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G8MNY  > TECH     15.03.23 11:11l 228 Lines 10536 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 42834_GB7CIP
Read: GUEST
Subj: Making ASCII diagrams
Path: IW8PGT<I3XTY<GB7COW<GB7CIP
Sent: 230315/1001Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:42834 [Caterham Surrey GBR]
From: G8MNY@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To  : TECH@WW

By G8MNY                                     (Updated Jan 09)
(8 Bit ASCII graphics use code page 437 or 850, Terminal Font)

Most of the TECH buls use the full 8 bit graphics character set. To make your
own diagrams here are some tips.

TEXT EDITORS
The 102 key keyboard only does about 33% of the 256 characters possable. To get
the full set (about 220 usable on packet) you normally hold down the ALT key &
enter the 3 digit ALT number into the number keypad, this works in most text
editors e.g. "MS EDIT". (MS OS, Other OS platforms are different!)

Also don't use justify or variable spacing in the editor / viewer! See my "Y
Extended ASCII Graphics" bul for more compatibility information. The 8 bit
extended character sets where originaly defined by Code Page Nos for all
software applications to use on that machine, & Code Pages 437 or 850 give the
most compatable extended graphics set across all platforms NOT just a specific
MS Windows application!

Try these for yourself.
      Ú¿
 [] = ÀÙ,  | = ³, - = Ä,   Ts = Â ´Ã Á,  + = Å  Ohm = ê,  Degree = ø,  +/- = ñ
ALT 218 191   179    196  194 180 195 193   197      234          248       241
KEY 192 217                                  (not all Code/Pages)

In a good editor you will find a list of all the characters in the help screen.
(MS Char map in TERMINAL font) Print these out if you can. Some editors also
have block cut & past (not just paragraphs) & this is a very useful feature for
moving & copying parts of the screen.

Useful char:  «   ¬   ã   æ   ë   ì   ð   ò   ó   ö   ÷   û
    ALT KEY  171 172 227 230 235 236 240 242 243 246 247 251

(Alt 253 "superscript 2" fails on Paket software [a Bug])

GRAPHICS & CHARACTERS
Here are some Characters & 8th bit Graphics mixed & how they look together.
ALT
045 - (Hyphen)         Do not join up     --³-³
095 _ (Underline)      Only partly joins  ___³_  (can't use space above!)
196 Ä (Graphic)        Joins up OK        ÄÄ´    (OK to underside of underline)
124 | (Bar)            Do not join up       |    (some Fonts have broken bar)
186 º (Graphic)        Joins up own set     ĺÄ
061 = (Equals)         Do not join up    == ³=Ä
96`95_046.044,045-039' Rising graphic  ~Ä-,__.-Ä~ (detailed Graphs, Circles)
176° 177± 178² 219Û    Shading          °°±±²²ÛÛ  (Some displays are inverted)
220Ü 221Ý 222 Þ 223 ß  Half Blocks       Ü ÝÞß    (Doing bold lettering etc.)

How viewable the results are of mixing them, will depend on your font & to some
extent the video card & mode it is set to as well. Try not to mix Alt 196 Ä & -
the hyphen as they may look the same, but are not on many displays.

ELECTRONIC COMPONENT ART

 WIRES  ³   ÄÄÂÄÄ   ³   ³        ³           ³            ³       ³
      ÄÄÁÄÄ   ³   ÄÄ´   ÃÄÄ    ÄÄÅÄÄ       ÄÄ)ÄÄ        ÄÄÄÄÄ  ÄÄijÄÄÄ
       J o i n t s  ³   ³        ³(avoid)    ³ Cross over ³       ³(avoid)

 TERMINALS
          ÄÂÄÄ    tag    ÄÄÄo+5V   ÄÄÄO   ÄÄÄ*   ÄÄÄÄ>  >ÄÄÄ   o)ÄÄÄ    @ÄÄ
           øTP   ÄÄùÄÄ                                          ³ coax  ³

 GROUND/EARTH   small   _³_    _³_     ³      _³_      ÄÄ 0V
 /CHASSIS/0v      Á           ////    ±±±     \_/ 0V


