69 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
69 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown
---
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layout: post
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title: PDP-11 Tutorials
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date: 2017-01-03 15:00:00
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permalink: /blog/2017/01/03/
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machines:
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- id: test1170
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type: pdp11
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debugger: true
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config: /devices/pdp11/machine/1170/vt100/debugger/machine.xml
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connection: dl11->vt100.serialPort
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- id: vt100
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type: pc8080
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config: /devices/pc8080/machine/vt100/machine.xml
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connection: serialPort->test1170.dl11
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sticky: top
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---
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Introducing PDP-11 tutorials. For more details, keep scrolling, and keep your eye on the VT100 below.
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{% include machine.html id="vt100" %}
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[PDPjs](/devices/pdp11/machine/) is able to run a variety of old DEC operating systems, such as RT-11 and RSTS/E,
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and while there are manuals available online, thanks to the efforts of those who operate and contribute to websites
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like [bitsavers.org](http://bitsavers.org), I suspect most people don't have a lot of interest or time to spend
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reading old manuals.
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In an effort to remedy that situation, I'm adding some new features to PCjs. The first feature is what I call
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"Sticky Machines", and it's really just a new feature of the PCjs website. At the top of any PCjs webpage, in the
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*machines* section, a machine can now define a *sticky* property. For now, the only supported value is "top"; e.g.:
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machines:
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- id: vt100
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type: pc8080
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config: /devices/pc8080/machine/vt100/machine.xml
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connection: serialPort->test1170.dl11
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sticky: top
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A sticky machine makes it easier to construct a tutorial page for a single machine, by preventing that machine from
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scrolling off the top; it "sticks" to the top instead. The rest of the page scrolls normally, allowing the user to
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progress at their own pace through the text and/or images of an accompanying tutorial.
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The second feature is a generalized method for sending commands to components within a machine. For example, if we
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want to send some serial data to a machine:
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{% raw %}
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{% include machine-command.html type='button' label='Try It!' machine='test1170' component='SerialPort' command='receiveData' value='HELP\r' %}
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{% endraw %}
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which should translate into a control that looks like:
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<button type="button" onclick="commandMachine('test1170','SerialPort','receiveData','HELP\r')">Try It!</button>
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In fact, let's try it now. {% include machine-command.html type='button' label='Try It!' machine='test1170' component='SerialPort' command='receiveData' value='HELP\r' %}
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Obviously, every component we want to control will need to be updated to export the necessary "command" functions.
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So expect some PDPjs tutorials in the near future, featuring sticky machines and built-in command demos. Some
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commands will be very simple, like the data injection command shown above. Others will perform more sophisticated
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operations, such as loading and booting a particular disk, running a particular application, automatically flipping
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selected Front Panel switches, and so on.
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Finally, in case you're wondering why there's another machine below, well, what did you think the VT100 was talking to?
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This PDP-11/70, of course.
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{% include machine.html id="test1170" %}
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*[@jeffpar](http://twitter.com/jeffpar)*
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*Jan 3, 2017*
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