Both this document and the executable file "Wtp" are
Copyright (C) 1986 by Dave Warker
(who is Wombat Software.)
Delphi: DAVEWARKER
Compuserve: 70406,626
THE PROGRAM "the Wombat Terminal Program (Wtp)" AND IT'S DOCUMENTATION
ARE DISTRIBUTED FREE OF CHARGE. THE AUTHOR AND COPYRIGHT HOLDER GRANTS
PERMISSION FOR ANYONE TO DISTRIBUTE COPIES OF THESE FILES PROVIDED THEY
ARE DISTRIBUTED FREE OF CHARGE AND NO LIMITATION IS PLACED ON FURTHER
REDISTRIBUTION.
1. What and why is "Wtp"?
a. General features.
b. Distributed files.
c. Required system resources.
d. Optional system resources.
e. Running Wtp.
2. Communications Port Settings.
a. Baud rate.
b. Character format (size & parity.)
c. Stop bits.
d. XON/XOFF handshaking.
3. User Preferences.
a. Cursor style.
b. Bell options.
4. User Programmable Function Keys.
5. VT-102 Terminal Emulation:
a. Supported features.
b. Unsupported features.
c. Extensions and differences.
6. File Transfers:
a. Text capture.
b. XMODEM transmission.
7. Auto-dialing.
8. Wtp Saved Settings Files.
a. Saving current settings.
b. Reloading settings.
9. Miscellaneous Features.
A. Revision history:
a. Changes from Version 2 to Version 3.
B. Things You Probably Didn't Want to Know:
a. Format of saved Settings file.
1. What and Why is Wtp?
---- --- --- -- ---
"Wtp" is a terminal emulation program which (currently) only runs on
the Commodore Amiga (tm) personal computer. Why it was written is basically
because it's author wanted to learn how to use the many wierd and wonderfull
capabilities of the Amiga and terminal programs are something he has had
some appreciable experience writing. Also, at the time when Wtp was started,
available Amiga terminal programs were very limited (now we have lots and lots
of the little buggers of just about any concievable combination of features.)
a. General Features of Wtp:
------- -------- -- ---
- DEC VT-102 terminal emulation. "Wtp" provides a very complete emulation
including: all editing functions, keypad & function keys, character sets
including special graphics and line drawing, VT-52 emulation, video
atributes, tabs and other functions. See the section on VT-102 compat-
ibility for a more complete list. The VT102 emulation has been tested
with EDT, Emacs and a special compatibility tester.
- Both XMODEM & text capture file transfers. A fast XMODEM receive option
is also provided.
- Programmable function keys.
- Supports baud rates to 19200 and various character formats.
- Options for visual, tone or speech bell. Speech bell phoneme string
is user-programmable. Several cursor styles are supported.
- Auto-dialing.
- Saving and loading of settings files which include the function keys,
communications, transfer & user preference options and an auto-dial
phone number. Can auto-dial on load of a settings file.
b. Distributed Files:
----------- -----
NOTE: Wtp is distributed FREE OF CHARGE!
The "Wtp" distribution for version 3 consists of the following files:
"Wtp" the executable file for Wtp.
"Wtp.inf" an Icon file for Wtp, -- RENAME TO "Wtp.info" --
"Wtp.doc" this documentation file.
"sgTopaz.fnt" modified Topaz font which includes special graphics.
"sgTopaz.8" additional font data for "sg_topaz".
"InstalSg" EXECUTE file to install "sg_topaz" in FONTS: directory.
The "sg_Topaz" files are only required if the VT-102 special graphics
character set is desired.
c. Required System Resources:
-------- ------ ---------
Basic use of "Wtp" will require the presence of the following system
resources:
"DEVS:serial.device" serial port driver.
d. Optional System Resources:
-------- ------ ---------
Some features require the presence of additional system resources:
Use of the VT-102 special graphics character set:
"FONTS:sg_Topaz.font" Modified font containing special graphics.
"FONTS:sg_Topaz/8" (both are provided in this package.)
Use of the speech bell:
"DEVS:narrator.device" Speech output device.
e. Running Wtp:
------- ---
Wtp may be started from either the CLI or Workbench, though the CLI is
currently the only way to start Wtp with a non-default Settings file. Support
for Workbench settings icons will be added if the demand is high enough.
Workbench start:
double click on the Wtp "wombat" icon.
CLI start:
enter: "wtp <settings>", where <settings> is the optional file path
for an existing Wtp saved settings file which will be used for the
default settings after Wtp loads.
If no settings file is specified Wtp will search the current directory and then
the directory "SYS:wtp" for a settings file named "default.wtp". If found it's
contents will be used for the default settings, otherwise a reasonable set of
default values hardwired into Wtp will be used.