 SWITCHES                      Äo      Ä¿ ³ ÚÄ
            ___     ÄÄo \oÄ    Äo       o o o        FUSE
          ÄÄo oÄÄ    Toggle    Äo<ÄÄ     /³\       ÄÄo--oÄÄ
            Push               Äo         ³

 DIODES Ä´>ÃÄ _³_  _³_   LED_³_     ZENER_³_   _³_  ÚÄÁÄ   VARICAP_³_   ³
              \_/  /_\      \_/ðGN       /_\' _\_/,  /_\          \_/  ===
        Ä´<ÃÄ  ³D1  ³D2      ³ ON       Z1³     ³     ³           ===  /_\
                                                                   ³    ³

 SCR  _³_    _³_      TRIAC  __³__a''    ³>³      DIACS  __³__     ³<³
    ÄÄ\_/ or \_/          ÄÄ /\ \/      Ä´ ÃÄÄ           /\ \/   ÄÄ´ ÃÄÄ
       ³  ___/³           g  ÄÄÂÄÄ       ³<³\            ÄÄÂÄÄ     ³>³
                               ³a'           ³

 TRANSISTORS __³__  Ä¿e  ÚÄ     ³  TR1³/      \³          ÃÄ      Dual  __|ÃÄ
              / \e   _\_/_   Ä´<    ÄÄ´ NPN    ÃÄÄ      ÄÄ´ FET   IGFET    ³
             ³   ³     ³        ³e    ³\e    e/³BC108     Ã>Ä           ÄÄÙÃ>Ä
                             small      ³    ³
                                                   _
 CAPACITORS          +³         ³  Too            ³/| C2
             Ä´ÃÄ    === 1uF   ÄÁÄ large         ===  100p
              10n     ³        ÄÂÄ not so        /³  Variable
                                ³  good

 INDUCTORS                   ³          L ___   ___      Slid \³/     Preset
            _(((()_        º(___             )º(  300V     ()))))     Ä¿ \
  ÄÄððÄÄÄ    =====    Iron º( Tapped    220V )º(___      ÄÄÙ    ÀÄÄ    )|/`\
  Ferrite   Ferrite        º(           N ___)º ___                    )|
  Bead                     ÄÄÁÄÄ        E ____º(___6V                 /)|
                                                                   ÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄ
 RESISTORS             ³                    or if  ÚÁ¿           ______
              ³     Ä>POT      10ê           you   ³ ³390R     Ä´______ÃÄ
    ÄÄ10kÄÄ  220R     10k   __/\/\/\_       must   ³ ³1/4W      47ê 10W
              ³        ³       20W           use   ÀÂÙ
                                            boxes

 RELAYS                                  ³            _          _Ü_
         ÚÄÄÄÁÄÄÄ¿300ê  NCÄ¿        ====  /       - /~ ~\ +     /DC \
         ³ ALARM ³      ___\__      ())) ³MK      Ä´MeterÃÄ    (Motor)
         ÀÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÙ      NO   C      ³  ³ ³          \_ _/       \___/
                                                      ~           ß
                                     __       __         __        __   
 OP AMPS ÄÄ´\³+    ÄÄ´\      GATES Ä´   \   Ä´ _ \     Ä´   \    Ä´ __\
          ñ³A >ÄÄ   ñ³B >ÄÄ         ³ &  )Ä  ³ &  )O-   ) OR >Ä   ) OR >OÄ
         ÄÄ´/³-    ÄÄ´/            Ä´__ /   Ä´__ /     Ä´__ /    Ä´__ /

                 +³8 
 ICs     4ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄ¿                          14             8
        ÄÄ´Reset        ³3      +12V ____ +5V       ÚÁÄÁÄÁÄÁÄÁÄÁÄÁ¿
         6³  LM 555  O/PÃÄ       ÄÄÄ´7805ÃÄÄ        ).            ³
        ÄÄ´Discharge    ³            ~~³~           ÀÂÄÂÄÂÄÂÄÂÄÂÄÂÙ
        ÄÄ´Trigger   CV ³                           1             7
         2ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÂÄÙ
                 -³1  ³5

 VALVES   __³__        __³__      Ú-|A     X   Y  A F A G K
         / ÄÁÄ \      / ÄÁÄ \     ³   ~Ä-.________________
        ³       ³   ÄÅ - - - ³    ³ CRT    [] ÄÁÄ |ÄÄÄÄ|Ú_\ H
         \ /~\ /     ³ /~~~\ ³    ³       []  ÄÂÄ |ÄÄÄÄ|À~/ H
          ~³~³~       \³_/\_/     ³  _.-Ä'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                       ³ ³³       ÀÄ~

Often with ASCII ART there is not enough detail for precise component graphic
symbols, but to a good engineer these graphics are good enough. (clearer than a
bought Photocopied diagram/CD/internet download!)

