LEGO Interface A (9750/9771) – LEGO Technic Control 1 (TC1) reference/ideas thread

[amine]

11 hours ago, diegobaca said:

Glad they all work!

The LINES thing is LINES itself not restoring the text mode when it quits. I will add that reset to the menu in a future update, thanks for catching it. I’m curious, are you on Windows or Mac? That way I can validate the fix.

And you were closer than you think with QB11. The menu only knows the four programs, but anything you copy into the data folder shows up on C: all the same. That folder is:

%APPDATA%\TC Logo Connect\dos on Windows and ~/Library/Application Support/TC Logo Connect/dos on Mac.

Copy QB11 there, pick "Exit to DOS prompt" in the menu, then CD \QB11 and run it. Type MENU to get back to the picker.

Leaving MENU.BAT alone was the right call for one more reason: the app copies a fresh MENU.BAT into that folder on every start, so any edits there quietly vanish.

One bonus: the emulated interface card sits at port &H39D for every program, not just the four in the menu. INP and OUT from QuickBasic work the same as from GW-BASIC, so your own QB programs can talk to the interface too.

Cheers,
Diego

Received it 👍 thanks Diego !!!

@Toastie @diegobaca

To quit Lego lines the original command is ctrl+F8 but in my dosbox installation I can force quitting with ctrl+F9

on TC logo and logowriter I type dos in the bottom command line and that bring me back to dos.

for comal 80 type "bye" to quit

 

Edited yesterday at 10:25 AM by amine

[Toastie]

Hello Diego,

thank you very much! That is cool - I copied all my DOS programming languages to the dos folder, and they all work!

I am on Windows 11/64 prof.

8 hours ago, diegobaca said:

Leaving MENU.BAT alone was the right call for one more reason: the app copies a fresh MENU.BAT into that folder on every start, so any edits there quietly vanish.

Yes, I noticed that  - even with the old installation date. But as I don't need to use the menu, I just exit to dos and go from there.

8 hours ago, diegobaca said:

One bonus: the emulated interface card sits at port &H39D for every program, not just the four in the menu. INP and OUT from QuickBasic work the same as from GW-BASIC, so your own QB programs can talk to the interface too.

Yes, already checked on that! All my 9750 etc. related QBasic programs allow me to pick "#9771, serial port, or parallel port" (and SIM mode for simulation, just for polishing/testing the screen mask etc.) as communication channel. The main reason is that I usually code on my laptop, then test/run the code with my lill Arduino attached via serial. All my "interfaces to Interface A" have 6+2 LEDs - Arduinos or ESP32s, so that I don't need to carry an Interface A with me all the time . Once satisfied, I copy my programs (often as exe files generated with QuickBasic, as they execute of course much faster) to my IBM XT, which has all the cards sitting in their ISA slots ... The XT can talk via all three cards to Interface A, which is kinda cool to see.

One more question (hope I don't get on your nerves): I am old. The screen size TC Logo connect comes up with is really small  ... I know that you can simply drag the window to a larger size. But is it possible to start TCLc with lets say double the screen size it has now? I inspected the .conf file, but there are too many options in the respective sections I never touched. In DOSBox-X I use TTF among other things and I can change the window size without any compromise using the "winperc" entry in the [ttf] section. This may screw up things in TCLc though ...

Best wishes
Thorsten

[diegobaca]

1 hour ago, amine said:

Received it 👍 thanks Diego !!!

@Toastie @diegobaca

To quit Lego lines the original command is ctrl+F8 but in my dosbox installation I can force quitting with ctrl+F9

on TC logo and logowriter I type dos in the bottom command line and that bring me back to dos.

 

I'm glad you got it! 😃

To close the programs and return to the DOS menu:

1. TC Logo → Type dos in the Command Center.

2. LogoWriter Robotics → Type dos in the Command Center.

3. GW-BASIC → Type system.

4. Lines → Press Ctrl + F8.

Let me know if you run into any bugs or issues. I'd really appreciate the feedback!

59 minutes ago, Toastie said:

Hello Diego,

thank you very much! That is cool - I copied all my DOS programming languages to the dos folder, and they all work!

I am on Windows 11/64 prof.

Yes, I noticed that  - even with the old installation date. But as I don't need to use the menu, I just exit to dos and go from there.

Yes, already checked on that! All my 9750 etc. related QBasic programs allow me to pick "#9771, serial port, or parallel port" (and SIM mode for simulation, just for polishing/testing the screen mask etc.) as communication channel. The main reason is that I usually code on my laptop, then test/run the code with my lill Arduino attached via serial. All my "interfaces to Interface A" have 6+2 LEDs - Arduinos or ESP32s, so that I don't need to carry an Interface A with me all the time . Once satisfied, I copy my programs (often as exe files generated with QuickBasic, as they execute of course much faster) to my IBM XT, which has all the cards sitting in their ISA slots ... The XT can talk via all three cards to Interface A, which is kinda cool to see.

