Debugging with an auxiliary terminal

In the ‘Programming tips’ section of FTN95.CHM (at least the version 8.50 that I am using) there is a section titled ‘Debugging with an auxiliary terminal’. The advice is good – for a long time ago – as the chances of finding a PC XT or AT, or dumb terminal, are pretty slight, and it is some time since Windows computers had RS232 ports.

Would it be worth exploring dual monitor setups, and updating the advice? Can something (like an Android tablet) connected via a USB port work like something connected to RS232? Or WiFi or Bluetooth?

Does anyone out there have relevant experience they would care to share?

Eddie

Oh.... this is a blast from the past.

I remember Bob Jackman who wrote the VXD, a Windows driver to interface to DBOS, telling me the only debugging information he had was that he could change the keyboard LEDs.

And I remember meeting him and Dave Bailey at a seminar in Salford at the time of the launch of Clearwin.

The 'blast from the past' is still in FTN95.CHM (well it was in v8.50).

Eddie

My first computing experience was on an Elliott 803 computer. The programming language was Autocode, program source on paper tape, and some of the debugging was done by listening to croaking sounds on a speaker connected to the computer. After a few runs of a program, I learned to tell from the 'song' which long program loop was executing.

See http://elliott803.sourceforge.net/docs/operation.html#sound

and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIxZ1i8pvZI