COMTAL RSX-11M DRIVER The current Comtal driver uses each 8 bit image as an independent device with all on a common controller. This is a good concept for an image plane can be individually ALLocated to a user and RSX-11M protects him from unwanted manipulation by others, or an image may be used by several tasks if no ALLOCATE command is used. The other addressable memories also have independent unit numbers. CD0: - COMTAL IMAGE #1 CD1: - Comtal IMAGE 2 CD2: - " " " 3 CD3: - Comtal GRAPHICS 1 CD4: - Comtal GRAPHICS 2 CD5: - Comtal GRAPHICS 3 CD6: - Comtal GRAPHICS 4 CD7: - Comtal Function memory 1 CD10: - Comtal Function memory 2 CD11: - Comtal Function memory 3 CD12: - Comtal Programmable Target as FM #4 CD13: - Comtal GREEN memory CD14: - Comtal RED memory CD15: - Comtal BLUE memory CD16: - SPECIAL functions unit This assignment is somewhat arbitrary but goes a long way towards making individual devices appear as individually addressable items and therefore protectable, ie color table. Also in the context of the program IMG the Comtal key board names for images is the same as for the IMG program. It would even be better if the graphics memories could have their own device names such as GR1:, GR4:, and the function memories have names FM1:, but this appears to be a more complex issue because the device drivers are called by these first 2 characters, -------- but wait we could give LOGICAL device names to cd3: as GR1: using the ASN so the user could use these funny names and yet get CD4: when using GR2: ------- horray!!!!! Now to go do it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! issue the following ASN cmds either local to your terminal at sign on or globally in the startup commnad file . ASN CD:=IM1:/GBL CD0:=IM1: - COMTAL IMAGE #1 CD1:=IM2: - Comtal IMAGE 2 CD2:=IM3: - " " " 3 CD3:=GR1: - Comtal GRAPHICS 1 CD4: GR2: - Comtal GRAPHICS 2 CD5: GR3: - Comtal GRAPHICS 3 CD6: GR4: - Comtal GRAPHICS 4 CD7: FM1: - Comtal Function memory 1 CD10: FM2: - Comtal Function memory 2 CD11: FM3: - Comtal Function memory 3 CD12: CU: for CURSOR - Comtal Programable Target CD13: GR: for GREEN - Comtal GREEN memory CD14: RE: for RED - Comtal RED memory CD15: BL: for BLUE - Comtal BLUE memory CD16: - SPECIAL functions unit Now we have 13 special units that can be addressed as standard memory types and can be moved to other types of image display gear regardless how they are addressed or configured hardware-wise, ie graphics could be in a totally indepentednt unit made by a different manufacturer ! The generic names used in the above will keep devices functonally seperate and easier to remember and also have name similar to the swithches used in th task SHO-controls comtal display output.