First of all I'd like to tell that English is not my mother language, so don't be angry if I make mistakes. In second place I'd like to thank AMOS BASIC and its genial creator (I speak french like him......but I'm not so clever!!).
The purpose of TRONI-CAD is to draw electronics circuits and symbols librairies, but you could draw other things such as assembling drawings, flow charts...etc.
Writing this program I tried to make it as user friendly as possible, and, I've worked very hard to create powerful functions allowing the user to earn time building up his shematics.
2.GENERAL PRINCIPLES
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The working screen has a resolution of 1000 X 900 pixels, that gives a rectangle of about 23.5 X 19 cm on the paper sheet.
Troni-cad shematics are made up of items such as : resistors, condensers, wires, arrows....etc, every item tooks 14 Bytes of memory, so even a big circuit waste a small amount of disk space.
So you'll be able to place a lot of shematics on a single disk and, if you own a modem, upload them to your friends, or favorite BBS ,as quickly as the wind.
It's very easy to draw with Troni-cad, first select a tool or function and click on the left mouse button to activate it, then slide the mouse pointer to draw with the tool and click a second time to end, if you are drawing a bus,box or circle click a third time to place.
Use the arrow keys to orientate the items like ground,resistors etc..
The X - Y coordinates can be rounded using the mouse step facilities, for examples if MouseStep=10 , X - Y coordinates are rounded to 100 between 96 and 105 ,to 110 between 106 and 115...and so on, so you'll be able to draw straight lines very easily .
Use MouseStep=1 only when you have to place an item very accurately in all other cases use MouseStep=5 ,you 'll earn a lot of time!
Use the following functions keys to change the mouse step:
-F1 -> MouseStep=1 pixel
-F2 -> MouseStep=5 pixels (default)
-F3 -> MouseStep=10 pixels
3.MENUS
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3.1 Load Block
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This function allow you to add to the current drawing a small circuit created before (maximum 100 items). This gives you the opportunity to build up symbols librairies ( like: db25, transformer, bridge, integred circuits etc....etc...etc...).
You just have to draw a symbol or a part ,save it, and reload it in your shematics with "load block" as often as you will.(easy isn't it).
Use the arrow keys to mirroring and space bar to rotate.
3.2 Save
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Use the "save" function as often as possible, that way ,if your computer crash, you won't lose hours of work. Think about it, one
day you'll thank me.
3.3 Save Block
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Save a part of your shematic in order to use it in an other circuit.
3.4 Print all
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Print the whole screen in the mode selected by "printing mode" in "preferences" menu.
If you choose "border off" in the "preferences" menu ,this will speed up the printing.
To abort printing hold the rigth mouse button until the printer stop.
Sometimes using the "artwork" mode ,the paper is becoming durty, to avoid that, check the distance between the printing head and the paper.
In artwork mode, only one needle is used, so the printing is very slow but horizontal lines are straighter than in normal mode where 4 needles are used at the same time but the printing is 4 times faster. If you have a good printer, the difference between artwork and normal is almost invisible.
In enlarged mode 8 needles are used , but you need two A4 sheets to print the whole screen.
The program run only with Epson or compatible printer.
3.5 PRINT BLOCK
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With print block, you send to the printer only the part of the shematic you want to print. Always begin on the top left corner to draw the box.
This function is very useful when you have to print small circuits.
3.6 ITEM FUNCTIONS
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To delete move or duplicate an item, just select the corresponding item function and click twice on it .
If the help screen tells you that nothing has been found, change the mouse step (F1,F2 or F3) and try again. If it don't work again, select MouseStep=1 pressing on the F1 key, and click on the first item pixel, or use the corresponding block function to round the item.
When the function find several items, use the space bar to select the item you want.
These remarks are identical for DELETE ITEM, MOVE ITEM and DUPLICATE ITEM
To delete move or duplicate boxes, click on the top left corner or on the top line.
To delete move or duplicate arrow2 and logic, click on the first pixel or round it with the corresponding block function
For the circles, click on the center (quite difficult) or round it with the corresponding block function.
3.7 BLOCK FUNCTIONS
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With these functions you're able to delete, move, dupicate, save and load a group of items (max 100).
When the block is created (it becomes green if you own a SuperFatAgnus) you 're also able to mirror it using the arrow keys or rotate using the space bar.
To create a block always start on the top left corner.
3.8 REFRESH
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This function clear and redraw the screen.
4.LIBRARY
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Tronicad provides directly the basics parts of all electronics circuits like :resistors,condensers,diodes,inductances. For the other components like transistors, bridges etc...etc. you can get them from the disk library using the load block function, or draw them with the tools.
As explained before, you can also design your own parts library ,it's very easy :just draw your symbol on the top left side of the screen (max 100 items) and save it like a shematic, then load it into your circuits using "load block".
If you have enough RAM you can speed up the library access in adding to the startup-sequence (before "endcli"): copy library to ram: ,and in the program, load your parts from the ram: 100times more quickly
5.PREFERENCES
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The best way to use TRONI-CAD is to design your circuits in low resolution and from time to time switch in high resolution to see a more global part of the working sheet, when you are moving large blocks, use high resolution as well.
If you own an Amiga with a superFatAgnus circuit, the program switch automatiquely in 2 bitmaps screen, that way you'll be able to see the moving items or blocks in green, otherwize the screen has only 2 colors.(the important thing is the results on the printer and not on the screen!!).
FONTS
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You can change the program and printing fonts using the FF command from the CLI ,3 sets of fonts are provided on the disk.
you can also design your own fonts with the workbench "Font Editor".(warning: fixed size, 8X8 pixels).
You can get Omega and Micro beside ";" key, these letters will appear only when you are placing them.
CONCLUSION
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This is a demo program, you can print shematics, but the save functions are cancelled. Send me the value of 500 belgian francs and I'll send you the last, complete and updated, version of Troni-Cad.
I hope you'll find TRONI-CAD usefull and I'd be very interested to see your shematics,libraries and receive your critics and advice.
