Richard,
This is very technical, but very helpful for me. Thanks for your input. You can also write to me using email (in my github repo github.com/rricharz).
Post by legalize+ (Richard)Post by r***@bluewin.chThe spec I have for the drawing speed in the Tek 4014 manual is 10000 cm
per second.
What's your reference for this?
4014 and 1414-1 user manual page 3-26. It talks there about write-through vectors, but I guess there is one deflection circuit for all deflections (dark, bright and write-trough). But of course the 1414 does not have the same hardware as the 4010, and there are several other models.
Actually, in the 4010 maintenance manual, page 2.7 it states 2.3 msec MAXIMAL.
These two specs coincide. The largest vector (diagonal) on the 4010 is 23.9 cm:
23,9 cm / 10000 cm/s = 0.00234 s = 2.34 msec
The max baud rate of the 4010 is 9600 baud => max 1200 characters/s
The number of characters for a dark mode vectors in minimal 2, maximal 5, for normal mode minimal 1 (joint vectors). This amounts to minimal 1.7 msec for a dark vector, 0.8 msec for a normal vector.
You are therefore right. I should add a short delay for long vectors in my emulator, when running above 2400 baud. That's easy to do and I will add it today.
Post by legalize+ (Richard)I'm not sure what you mean by refresh interval; there is no refresh on
a storage tube.
Of course you are right.
I'm talking here about my emulator. It runs on a modern Linux system, using modern displays. There are various refreshes going on in this situation. The one I am talking about is from the drawing surface to the screen buffer. Because Linux is a multiprocessor and not a real time system, you never know what you get. Also, people are using my emulator in various setups, including for example with vnc client over wifi. I'm therefore constantly fighting with stroboscope effects of the bright spot (fortunately not the permanent drawing), which can never be totally eliminated. It's clear that one can never expect a perfect simulation, unless one can guarantee a 100 Hz refresh rate. But I feel what I have is already quite ok.
Post by legalize+ (Richard)It might be hard to add on later, but what you've done so far is a
great step in the right direction.
Easy to add at any time. I'll do it today.
Post by legalize+ (Richard)IIRC, the writethrough mode results in a beam intensity that is dimmer
than the storage mode.
Indeed. The write gun is set at lower intensity. Therefore no permanence, needs refreshes of 30 times per second to be flicker free (4014 user manual, page 3-26). The normal mode is written once at high intensity (bright spot) with the write gun, and then maintained using flood gun technology. How the intensities of the two compare in reality, I can hopefully see tomorrow when I have a look at a real 4010. I don't trust videos taken from 4010/4014 screens, because of the low dynamic range of the video camera, the likelihood of overexposure, and the stroboscope effects caused by the video rate). I will adjust intensities after this visit. Again, compromises will be required because of the nature of today's inexpensive displays.
Rene