Classic expertise fanatic Mike Dank has been enjoying with an AT&T Sceptre interactive videotex terminal — and for in case there’s anybody on the market who’s doing the identical, has launched an open supply server that may sit on the different finish of the connection feeding it graphics.
“naplps-server is written in Python and designed for use w[ith] a modem so you’ll be able to take calls out of your NAPLPS videotex terminal and serve it graphics,” Dank explains of the software program. “Works with the AT&T Sceptre and possibly others. Works nice with a cellphone line simulator, BUT there’s additionally a demo cellphone quantity up (or direct SIP particulars) to strive. Warning: which may break if the shopper disconnects unexpectedly or knowledge corrupts. Extra work to do!”
Videotex was one of many first distant info terminal methods to implement graphics, providing a completely two-way interactive communication session — in contrast to one-way viewdata methods like teletext. The North American Presentation Layer Protocol Syntax (NAPLPS), in the meantime, was one of many protocols obtainable for outlining the graphics to be proven on the system — encoding pictures as directions represented by particular person ASCII characters with two-dimensional coordinate knowledge. Developed by Canadian knowledge transmission specialist Norpak, NAPLPS launched as Telidon in 1978.
AT&T’s Sceptre videotex terminal was launched in 1983, and served because the {hardware} behind each Knight Ridder’s Viewtron service and the Los Angeles Occasions’ Gateway — two of the most important videotex providers within the US. Dank’s instance turned out to be in fully-functional form, although getting it up and operating required a good bit of trial and error. “My preliminary try at a Python program simply sending knowledge [didn’t] appear to work,” Dank explains. “I used Tera Time period to manually ATA [AT command Answer] the incoming name after which I may drag and drop NAPLPS recordsdata to switch in binary mode.”
Dank wrote the software program after changing into the proud proprietor of a 1983 AT&T Sceptre terminal. (📷: Mike Dank)
Having confirmed that the outdated terminal may nonetheless show graphics Dank took what he had realized and developed naplps-server, a software program package deal that sits behind a Hayes-compatible dial-up modem, or appropriate modem emulator, and solutions calls with a rotating slideshow of NAPLPS coloration imagery — a unidirectional communication for now, however which may probably be prolonged to assist two-way interactivity sooner or later. “I can positively see how this logic could possibly be modified right into a rudimentary BBS [Bulletin Board System],” Dank says.
Extra info is accessible in Dank’s Mastodon thread, whereas naplps-server is accessible on GitHub below the reciprocal GNU Normal Public License 3.0 — however you will have to produce an acceptable modem and NAPLPS-compatible terminal your self.
