[Coco] [Color Computer] Re: Lower case

[James the Animal Tamer]

I'd have to see it to believe it.
Most "lowercase" add-ons for the CoCo just provided the ability to 
draw the letters on the hi-res screen.


Now, the 6847 chip has the ability to access an external character 
generator ROM -- that's the default mode of operation on the NEC Trek 
computer.  I don't know if this was ever done with the CoCo.


--- In ColorComputer at yahoogroups.com, "Jan Vanden Bossche" 
<jan80 at p...> wrote:
> Hallo,
> 
> I have finally disconnected bit.listserv.coco. One determined 
spammer
> brought it down. Very sad. 'nuf said.
> 
> I heard the rumour that some late Coco II had lowercase. True ?
> 
> And in 2001 I posted the following message. Apparently, it was 
about a newer
> video chip in later Coco's, that could display more useful 
text/background
> combibnations. Sadly, the questons were never answered, and I lost 
my Coco
> archive. Could anybody answer them ? (labeled [1] and [2])
> 
> 
======================================================================
===
> 
> L. Curtis Boyle <cboyle at m...> wrote in article
> > Jan Vanden Bossche <jan80 at M...> wrote in message
> > >
> > > But sad to say - NONE OF THEM has lowercase, as checked by the 
program:
> > > 10 for x=32 to 255:printchr$(x);:next
> >
> >     The BASIC ROM's were never updated for lowercase (unless you 
got
> > ADOS, a Disk Extended Color Basic replacement/upgrade). To see if 
your
> > computer has the right chip, try the following program:
> 
> I changed that to:
> 
> 10 CLS:for x=32 to 255:printchr$(x);:next
> 20 POKE 359,57
> 30 FOR X=0 to 255 step 8:POKE 65314,x
> 40 PRINT at 448,x;:INPUT "",X$:next
> 50 POKE 359,&H7E
> 
> > On the 2nd VDG chip
> > (which your Korean one probably has), you can get inverse video, 
true
> > lowercase, filled border, different color set, and combinations
> > thereof.
> 
> Yes, this is the result:
> 
> Value   LC   Foregr.   Backgr.   Border
>   0     no   black     Li.Gr.    black
>   8     no   black     Orange    black
>  16     yes  black     Li.Gr.    black
>  24     yes  black     Orange    black
>  32     no   Li.Gr.    Drk.Gr.   black
>  40     no   Orange    Brown     black
>  48     yes  Li.Gr.    Drk.Gr.   black
>  56     yes  Orange    Brown     black
>  64     no   black     Li.Gr.    Li.Gr.
>  72     no   black     Orange    Orange
>  80     yes  black     Li.Gr.    Li.Gr.
>  88     yes  black     Orange    Orange
>  96     no   Li.Gr.    Drk.Gr.   black
> 104     no   Orange    Brown     black
> 112     yes  Li.Gr.    Drk.Gr.   black
> 120     yes  Orange    Brown     black
> 
> Notice that 96 to 120 are the same as 32 to 56.
> For programming, mode 48 looks the best.
> 
> Actually, what is line 20 for: disable print vector ??? [1]
> 
> > > >And, all Color Computer
> > > >2 units can only produce 32 columns stock (standard)
> > >
> > > I can live with that, for programing.
> >
> >     There are software options for 32, 42 and 51 columns by 21 or 
24
> > rows available, although they are slower then hardware text (even 
when
> > using the 'stack-blasting' technique to speed up scrolling).
> 
> I suppose they are not accessible from BASIC ? [2]
> 
> 
======================================================================
===
> 
> Greetings from the TyRannoSaurus
> Jan-80



------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
Printer at MyInks.com.  Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada.
http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511
http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/CFFolB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Brought to you by the 6809, the 6803 and their cousins! 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ColorComputer/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
     ColorComputer-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
     http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/