276 lines
13 KiB
Plaintext
276 lines
13 KiB
Plaintext
From server@nas.nasa.gov Thu Oct 7 00:44:55 1993
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id AA10156; Wed, 6 Oct 93 21:55:06 -0700
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Date: Wed, 6 Oct 93 21:55:06 -0700
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Message-Id: <199310062329.AA11627@sparc27.cs.uiuc.edu>
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Errors-To: jet@nas.nasa.gov
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Reply-To: gross@sparc0a.cs.uiuc.edu
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Originator: glove-list@boxer
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Sender: glove-list@nas.nasa.gov
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Precedence: bulk
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From: Ben Gross <gross@sparc0a.cs.uiuc.edu>
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To: wixer!pacoid
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Subject: PGSI updated FAQ 10/6/93
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X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0a -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas
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Status: RO
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PGSI-FAQ
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The Official PowerGlove Serial Interface (PGSI) Frequently Asked Questions
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(FAQ) post.
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Last modified: 10-6-93
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Previously released version: 3-18-93
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Maintained by: Ben Gross (pgsi@uiuc.edu)
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Stored on: ftp.cso.uiuc.edu in /ACM/PGSI as pgsi-faq
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The FAQ has been spilt into two files:
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pgsi-faq and pgsi-history
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both are available on the FTP site.
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! denotes a new question.
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+ denotes an update to the question
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NOTE: The FTP site is currently being reconfigured, we are not able to
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update our files until this process in finished, when the update is done,
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(hopefully soon), we will place all the latest info there.
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The ftp site has moved please make sure you use ftp.cso.uiuc.edu and not
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ux1.cso.uiuc.edu.
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Questions:
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+1 What is the PGSI?
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The PGSI is a small device measuring 3.35" by 1" by 1.5" that plugs right in
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to any DB-25 style RS-232 connector. The device should work on any IBM, IBM
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compatible, Amiga, Macintosh, Workstation, or other type of computer that
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has a serial port. The device
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integrates the PowerGlove and SEGA style shutter glasses into the computer
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as input/output devices, and communicates with them using standard RS- 232
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data values. The interface emulates the AGE command set and the Menelli
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command set, has extensions to allow the user to read in values from 8
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Analog-Digital Ports, 1 digital port consisting of 8 pins, and can be
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reprogrammed with code updates or extensions by the end user.
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+2 Will the PGSI work on my machine?
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This one is easy. The answer is yes if your machine has access to a RS-232
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(EIA-232) port and no if does not. The IBM, Amiga, and workstations
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typically have a port that will work directly, Mac users will either need to
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purchase the MAC MiniDin 8 to DB-25 adapter, or purchase one from ACM at
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UIUC. If you have a 9 pin serial port you will need to buy a nine to
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twenty-five pin converter from some electronics store.
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+3 Why get a PGSI instead of the parallel port version?
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First, the parallel port version uses CPU cycles, it is also dependent on
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the CPU for speed to some degree. The fact that the parallel port version
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uses the parallel port may limit availability for some users. Some
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machines made today do not have a parallel port, these include many
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workstations. In addition, the parallel port may not be standard across all
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platforms. The PGSI works with the serial port which is standard on nearly
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every machine made today. It also contains its own micro-controller so that
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relatively little processor time is used.
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4 What does the PGSI package include?
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A users manual
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Demo Programs (MAC or IBM)
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The latest online documentation
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Anything else we found that looked interesting
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The PGSI
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All code and updates will be put on our anonymous FTP site.
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+5 What software is available for the PGSI?
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Currently, we have a functional Mac mouse driver replacement written by one
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of our members, Jay Kreibich (jak@uiuc.edu). We will include the binary and
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the source with the PGSI Mac distribution. Jay should also have libraries
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and source by shipping time. We have PC and windows versions of the drivers
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in the works which will be done by distribution time. Another of our
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members Chris Wilson (cwilson@ncsa.uiuc.edu) has written a windows 3.1
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application called Maestro II. Maestro allows you to use the glove on a
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virtual keyboard that outputs to a midi device.
