/* Imported from Wayback Machine
   Original URL : https://retrobrewcomputers.org/doku.php?id=boards:ecb:vdu:fonts
   Snapshot date: 2025-02-14
   Generator    : wayback-archiver
*/

==== Table of Contents ====

[[#fonts|Fonts]]

[[#rom_fonts|ROM Fonts]]

[[#font_utilities_and_resources|Font Utilities and Resources]]

[[#character_set_modification|256 Character set modification]]

====== Fonts ======

The following 10×8 pixel fonts suit 80×24 & 80×25 screen format:

The original German orientated K&P 80 font file: [[https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=boards:ecb:vdu:fonts:80z.zip|:boards:ecb:vdu:fonts:80z.zip]]

[[https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?tok=3db811&media=https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/plugins/ckgedit/fckeditor/userfiles/image/boards/ecb/vdu/fonts/80z-1.png|{{https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?w=800&h=163&tok=ded53f&media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.retrobrewcomputers.org%2Flib%2Fplugins%2Fckgedit%2Ffckeditor%2Fuserfiles%2Fimage%2Fboards%2Fecb%2Fvdu%2Ffonts%2F80z-1.png?800x163}}]]

English font file provided by Dan Warner: [[https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=boards:ecb:vdu:fonts:vdu-dw.zip|:boards:ecb:vdu:fonts:vdu-dw.zip]]

[[https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?tok=06d04d&media=https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/plugins/ckgedit/fckeditor/userfiles/image/boards/ecb/vdu/fonts/vdu-dw-1.png|{{https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?w=800&h=163&tok=2e21ce&media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.retrobrewcomputers.org%2Flib%2Fplugins%2Fckgedit%2Ffckeditor%2Fuserfiles%2Fimage%2Fboards%2Fecb%2Fvdu%2Ffonts%2Fvdu-dw-1.png?800x163}}]]

The 80×30 screen format is designed for an 8×8 pixel font. The above fonts will work but the lower parts of some characters are not displayed.

A font to suit 8×8 pixel 80×30 screen format: [[https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=boards:ecb:vdu:fonts:8x8_80x30.zip|:boards:ecb:vdu:fonts:8x8_80x30.zip]]

[[https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?tok=04d93d&media=https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/plugins/ckgedit/fckeditor/userfiles/image/boards/ecb/vdu/fonts/8x8_80x30.png|{{https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?w=800&h=163&tok=1529e7&media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.retrobrewcomputers.org%2Flib%2Fplugins%2Fckgedit%2Ffckeditor%2Fuserfiles%2Fimage%2Fboards%2Fecb%2Fvdu%2Ffonts%2F8x8_80x30.png?800x163}}]]

A serif 8×8 pixel 80×30 screen format font: [[https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=boards:ecb:vdu:fonts:8x8_80x30a.zip|:boards:ecb:vdu:fonts:8x8_80x30a.zip]]

[[https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?tok=524194&media=https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/plugins/ckgedit/fckeditor/userfiles/image/boards/ecb/vdu/fonts/8x8_80x30a.png|{{https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?w=800&h=163&tok=aaa924&media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.retrobrewcomputers.org%2Flib%2Fplugins%2Fckgedit%2Ffckeditor%2Fuserfiles%2Fimage%2Fboards%2Fecb%2Fvdu%2Ffonts%2F8x8_80x30a.png?800x163}}]]

A thin 8×8 pixel 80×30 screen format font: [[https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=boards:ecb:vdu:fonts:8x8_80x30b.zip|:boards:ecb:vdu:fonts:8x8_80x30b.zip]]

[[https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?tok=089ebb&media=https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/plugins/ckgedit/fckeditor/userfiles/image/boards/ecb/vdu/fonts/8x8_80x30b.png|{{https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?w=800&h=163&tok=68ed1e&media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.retrobrewcomputers.org%2Flib%2Fplugins%2Fckgedit%2Ffckeditor%2Fuserfiles%2Fimage%2Fboards%2Fecb%2Fvdu%2Ffonts%2F8x8_80x30b.png?800x163}}]]

Alternate matching 64×16 and matching 80×24 character set: [[https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=boards:ecb:vdu:fonts:64168024.zip|:boards:ecb:vdu:fonts:64168024.zip]]

