!pr1
!lm12
!rm75
More on the Macro-Videx Connection.................Bill Linn

Don Taylor's original article in the August (1982) issue of AAL and Mike Laumer's follow-up the next month gave us the patches for running the S-C Macro Assembler in conjunction with the Videx 80-column board.  I recently purchased a Videx card in order to implement the 80-column version of ES-CAPE, so I installed the patches.

I have really enjoyed using the Macro assembler in 80-column mode.  Naturally, though, I couldn't resist adding a few enhancements to Don's and Mike's work.

Mike added the right arrow code, which copies characters off the Videx screen, but he stopped short of implementing the Escape-L LOAD sequence.  To install the following code, you will need to change line 3080 in Don's article to point to my routine.  Change it to "3080   .DA MY.ESC.L-1".  Also, the STX instruction at line 4235 in Mike's article must be labelled GETCH.

!lm+5
*--------------------------------------
SCM.INSTALL .EQ SCM.BASE+$52A
*
MY.ESC.L 
       CPX #0          CURSOR AT BEGINNING?
       BEQ .1          YES, CONTINUE
       JMP SCM.ESC.L   NO, LET S-C HANDLE IT
.1     LDA #0          CONNECT DOS
       STA $AA52       BY SETTING INTERCEPT STATE = 0
       LDA #$84        SEND A CTRL-D
       JSR MON.COUT
.2     LDA LOADCMD,X
       JSR SCM.INSTALL
       JSR FAKE.COUT
       CPX #6
       BCC .2
.3     STX $406        SAVE CHAR POS'N
       JSR GETCH       GET SCREEN CHAR
       LDX $406        RESTORE POS'N
       JSR SCM.INSTALL
       JSR FAKE.COUT
       CPX #40         40 CHARS SENT YET?
       BNE .3          NO, LOOP BACK
       JMP CLREOP      CLEAR TO END OF PAGE
*                      AND EXIT
*
LOADCMD    .AS -/LOAD  /
*--------------------------------------
!lm-5

Secondly, I wanted a longer "*---" line on my screen, so I changed it to 68 characters instead of 38.  This uses more of the 80-column screen, without wrapping around during assembly.  To make this modification insert the following two lines after the label "INSTALL.PATCHES" in Don's original listing:

     LDA #68
     STA SCM.BASE+$494

Finally, I changed the dimensions of the Videx cursor so that it looks like a blinking underline instead of a blinking block.  (Users of my ES-CAPE are already familiar with my love for the blinking underline!)  Insert the following lines immediately after the "INSTALL.VECTORS" label:

!lm+5
LDA #$0A       VIDEX REGISTER 10
STA V.DEV0
LDA #$68
STA V.DEV0+1
LDA #$0B       VIDEX REGISTER 11
STA V.DEV0
LDA #$08
STA V.DEV0+1
!lm-5

Speaking of ES-CAPE, I am making progress on Version 2 and have included suggestions from many of you.  If you have others, please drop me a line soon at 3199 Hammock Creek, Lithonia, GA 30058, or call evenings at (404) 483-7637.