --. .--

% (percent) -----

S ...

? (question mark) . .--.

I (exponent)

T -

' (apostrophe) .----.

@ (at)

U ■■-

. (hyphen) ......

< (less than) -.--.

V ...-

/ (fraction bar)

> (more than) -.- —

Table 2: Signals f

or the Morse-code input

routine. The Morse-code input routine

uses standard International Morse code ant

a number of additional codes to allow

full access to the Apple II. (Adapted from

"EMG Activated Spatial Morse Code

General Purpose

Communication Device"

by Carl B. Friedlander and Morteza

Rahimi. Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Frontiers of Engineering in Health

Care, Denver, Colorado, October 6-7, 1979; page 298.)

where that is required.)

When the parallel mode is selected,
the adaptive-firmware card acts as a
straight keyboard emulator. Any
parallel ASCII (American Standard
Code for Information Interchange)
fed to the firmware card through a

parallel port will be entered into the
computer as if it had been typed on
the keyboard.

In the serial mode, the firmware
card again acts as straight keyboard
emulator, accepting serial ASCII
data. Any serial ASCII fed to the

firmware card will be entered into the
computer as if it had been typed on
the keyboard. The firmware card will
support data rates of 110, 150, 300,
600, and 1200 bps (bits per second).
Note that, because a DB25 connector
is used for several things, the stan-
dard RS-232C pin assignments are
not used.

In the expanded-key board mode,
the card will support any 8- by
15-switch matrix.

Special Options

The options available with the
firmware card include the slowdown
option, which allows any program
being executed on the computer to be
slowed down for use by individuals
having slower reaction times. This is
accomplished by interrupting the pro-
gram and inserting delay loops.
Because these interruptions are ac-
tually triggered by the structure of the
program itself, the effect of the
slowdown value (which can be from
to 255) varies from program to pro-
gram. Experimentation with in-
dividual progams will determine the
best value for the given individual
and program. (The default value is 0.)

The paddle option allows you to
use a single switch instead of a paddle
to play games that use game paddle 1.
When selecting a paddle mode, you
indicate a parameter that tells the
program which of seven paddle

Micro MidWest
10205 West 69th Terrace
Merriam, KS 66203
Call: (913) 362-3462

Micro Frame

110 V 60 Hz CVT S-100 bus (IEEE-696) Microframes and disk enclosures. Constant Voltage Transformer (CVT) instantly regulates AC power ranging from as low as 50VAC to as
high as 140VAC (depending on the current load) to with ± 3%. TEI microframesgivesyou lotsof goodclean power.90day factory warantee. With TEI youdon't needan expen-
sive voltage regulator; TEI isolates your boards and drives from spikes, voltage variations, noise and even brownouts.

12 slot microframes ± 8V @ 17A, ± 16V @ 2A
22 slot microframes ±8V @ 30A, ±16V @ 4A

MCS-112
MCS-122
RM-12
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$800
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Our Price

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785
795
850

8" disk drive enclosure with CVT. Holds two 8" Shugart 801 R or 851 R, or Qume DT-8 size drive, +24V ty 1.5A, + 5V @ 1.0A, -5V @ 0.24A. Power cables included

DFD-0
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Table Top Disk Enclosure
Rack Mount Disk Enclosure

$565
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Combination of S-100 bus and disk enclosure. 12 slot bus plus 3 cutouts for 5 Va'
+ 8V @ 17A, ± 16V @ 2A, + 12V @ 1.2A, Power cable included.

floppy disk drives (or 5 'a" size hard disks)

TF-12
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TableTop Combination
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$745
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$500
625

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750

Inventory In Stock! Dealer inquiries invited: We are a TEI (Texas Electronic Instruments) Master Distributor.

Terms: COD accepted. 2% discount on Prepaid orders. Kansas Residents add 4% sales tax. All prices subject to change. We normally use UPS. Blue Label or other fast ship-
ment available at purchaser's choice.

286 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 306 on inquiry card.

Your guide to the

world of microprocessors.

The Micro-Professor™ -a low cost tool for

learning, teaching and prototyping.

Here in one attractive package
and at a price of only $149.00 is a
Z80* based microcomputer to
lead you step by step to a
thorough knowledge of the world
of microprocessors.

The Micro-Professor is a
complete hardware and software
system whose extensive teaching
manual gives you detailed
schematics and examples of pro-
gram code. A superb learning
tool for students, hobbyists and
microprocessor enthusiasts, as
well as an excellent teaching aid
for instructors of electrical engi-
neering and computer science
courses.

But the Micro-Professor is
much more than a teaching
device. With it you can do bread-
boarding and prototyping, de-
signing your own custom hard-
ware and software applications
with Z80, 8080 and 8085 compati-
ble code.

The standard 2K bytes of
RAM is expandable to 4K,
and the standard 2K bytes of
ROM can be increased to 8K.

All this plus a built-in
speaker, a cassette interface, and

sockets to accept optional
CTC/PIO. Bus is extendable.

As well as being an exciting
learning tool, the Micro-Professor
is a great low-cost board for
OEM's. Call for details

SSB-MPF

Speech

Synthesizer

Board $129

A

vocabulary

of up to 400

words based

on the

TMS 5200 chip.

EPB-MPF

EPROM

Programming

Board $169

For all +5V

1KB/2KB/

4KB EPROMs

Read /Copy /Li st/Ver if y

Capability.

BASIC-MPF
Tiny Basic $19

2KB BASIC

interpreter with

hardware control

capability.

Machine-code

subroutine accessible.

PRT-MPF
Printer

$99

A

thermal

printer

with built-in

alphanumeric

character patterns

and Z80 disassembler.

20 characters per line, 0.8 line per

second.

* Z80 is a trademark of Zilog Inc.
Q

Multitech Electronics Inc.

30 day trial period with full refund.
90 day warranty.

Circle 332 on inquiry card.

I'm ready to enter the
world of microprocessing

•* Check or money
order enclosed
□ Visa □ Mastercharge

Call toll free to order.

MPF-I Micro-Professor

SSB-MPF Speech Synthesizer Board

EPB-MPF EPROM Programming Board

PRT-MPF Printer

BASIC-MPF

Shipping and Handling

Card No.

Expires

Price

o>.

taiount

$149.00

$129.00

$169.00

$ 99.00

$ 19.00

$ 4.95

4.95

add sales tax.

TOTAL

Signature

Name (Please Print)

in U.S. and Canada mail to:

Multitech Electronics Inc.
195 West El Camino Real
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
California Tel. (408) 773-8400
Elsewhere (800) 538-1542

City

State

Zip

Outside of North America mail to:

Multitech Industrial Corporation
977 Min Shen E Road 105
Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
Tel. 02-769-1225
TWX 19162 MULTIIC.
23756 MULTIIC

Circle 374 on Inquiry card.

INTEGRATED
BUSSING

- IEEE-488

BUS

with the

o

P&T-488
INTERFACE

BUS ,

Inexpensive S-100 computers
can now communjcate with the
IEEE-488 instrumentation bus.
The P&T-488 meets the IEEE-
488 1 980 standard for control-
ler, listener, & talker.
Interface software allows sim-
ple communication with the 488
busfrom Basic, Pascalandother
high level languages. Interface
software is available for CP/M®,
North Star, or Cromemco.
Special features include an
interactive busmonitor program
and a functional self-test
program.

