MacFormat 1995 October/macformat-029.iso/mac/Bomb Busters/testpatterngenerator1.08 Folder/TPatGen1.08.Help

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                Test Pattern Generator.Help  - Version 1.08, 8/08/88

©1988 by Larry Pina
47 Meadow Road.
Westport, MA 02790

INTRODUCTION

Test Pattern Generator is an analytical tool for checking and fine tuning
the Macintosh video display. Besides the cumulative effects of heat and
old age, it’s been my experience that upgrading any standard size
Macintosh loads the 5 volt power supply and shrinks the built-in screen.
Since many upgrade procedures ignore this problem, a large number of
older computers now have shrunken video. If you noticed something
“different” after getting a memory upgrade for your Macintosh, but
couldn’t quite say what it was…  Running Test Pattern Generator will
show you exactly what happened.

This version also has a reasonable compliment of audio tests and a full
compliment of dot-matrix printer tests. You can now use Test Pattern
Generator to check the screen, the sound, and the printer.

ENVIRONMENT

Test Pattern Generator runs fine on any standard Macintosh with at least
512K of RAM. Test Pattern Generator also works with Switcher and
MultiFinder, old ROMs and new ROMs and is fully compatible with the
Macintosh XL, the Macintosh SE and the Macintosh II.

USING TEST PATTERN GENERATOR

Test Pattern Generator can be used by anyone for casual screen evaluation
and also by qualified bench technicians in their service and repair work.
In practice, it should be copied to a System disk and configured as the
startup application. Test Pattern Generator can also be used to evaluate
and compare external monitors. Simply run the program and follow the
directions to see which monitor has the straightest and sharpest screen.

Once the program loads, it displays a startup screen showing memory and
ROM information. Locate the mouse pointer on top of the startup screen,
click and hold the mouse button down (or press the RETURN key), let
the button up when the startup screen disappears, and choose a screen
size from the Screen Sizes menu. The keyboard equivalent for Macintosh is
COMMAND M. The keyboard equivalent for Lisa/XL Screen Kit is COMMAND L.
Apple’s external moNochrome monitor is COMMAND N. Apple’s external RGB
Monitor is COMMAND B. Typing COMMAND U returns a dialog box where you
can enter alternate sizes for Unlisted monitors.

Once you’ve chosen a size, follow the on-screen directions to measure the
set’s vertical height and horizontal width. The dimensions contained in the
program (for Apple monitors) are accurate to one one-hundredth of an inch.
Calculations for unlisted monitors are also accurate to one one-hundredth
of an inch, but the sizes rely on whatever data you supply via the Unlisted
Mac Monitors… dialog box. Initially, the default values are read in from the
toolbox, so in most cases all you have to do is click the Ok button (or
press the RETURN key) to proceed.

When measuring the raster, take care to use a quality cloth ruler. Cheap
rulers have plastic end protectors haphazardly cemented to their first and
last inches. Not only can their sharp edges scratch the screen, but the
first and last inches are usually inaccurate. Where applicable, start from
the ten inch mark and drop the first digit (eleven inches would be one inch,
twelve inches would be two inches, thirteen inches would be three inches,
etc.).

Once the raster is evaluated, choose 1x1 Linearity Grid (COMMAND G) from
the Test Patterns menu. The grid blocks should be exactly 1" square.

Next, choose 1÷8 Concentric Rings (COMMAND R). The circles should be
round, not oval. The perimeters should be exactly 1/8" apart.

You can move the rings around by pressing the cursor keys or, if you’re
working on an older Mac, by pressing the less < than (SHIFT COMMA) and
greater > than (SHIFT PERIOD) keys. In Test Pattern Generator these keys
work just like the Mac Plus’ cursor keys. It’s not necessary to hold down
the COMMAND key in order to use them. In fact, holding down the COMMAND
key actually prevents them from working. You can also move the pattern by
clicking in the screen borders. Clicking in the leftmost 1/4 inch moves the
pattern left, clicking in the rightmost 1/4 inch moves the pattern right.

With full page displays you can also move the rings up and down. Use the
up and down keyboard arrows, or if you’re working on an older Mac, use the
{ parentheses } (SHIFT [ and SHIFT ]) keys. Once again, in Test Pattern
Generator these keys work just like the Mac Plus’ cursor keys. It’s not
necessary to hold down the COMMAND key in order to use them. You can
also move the pattern up and down by clicking in the screen borders.
Clicking in the upper 1/4 inch moves the pattern up, clicking in the lower
1/4 inch moves the pattern down.

NOTE:  Since only the upper left portion of the screen is visible when
simulating large screen sizes on a small Mac, two of the “hot borders”
(bottom and right) will always be off-screen. Under those circumstances,
clicking at the bottom and to the right of the screen will not accomplish
anything, but pressing the cursor keys will always work.

Once the linearity has been evaluated, run the Brightness & Contrast Test
(COMMAND T). This sets up a broadcast style test pattern with horizontal
and vertical “propellers.” The propellers should be well balanced. One set
should not be larger or brighter than the other; both sets should be the
same size, and most importantly, their fill patterns should have exactly
the same intensity.

Choosing A-Z Focusing Text (COMMAND F) fills the screen with 9 point
Monaco text. Individual characters, regardless of screen location, should
be uniformly sharp and well focused. Text at the corners of the screen
should be just as sharp as text in the center of the screen.

In certain situations (especially when setting up the raster), you might
find it easier to work in Reverse (white on black) Video (COMMAND
OPTION R). Once you select Reverse, it remains in effect until you restore
normal (black on white) video by typing COMMAND OPTION R a second time.

