SAVE: accept and store simple texts (for later retransmission)
DIR: list all files that have been saved
RETRIEVE: send the file back to the user
DELETE: delete the named file
CLEAR: clear the screen
The only VT100 features that he needs initially are:
FEATURES NEEDED:
character set: 127 ascii characters
8 bit characters: 1 start bit 1 parity bit 1 stop bit
baud rate: 9600
TTL signal levels (or preferably HC logic)
Rx, Tx
CR, LF
start up with a blank screen
accept and display each character as it is received
send each character as it is typed into the keyboard
FEATURES NOT NEEDED:
changeable baud rate
RTS, CTS
No control codes (eg BEL) other than CR,LF
a nine pin RS232 connector is not necessary
Emulating a VT100 using one of my Raspberry Pi Computers
The author is willing to create and keep a micro SDcard containing the VT100 emulator program. He is willing to
set up the various TTY settings and leave them set up in the OS on the RPi micro SDcard. Whenever he wants
to run the VT100 emulator, he will connect a Raspberry Pi computer to a monitor or TV and provide a
keyboard for its use. (Usually he will use a Pi400 connected to a TV set via an HDMI cable.) He will
insert the VT100 micro SDcard into the Pi and power it up. Then he will connect the Rx, Tx and ground
wires to the system under test. He will tell the system under test to use a baud rate of 300 bps.
Hopefully, the system will perform (almost) exactly like a VT100.
The author doesn't care if the VT100 emulator doesn't look like a VT100. He doesn't care if the width and height of the screen
are exactly the same as the VT100, or not.
Source 01 was found to be too minimal and it needed an IC that is not on hand. Source 02 had a nice
picture of a VT100 but not enough information on how to set up and configure the Raspberry Pi. Source 03 is what is needed, but Source 03 is using an o-scope
and his efforts weren't successful. Source 04 says that he couldn't recommend a single one. Source 05 describes 5 programs, but Terminology was
the only one that the RPi could find to install. It seemed to provide a Terminal window, but no help in connecting it to any Rx/Tx wires. Doh! Using minicom is the best software solution that the author has found.
Use of a Maker board made by Cytron with a suitable Grove connector might be ideal. The author would then
use a suitable Grove connector to connect to the system under test.
Minicom On A Raspberry Pi
The author googled "Using minicom with a serial port on a Raspberry" It said (with no source nor URL):
In minicom, press Ctrl + A then press Z. Now press O to configure minicom. In the menu that appears, press the down arrow to move to Serial port setup and the press then Enter key. Press F to switch flow control off and then press the Enter key.Mar 25, 2014
The next paragraph describes how to install and use minicom. The minicom software provides a software solution. The GPIO pins on any Raspberry Pi provide an electronic connection that uses HC voltage levels. The original VT100 used the deprecated RS232 connector with positive and negative voltage levels.
WARNING: connection directly to a RS232 connector on another device will damage the GPIO pin electronics on a Raspberry Pi.
The author has experience with minicom with MMBasic and with using Thonny to send serial data to/from a Pi Pico. But he does not know how to make the Pi Pico function as if it were a VT100. Perhaps two Raspberry Pi computers could intercommunicat,e each using minicom. The author has not yet tried such a configuration. He believes that, in the past, 2 VT100 terminals could intercommuncate in this manner.
Installing and Using minicom on a Raspberry Pi
Perform the following steps to install minicom on a Raspberry Pi, using OS: Bookworm:
-Using "Add Software" on the Raspberry Pi menu
-type "minicom" then Hit Return
-then click on "minicom 2.8.2(64 bit) " to select it
-then to install
Hit Apply
see minicom in the Internet subMenu
-plug a serial device into a USB port,
eg a Raspberry Pico to have a device to "talk" to
-in Terminal, type
>lsusb
see "MicroPython Board in FS mode" in the list
then type
>ls /dev
see ttyACM0 in the list
-hit Run on Raspberry Submenu or open Terminal
-then type
>minicom --device /dev/ttyACM0 --color=on
-to exit from minicom,
> Ctrl-A then Z
-then type
>> X
-to run REPL Hit return
see
>>>
-to run a MicroPython statement:
>>>print("Hello World!")
-to use the os
>>>import os
-to see the files
>>>os.listdir('/')
-more help: on _KIOXIA_GTLL SSD at
Source 01: SDesktop/IX_assets/helpNotes/pico_help.txt
-rshell is also described at Source 01 at:
-also see fuzix at
Source 02: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/raspberry-pi-pico-fuzix
-also see code at
Source 03: https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython/issues/6374
-also see code for glob (and many more) at
Source 04: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3207219/how-do-i-list-all-files-of-a-directory
End of Article (Sources follow)
This article, by D@CC is of course, a work-in-progress as of 2024BFeb16.
External Sources
Video Sources
Video Source 01:www 
RPi Pico with an SDcard (using MicroPython)
by DigiKey on 2021GJul 26
Web Sources
Web Source S172:01:www 
Raspberry Pi Dumb Terminal (VT100)
by Tymkrs on Sept 14 2015
Web Source S172:02:www
2:3 scale VT100 Terminal . . . .
by Tom Nardi on Jun15 2021
Web Source S172:03:www
Pi Zero W VT100 TErmina
by epif18on Feb 21, 2020
Web Source S172:04:www
RPi 4 . . . Terminal Emulators - Week 35
by Luke Baker on Jun24 2020
Web Source S172:05:www
Best Terminal Emulators of 2022
by Alex Cox on Dec 23 2021
There is a way to "google" any of the part-numbers, words or phrases in all my articles. This "google-like" search limits itself ONLY to my articles. Just go to the top of "Articles by Old King Cole" and look for the "search" input box named "freefind".
WebMaster: Ye Old King Cole
Date Written: 2022 B Feb 18
Last Updated: 2024 B Feb 16
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