Price for (1) P&T-488 with software
and 18" cable, assembled and tested:
$450 (domestic price) FOB Goleta, CA.

PICKLES & TROUT

P.O. BOX 1206, GOLETA, CA 931 16
(805) 685-4641

*CP/M is a registered trademarkof Digital Research

Mode

1

User Switch 2

moves paddle 1
left and right

User Switch 1 User Switch 2 User Switch 3 User Switch 4

activates
button 1

activates
button 1,
moves paddle 1
left and right

activates moves paddle 1 moves paddle 1

button 1 right only left only

activates
button 1,
moves paddle 1
left only

activates moves paddle 1 moves paddle 2 moves paddle 2

button 1 , left only down only up only

moves paddle 1
right only

activates
button 1

moves paddle 1
right only

moves paddle 1
right only

moves paddles
1 and 2 right,
left, up, and
down

activates
button 1,
moves paddles
1 and 2 right,
left, up and
down

Table 3: Paddle modes. In addition to providing an "alternate keyboard" to the
Apple, the firmware card also lets you control game-paddle programs using input
switches instead of paddles (and the buttons associated with the paddles). Various
paddle modes are available that allow you to move the cursor back and forth on
the screen using only the input switches. The table shows how paddle movement is
controlled by different numbers of input switches in the different modes. You select
the mode that best matches the number of switches you wish to control and the
paddle requirements of the game or program you will be using.

modes should be used. (See table 3 for
a summary of the paddle modes.)

In modes where one switch con-
trols movement in two directions,
holding the switch down will cause
the cursor to move in one direction
until the switch is released. Ac-
tivating the switch again will cause
the cursor to move in the opposite
direction.

In modes where one switch con-
trols movement in four directions, the
routine scans through the instructions
for each of the different movement
directions until you hold down the
switch. The routine will then carry
out cursor movement according to
the instruction it was on when you

pressed the switch; movement con-
tinues in this direction until the
switch is released. The routine then
returns to scanning around the four
possible directions until you press the
switch again. Thus you have the op-
tion of moving the cursor up, down,
right, or left.

Seven other paddle modes are
available that are exactly the same as
modes 1 through 7, as far as the user
is concerned, but they use a different
software technique to simulate the
game paddles. This allows the firm-
ware card to be used with a greater
variety of games, which use different
game-paddle reading techniques.

Other game-paddle control options

288 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

,£sfcujator

f *W»l«Mll(vrprobJ t . niB .

HowtheTI'55'-IImakes
short workof long problems*

Whenever you can solve
complex problems quickly and
accurately, you're ahead of the
game. And that's exactly what the
TI-55-II does for you. By giving
you 112 pre-programmed functions
(like definite integrals), it allows
you to take short cuts without
losing accuracy. You'll accomplish
a lot more in less time which
means increased efficiency.

With our TI-55-II you can
tackle problems you thought could
only be solved with higher-priced
programmables. You're not only
getting the standard slide rule
functions but also statistical capa-
bilities. This way you can work
out linear regressions, permuta-
tions and combinations, just to
name a few.

Circle 538 on inquiry card.

The TI-55-II also gives you
enough programmability to elimi-
nate a lot of repetitive key punch-
ing. Our Constant Memory™
keeps programs and data on tap,
even when the calculator is turned
off. So once you've entered a
formula, you can simply put in the
variables to get your solution. The
Liquid Crystal Display shows your

answers in standard, scientific or
engineering notations — clearly
and precisely.

We also help you get the
most out of your calculator with
the Calculator Decision-Making
Sourcebook. It gives you step-
by-step examples of the best
techniques used for solving mathe-
matical, scientific and statistical
problems. And we've included a
special section on how to program
your TI-55-II.

So next time you're facing
another time-consuming
problem, cut it down to
size with theTI-55-II.

Texas
Instruments

© 1982, Texas Instruments Incorporated.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY

AN ARM AND A LEG FOR

DEMONSTRATION SOFTWARE!

Get everything
you need

for *295°° /

Whether you are selling
your customer hardware
or software, the three
best ways to close the
sale are:

1) demonstration;

2) demonstration; and
3} demonstration. That's why

e offer you the best softwa
demonstration system in the
microcomputer industry.

The package includes al
the software listed here,
plus important
promotional materials
and our exclusive
video sales

presentation designed
to help you make the
sale. You get the
whole package for
just $295.00.

We offer you the
largest selection of
quality business
applications and the
best support available
anywhere. Everyone
claims to be the best
.4. but we're willing to
demonstrate it All you
have to do is give us a
call, or drop us a card.

FINANCIAL

General Ledger • Accounts

Payable • Accounts

Receivable • Payroll • Cash

Receipts/Disbursements

• Job Costing • Mailing

List Management

MEDICAL/DENTAL

Office Scheduler

• Patient Billing

• Accounts Receivable

• Insurance Forms

GOVERNMENTAL/

EDUCATIONAL

Student Record Keeping

• Student Scheduling

• Fund Accounting

WHOLESALE
DISTRIBUTION

Purchasing and Receiving

• Inventory Control

• Invoicing and Receivables

• Sales Commission

Reporting • Backorder

Management

MANUFACTURING

INVENTORY

CONTROL

Finished Goods Inventory

Management • Parts

Inventory Management

• Parts Purchasing and

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All (MS business applications require CP/M®.-
or MP/M® and CBASiC II© . . . registered
lademarks of Digital Research Corp.

INTERNATIONAL
MICRO SYSTEMS

6445 Metcalf • Shawnee Mission, KS 66202
(913) 677-1137

290 BYTE September 1982

Circle 235 on inquiry card.

may be developed. The ones above
are designed to give different types of
individuals using different numbers
of switches maximum control of
various programs.

The paddle speed option lets you
adjust the movement speed in the
game-paddle emulation routines. The
speed set is equal to the number that
the paddle count will be incremented
(or decremented) each time the pro-
gram checks for the paddle position
(while the user switch is closed). The
actual rate of cursor movement for
any given setting will vary depending
on the software being run. (Paddle
speed and mode should be set before
entering a game, as access to the
"keyboard" input routines is restrict-
ed during game play.)

The stop-time option prevents your
being trapped in a game-playing
mode, unable to get back to the key-
board or standard input mode. Under
this option, you set a stop-time delay
before entering the game-playing
mode. When you want to get out of

the game-playing mode, simply leave
the switches inactive for the ap-
propriate length of time, and you will
automatically be returned to your
special input mode.

Technical Description

The goal in designing the adaptive-
firmware card was to develop a
relatively inexpensive interface that
would transform the Apple II from
just a computer with a keyboard into
a computer with a keyboard, a scan-
ner, a Morse-code translator, and
more. Such a peripheral would either
require its own microprocessor or.
would somehow have to steal time
from the Apple for the translation
tasks; thus the two approaches that
suggest themselves involve either a
card containing a separate micropro-
cessor or an interrupt-driven system.