As with any text composing this may take a while, so do SAVE it often as an
ASCII (.ASC or .TXT) file often (possibly as a .BAK file as well!).

Try to make the diagram size less than 79 characters wide by 23 lines high, as
this fits most viewers, with room for their control bars etc. & should stop
auto wrapping of your carefully spaced diagram when sent over packet.

The diagram size restriction may mean splitting the diagram up into functional
blocks, giving you the option to describe each part as you go. Not normally
possible with other drawing systems! Write the text out under the drawing & if
both text & drawing can be made small enough, cut & past side by side...

                       Holder  ÉÍÍÍÍ»    Tester
                   ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄп   ºÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿   The tester panel
 The valve holder  ³()Ú¿()³  Úд ³~~~~~~~~~³ ³   has 6 rotary pot
 panel has 14/15   ³()³______³()³  ÀÄ´ ³ `\      ³ ³   or switches for
 types of valve    ³     ù)     ³    ³  ~~~~~~~~~  ³   setting to the
 base & a large    ³( )( )( )( )³    ³ db   ø   db ³   electrode volts,
 9 way thumb       ³            ³    ³             ³   test modes, a
 wheel switch.     ³( )( )( )( )³    ³ db   O   db ³   neon continuity
                   ³            ³    ³     (o)     ³   test lamp & a
                   ³( )( )( )( )³    ³ db . o . db ³   test lever.
                   ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ    ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÒÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ [AVO VALVE TESTER} 
                                          mains

DO NOT use TABS as they have different widths on different apps.
   (e.g. tab = 8-10 spaces, OR goto next TAB bar if set up)

If you are describing a large circuit, then use component Numbers, not values &
make a component value table....
No  R     C     L       T     IC
1  100R  10u   88mH   BC109  LM741
2  18k   15p   10uH   BFX20  NE555
3   2R   22n   1mH
4  220k  3n3
5  100k
6   1M

If it is for a BBS bulletin, I add standard headers & tails etc....

 SB TECH @ WW
 TITLE FOR BBS 32 ch max
 By .....                                (New  09)
 (8 Bit ASCII Graphics use code page 437 or 850 e.g. Terminal Font)
 
 ASCII File XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 A Tag line

 73 De ..................
 /EX

If you need to put the file through an editor with a spellchecker do it now,
but note the graphics will all show as errors. Once you have finished all the
cut & pasting, tidy it up for packet by going down the right hand side & remove
all the unwanted spaces at the end of lines as these are not needed. I then
rename the file as a .BUL as the extension when it is ready to send.

OTHER TIPS
Get the units/abbreviations right. e.g. Volts are V not v, Metres = m
Frequency is in Hz, kHz, MHz, & GHz not hz, KHz or mHz mhz as m=milli, gHz etc.
K = øKelvin, not k kilo. So a 12 kilo ê = 12k & not a very cold 12K !
Decibels are dB not db.

The result should be a VERY compact ASCII file, ideal for Packet & easy for
your SYSOP to check & vet it before releasing the bul. And it will be quick &
easy to read on many system/platforms & in any language....

Date/Time    : 12-Oct 22:36 2004
Title        : hello
From: LW5DIX@LW6EVE.#1661.BA.ARG.SA
To  : G8MNY@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU
name javier qra lw5dix
qth argentina
tex is spinif
amigo muy buena los informes de tecnica
me gustaria si tiene web ok
saludos
73 y dx

(it's just the text that's not international!)


See also "ASCII table for diagrams" & "Y Extended ASCII graphics"
 
Why don't U send an interesting bul?

73 de John G8MNY @ GB7CIP


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