[[https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?tok=d03ae9&media=https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/plugins/ckgedit/fckeditor/userfiles/image/boards/ecb/vdu/fonts/mbee6416.png|{{https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?w=800&h=163&tok=0f44bb&media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.retrobrewcomputers.org%2Flib%2Fplugins%2Fckgedit%2Ffckeditor%2Fuserfiles%2Fimage%2Fboards%2Fecb%2Fvdu%2Ffonts%2Fmbee6416.png?800x163}}]]

{{https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?w=800&h=163&tok=b65069&media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.retrobrewcomputers.org%2Flib%2Fplugins%2Fckgedit%2Ffckeditor%2Fuserfiles%2Fimage%2Fboards%2Fecb%2Fvdu%2Ffonts%2Fmbee8024.png?800x163}}

===== ROM Fonts =====

Each font character is a 16×8 bit matrix.

===== Font Utilities and Resources =====

Font ROM files can be made or edited using the font editor utility. It supports a maximum font size of 8×12: [[https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=boards:ecb:vdu:archive:vdu_font_edit.zip|:boards:ecb:vdu:archive:vdu_font_edit.zip]]

A hex editor is useful for manipulation files, especially joining and splitting ROM files: [[https://mh-nexus.de/en/hxd/|HxD]]

As set of DOS ERA bitmapped fonts can be found here: http://old-dos.ru/index.php?page=files&mode=files&do=show&id=6039

[[https://int10h.org/oldschool-pc-fonts/|The Oldschool PC Font Resource]]

[[http://orangetide.com/OLD/fonts/DOS|http:%%//%%orangetide.com/OLD/fonts/]]

===== 256 Character set modification =====

The use of bit seven as an attribute bit to provide inverse or flashing characters is very typical of 6545 implementations and these characteristics were commonly implement in VDU based terminals. The downside of this implementation being that it limits the range of displayable characters to 128. It is possible to modify the ECB-VDU to display 256 characters as an alternative to having inverse/flashing capability. This requires redirecting the attribute bit “bit 7” from the cursor circuit to the character rom address lines.

Lift pin 1 of IC10 from the socket and connect it to pin 7 of IC10 (gnd),

Lift pin 23 of IC5 and connect to pin 12 of IC4.

{{https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?tok=e1aaf2&media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.retrobrewcomputers.org%2Flib%2Fplugins%2Fckgedit%2Ffckeditor%2Fuserfiles%2Fimage%2Fboards%2Fecb%2Fvdu%2Ffonts%2F256cmod1.png}}

A 12×8 block graphics set (64 characters): [[https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=boards:ecb:vdu:fonts:12x8gfx.zip|:boards:ecb:vdu:fonts:12x8gfx.zip]]

[[https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?tok=014dc2&media=https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/plugins/ckgedit/fckeditor/userfiles/image/boards/ecb/vdu/fonts/12x8gfx.png|{{https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?w=800&h=82&tok=17ae84&media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.retrobrewcomputers.org%2Flib%2Fplugins%2Fckgedit%2Ffckeditor%2Fuserfiles%2Fimage%2Fboards%2Fecb%2Fvdu%2Ffonts%2F12x8gfx.png?800x82}}]]

A 4Kb 256 Character rom for a 12×8 bitmap character set: [[https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=boards:ecb:vdu:fonts:12x8gfx1.zip|:boards:ecb:vdu:fonts:12x8gfx1.zip]]

[[https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?tok=5e0faf&media=https://www.retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/plugins/ckgedit/fckeditor/userfiles/image/boards/ecb/vdu/fonts/12x8gfx1.png|{{https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?w=800&h=324&tok=d760fa&media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.retrobrewcomputers.org%2Flib%2Fplugins%2Fckgedit%2Ffckeditor%2Fuserfiles%2Fimage%2Fboards%2Fecb%2Fvdu%2Ffonts%2F12x8gfx1.png?800x324}}]]

Example on a 1201 Commodore monitor:

{{https://retrobrewcomputers.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?w=800&h=697&tok=2c213c&media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.retrobrewcomputers.org%2Flib%2Fplugins%2Fckgedit%2Ffckeditor%2Fuserfiles%2Fimage%2Fboards%2Fecb%2Fvdu%2Ffonts%2F256cdemo.jpg?800x697|www.retrobrewcomputers.org_lib_plugins_ckgedit_fckeditor_userfiles_image_boards_ecb_vdu_fonts_256cdemo.jpg}}