One more question (hope I don't get on your nerves): I am old. The screen size TC Logo connect comes up with is really small  ... I know that you can simply drag the window to a larger size. But is it possible to start TCLc with lets say double the screen size it has now? I inspected the .conf file, but there are too many options in the respective sections I never touched. In DOSBox-X I use TTF among other things and I can change the window size without any compromise using the "winperc" entry in the [ttf] section. This may screw up things in TCLc though ...

Best wishes
Thorsten

Hi Thorsten,

That's awesome to hear! 😄 It sounds like you've built a really nice development workflow. I especially like the idea of using the Arduino/ESP32 boards with the LED indicators so you can develop and test without always needing to have an Interface A connected. And seeing the same programs run on your IBM XT through all three interface cards must be very satisfying!

I'm also glad to hear your QuickBasic programs work with TC Logo Connect without any changes. That was one of the goals of the project, so it's great to see it being used that way.

As for the window size, that's a good suggestion. I'll take a look and see if I can have TC Logo Connect start with a larger default window. I know the current size can be a bit small on modern high-resolution displays. I'll investigate whether there's a clean way to do it without affecting the rest of the configuration.

Thanks again for all the testing and feedback. It's been really helpful, and please keep the suggestions coming!

Cheers,
Diego

[amine]

6 hours ago, diegobaca said:

I'm glad you got it! 😃

To close the programs and return to the DOS menu:

1. TC Logo → Type dos in the Command Center.

2. LogoWriter Robotics → Type dos in the Command Center.

3. GW-BASIC → Type system.

4. Lines → Press Ctrl + F8.

Let me know if you run into any bugs or issues. I'd really appreciate the feedback!

 

Hi Thorsten,

That's awesome to hear! 😄 It sounds like you've built a really nice development workflow. I especially like the idea of using the Arduino/ESP32 boards with the LED indicators so you can develop and test without always needing to have an Interface A connected. And seeing the same programs run on your IBM XT through all three interface cards must be very satisfying!

I'm also glad to hear your QuickBasic programs work with TC Logo Connect without any changes. That was one of the goals of the project, so it's great to see it being used that way.

As for the window size, that's a good suggestion. I'll take a look and see if I can have TC Logo Connect start with a larger default window. I know the current size can be a bit small on modern high-resolution displays. I'll investigate whether there's a clean way to do it without affecting the rest of the configuration.

Thanks again for all the testing and feedback. It's been really helpful, and please keep the suggestions coming!

Cheers,
Diego

There was some missing confirmation keys when quitting and overwriting files on Lego lines ,  I have corrected those issues   and reuploaded  the fixed  lines2.exe on archive.

Also for test here is how to blink the first interface A output for two secs using Comal 80. Keep in mind You need to define wait()  with your own procedure. 

the line 110 means repeat nothing until the computer timer reach the time limit  fixed at line 100

  

 save "filename" for saving

load "filename and list for loading

run for executing

bye is used for quitting comal 80 

 

Edited yesterday at 04:12 PM by amine

[Toastie]

@amine

I needed to edit the CO.BAT and CO87.BAT files - did you experience the same issue? I am on Win11/64 using DOSBox-X. It threw an error for the comalmsg as well as for the comalpkg path. 

The original BAT files both have backslashes and missing .pkg extension for GRAPH:

set host=IBM PC
set comalmsg=\dansk.msg
set comalpkg=\graph
comal

I edited it to:

set host=IBM PC
set comalmsg=english.msg
set comalpkg=graph87.pkg
comal87

If I am not mistaken, COMAND.COM treats the "\" literally, i.e., as a character? Or where am I wrong?

It works - I just wonder why 

Best
Thorsten

[amine]

5 minutes ago, Toastie said:

@amine

I needed to edit the CO.BAT and CO87.BAT files - did you experience the same issue? I am on Win11/64 using DOSBox-X. It threw an error for the comalmsg as well as for the comalpkg path. 

The original BAT files both have backslashes and missing .pkg extension for GRAPH:

set host=IBM PC
set comalmsg=\dansk.msg
set comalpkg=\graph
comal

I edited it to:

set host=IBM PC
set comalmsg=english.msg
set comalpkg=graph87.pkg
comal87

If I am not mistaken, COMAND.COM treats the "\" literally, i.e., as a character? Or where am I wrong?

It works - I just wonder why 

Best
Thorsten

I used a fake name, the file was too complicated to edit them I just renamed comal as Gwbasic. 

[Toastie]

Oh - I see.

