Terminal software wider than 80 columns

stamptrol

· Hi all,

··· I've been working on a remotely controlled environmental research vessel. A BS2 operates the twin air drive motors for propulsion , including differential speed control for steering. Two winches are controlled to set the anchor or drop an instrument down into the water. Control signals are by a R/C 6-channel receiver.

·· A second stamp ( BS2sx ) reads digital data streams and analog signals from the GPS, the sonar, pressure transducers, Flourescence, Dissolved Oxygen, pH, plus a couple of other instruments. The stamp processes the data and transmits it wirelessly to shore where the data is displayed and recorded on a laptop.

·· A wireless video feed works independently of the the stamps and is also read on the laptop.

·· Heres the problem: My client doesn't want another specialized software ·package for viewing and working with the data, so the design uses Hyperterminal in 'capture mode'· to grab the data and save it to a file for later use. That part works fine. The stamp just formats a whole set of readings and transmits it so each new set of readings shows up as a new line on the screen. As we use more instruments, the string gets to be 90 or 100 characters wide .

·· What we really want to do is to be able to display a line of data in a font small enough to get the whole string to be visible. Hyperterminal allows small fonts alright, but the width stays at 80- columns.

· Does anyone know of a terminal program that allows a display of more than 80 columns? I like Procomm but haven't been able to confirm whether the Windows version does what I want.

· Thanks,

· Tom Sisk
·

Robert Kubichek

Could you send an ID,DATA,with a carrage return so each device is identified at beginning
of line, then it's data is sent then a "CR" to start a new line?? Each device could be called
in a sub-routine to send its data.

Bob

stamptrol

Bob,

Thanks for response.

In fact, your idea is how we get the stamp to process the data before transmission.

However, we want the whole set of readings to be maintained in one line so that it can easily be imported into other processing programs, which unfortunately can only deal with comma delimited or space delimited fields.

The issue is being able to see the whole line on the screen at one time.

Cheers,

Tom

PLJack

how about this:

www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/library/ServerHelp/0d47cbad-db39-4f66-b4b7-591027007660.mspx

To change the number of columns

1. Open HyperTerminal.

2. Open a saved connection file or create a new connection.

3. On the File menu, click Properties.

4. Click the Settings tab. In the Emulation drop-down box, choose either VT100, VT100J or VT-UTF8.

5. Click the Terminal Setup button and as appropriate, either check or clear the 132 column mode check
box. Click OK, and click OK again.

Notes
•    Performing this task does not require you to have administrative credentials. Therefore, as a security best practice,
 consider performing this task as a user without administrative credentials.
•    To open HyperTerminal, click Start, point to All programs, point to Accessories, point to Communications, and then 
click HyperTerminal.
•    HyperTerminal is not installed by default. For information on how to install HyperTerminal, see Related Topics.
•    This procedure is valid only when emulating a VT100, VT100J or VT-UTF8 terminal.
•    The default number of columns is 80.
•    You can not change the number of rows displayed by HyperTerminal. VT-UTF8 and Minitel terminal emulation will 
display 25 rows and all other terminal types will display 24 rows.

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- - - PLJack - - -

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Perfection in design is not achieved when there is nothing left to add.
It is achieved when there is nothing left to take away.

Robert Kubichek

Well, in Hyperterminal, you could use a VT100J terminal, and set it to use 132 columns with ascii data.
I have not tried this, but I will use it to program my Cisco routers from terminal, and see if it works...

Bob N9LVU

stamptrol

Bob and PLJack,

Sounds like a winner. Will give it a try and report back.

Cheers,

Tom

stamptrol

To all responders,

The VT100 solution works like a charm, changing text size lets all 132 characters be seen at once.

Thanks for help.

Tom Sisk

PLJack

Glad to help.

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- - - PLJack - - -

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Perfection in design is not achieved when there is nothing left to add.
It is achieved when there is nothing left to take away.

LoopyByteloose

By the way,
The 80 column display format is acutally an artifact of IBM punch cards [noparse][[/noparse]they had 80 and only 80 columns] that was moved to 8 1/2 by 11 paper.

Then the 132 column was created [noparse][[/noparse]I think for either landscape mode or legal paper in landscape mode].

It is odd, but in a digital world of ultimate flexiblity we are stll attached to ancient pieces of hardware through a commitment to downward compatability. Somewhere, someone is stuck with an 80 column printer, so.....

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G. Herzog in Taiwan