The former would have the advan-
tage of absolute transparency. It
would not, however, provide im-
mediate access to the Apple II's
memory. A separate processor could

gain access to the Apple's RAM
(random-access, read/write memory)
by means of DMA (direct memory
access). This, however, would mean
losing the simplicity of transparency,
which was the original attraction of
the separate-microprocessor ap-
proach. Either way, a number of prob-
lems would need to be overcome in
order to provide access to all the
necessary portions of the Apple
without interfering with any program
the computer might be running. Also,
the separate microprocessor would
solve each of a set of problems (which
will be discussed in the following
paragraphs) in essentially the same
way as the interrupt-driven version
but would incur the additional ex-
pense of the second microprocessor.
Therefore, the interrupt approach
was used. (The final design is shown
in figure 1.)

Apple II Interrupts

The Apple II has two different
types of interrupts: the IRQ (mask-

Text continued on page 299

In Texas Orders

Questions & Answers

1-713-392-0747

INDUSTRIES, INC.

225 11 Katy Freeway
Katy (Houston) Texas 77450

To Order
1-800-231-3680
800-231-3681

SAVE BIG DOLLARS ON ALL TRS-80 HARDWARE & SOFTWARE

TRS-80 BY RADIO SHACK. Brand new in cartons delivered. Save state sales tax. Texas residents add only
5% sales tax. Open Mon.-Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-5. We pay freight and insurance. Come by and see us. Call us for a
reference in or near your city. Ref: Farmers State Bank, Brookshire, Texas.

WE OFFER ON
REQUEST

Federal Express (Overnight Delivery)

Houston Intercontinental
Airport Delivery (Same Day)

U.P.S. BLUE (Every Day)

References from people who have
bought computers from us probably
in your city

■■'- TRS-80 is a Registered Trademark of Tandy Corp

ED McMANUS

In stock TRS-80 Model
II and III

No Tax on Out of Texas Shipments!

10% 15%

OR MORE

Reserve Your Model 16 Today

Telex 77-4132 (Fleks Hou)

WE ALWAYS
OFFER

NO extra charge for Master Card
or Visa.

We use Direct Freight Lines. No
long waits.

We always pay the freight and
insurance

Toll free order number

Our capability to go to the giant
TRS-80 Computer warehouse 5
hours away, in Ft. Worth, Texas,
to keep you in stock.

JOE McMANUS

Circle 283 on inquiry card.

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 291

Number

Type

+ 5V

GND

IC6

74LS30

14

7

IC7

MWS5114

18

9

IC1

74LS244

20

10

IC8

MWS5114

18

9

IC2

74LS374

20

10

IC9

TBP28L22N

20

10

IC3

74LS244

20

10

IC10

74LS74

14

7

IC4

74LS374

20

10

IC11

7407

14

7

IC5

2732

24

12

IC12

74LS21

14

7

8

ROW

OUTPUT

S<

COLUMN (
INPUT

(INPUTS
HAVE 10KJ1
PULLUPS
NOT SHOWN)

STROBE 1 | y
STROBE 2 | ^ >

SWITCH

INPUTS

SWITCHED

TO GROUND

O

DO Dl D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7
CLOCK<

IN914

THUMBWHEEL
SWITCH
ENCODED
OUTPUT

NOTE; LETTERS INSIDE CONNECTORS
INDICATE CONNECTION TO THE
SAME LETTER CONNECTOR
WITHIN THE SCHEMATIC.

Q

Figure 1: Schematic of the adaptive- firmware card.

c<t>'

1

15

JUMPER

PLUG

TO

VACATED

SOCKET

1

SEL A

SEL B YO

SEL C

G2A

G2B

Gl

Y7

GND

Y6

Y5

Y4

Y3

Y2

Yl

2

2

15 C<£

3

3

4

A

5

5

6

6

7

7

8

8

9

9

IC17

10

10

74LS138

11

11

12

12

13

13

14

14

292 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

IC13

74LS05

14

7

IC14

74LS05

14

7

IC15

74LS138

16

8

IC16

74LS74

14

7

IC17

74LS138

16

8

IC18

CD4093

14

7

IC19

74LS08

14

7

Y4
Y2

Gl

Y5

Y3

SEL B

Yl

SEL C

YO
Y7

SEL A
G2A

Y6

G2B

I C 15

74LS138

+ 5V

IC12
74LS21

TTTV —

IC12
74LS21 12

^i2b r

^ 13

IC 19

74LS08

17

A5
Q3
Q4

IC9

TBP28L-

22N

Ql

Q2 _

Gl G2

B

T

&

*©-<I<t««I<< <<<£<

®

E

00

AO

01

Al

02

AX

03

A3

IC4

04

A4

74LS374

05

Ab

Q6

Ab

Q7

A7

CLOCK
A

AO

Al

A2

A3

A4

A5

A6

A7

A8

A9

A10

All

Gl G?

IC5.
2732
4K BY8
EPROM

DO
Dl
D2
D3
D4
D5
D6
D7

AO
Al
A2
A3
A4
A5
A6
A7
A8
A9
R/W

1C7

MWS5114
IK BY 4
RAM

AO
Al
A2
A3
A4
A5
A6
A7
A8
A9
R/W

IC8

MWS5114
IK BY 4
RAM

B

DO
Dl
D2
D3

D4
D5
D6
D7

B

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 293

QD-

-O

s <S>-

s <n>-

S <46>

2 <£8>

> O

Figure 1: Schematic of the adaptive- firmware card, continued.

294 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

sklk

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Ik i F 1

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JTE

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iLiiJ

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Memory — you never seem to have quite
enough of it.

But if you're one of the thousands of Apple
owners using the SoftCard, there's an economical
new way to expand your memory dramatically,

16K ON A PLUG-IN CARD.

Microsoft's new RAMCard simply «
plugs into your Apple I lf° and adds 16k
bytes of dependable, buffered
read/write storage.

Together with the SoftCard,
the RAMCard gives you a 56k
CP/M (|f> system that's big enough
to take on all kinds of chores that
would never fit before (until now,
the only way to get this much
memory was to have an Apple
Language Card installed).

GREAT SOFTWARE:
YOURS, OURS, OR THEIRS.

With the RAMCard and
SoftCard, you can tackle large-
scale business and scientific
computing with our COBOL and
FORTRAN languages. Or greatly
increase the capability of CP/M

H

I

1

applications like the Peachtree Software account-
ing systems. VisiCalc™ and other Apple software
packages can take advantage of RAMCard too.

And RAMCard gives you the extra capacity to
develop advanced programs of your own, using the
SoftCard and CP/M. Even with the RAMCard in
place, you can still access your ROM BASIC
and monitor routines.

JOIN THE SOFTCARD
FAMILY.

The RAMCard is just the
latest addition to the SoftCard
family — a comprehensive sys-
tem of hardware and software
that can make your Apple more
versatile and powerful than you
ever imagined.

Your Microsoft dealer has all
the exciting details. Visit him
soon, and discover a great idea
that keeps getting better.

Microsoft Consumer
Products, 10700 Northup Way,
Bellevue, WA 98004.
(206-828-8080)

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The only machine that runs

The software machine. The Decision I™ is an IEEE
696 S-100 bus computer. But that's where its
similarity to other machines ends. No other pro-
duction machine offers the software flexibility of
the Decision I. The Decision I runs Micronix,™ which
is functionally identical to the UNIX™ Operating
System. It also runs multiple CP/M® 2.2 programs,
Oasis,™ MP/Mf C, FORTRAN, MBASIC,™ CBASIC,
RATFOR, PL-1, Northstar compatible BAZIC,™ Pascal
and virtually thousands of existing applications pro-
grams. No other microcomputer offers you that
kind of flexibility.

