Last Updated or created 2022-11-29

While attending the LTS (lower vocational technical school), i could often be found in the computer lab.
I was the only student who had his own key.
We had a classroom with 16 computers, 2 drives at the master station and a printer.
Everything was connected using Econet. (These where the first networked computers i’ve worked with)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Econet

So every moment we didn’t have a class, i was there.
Even when i had to do final exams, i was late entering, and sometimes one of the first leaving.

Today (2022) i ran an emulator on my machine and typed in one of my old programs found in a notebook.
(The real system above pictured, i have to repair)
By the way, this is one of the computers from school, even with its original wooden monitor stand. The school contacted me (a few years after leaving this school) if i wanted to buy one of the machines.

One of the shorter programs in basic

   20R=.8
   30Q=.05
   40MODE0
   50X=500
   60GCOL1,3
   70Y=500
   80MOVE650,650
   90DRAW670,650:DRAW670,670:DRAW650,670:DRAW650,650
  100A=GET-48
  110IFA=1THENX=X+Q
  120IFA=2THENX=X-Q
  130IFA=3THENY=Y+Q
  140IFA=4THENY=Y-Q
  150IFA=5THENR=.8
  160IFA=6THENR=0
  170X1=200*SIN(X)+500
  180X2=200*SIN(Y+X)+X1
  190X3=50*SIN(Y+X+R)+X2
  200X4=50*SIN(Y+X-R)+X2
  210Y1=200*COS(X)+500
  220Y2=200*COS(Y+X)+Y1
  230Y3=50*COS(X+Y+R)+Y2
  240Y4=50*COS(Y+X-R)+Y2
  250CLS
  260IFX4>650ANDX4<670ANDY4>650ANDY4<670THENPRINT"RAAK"
  270MOVE450,450
  280DRAW550,450
  290DRAW500,500
  300DRAW450,450
  310MOVE500,500
  320DRAWX1,Y1
  330DRAWX2,Y2
  340DRAWX3,Y3
  350MOVEX2,Y2
  360DRAWX4,Y4
  370GOTO80
  380MODE7
  390PRINTTAB(12,10)CHR$129CHR$141"FASH-SOFT"
  400PRINTTAB(12,11)CHR$130CHR$141"FASH-SOFT"
  410A=GET
  420RUN

Keys
1,2 - first arm (left/right)
3,4 - second arm (left/right)
5,6 - open/close grabber

This program got me in trouble because my teachers didn’t believe me. It wasn’t written by me according to them. Because my math grades were terrible!

Later versions had a nicer looking robotic arm. (More 3d, not a line but a arm with thickness)

Notes:

*CAT ; list disk files
LOAD"FSHDRAW" ; load

Print to file or clipboard
LIST07 ; page formatting
VDU2 ; start output redirection (screen + "printer")
LIST
VDU3 ; stop redirection

Installing the Emulator under linux

 git clone https://github.com/stardot/b-em.git
 sudo apt-get install autotools-dev automake
 sudo apt-get install liballegro5-dev
 cd b-em/
 ./autogen.sh 
 ./configure 
 make
 ./b-em