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If anyone is interested in writing drivers or other software we will gladly
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take submissions and distribute them. As of this date we have no plans to
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sell any of the software for the PGSI and will probably distribute it under
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a GNU license. All of out available software will be placed on our ftp
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site.
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6 What are the capabilities SEGA driver circuitry?
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The SEGA driver circuitry is capable of the following:
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One wire control (LEFTON/RIGHTOFF, LEFTOF/RIGHTON)
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Two wire control (LEFTON/RIGHTOFF, LEFTOFF/RIGHTON
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LEFTOFF/RIGHTOFF, LEFTON, RIGHTON)
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No wire control (Use software RS-232 commands to emulate two wire
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control)
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The SEGA circuitry is used used to power the LCD shutter glasses, which can
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be used with a monitor to present the illusion of a 3-Dimensional picture
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on- screen.
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+7 Does the PGSI come with a power supply?
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The interface is not sold with a power supply, although it does need one.
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It uses a standard "brick" type supply, so the designers felt it
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unnecessary to make the user purchase what they may already have. The PGSI
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can accept a wide variety of input voltages, both AC or DC. Anything from
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9 volts to 24 volts and less than one Amp is acceptable, and users do not
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need worry about polarity of plugs. The PGSI has its own built-in polarity
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converter to achieve the correct polarity. The PGSI user may purchase a
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power supply in their order, but the PGSI team encourages users to purchase
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their own (they are cheaper elsewhere).
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Jim had previously stated that six through nine volts would work, we have
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found this incorrect (the hard way). We have had almost no luck with
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anything under nine volts.
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!8 I have heard you guys had some problems, why all the delays?
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A number of problems have plagued the release of the PGSI. Most notably,
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the fact that it is a student project means that resources are allocated to
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it sporadically, corresponding to those times when no homework, exams or
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projects must be completed. Another involved legalities. Generally,
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universities cannot sell items for profit, and the National Association for
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Computing Machinery is classified as a not-for-profit organization.
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Although ACM at UIUC stated that profits from the sale of the PGSI will be
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used for purchase of equipment and supplies for the Special Interest Group
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(SIG) developing the PGSI, legal problems caused several weeks worth of
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delays. Once we completed the circuit board design we sent it out to a
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company who bought the parts in bulk and mostly assembled the units for us.
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Even though we had to assemble a small part of the units, it took hours and
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hours to complete. In addition several parts were not in stock a had to be
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ordered causing further delays. Our final problem and one that caused the
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biggest delay was the power supply. The board had been designed with an
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uncommon power jack, and we could not find a large quantity of power
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supplies to fit them. Eventually, we removed the jacks from the power
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supplies and added out own. This was all compounded by the fact that much
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of this took place over the summer when most of the students, our labor
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force, had gone home. Our last and final problem was that of bootstrapping
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the code onto the kits. It seems that we could not find a version of our
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bootstrap code for the kits we had in the office. We now have one that
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works.
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9 Where can I find more information about the PGSI and the PowerGlove?
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This FAQ is your best bet for a start. Next I would check our FTP site:
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ftp.cso.uiuc.edu in /ACM/PGSI
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check the /ACM/PGSI/README file for what's currently available.
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The USENET group sci.virtual-worlds has discussions on both the PGSI and the
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PowerGlove as well as many other aspects of virtual reality. The group
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sci.virtual-worlds.apps discusses various working applications that
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incorporate virtual reality. The newsgroups are moderated. Archives of
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sci.virtual-worlds are located on ftp.u.washington.edu in pub/user-
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supported/virtual-worlds/postings. Archives of sci.virtual-worlds.apps are
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located on kth.se in pub/sci.virtual-worlds.apps. Many of the applications
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discussed in these newsgroups are also located on these ftp sites.