Developing programs? The Decision I's broad
operating system base makes it a perfect software
development system. And there's more.

Multi-user, multi-tasking. The Decision I can be
configured for up to 15 users running 20
individual tasks. Memory management
is similar to an IBM® 370's. And, a 7.2
MHz processor on the hard disk con-
troller supercharges the system.

The Micronix OS. Micronix supports
all system calls source-compatibly
with the UNIX Operating System.
Thus, UNIX programs will compile
directly and UNIX documentation
is almost totally applicable.
Morrow's CP/M emulator has
been configured to run under

Micronix, communicating directly with both UNIX
and CP/M media.

Performance. In informal single-user benchmark
tests against 68000-based machines running UNIX
or UNIX-like operating systems, the Decision I won in
every case. No 68000-based machine ran in multi-
user mode, thus multi-user comparisons were
impossible. But, these informal benchmarks
would seem to prove that the combination
of memory management and DMA I/O is
as important as width of data path.

Now, the price: A single-
user Decision I includes
two 4MHz Z80A

UNIX is a trademark of Bell Laboratories

CP/M and MP/M are registered trademarks

of Digital Research, Inc.

Oasis is a trademark of Oasis Systems

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp.

MBASIC is a trademark, and Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation

WordStar is a registered trademark of MicroPro, Inc.

BAZIC is a trademark of Micro Mike, Inc.

ION I

almost everything.

Systems your way: Morrow Designs also manufac-
tures a full line of hard and floppy disk systems,
add-in memory boards, I/O boards and disk
controllers. That means you can configure your
computer your way... through a single supplier.

The Decision is yours. Compare the Decision I,
feature-for-feature with mini and microcomputers
on the market today. Compare capabilities.
Compare flexibility. Compare utility. Then, compare
price. The Decision I is the only machine that runs
almost everything. If you're developing software, or
simply running it, that's a good thing to remember.

LOOK TO MORROW
FOR ANSWERS.

processors,
65K of static RAM,
sophisticated memory
management hardware,
three serial and two parallel
ports, a 14 slot S-100 mother-
board, supervisor control in both
hardware and software, cabinet and
power supply. And of course, two 5W
48TPI floppy disk drives (800K), with Morrow
DMA controller. Plus CP/M 2.2, industry standard
Microsoft® BASIC 5.2 and WordStar? Price: $3,495.

The same system with a 5 Megabyte Winchester,
an additional 7.2 MHz processor, and a single
48TPI floppy costs $5,295.

Multiple user: A three-user upgrade kit with three
65K static RAM boards and the Micronix Operating
System is available for $1,995, bringing the cost
of a three-user hard disk based system to $7,290.
The Decision I is not simply an improved computer
system. It's a breakthrough in computing power,
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Circle 328 on inquiry card.

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Circle 499 on Inquiry card.

Text continued from page 291:

able interrupt request), and the NMI
(nonmaskable interrupt). When one
of these occurs, the 6502 micropro-
cessor vectors to the address at the
top of ROM (read-only memory)— for
IRQ, the two bytes starting at hexa-
decimal FFFE; for NMI, the two bytes
starting at hexadecimal FFFA — to ob-
tain the addresses in memory that, in
turn, hold the address of the user
routine that handles the interrupt.
Programs using interrupts ordinarily
use IRQ because this eliminates the
danger of interrupting a disk opera-
tion. Because we have no control
over the software that might be run-
ning, we can't trust that any vectors
we set in memory will stay, or even
that the interrupt-enable status will
not be changed. This means that the
NMI must be used rather than the
IRQ and that we must gain control
over the interrupt-service routine
before control is transferred to the
soft vectors.

To accomplish the latter, we must
have a way of substituting our own
ROM for both the Apple's mother-
board ROM and any language-card
(or firmware-card) ROM that may be
in use at the time. This is accom-
plished by using the INH (inhibit) line
(available on the peripheral-card bus)
to disable the motherboard ROM and
by placing address hexadecimal C081
on the address bus momentarily,
which (by convention) turns off the
language card in slot 0.

Swapping ROMs

After the NMI line goes low, the
Apple's 6502 will execute one more
instruction before servicing the inter-
rupt. Since this instruction may be in
ROM, we can't substitute our ROM
for the Apple's until the interrupt is
actually beng serviced.

The adaptive-firmware board waits
until the address hexadecimal FFFA
appears on the address bus, indicat-
ing that the first byte of the NMI vec-
tor is being fetched. Only at that time
is the adaptive-firmware board ac-
tivated and the competing ROM dis-
abled. The RDY (ready) and DMA
lines are used to halt the microproces-
sor while this is happening so that the
first byte of the NMI vector is actual-

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Featuring up to five functions on one board, the OMNI-board provides the capabilities of an expansion
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two Apple compatible joysticks andtheclock/calendaroption with rechargeable battery backup. No needto
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300/1 200 baud Bell 1 03/202 compatible modem with auto dial and auto answer. A voice synthesis unit and
touch tone decoder provide interfaces for automatic telephone answering and remote data input. Audio and
control outputs enable the IBM PC to function as a telephone answering machine.

• BSR-XIO™ CONTROL MODULE $95
This integrated module plugs into the DIN cassette connector of the IBM Personal Computer and provides
full remote control of 256 BSR appliance or switch modules and comes with sample software listing.

• COLOR TO MONOCHROME INTERFACE CABLE MODULE $95
Plugging conveniently between the IBM monochrome display and the RGB connector of the IBM color
graphics adapter, this integrated module gives you the capability to use all the graphics and character line
features of the IBM color graphics adapter with IBM monochrome display. * (Actual photo above)

• APPLE™ JOYSTICK INTERFACE MODULE For 2 APPLE joysticks $29

• PROTOTYPING BOARD With bracket and DB25 connector provision $49

• PLUG-IN 5MB WINCHESTER DISK, ADAPTER & SOFTWARE $2195

PERSONALITY™ SERIES SOFTWARE

• DISKSAVER™ PROGRAM $49

This elegant utility program allows you to create backup copies of any software protected diskette. It offers
the ultimate protection against accidental damage to your valuable software and comes with full
documentation. The Disksaver™ itself is not software protected.

• PASCAL GRAPHICS LIBRARY $95
This IBM PASCAL compatible library provides full access to the graphics of the IBM color graphics
adapter. All graphics functions supported by the IBM BASIC are implemented as PASCAL procedure
calls. Full documentation and software examples are included.

• PASCAL SUPPORT LIBRARY Provides full peripheral control forthe IBM PC from PASCAL $49

• DAT A VIEW 1 " $195
This user friendly database generator allows you to custom design your database structure and define
formats for data entry and display in an easy to follow interactive session.

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Circle 44 on inquiry card.

September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc 299

!jpiii_

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SHOP FROM THE CONVENIENCE OF YOUR HOME OR OFFICE
WITH THE BIGGEST SELECTION YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON
call or write for a FREE CATALOG AND SAVE!