OK, but in DOSBox-X the edited BAT files work fine. Just to let others know.

Best
Thorsten

[diegobaca]

Hi everyone,

TC Logo Connect version 1.0.3 is out! Here's what's new.

Add your own DOS programs to the menu

The startup menu is no longer limited to the four built-in programs.

Simply drop any DOS program folder into the app's DOS folder, describe it with a three-line text file, and it will appear in the menu right alongside TC Logo and the other built-in programs.

The menu supports up to 18 entries across two pages. Use the Left and Right arrow keys to switch pages, press Enter or a number key to launch a program, and press 0 to exit to a DOS prompt.

For example, to add QBasic, copy its folder into the DOS folder as QBASIC, then create QBASIC.TXT inside the MENU folder with the following contents:

SET INAME=QBasic
SET IDIR=QBASIC
SET IEXE=QBASIC.EXE

INAME is the name shown in the menu. IDIR is the program folder. IEXE is the executable that starts the program.

The README now includes a new "Adding your own programs" section that walks through the entire process. It only takes about a minute to add each program.

A better window

The application window now opens at a more comfortable size, remembers that size as you switch between programs, and displays the image at its original aspect ratio on both Windows and macOS.

You can resize the window however you like, and the image will always stay proportional.

How to get it

If you already have TC Logo Connect installed, you'll be offered the update the next time you launch the application.

Downloads for Windows and macOS are available at:

https://www.tc-logo.com

No firmware update is required this time. Bridges running firmware 1.0.1 are already up to date.

As always, questions, comments, and feedback are very welcome!

[amine]

16 hours ago, diegobaca said:

Hi everyone,

TC Logo Connect version 1.0.3 is out! Here's what's new.

Add your own DOS programs to the menu

The startup menu is no longer limited to the four built-in programs.

Simply drop any DOS program folder into the app's DOS folder, describe it with a three-line text file, and it will appear in the menu right alongside TC Logo and the other built-in programs.

The menu supports up to 18 entries across two pages. Use the Left and Right arrow keys to switch pages, press Enter or a number key to launch a program, and press 0 to exit to a DOS prompt.

For example, to add QBasic, copy its folder into the DOS folder as QBASIC, then create QBASIC.TXT inside the MENU folder with the following contents:

SET INAME=QBasic
SET IDIR=QBASIC
SET IEXE=QBASIC.EXE

INAME is the name shown in the menu. IDIR is the program folder. IEXE is the executable that starts the program.

The README now includes a new "Adding your own programs" section that walks through the entire process. It only takes about a minute to add each program.

A better window

The application window now opens at a more comfortable size, remembers that size as you switch between programs, and displays the image at its original aspect ratio on both Windows and macOS.

You can resize the window however you like, and the image will always stay proportional.

How to get it

If you already have TC Logo Connect installed, you'll be offered the update the next time you launch the application.

Downloads for Windows and macOS are available at:

https://www.tc-logo.com

No firmware update is required this time. Bridges running firmware 1.0.1 are already up to date.

As always, questions, comments, and feedback are very welcome!

upgrading ASAP

DOS BBC emulator

https://emutopia.com/index.php/emulators/item/307-acorn-bbc-micro/102-b-em

proper CWSDPMI.EXE file to replace the original for compatibility with dosbox

 https://www.delorie.com/djgpp/dl/ofc/simtel/v2misc/csdpmi5b.zip/

 

F11 for the emulator menu and ctrl F10 for dosbox mouse *CAT for exploring the disk

select INTRO and type LOAD "INTRO" and RUN

 

 

you can find lego lines image here

https://www.mybbcmaster.nl/educ_lego.html

herse is lego lines intro screen

 

 

 

 

 

we can try the 9760 disk

https://www.flaxcottage.com/Educational/software/LEGO/Data/Data_Download.zip

LOAD "DATLOAD"

RUN

@evank @diegobaca @Toastie if I peek and Poke from the emulator can I acces the interface A ?

 

 

For fun I also tryed APPLER the AppleII dos emulator

 

 

https://learn.adafruit.com/appler-apple-ii-emulator-for-dos/installation-and-setup

download the bin folder on github and install in tc connect

https://github.com/zajo/appler

 

 

 

 

Pc64 the C64 emulator works well

https://www.zimmers.net/anonftp/pub/cbm/crossplatform/emulators/pc64/pc64e122.zip

 

 

 

now the problem is how to get out of those emulator and go to the interface A ......?

Edited 4 hours ago by amine

[Toastie]

2 hours ago, amine said:

if I peek and Poke from the emulator can I acces the interface A ?