When Wtp finishes loading you should see a blank screen with a cursor
in the upper left corner and with the current time displayed on the bottom
(status) line with the elapsed session time, which will be 00:00 hours,
to the right. If instead you see an alert box then Wtp could not start up
due to lack of some required resource. The possible alerts are:
"Can't open window"
Wtp could not open the Intuition window to be used for it's
output. Probably due to a lack of memory.
"Can't get cursor sprite"
The cursor used in Wtp is actually a hardware sprite. You may
get this error if some other application has grabbed up all
the available sprites.
"Can't open timer"
"Can't open serial Port"
There was insufficient memory to allocate the MsgPorts or
IORequests needed for serial or timer device operation, or
the "serial.device" file is not present on the system.
If you do not get an Alert you are up and running and should peruse
the menu options to inspect/change the settings as needed.
Note that the session time is the elapsed time, in hours and minutes,
since you started the current call or since you reset it via the "reset
session time" menu option. The current time is displayed in standard
Amiga 24 hour format.
2. Communications Port Settings:
-------------- ---- --------
Wtp uses the built-in serial port for communications. The settings
controlling serial port operation are placed in the "Port" menu. All serial
port settings are saved in "Settings" files. Wtp will restore the serial port
back to your Preferences settings when it exits.
a. Baud Rate:
---- ----
The "baud rate" menu item sets the receive and transmit speed. Available
rates are: 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600 & 19200. Note that while Wtp can
communicate at all these speeds, it cannot display characters faster than
about a 4800 baud rate. This means that you will have to use XON/XOFF hand-
shaking or padding characters for 9600 and 19200 baud operation.
The default baud rate is 1200 baud.
b. Character Format:
--------- ------
Character format refers to the size, in bits, of transmitted and received
characters: 7 or 8 bits, and also to the optional parity bit appended to the
characters. Available parity modes are:
"no parity" No parity bit sent.
"even parity" Parity bit set to keep count of 1 bits even.
"odd parity" Parity bit set to keep count of 1 bits odd.
"space parity" Parity bit is set to 0.
"mark parity" Parity bit set to 1.
Most systems can use either "7 bits/space parity" or "8 bits/no parity."
The default character format is "7 bits/space parity."
c. Stop Bits:
---- ----
Stop bits are 1 bits appended to the end of transmitted characters which
separate successive characters. The receiver hardware uses stop bits to
determine that it has reached the end of the current character. Most systems
expect 1 stop bit, though will work fine with 2 but at a lower rate since the
time to send the extra stop bit eats up available transfer time. There is
normally no need to run with 2 stop bits but the capability has been provided
in the event that some system requires it.
Note that due to hardware limitations within the Amiga serial port, you
cannot specify 2 stop bits if you have specified 8 data bits AND a parity bit.
Wtp allows you to make the selection but only 1 stop bit will actually be used.
Default value is 1 stop bit.
d. XON/XOFF Handshaking:
-------- -----------
Some terminal functions take longer than a single character transmission
time to execute, therefore the potential exists for the host system to send
data so fast to the terminal that the internal 512 character buffer is
overflowed causing the loss of some data. Also some systems can lose data
sent by the terminal (especially from function keys) if it is sent too fast.
To prevent loss of data, most systems will respond to and (possibly) also
generate XON/XOFF handshaking.
If either the terminal or the host are falling behind too far they sen
an XOFF character (CONTROL-S) to the other device which then stops sending.
When the receiving device has caught up it then sends an XON character
(CONTROL-Q) and the sending device then continues sending data.
Wtp will both send and receive the XON/XOFF handshaking protocol based
on the setting of the option in the "Port" menu.
Note that XMODEM transmission does not require XON/XOFF handshaking and
will temporarily turn it off during an XMODEM send or receive transfer.
The default setting is XON/XOFF handshaking turned on.
3. User Preferences:
---- -----------
Wtp maintains several options which are basically user preference items.
The settings of all these options are preserved in saved Settings files.
a. Cursor style:
------ -----
Cursor styles available in the "Screen" menu:
"solid underline" two pixel line at bottom of character.
"solid box" hollow box around character.
"blink underline" blinking version of solid underline.
"blink box" blinking version of solid box.
Note that the blink rate is fixed. No menu option is given to change
the blink rate but the actual rate is stored in Settings files and may be
changed with a binary file editor. See section "B" for placement of the
blink rate in the settings file.
b. Bell Options:
---- -------
Several different bell options are provided in the "Screen" menu:
"visual" Screen will be flashed.