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VIC HARDWARE

Vic Data Set 58

Vic Disk Drive 469

Vic Graphic Printer 328

Vic 8K Memory Expander 39

Vic 16K Memory Expander 78

24K Memory Expander 139

3 Slot Expansion (Mini-Mother) 59

6 Slot Expansion (Card Board) 117

RS 232 Card (Avail. Now) 59

IEEE-488 Card (Avail. Now) 69

Vic Super Expander 48

Vicmon 43

Joystick 8

Paddles 15

Light Pen by Symtek 119

Vic Modem (Incl. Victerm) 95

40/80 Colum Card (Incl. Prom) 179

VIC SOFTWARE (ON CARTRIDGE)

Spiders of Mars 36

Robot Blasters 30

Meteor Run 36

Sattelites & Meteors 36

Amok 29

Alien Blitz 29

Renaissance 36

Alien 19

Radar Rat Race 23

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Trashman 35

Blackhole 35

Gorf 23

Outworld 29

Cloudburst 29

Vic Avengers 21

Super Slot 21

Super Alien 19

Super Lander 21

Draw Poker 20

Midnight Drive 21

Adventure Land 29

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Mission Impossible 29

The Count 29

Voodoo Castle 29

VIC SOFTWARE (ON TAPE)

Household Finance Pack 26

Home Inventory 12

Recreation/Education Pack I or II 12

Personal Journal 24

Ghostman 19

Vi Calc 11

Vi Check 18

Vi Cat 18

Bill Payer 12

6 Packs by Vic 44

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Sky Math 11

Space Division 11

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Alien Blitz 18

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Prom Blaster 129

Clock Calendar 109

Combo Card 239

AST

MC-064 SP (64K Combo Card) 469

MC-128 SP (128K Combo Card) 639

MC-192 SP (192K Combo Card) 799

MC-256 SP (256K Combo Card) 979

(All Above Include Asynch & Parallel Ports)

64K Mem 335 192K Mem 669

1 28K Mem 499 256K Mem 799

CHRISLIN INDUSTRIES

192K Mem Board 629

256K Mem Board 689

512K (with Serial RS232) 995

DAVONG

DSI-501 SMB Winchester Drive 1595

DSI 64K Mem Card CALL

DSI 1 92K Mem Card CALL

DSI 256K Mem Card CALL

MACROLINK

64K Memory Card 369

1 28K Memory Card 519

1 92K Memory Card 659

256K Memory Card 729

QUADRAM

Quadboard 64K 499

Quadboard 256K 839

(Quadboard includes memory, clock/calendar.
Parallel Printer I/O. Asynch RS232)

Parallel Interface Card (8' Cable) 1 29

Time Clock (Clock/Calendar W/Soft'ware) 129

SEATTLE COMPUTER

64K Ram + Board 389

1 28K Ram ♦ Board 539

192K Ram + Board 689

256K Ram ♦ Board 799

(All Ram ♦ Boards Include RS-232 Serial Port)
BYAD

DSI Z-80 Board 539

XEDEX

Baby Blue 599

Run CP/M-80'

MONITORS & MISC.

Amdek Color II 769

Electro Home RGB CALL

Joystick 47

Modems CALL

SOFTWARE

Everest Explorer by Acorn 17

The Apple — IBM Connection by Alpha 120

CP/M-86 by CompuView 299

Vedit by CompuView 123

The Programmer by Advanced 419

Fastscreen by CompuView 73

JANUS-86 by CompuView CALL

The Programmer 369

Super Calc by Sorcim 219

CP/M 86 by Digital Research 279

The Organuer by Conceptual Instr 209

C Basic by Digital Research 259

Software from Digital Marketing CALL

Zork I. Zork ll by Infocom 23

Deadline by Infocom 39

Easy Writer II by I US 258

Easy Speller by IUS 128

Easy Filer by IUS 298

Volks Writer by Lifetree 149

Basic-80 by Microsoft 297

Basic Compiler by Microsoft 335

Fortran-80 by Microsoft 419

M/Sorl by Microsoft 159

Easy by Denver Software 543

Home Accounting by Continental 109

Visicalc (Stnd) by Visicorp 157

Visicalc (256K) by Visicorp 194

Mathemagic by ISM 69

Total Info Management by Innovative 389

Logon by Ferox 129

FRANKLIN

ACE 1000

• Apple II software & hardware compatable

• 64K of RAM memory

• Upper and lower case

• Typewriter-style keyboard

• Twelve key numeric pad

• Alpha lock shift key

• VisiCalc friendly

• 50 watt power supply

• Built-in fan

DISK DRIVES

Elite One by Rana 369

Elite Two by Rana 539

Elite Three by Rana 689

A-2 by Micro-Sci 379

A-40 by Micro-Sci 359

A-70 by Micro-Sci 499

A-3 by Micro-Sci CALL

A-73 by Micro-Sci CALL

3" Drives by Amdek 749

Super Drive by Fourth 299

FREE* SHIPPING

(with prepaid cash orders)

Jll ATARI"

400 16K 268

800 16^^.. 664

4 1 Recorder 78

810 Dssk Drive 444

830 Modem 158

850 Interface ... ... 159

Full-View 80 (80 Col. Screen) 279

825 Printer 595

Joysticks (Pair)v 18

Epson Cable 34

Intek 48K ....... . , 199

32K by Microtek...... ..,. 109

Ram Cram ., ... i ........ 109

Ram Disk .......... ./.. ....v.... 429

THE ENTERTAINER 69

THE EDUCATOR 124

THE PROGRAMMER 56

THE COMMUNICATOR '.'.' 334

THE BOOKKEEPER 194

PAC MAN S29
w/any purchase over S100 00

Atari Word Processor 109

Microsoft Basic 69

Atari Basic Cartridge 49

Visicalc 189

Pilot (Home Pack) 59

We carry the complete line

of Atari hardware and software -

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fcipplG

PLUS 48K
FOURTH DISK DRIVE
WITH CONTROLLER

(Note: The hardware and software listed
here is compatible with Apple, Basis 108,
and the Franklin ACE-1000)

Videterm by Videx 259

Z-80 Card by Microsoft 249

16K (2 year warranty) 59

32K by Saturn (incl. Software) 189

AIO II by SSM 189

CCS Multifunction 159

32K by MPC 139

Numeric Keypad (23 Key) 119

Signalman Modem 79

Micro Modem \\® by Hayes 278

Sooper Spooler CALL

RGB Card 159

Enhancer II 124

Metacard by Metamorphic 895

Joystick by T.G 46

App-L-Cache 256K 995

Versacard by Promethius 169

Vision 80 by Vista 239

Infone by Novation CALL

Microbuffer II (16K) by Practicle 199

The Mill by Stellation 319

Expansion Chassis by Mountain 559

Synergy Card by Spies 169

Chronograph® by Hayes 189

Enhancer II by Videx 124

Lowercase for Appl e 29

Sup R Mod (TV Interface) 35

Music System w/Software by Mtn 299

D-Cat Modem by Novation 169

A/D + D/A by Mtn. Hardware 269

Supertalker SD200 by Mtn 154

The Grappler by Orange Micro 124

Versa Writer Digitizer 209

CCS 7710 A 129

Dtsk Emulator (294K) 799

Parallel Interface Card 69

Z-Card by ALS 189

ALF 9 voice 149

Pkasso by IS CALL

Wizard-BPO 149

Synergizer Pack by ALS .579

NEW

Smart Modem® 1200 by Hayes CALL

Apph-Card by Personal Cmtr CALL

Super Saver Fan 74

Ambler Monitor by USI 179

Videx Function Strip 59

8088 Card by ALF 295

BASIS 108

The Alternative

• 6502 and Z80 Microprocessors

• 64K RAM, expandable to 128K

• RGB and Composite Video Output .

