Author: Ed Schröder
Date: 00:05:04 10/06/99
Go up one level in this thread
>Posted by Ratko V Tomic on October 05, 1999 at 10:58:06: > >Thanks Ed for the driver info. Regarding the print option: > > > #1. A chess program outputs the move it plays to the printer > > in a specific (ASCII) format. (That was all there was to do to > > make Rebel auto232 compatible). > >Does it need to output anything else to the printer, like move number >or evalations or resign, draw, checkmate, etc? Is the move in algebraic >from-to notation? Moves are send as a string in long algebraic form + move number. Examples: 10. 0-0-0 23.. Qe7xc5 >What baud rate, parity, data bits do they set when they redefine PRN to COM port? I have no idea. > > #2. The auto232 driver (when launched) redefines the printer to > > the serial port (COM1 or COM2). Then from the serial port the move > > is read, translated and send via the serial port of the other computer. > >Microsoft "mode" command, while it can redefine COM port as a printer, >it inserts a resident module which time-slices the cpu time and needlessly >polls COM port (which could be handled entirely via the low overhead >interrupts). > > > #3. The other computer scans the serial port and puts all info > > received in its keyboard buffer. > >I suppose that is the whole job of the DOS driver since they already >remap PRN to COM via DOS mode. The overhead of 10% on slower machines >is way too much (not even the 4.77 Mhz IBM PC from 1981 needs that >much overhead for chess move transmission & kbd buffer). With a bit more >info (from the questions above), I should be able to make a small (under >2K) driver which supports auto232 under DOS and has no measurable CPU >overhead or any spurious effects on the chess program. Thanks for your kind offer. I wouldn't invest time here. Building a new autoplayer takes some more time than the base (the communication) only. Several other things should be arranged as well such as saving games with unique names, starting a new game after a flexible time delay (in minutes), whatever I forget.... and I have absolutely no time for debugging such a new system. A pity as one year ago I immediately would have accepted your kind offer. >As for Windows programs, I have auto232 specs, but in any case, >they can be made to play automatically with or without their >explicit cooperation since all move info, in or out, can be captured >cleanly and without much overhead (compared to Windows overhead). Even >if program allows only mouse input of moves, the mouse moves and clicks >can be fed as easily as keyboard input. Right. I like to try this for the future. Ed
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