G8MNY TECHNI 31.08.19 06:33l 227 Lines 10512 Bytes #180 (0) @ WW
BID : 19585_GB7CIP
Subj: Making ASCII diagrams
Path: OK0NBR OK2PEN N3HYM N9LCF WH6FQE ZS0MEE GB7CIP
Sent: 190831/0924Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:19585 [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.
┌┐
[] = └┘, | = │, - = ─, Ts = ┬ ┤├ ┴, + = ┼ Ohm = Ω, Degree = °, +/- = ± 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: 171 ½, 172 ¼, 227 π, 230 µ, 235 δ, 236 ∞, 241≡, 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 --│-│
095 _ (Underline) Only partly joins ___│_ (can't use space above!)
196 ─ (Graphic) Joins up OK ──┤ (OK to underside of underline) 124 | (Bar) Do not join up | (some Fonts have broken bar) 186 ║ (Graphic) Joins up own set ─║─
061 = (Equals) Do not join up == │=─
96`95_046.044,045-039' Rising graphic ~─-,__.-─~ (detailed Graphs, Circles) 176░ 177▒ 178▓ 219█ Shading ░░▒▒▓▓██ (Some displays are inverted) 220▄ 221▌ 222 ▐ 223 ▀ Half Blocks ▄ ▌▐▀ (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 ─ & - the hyphen as they may look the same, but are not on many displays.

ELECTRONIC COMPONENT ART

WIRES │ ──┬── │ │ │ │ │ │
──┴── │ ──┤ ├── ──┼── ──)── ───── ───│───
J o i n t s │ │ │(avoid) │ Cross over │ │(avoid)

TERMINALS
─┬── tag ───o+5V ───O ───* ──── ─── o)─── @──
°TP ──∙── │ coax │

GROUND/EARTH small _│_ _│_ │ _│_ ── 0V
/CHASSIS/0v ┴ //// ▒▒▒ \_/ 0V


SWITCHES ─o ─┐ │ ┌─
___ ──o \o─ ─o o o o FUSE
──o o── Toggle ─o ── /│\ ──o--o──
Push ─o │

DIODES ─┤ ├─ _│_ _│_ LED_│_ ZENER_│_ _│_ ┌─┴─ VARICAP_│_ │
\_/ /_\ \_/≡GN /_\' _\_/, /_\ \_/ ===
─┤ ├─ │D1 │D2 │ ON Z1│ │ │ === /_\
│ │

SCR _│_ _│_ TRIAC __│__a'' │ │ DIACS __│__ │ │
──\_/ or \_/ ── /\ \/ ─┤ ├── /\ \/ ──┤ ├──
│ ___/│ g ──┬── │ │\ ──┬── │ │
│a' │

TRANSISTORS __│__ ─┐e ┌─ │ TR1│/ \│ ├─ Dual __|├─
/ \e _\_/_ ─┤ ──┤ NPN ├── ──┤ FET IGFET │
│ │ │ │e │\e e/│BC108 ├ ─ ──┘├ ─
small │ │
_
CAPACITORS +│ │ Too │/| C2
─┤├─ === 1uF ─┴─ large === 100p
10n │ ─┬─ not so /│ Variable
│ good

INDUCTORS │ L ___ ___ Slid \│/ Preset
_(((()_ ║(___ )║( 300V ())))) ─┐ \
──≡≡─── ===== Iron ║( Tapped 220V )║(___ ──┘ └── )|/`\
Ferrite Ferrite ║( N ___)║ ___ )|
Bead ──┴── E ____║(___6V /)|
────┴────
RESISTORS │ or if ┌┴┐ ______
│ ─ POT 10Ω you │ │390R ─┤______├─
──10k── 220R 10k __/\/\/\_ must │ │1/4W 47Ω 10W
│ │ 20W use └┬┘
boxes

RELAYS │ _ _▄_
┌───┴───┐300Ω NC─┐ ==== / - /~ ~\ + /DC \
│ ALARM │ ___\__ ())) │MK ─┤Meter├─ (Motor)
└───┬───┘ NO C │ │ │ \_ _/ \___/
~ ▀
__ __ __ __
OP AMPS ──┤\│+ ──┤\ GATES ─┤ \ ─┤ _ \ ─┤ \ ─┤ __\
±│A ── ±│B ── │ & )─ │ & )O- ) OR ─ ) OR O─
──┤/│- ──┤/ ─┤__ / ─┤__ / ─┤__ / ─┤__ /

+│8
ICs 4┌───────┴─────┐ 14 8
──┤Reset │3 +12V ____ +5V ┌┴─┴─┴─┴─┴─┴─┴┐
6│ LM 555 O/P├─ ───┤7805├── ). │
──┤Discharge │ ~~│~ └┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬─┬┘
──┤Trigger CV │ 1 7
2└───────┬───┬─┘
-│1 │5

VALVES __│__ __│__ ┌-|A X Y A F A G K
/ ─┴─ \ / ─┴─ \ │ ~─-.________________
│ │ ─┼ - - - │ │ CRT [] ─┴─ |────|┌_\ H
\ /~\ / │ /~~~\ │ │ [] ─┬─ |────|└~/ H
~│~│~ \│_/\_/ │ _.-─'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
│ ││ └─~

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 boty text & drawing can be made small enough, cut & past side by side...

Holder ╔════╗ Tester
┌───────────╨┐ ║┌─────────────┐ The tester panel
The valve holder │()┌┬┬┬┬┬┬┐()│ ┌╨┤ │~~~~~~~~~│ │ has 6 rotary pot
panel has 14/15 │()│______│()│ └─┤ │ `\ │ │ or switches for
types of valve │ ∙) │ │ ~~~~~~~~~ │ setting to the
base & a large │( )( )( )( )│ │ db ° db │ electrode volts,
9 way thumb │ │ │ │ test modes, a
wheel switch. │( )( )( )( )│ │ db O db │ neon continuity
│ │ │ (o) │ test lamp & a
│( )( )( )( )│ │ db . o . db │ test lever.
└────────────┘ └──────╥──────┘ [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 = °Kelvin, not k kilo. So a 12 kilo Ω = 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?


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 (Linux/32)
* Origin: HAMRADIO telnet slacko.kozow.com (21:5/101)