• Selectable .80 or 40 column text display

• High Resolution Graphics: 6 colors, 280x193or
280x160 with four tines of text .

• 8 bit Parallel I/O •RS-232C Serial I/O /

• Detached Keyboard: Alt standard keyboard
functions, Upper/Lower case characters,
Numeric keypad. Cursor block, and 15 Pro-
grammable special function keys . ,.,<

• Built-in mounting for two 5-% Inch-Floppy disk
drives

• Six Apple compatible slots for plug-in
peripherals • Game paddle I/O

APPLE SOFTWARE
BUSINESS

Business Packages by Continental 189 ea

Desktop Plan by Visicorp 184

Visi File 184

Visi Calc 184

Visidex 184

Visi Schedual 236

Visi Trend/Visi Plot

Word Star by Micro Pro 199

Mail Merge by Micro Pro 84

Spell Star 148

Data Star 176

Calc Star 117

d Base 1 1 by Fox & Geller 494

Ouick Screen for d Base II 127

Screen Writer 1 1 by On Line 95

Magic Window 69

Target Planner Calc by Comshare 36

Mathe Magic by ISM 63

Graph Magic by ISM 62

Wall Streeter by Micro Lab 219

PFS: Report (New Improved) by S.P. Corp 69

PFS: Graph by Software Pub. Corp 89

ENTERTAINMENT

U-Boat Command by Synergistic 24

Robot War by Muse 27

Firebug by Muse 18

Castle Wolfenstein by Muse 23

Conglomerates Collide by Rock Roy 27

Choplifter 26

Pig Pen 23

Hungry Boy 23

Eliminator by Adven. Int'l 23

Gorgon 35

Time Zone 79

CALL FOR COMPLETE CATALOG

ORDER TOLL FREE! 1-800-854-2833 I
PRINTERS in stock MAJOR BRANDS 1

CALL FOR BEST PRICE & FAST SERVICE' ^ ; =

C ITOH PROWRITER
120 CPSF/T .......

NEC8023A ..........

TRANSTAR 140

DAISY WHEEL ......

40 CPS 132 COL

IDS PRISM
80 OR 132

. 459

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TO ORDER: Phone orders invited using Visa, Master-
card or bank wire transfers. Visa and MC service charge of
2%. Mail orders may send charge card number (include
expiration date), cashiers check, money order, or persona!
check faifow 10 business days for personal or company
checks to clear). Please add 3% {$5.00 minimum) for UPS
shipping, handling, and insurance. APOand FPO include
5% ($7.00 minimum) for postage. Calif, residents add 6%
sales tax. Please include phone number on alt orders.

FOREIGN ORDERS include 1% handling '— shipped air
FREIGHT COLLECT only. Credit cards not accepted on
foreign orders. Ail equipment is in factory cartons with
manufacturer warranty. Opened products not returnable.
Restocking fee for returned merchandise. Equipment
subject to -price change and availability. Retail prices
differ from mail order prices. WE SHIP THE SAME DAY ON
MOST ORDERS! Min. purchase $40. Deposit required on
all COD's.
'Excludes certain printers & monitors & foreign orders

Circle 116 on inquiry card.

MAIL TO: 1251 BROADWAY EL CAJON, CA. 92021 (714) 579-0330 =

ly obtained from our ROM on the
firmware card. (Although it sounds
complex, the process is implemented
quite simply in hardware with a few
integrated circuits.) A similar ap-
proch gives us control over the Reset
vector.

Note that this use of the interrupt
makes the card potentially trans-
parent to all other programs using in-
terrupts. As presently implemented,
however, the card pulls the NMI line
low and keeps it low until after the
interrupt-service routine is finished.
Another peripheral using the NMI in
the same way would be incompatible.
This problem could be solved by trig-
gering the NMI with a pulse instead
of a constant level.

Reversing the Swap

When returning control to the main
program after NMI service is com-
pleted, a program must reside in
ROM that will remain accessible after
the card is turned off so that the ROM
swap can be reversed. This is easily
done by making one page of the

ROM accessible at the addresses
alloted to slot 7 (beginning at hexa-
decimal C700) by the Apple II's ar-
chitecture.

Soft Switches

Depending on the program running
on the computer at the time, it may
be necessary for the adaptive-firm-
ware card to turn off the language
card or to make use of the video
display, which may involve switching
from full-screen graphics to mixed
text and graphics. Both of these
operations involve the toggling of
"soft switches" (programmable swit-
ches) in the Apple.

For the firmware card to remain
transparent, it is important that
everything be put back exactly as it
was before the interrupt occurred. To
do this, however, it is necessary to
know the status of everything prior to
interrupting the program. Unfor-
tunately, many of the soft switches in
the Apple cannot be read. They are
actually hardware flip-flops set one
way or the other by software's access-

ing particular addresses. For example,
if the address hexadecimal C050 is ac-
cessed with a read or a write, the
Apple goes into graphics mode. Con-
versely, accessing hexadecimal ad-
dress C051 causes the Apple to go in-
to text mode.

Similarly, the status of the expan-
sion RAM card is determined by soft
switches. In fact, pairs of address
references may be used to establish
the status of such a card. Thus, some
method must be found for reading
these unreadable switches.

Rather than try to read the hard-
ware outputs of the flip-flops, the
firmware card monitors the address
bus continually and makes a note of
the appearance of any address that
falls into the category of soft switch.
One way to do this would be to
duplicate on the board the hardware
representing those switches, but to do
so in such a way that the duplicates
could be read by the firmware card.

A better approach is to use the in-
terrupt. Enough of each address on
the bus is decoded to determine

-♦♦♦ ANNOUNCING ♦♦♦

What's Where in the APPLE...PLUS...the All New Guide to What's Where

William F. Luebbert's Revised

The original What's Where in the
APPLE? provided more information
on the apple's memory than was
available anywhere else. Now the
Revised Edition:

• Guides you — with a numerical Atlas and an
alphabetical Gazetteer — to over 2,000 memory
locations of PEEKs, POKEs and CALLs.

• Gives names and locations of various Monitor,
DOS, Integer BASIC and Applesoft routines and
tells you what they're used for.

• Enables you to move easily between BASIC and
Machine Language.

• Guides you through the inner workings and hidden
mechanisms of the Apple.