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There is a mailing list called the glove list that carries discussions about
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the PowerGlove and the PGSI. You can subscribe to it by sending email to:
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listserv@nas.nasa.gov put this in body: subscribe glove-list <email address>
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Problems go to jet@nas.nasa.gov, *NOT* to the glove list.
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"This is now on a unix-listserv thingie, so the method of getting archives
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will change. Send a message to listserv@boxer.nas.nasa.gov with a body of
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'info glove-list' or 'help' for more information.'
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"Currently there is no ftp site for the glove-list. Instead, there is the
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archive server capabilities from unix-listserv. Send a message to
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listserv@boxer.nas.nasa.gov with a body of 'get glove README' for a list of
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what is available."
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For those without USENET access there are listservs called virtu-l and
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vrapp-l. They contain reposts from sci.virtual worlds and
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sci.virtual-worlds.apps. You can subscribe by sending a message to
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listserv@vmd.cso.uiuc.edu or listserv@uiucvmd on Bitnet) with a message body
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containing: subscribe virtu-l Your_Full_Name or subscribe vrapp-l
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Your_Full_Name
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+10 What is the 2.5 mm phono plug to coax plug adapter for?
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Some people will try to use their own power supply, but it will have this
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plug which looks like a miniature coax plug, with a pin in the center, and a
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steel case around the outside. This end is common, but will not work on the
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PGSI. (We tried, but it was too tall). The PGSI uses the 2.5 mm phono plug.
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It is less common, but looks like the smallest version of the big 1/4"
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headset plug on older radio headsets and some microphones. This is what you
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need to power the PGSI.
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+11 Can I purchase it as a kit?
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If there is a reasonable amount of demand we will offer kits. We had a
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large number of problems with distributing the kits. They are somewhat
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cheaper, and I guess for some, more fun. I you would like to purchase a
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kit, let us know when we send the new order forms out. Email us before you
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send in your order, if there is enough demand and we have all the problems
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worked out, it is starting to look better, we will offer a kit form of the
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pgsi. Pretty much all the problems with the kits will be solved in the
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second run.
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+12 Is it possible to obtain the user's manual and is it on FTP?
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The latest version 0.3 in available on our new FTP site:
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ftp.cso.uiuc.edu in /ACM/PGSI
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check the /ACM/PGSI/README file for what's currently available.
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If you do not have access to FTP we can email uuencoded copies to you.
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Note: This version is out of date, we will be updating it soon.
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+13 What about two glove support?
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There is support for two gloves in both the pgsi code and the hardware,
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neither have been tested. Now that we have most of the problems worked
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out, we should have two glove support more or less officially in the next
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version of the code.
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Note: two PGSI Single-glove units will not work together, since the devices
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are not synchronized and the glove units will interfere.
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+17 Will there be a second production?
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Yes. If you would like to be counted for the second run please let me know.
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There is no formal shipping date as of yet. I would recommend that you ftp
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an order form fill it out and mail it electronically. We will then announce
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when we will officially be taking orders. The second run will be far
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different from the first, we have learned a great deal from our past mishaps
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and will not repeat them. Please make sure you use an updated order form,
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there will be an October 1993 order form this will be the one to use once it
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is available. All others are severely incorrect.
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18 Did you remove support for the keyboard?
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No, in an earlier post, Jim indicated the special stuff on the keypad was
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left out of the new code. Many thought this meant no keypad at all. Wrong.
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Jim had originally mapped special functions to the keypad buttons that could
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be activated from the keypad, but he dropped that. Full AGE compatibility
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is still there, as well as Menelli compatibility.
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Ben Gross -- PGSI team leader
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ACM at UIUC
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pgsi@uiuc.edu
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--
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Email: pgsi@uiuc.edu -- We're an information economy. They teach you that
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in school. What they don't tell you is that it's impossible to move, to live,
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to operate at any level without leaving traces, bits, seemingly meaningless
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fragments that can be retrieved amplified... William Gibson "Johnny Mnemonic"
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