@amine

not exactly sure what you mean ... PEEK and POKE are BASIC commands, aren't they? So you are in some BASIC interpreter >in the TC Logo Connect emulator< (essentially you are in DOS/8086 machine???) and want to access Int.A from there, correct? 

>If so<, then you need to use IN/INP and OUT. As far as I know, PEEK/POKE are addressing locations in the computer memory (you can store/check things) or, if the address decoder has freed some memory locations, work with memory mapped devices.

The #9771 card listens to I/O requests on a "port", rather than a memory location. IN/INP and OUT accomplish that. PEEK/POKE activate the MEMREQ (or whatever the name is) line on the ISA bus, IN/OUT the IOREQ line.

This is how I understood the IBM XT/DOS/9771 interplay ... others may know better.

Best
Thorsten

[amine]

I would like to try to communicate with the interface A from  different  dos emulators.

Patching the emulators or patching the Rom could work ....?

Edited 11 hours ago by amine

[Toastie]

On 10/26/2025 at 10:52 PM, alexGS said:

I burst out laughing when I saw the ‘power meter’, like a VU meter on an 80s stereo… needs translucent green/red bricks for effect

- more than 7 months later -

I know this is considered cross posting - so out with it, should the violation go beyond the thinkable 

The reply above from @alexGS triggered me. Since then, I was thinking about how to accomplish this ... Shared my idea for using an Interface A as VU with Yves (@Bliss), who is actively developing his LEGO Blockly (LBL) programming environment as described in this thread, which has also grown to a mega-thread ...

Yves has integrated the NXT PBrick into LEGO Blockly, which in turn has among others, a sound (microphone) sensor. Which means, that one can connect the NXT to LBL via Bluetooth (USB works as well) and an ESP32 board hooked up to Int.A as well. Yves does not have an Int.A but I do. 

This is just a very crappy video had to rush things this morning - tonight, I shall hook up 4.5V lamps and take another crappy video:

The Int.A VU meter operated by LEGO Blockly, with an NXT as microphone:  

https://bricksafe.com/files/Toastie/lego-blockly-programs/Just be good to me.mp4

I am planning on using Interface B/Control Lab as microphone, as it is connecting to LEGO Blockly as well, and then use my laptop earphone output to drive the VU meter ...  

Best
Thorsten

 

[evank]

Whoa. I step away for two days and everything's changed! LOL .... By the time I get my video interview of Diego posted, it's going to be obsolete. :)

Except for one thing. One awesome thing that he only told me. :)  I shall published it no later than tomorrow night, but hopefully sooner.

[Toastie]

2 hours ago, amine said:

I would like to try to communicate with the interface A from  different  dos emulators.

I believe, I am getting it! Sorry ...

You are running DOS based emulators for different computers in the DOSBox-X (i.e., TC Logo connect TLc) emulator running in Windows on a PC, is that correct? 

If so, I don't know as of now it depends on how the vintage computer DOS emulators (VDEs) talk to the DOS world AND what the program/computer you are emulating is doing to speak with the VDE. And then how the VDE channels that to TLc. From there it is clear: Calls to the serial ports are handed down to USB port as described in the conf. file in TLc or DOSBox-X and calls to #9771 are doing the same on TLc via Diego's interface.

That becomes rather ... complex. But who knows ...

Best
Thorsten  

 

 

 

39 minutes ago, evank said:

Whoa. I step away for two days and everything's changed!

Did you see/hear about the Tunguska-like event triggering a monster tsunami in the General LEGO Discussion forum, Community poll thread, hitting the EB shores on Saturday at 02:30 PM (now at 23 pages on my laptop, and counting)?

Phew. Guess we'll have to wait with our vintage forum a little longer until the tectonic stress relaxes a bit 

Looking forward to your video! 

Best
Thorsten

[diegobaca]

@amine

Ok, so just to make sure I understand, these are the apps/emulators you're testing right now:

BBC Micro
B-em BBC Micro emulator for DOS:
https://emutopia.com/index.php/emulators/item/307-acorn-bbc-micro/102-b-em

Updated CWSDPMI.EXE for DOSBox compatibility:
https://www.delorie.com/djgpp/dl/ofc/simtel/v2misc/csdpmi5b.zip/

LEGO Lines BBC Micro disk/image:
https://www.mybbcmaster.nl/educ_lego.html

LEGO 9760 BBC Micro disk:
https://www.flaxcottage.com/Educational/software/LEGO/Data/Data_Download.zip

Apple II
Appler Apple II emulator for DOS (to test Apple II software I assume):
https://learn.adafruit.com/appler-apple-ii-emulator-for-dos/installation-and-setup

Is that everything you're currently testing, or are there any others I missed?

If you let me know which emulator + software you're trying, along with the links to download them, I can also help test on my side and see what we can get working with Interface A. 🙂