Edition of the famous Apple Atlas

The Atlas and The All New Guide are

available in one 256-page Wire-O-
Bound book for only $24.95

If you own the original What's Where in the
Apple? you will want THE GUIDE to comple-
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Bound version contains all new material to be
used with the memory map and atlas for$9.95
Ask for it at your computer store

Use the Coupon to Order Direct from MICRO

or

Call Toll Free Today 1-800-345-81 12

(In PA 1-800-662-2444)

AN ATLAS TO
THE APPLE COMPUTER

With Full Eipttn

By Willi

All Apple users will find this book helpful in understanding their machine, and essential for mastering it

Please send me:

What's Where in the APPLE... PLUS...
the All New Guide to What's Where

.THEGUIDE <j

Add $2.00 surface shipping for each copy,
Massachusetts residents add 5% sales tax.

Total Enclosed $_

@ $24.95
@ $ 9.95

n Check n VISA H Master Card Acct #

Expires

Name

Address

City State Zip

MICRO INK, 34 Chelmsford St., P.O. Box 6502, Chelmsford, MA 01824

B-9-82
83-347

302 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 303 on inquiry card.

PRODUCTS FOR THE

APPLE II COMPUTER G'lVe A

/lore Drive To Yc (j>

MACRO-88 8088 PROCESSOR BOARD

VC-EXPAND and VC-EXPAND 80 VISICALC

With MS-DOS $799 CDN

EXPANSION software by Saturn Systems available for

$699 US

32k, 64k, and 128k memory boards - expansion of array

* Apple can now run high-speed 16 bit software.

size and use with 80 column boards.

True multiprocessing capability

* Interface to expansion memory allows up to 1 Mbyte

of memory to be DIRECTLY addressable using 1 or

MACROPRINT Parallel Interface

more DISKULATORS. Contiguous memory is thus

$175 CDN

available for MS-DOS, UCSD PASCAL IV OR CP/M86.

$139 US

* Supplied with MS-DOS.

Socket on board for 8087.

* Parallel INPUT AND OUTPUT inter face for Apple.

* Macro assembler for use with MS-DOS available.

* Compatible with Apple software and hardware.

* Inverted acknowledge and strobe for printers requiring
them.

* Low Res and Hi Res Graphics Dumps.

DISKULATOR

128k -$795 CDN

* An all-round best parallel board at best prices.

$599 US

* Many many extra Commands - margin, width etc.

* Also the most attractive looking!

* . 64K/128K MEMORY BOARD FOR THE

APPLE -theMACRO-MACROMEM.

* Disk emulation software for DOS 3.3, PASCAL AND

MACROPEATER - AUTOREPEAT BOARD

CP/M -completedisk can be downloaded in 20 seconds!

$35 CDN
$29 US

* EXPANDABLE TO 384K (PIGGY-BACK board).

* Special circuitry for low current.

* Inter-faces to the MACRO-88 for contiguous memory

* Enables autorepeat on the Apple II.

for the 8088.

* Press a key, hold down for a second and it will be

* Information on DISKULATOR can be accessed by the

repeated until released.

6502 or 8088 in 4k banks.

Invaluable for VISICALC and word processing appli-

* The most flexible and expandable Ram board for the

cations.

Apple.

* Versions for old and new keyboards.

* VC-EXPAND and VC-EXPAND 80 for 64k and 128k

Simple to install - no wiring!

boards for Visicalc expansion.

Compatible with other hardware or software including

keyboard enhancer.

MACROMEM-1

$195 CDN

DOSTILITIES

$139 US

$59 CDN

* 16k memory board fortheApple II.

S49US

* DOS 3.3 MACRODISK SOFTWARE included.

* Password protection for DOS 3.3 disks.

* PASCAL and CP/M MACRODISK options.

* CATALOG MODS of all sorts - double catalogs, file-

type I.D. mods etc.

* Error instruction modification.

MACROMEM-2

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Dealer and distributor inquiries most welcome

* RAMEXPAND allows overlaying of programs and

■ ':■■■ ■i':;'il< : -

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* VC-EXPAND is a trademark of Saturn Systems LTD.

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MACROTECH Computer Products LTD. is also seeking other

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d international markets for dealer distribution (Considering the

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MRCROT€CH Computer Products Ltd.

Circle 277 on inquiry card.

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whether the current address is a soft-
switch reference. If it is, the lower
byte of the address is latched and
used to generate an interrupt. The
interrupt-service routine then ex-
amines the latch to determine the
identity of the soft switch and saves
the information in memory on the
firmware board. This approach
allows a much greater number of soft
switches to be monitored and at the
same time suggests a unique way of
generating the interrupts that relate to
the main business of the card, as
discussed below in Noticing Input.

Split Addresses

Because the 6502 always executes
one more instruction before respond-
ing to an interrupt, when two critical
address references occur together it is
possible that one of them would be
missed. This could be solved in hard-
ware by using a pipeline, but that
complicates the hardware somewhat.

In order to keep the hardware
simple and streamline the software
service of the interrupts, the firmware
card checks in software for double-
address references when this seems
possible. Admittedly, this is not a
foolproof approach— routines could
be written to fool the card— however,
the probability of such exceptions
seems quite small.

Noticing Input

Given that the firmware card can
respond reliably and transparently to
requests for input, what is the best
way to generate those requests? One
method would be to have the card
generate the interrupts whenever you
activate a switch. Unfortunately, if
the computer happens to be writing
to disk when you activate the switch,
data will be lost.

By including the address hexa-
decimal C000 (the keyboard data-
input address) among the soft-switch
addresses that produce interrupts, the
computer itself will generate the inter-
rupts whenever it checks for input
from the keyboard. Then any check
of the keyboard by the main program
will turn on the adaptive-firmware
board and let it check the special
source of input, such as the user

304 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

The Sinclair ZX81 personal computer kit

Imagine building your own computer
for only $79.95!

That's exactly what you can do with
the ZX81 kit. It comes with all the parts
you need and complete diagrams and in-
structions for putting it together. All you
have to supply is soldering iron, solder,
and a screwdriver. Plus, of course, a little
bit of work.

But you get a lot more than several
hours of kit-buildiri g fun. You also get a
surprisingly powerful personal computer.
The ZX81 hooks up to any TV for a 32-
character by 24-line display (we provide
the connecting cables). You can also use a
standard cassette recorder to store your
programs (again, we provide the cables).

Most important, you get a BASIC pro-
gramming language that's powerful
enough to challenge and interest the
most experienced programmers. The
ZX81 can handle multidimensional string
and numerical arrays. It has full mathe-
matical functions accurate to eight deci-
mal places. Single-key entry for every
command. Syntax error detection, de-
bugging codes, and easy editing. Plus
features that are ideal for creating games,
such as 20 graphic symbols, continuous

display, and random number generator.

The ZX81 can be expanded too. You
can increase the memory from IK to 16K
with our Memory Module for $49.95.
And you get a comprehensive manual
that completely documents the capabili-
ties of the ZX81, and teaches program-
ming from the ground up.

In short, you get all the features that
have made the Sinclair ZX81 the fastest
selling personal computer in the world.
And you get the satisfaction and fun of
building it yourself.

A few years ago, this kind of computer
power was simply unavailable to the
individual. Even today, most personal
computers are too expensive to buy for
personal use.

But the ZX81 kit can be yours for only
$79.95. Take advantage of this unique
offer today. To order, send the coupon
along with a check or money order. Or for
faster delivery, call our toll-free number
and use your MasterCard or VISA.
To order call toll free: 800-543-3000.

