[Simh] SIMH console settings for escape sequence support

[Will Senn]

On 12/31/15 6:19 PM, Mark Pizzolato wrote:
> On Thursday, December 31, 2015 at 12:18 PM, Paul Koning wrote:
>> I've noticed that terminal handling on the SIMH console with RSTS/E was
>> never quite right; it would not do "set terminal/inquire" and editing keys that
>> produce escape sequences would be mangled.
>>
>> This turns out to be due to the "printable control characters" configuration
>> setting.  Its default value does not include ESC as a printable character, so it
>> gets discarded rather than sent to the terminal window.
>>
>> To fix this, use the following SIMH command:
>>
>> set console pchar=01000023600
>>
>> With that setting, escape sequences work properly on the console.
>> Something similar probably applies to other operating systems and processor
>> types, if they use escape sequences on the console terminal.  The pchar
>> value is octal on PDP11 and other machines that are conventionally octal; it's
>> hex on VAX and other hex machines, so adjust the "set" command
>> accordingly.
> Thanks for pointing this out.
>
> The PCHAR mask is actually only used when the terminal device (console)
> is in 7B or UC mode.  The PDP11 defaults to 7B mode.  The VAX simulators
> default to 8B mode.
>
> In the interest of fewer problems in the future for various folks, the
> default PCHAR mask has now been changed to include ESC and ENQ in
> addition to the previous BEL, BS, TAB, LF and CR.  The output produced
> by SHOW CONSOLE PCHAR has also been enriched to display the names
> of the characters which are included in the mask.
>
>
Awesome. Thanks for making the changes.

Will