"beep" A 1 khz square wave tone is sounded 7{\27R\0 d \27R\7|\27R\0 \27R\6|\27R\0 o\8' o\8\27S\000^\27T o\8\27R\7{\27R\0 \27R\2|\27R\0 / \27R\4|\27R\0 \27R\6\96\27R\0 u\8' u\8\27S\000^\27T \27R\2}\27R\0 y\8' t y\8\27R\7{\27R\0 ì ¬ ¸ ´ ° ¬ ¨ ¤ | x t p l h d ` \ X T P L H D @ < 8 4 0 , ( $ ü ø ô ð ì è ä à Ü Ø Ô Ð Ì È Ä À ¼ ¸ ´ ° ¬ ¨ ¤ ives a BELL character (CONTROL-G):
the default phrase is "Attention", though the actual phoneme string
spoken can be edited through the "edit speech bell" item in the
"Screen" menu. Note that nothing will be spoken if you enter an
illegal phoneme string. See the ROM Kernel Manual for phoneme
formats.
2. At the end of an XMODEM send file transfer:
"upload complete."
3. At the end of an XMODEM receive file transfer:
"download complete."
4. On 1st, and every 10th error during XMODEM file transfer:
"error."
5. When XMODEM file transfer is aborted by user or too many errors:
"transfer aborted."
6. When a new Settings file is loaded & when bell type set to "speech":
"ok."
7. At end of XMODEM receive in fast mode if an error occurred:
"file is not complete."
8. If VT-102 keyboard lock is in effect and a key is pressed:
"keyboard is locked."
4. User Programmable Function Keys:
---- ------------ -------- ----
Wtp allows character strings to be attached to all ten function keys in
both shofted and unshifted form. Each definition may be up to 256 bytes long.
All definitions are saved in a Settings file when the "Save Settings" menu
option is executed and will be restored by a "Load settings".
a. Programing a Function Key:
---------- - -------- ---
Any unprogrammed function key, and by default this is all ten, will
transmit a VT-102 compatible function key ID string (see section 5 for details)
To program a string onto a function key you press either the left or right
AMIGA keys and the function key to br programmed. Pressing the SHIFT key too
will program the shifted version of the function key.
A string requester will pop up on the screen with a text box showing the
current string programmed on the specified key. Click in the text box to
activate it and then enter or edit the definition for that key. The following
special character sequences are recognized:
'^ch' (up-arrow followed by a character 'ch'):
Enters a control character into the string. 'ch' should be a character
between 'A' and '_'. Examples:
'^M' inserts a carriage return (CONTROL-M),
'^[' inserts an ESCAPE.
'\^' (backslash up-arrow):
Enters a single up-arrow in the string.
'\\' (backslash backslash):
Enters a single backslash.
Press RETURN or click the 'OK' box to accept the definition. Clicking in the
'Cancel' box will abort the changes made to that key. Any characters entered
beyond the 256th will be dropped. Enter an empty string to return a function
key back to it's VT102 definition.
b. Invoking a Programmed Function Key:
-------- - ---------- -------- ---
Just press the function key or SHIFT and the function key and the
programmed string will be transmitted out and also echoed to the screen if
local echo is turned on.
5. VT-102 Terminal Emulation:
------ -------- ---------
Wtp emulates many of the features of the DEC VT-102 terminal, too many to
fully detail here. All supported control and escape sequences will be listed
but you should refer to a VT-102 manual for detailed functioning of each
command. Detailed info is given for areas where the Wtp implementation differs
from the VT-102.
a. Supported Features:
--------- --------
KEYBOARD FUNCTIONS:
-------- ---------
Function keys:
VT-102 function keys PF1 through PF4 are supported as Amiga keys F1 - F4
in all VT-102 modes including application and VT-52. Additionally, Amiga
keys F5 through F10 generate sequences which are similar to and extensions
of the standard four function keys. F1 through F4 use generate final char-
acters in the range 'P' through 'S', F5 through F10 use 'T' through 'Y'.
Cursor arrow pad:
Fully supported in all VT-102 modes.
Numeric keypad:
Fully supported in all VT-102 modes. The missing keypad comma (,) key can
be generated by pressing the ALT key and the keypad period (.) key.
Short and long BREAK generation:
Supported on the Amiga 'HELP' key as follows: 'ALT HELP' = short break,
'SHIFT ALT HELP' = long break.
Keyboard related control sequences:
(* = also available in the 'Screen' menu)
ESC [ 2 h/l lock/unlock keyboard
ESC [ 12 h/l *turn on/off keyboard local echo
ESC [ 20 h/l *enable/disable linefeed newline
ESC [ ? 1 h/l cursor pad application mode on/off
ESC [ ? 2 l *enter VT52 mode (changes pad sequences.)