Ask for operator #509. In Ohio call: 800-
582-1364; in Canada call: 513729-4300.
Ask for operator #509. Phones open
24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Have your

MasterCard or VISA ready.

These numbers are for orders only. If
you just want information, please write:
Sinclair Research Ltd., 2 Sinclair Plaza,
Nashua, NH 03061.

l OS

AD CODE
09BYOK

MAIL TO: Sinclair Research Ltd.,
One Sinclair Plaza, Nashua, NH 03061.

PRICE* QTY. AMOUNT

ZX81 Kit

16K Memory
Module

I Shipping and
J Handling

I

$79.95

$49.95

$4.95

U.S. dollars

TOTAL

$4.95

Name

Address

|~CH>

State

Zip

Sinclair technology is also available in Timex/Sinclair
computers under a license from Sinclair Research Ltd.

ridar

switch. This has the net effect of in-
serting a few lines of a special transla-
tion program (from the firmware
card) into the input loop used by the
main program.

With this arrangement, the switch
input may be monitored in an effec-
tively continuous fashion, or at least
as continuously as the keyboard is
monitored by the main program. For
an input-loop cycle less than a milli-
second, the difference between this
approach and the switch-generated
approach is not likely to be perceived
by most users. Most important, this
approach eliminates the need to
worry about interrupting the pro-
gram during disk accesses.

Separating Work from Play

You will sometimes want to use the
input switches to simulate keyboard
input (which causes the input
algorithms to be triggered), while at
other times you will need the switches
for game playing. How can the firm-
ware card know whether to treat the

switch activation as a keystroke
(which would activate an input
routine) or as a game-switch activa-
tion (which is just passed through to
the game I/O address)?

The solution is to add the switch-
read addresses, such as hexadecimal
C061, to the set of addresses which
generate interrupts and enable the
card. The firmware card then checks
to see what address reference it was
that enabled it. If it was enabled by a
call to the game switches, the user
switch is treated as a game input. If
the firmware card finds it is being
polled for input from the keyboard, it
will activate the appropriate input
routine for the user. Thus the card
automatically switches back and
forth between keyboard and game-
playing modes as required by the pro-
grams.

Even programs that do not call for
any use of the keyboard, however,
may address the keyboard location.
For example, the BASIC interpreter
checks the keyboard with nearly

every command to see if a control C
has been pressed.

Because the BASIC interpreter can
access the keyboard many times bet-
ween accesses to the game paddles
(once for most of the instructions it
executes) the firmware card requires
256 consecutive accesses to the
keyboard without an access to the
game switch or paddle before it will
leave the game-playing mode. If the
computer program is checking for in-
put from the keyboard, this occurs
rapidly; if it is checking only for con-
trol C, the game-mode dropout will
rarely happen.

If the above technique is used to
defeat calls for control C, how would
you ever be able to get out of a
paddle-based program that was
designed to use control C as its exit?
The firmware card has an automatic
game-mode dropout timer built in. If
you don't hit the switch for a certain
interval (determined by the stop-time
option), the card automatically drops
out of the game mode.

DATAFACE DIM: APPLE H IN ONE

TURNS YOUR OLYMPIA ES101 OR REMINGTON 210 TYPEWRITER
INTO A LETTER QUALITY PRINTER FOR THE APPLE II COMPUTER

The Dataface ylOl^pptgTT™ Interface Card gives
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Suggested retail price $349.50.
Dealer Inquiries Invited.

™Apple II is a trademark of Apple Computers, Inc.

FOR OTHER COMPUTERS USE THE GRQ-11

Interfaces to the Olympia ES100, ES101, ES105 and
Remington 210, 220 electronic typewriter.

Ofli FACE inc.

2372 A WALSH AVENUE, SANTA CLARA, CA 95050
TELEPHONE (408) 727-6704

306 September 1982 © BYTE Publications Inc

Circle 148 on inquiry card.

Of course Percom diskette drives for the IBM Personal
Computer fit right in. They fit right outside your Personal
Computer, too. And they're fully compatible, providing the
same full double-density storage capacity.

But just as important, Percom diskette drives also fit the
same high standards set by IBM.

At Percom we've been making disk storage systems
since 1977. We build quality, high-performance disk drive
systems. From proven design through quality inspections
that include 100% two-day operational tests. And Percom
dealer support ensures competent after-sale service.

So expect more from Percom. You won't be
disappointed.

Percom disk drives for the IBM Personal Computer are
available in 40-track single- and dual-head models, and 80-
track single-head models. Call or visit your independent IBM
Personal Computer dealer — and fit right in with Percom.
For the names of dealers carrying Percom products for your
Personal Computer call toll-free 1-800-527-1222.

PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.

PERCOM DATA COMPANY, IIMC.

11220 PAGEMILL RD • DALLAS. TX 75243 • (214) 340-7081

IBM and IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER are trademarks of International Business

Machines. Inc.

PERCOM is a trademark of Percom Data Company, Inc.

Minimum system requirements are an IBM System
Unit with 16 Kbytes of RAM and 5Va" Diskette Drive
Adapter. Drive models supported depend on DOS
used. An optional cable available from Percom is
required for external (add-on) drives.

Yes ... I'd like to know more about Percom diskette drives
for my IBM Personal Computer. Rush me free literature.
Send to: PERCOM DATA COMPANY, Inc.. Dept. 2-B01
11220 Pagemill Road, Dallas, Texas 75243

name

street

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zip
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A

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CALIFORNIA COMPUTER 2210A

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and optional OASIS, CP/M, or MP/M operating system.
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SYSTEMS GROUP SYSTEM 2800
Runs CP/M or OASIS. Supports single user & multi-
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ATARI 400 List $399 only $340

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Wonderful Games— Education for your family

Main Frames-S-100 $200 up

Advanced Micro Digital Superquad Single Board Computer

with Z8064K and FDC $749

Dual 68000 CPU S100-Super Fast— Save CALL

TARBELL'S

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FREE Business Software

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We sell The Finest Hardware

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square:

919-889-4577

308 BYTE September 1982

We sell The Finest Software

COMPUTERS

4167 Kivett Dr. ▼ Jamestown, NC 27282

CP/M is a registered trademark of Digital Research, Inc.

919-883-1105

Circle 24 on inquiry card.

LOWEST PRICE- BEST QUALITY

NORTH STAR Horizon 2

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Horizon-1-64K-QHD 5 $5999

Horizon RAM ASM 32K = $424 64K

Big Sale on Multi-UserTime-Sharing

English to Basic Translator

North Star Hard Disk 18 Mb $5375

North Star Time Sharing Multi User

Zbasic 2 to 5 times faster! $350

Secretary Word Processor

Wordstar Word Processor

Floating Point Board $399

Oasis Multi-User Software SAVE

CP/M for N * Extra features

Micro Mike Software SAVE

Ecosoft Accounting MICROSTAT

Pascal-80 $600

Extra Precision Basic

Northwood $199

Mailmanager $299

Infomanager $399

General Ledger $499

Accounts Receivable $499

Accounts Payable $499

Inventory $499

Order Entry $499

PROPAC $1499

DOS + Basic 5.2

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cal