Visual Display Control; Peripheral Control; The Keyboard - LSI M-Three Operator's Manual

Disk Drives into which the Disks/Diskettes are placed or
permanently held.
1.2.2 Visual Display control
The Visual Display is the most important operator aid in
the system. It is the means by which the Main Control
Unit communicates with the operator; a software control-
led 'window' into the computer. The Visual Display,
coupled with system familiarity (keyboard and software
protocols etc.), will enable two-way communication
between the operator and the M-THREE system.
The display area of the screen can contain a maximum of
24 I ines, each one having up to 80 characters in it (1,920
characters in all). Each of these characters can be any
one of the symbols shown in appendices A and B.
Any Further explanation as to the behaviour of the
Visual Display at this point would be fruitless as it is
entirely software dependant.
1.2.3 Peripheral Control
The M-THREE has the ability to control devices external
to its own immediate system. These devices, whatever
they may actually be, come under the heading 'Peripherals'.
The most common peripheral is a printer, which will be
needed if the system is being used for anything that
requires a printed output (hard-copy).
1.3 THE KEYBOARD
The Keyboard enables the operator to load data and instructions into
the Main Control Unit. The actrual 'language' used for this is entirely
dependant on the system control software (Operating System) in use
at the time, but most software interacts with the operator by using the
Visual Display for 'prompt-messages' and thereby enhances the
necessary two-way communication.
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