Category:Saturn Graph: Difference between revisions

Saturn Graph Device Definitions

Ballistic Comparison on HP7550

USAREG.GCL displayed on VT340

Flow Chart to Solve a Problem HP7550

Overview of Saturn Graph

SIG is the menu based interactive graphics function. It takes you through a series of menus based on the type of chart you want to create. It also allows you to output your graph to a variety of devices. The devices are defined by option 7 Graphics Device Definitions. In that screen, the first field is the name of the device such as TI:, TT4:, or a logical name. The next field is device type which could be VT240, VT330, VT340, HDS220, TEK4010, HP7475, HP7550, HOUSTON, NICOLET, LA100, OKIDATA, and a number of others. The devices defined are stored in GTABLE.SAT Table 4 of the Saturn_Install_RT-11.pdf contains a partial list of graphics devices that can be used.

When SIG is told to draw a graph on a particular device, it spawns GRF which creates the file of Regis RGL or HPGL or PLOT10 vectors and spools the output to the device chosen. If the device is a printer, then GRF spawns RAS which converts the vectors into raster based code such as sixels that LA100, LA50 and LA75 printers use.

For someone just starting to use Saturn Graph, the biggest issue is finding a suitable vintage graphics device to display the graphs. Fortunately, Rene Richarz just put the finishing touches on his TEK4010 emulator for Raspberry Pi, Windows and Mac OS. You can find this on github at:

[1](https://github.com/rricharz/Tek4010/)

The best way to use the TEK emulator to log into RSX:

./tek4010 telnet RSXNOD

After logging in, @SETTEK.CMD a command file in the distribution will change some terminal characteristics and define a global logical device name TK: This is the display device that needs to be set up in SIG 7 - Graphics Device Definitions.

Enter the device name TK: <CR> and Device type 4010 <CR>

SIG should fill in the scale range 1024 and 780. Then use PF3 to advance to the Store definitions. This will create a new LB:[1,1]GTABLE.SAT Now you can choose one of the many .GCL example files and choose 4 to display the graph on TK: Graphs display on the 4010 screen and are really fun to watch being drawn. SIG calls GRF to create the vector graphics, GRF pauses to allow you to view the graph and hitting a <CR> will erase the graph amd take you back to SIG.

You can modify the graph with SIG 3 – Edit Chart and then redraw to see the effect of your changes. Once you have the chart perfected you can create a hard copy with a HP plotter or LA printer.

Like the .CCL files of Calc the .GCL files are ascii files that could be created with BASIC or FORTRAN and used via GRF to create graphs. An example of a .GCL file is below. It was created by Calc with the / S G menu but then can be modified by SIG or sent to GRF.

U.S. Map drawn by HP7550

USSERV.GCL displayed on Tek 4010 emulator

Below is an example of a ballistics chart that was generated by Calc’s / S G command and then displayed by SIG and GRF. You can also just send it to GRF directly >GRF BALLISTIC.GCL but make sure the Device name on the second line is defined.

>TYPE BALLISTIC.GCL
DEVICE,TK:;100,100
CHAIN,SIG,SY:BALLISTIC.GCL
LINE,~06MM REMINGTON,~095 GR NOSLER,12,1,N,D,1,Y,1.15,1,N,D,D,N,N
2,4 ,~0\*,1,0
     50.0000,   3162.5073
    100.0000,   3051.9802
    150.0000,   2943.4194
    200.0000,   2836.8245
    250.0000,   2732.1953
    300.0000,   2629.5320
    350.0000,   2528.8347
    400.0000,   2430.1035
    500.0000,   2238.5386
    600.0000,   2054.8376
    700.0000,   1878.9995
    800.0000,   1711.0255
*,   12
0,700,~0Yards
1500,3500,~0Velocity
*
KEY,95 Nosler

If you have a VT330 or VT340 with a mouse, then you can use option 5 in SIG the drawing program GCU which creates .GDF files which are NOT ascii. There are 32 example .GDF files that can be used as a starting point for further editing. Or example a map of the USA.GDF can be shaded by state to show regions etc.

Another option in SIG are slide shows which pull up a sequence of charts to aid a talk like a primitive Power Point