NOTE:  The Help screens are not reversible. Printing in Reverse Video is
generally not recommended.

AUDIO TESTS

Test Pattern Generator allows you to test the frequency response of all
four Macintosh voices. This version cycles a standard sequence of test
tones (100, 300, 1000, 3000, 10000) on a simulated oscilloscope display.
Each audio test takes about one minute. All four Macintosh voices should
be relatively flat. Lisas and Macintosh XLs have only one voice (although
you can run all four tests), and it tends to drop off rapidly after 3000
cycles. On a standard Macintosh you should hear all of the tones (on all of
the tests), and they should all be strong. On a Lisa (or a Mac XL) you may
not hear the 10000 cycle tone and the 3000 cycle tone may warble. Mac II
sound is presently unsupported - all four menu choices will be dimmed.

NOTE: If you get a waveform but don’t hear anything, the current volume
setting may be too low. Check the volume setting by choosing Control
Panel from the desk accessory menu. If the current setting is less than 3,
raise the Speaker Volume (to at least 3) and try running Test Pattern
Generator again. If there is no Control Panel under the desk accessory
menu, shut down and restart with an official System Disk. Any official
System Disk will have a Control Panel under the desk accessory menu.

PRINTER TESTS

Test Pattern Generator runs five important printer tests. The first test,
IW Alignment Grid, allows you to check for vertical distortion in the
bidirectional print mode. The printed test pattern should look just like a
window screen. The vertical lines should be straight, not skewed.

The second printer test, IW CPI Font Test, tests for built-in NLQ character
sets. This test is designed primarily for use with ImageWriter compatible
printers. Text printing on many non-Apple printers is font specific. If the
document’s screen fonts don’t match the printer’s internal character sets
exactly, DP (Draft) may default to Ultra Condensed; NLQ may not work at
all. The test will show you what the printer’s built-in character sets look
like.

The third printer test, IW CPS Speed Test, measures printing speed in
characters per second (CPS) and lines per minute (LPM). This test sends a
stream of 2000 alphanumeric characters (25 lines x 80 characters per
line) to the printer port and prints using the built-in Pica 10 font. Timing
starts as soon as you click the Start! button (or choose Print from the File
menu) and stops as soon as you click the Stop! button (or press the RETURN
key). Pressing the RETURN key seems to be a few hundredths of a second
faster. To assure accuracy, you should count the lines as they go by. Click
Stop! as soon as you hear the 25th line finish printing. With normal
reaction times, the calculated results (CPS = 2000/Elapsed Time) are
accurate to within ± 1 character per second. For even greater accuracy,
you can run the test a second time. Each tests prints only 25 lines, so you
can easily fit two tests on a single sheet of paper. To average the results,
bring out the calculator desk accessory, add the scores and divide by 2.

In calculating printer speed, IW CPS Speed Test does not count line feeds.
Since the line feed (CHR$(10)) is a character, and since 25 line feeds are
generated (one for each line) during the test, you may want to add that
figure to the total number of alphanumeric characters (25 + 2000 = 2025)
and divide the elapsed time into 2025. Recalculating may increase the test
score,, slightly - even so, many printers test well below their published
specifications! Some of these specifications appear to be based on the
time it takes to print a single line of 80 characters. Since printing a
single line does not require the printhead to reverse and drop to the next
line (both of which take time), a single line speed score is considerably
higher.

The second posted score, lines per minute, divides 25 total lines by the
elapsed time, to figure lines per second, then multiplies by 60, because
there’re 60 seconds in a minute, to figure lines per minute. The formula
looks like this: (LPM = 25 Total Lines/Elapsed Time x 60). Posted results
should come within ± 1 line of the printer’s published LPM specifications.

NOTE:  All three of the above IW tests bypass the ImageWriter driver (for
speed) and print directly to the printer port (COM 2 on the Lisa). If your
printer is connected to the modem port (COM1 on the Lisa), nothing will
happen, even if you redirect output with the Chooser desk accessory.

The next two tests check the ImageWriter’s horizontal and vertical
printing resolution. These tests run through the ImageWriter driver
and work by redirecting the T-Square display to the printer. To run the
first of these tests, choose Page Setup… from the File menu and select
Tall Adjusted (72 dpi x 72 dpi). Next, choose 9 inch Std. Macintosh from
the Screen Sizes menu. Finally choose Print… from the File menu and
select either Faster or Best quality printing. The printed T-Squares should
measure 7.11 (512÷72) inches by 4.47 (322÷72) inches, exactly the same
as the screen display. In Tall Adjusted, what you see on the screen should
be exactly what you get on paper.

To check resolution in the Tall mode, follow the same steps but select
Tall (80 dpi x 72 dpi) instead of Tall Adjusted from the Page Setup…
dialog box. At 80 dpi horizontally (Tall) the printed T-Squares should
measure 6.40 (512÷80) inches by 4.47 (322÷72) inches, exactly .71 inches
shorter than the screen display. With Tall selected, what you see on the
screen should be exactly 11% (80÷72 = 1.11) wider than what you get on
paper.

GENERATOR OPTIONS

Holding down the Option key while choosing Open… from the File menu
(COMMAND O OPTION) will result in smoother and slower scrolling. It’s
nice. Try it!

Holding down the Option key while choosing 1x1 Linearity Grid from the
Test Patterns menu (COMMAND G OPTION) brings up an alternate grid
pattern. Displayed in Reverse Video, this pattern simulates output from
a dot bar generator.

Holding down the Option key while choosing 1÷8 Concentric Rings from
the Test Patterns menu (COMMAND R OPTION) brings up an alternate
linearity pattern. Please note that the alternate pattern was designed
to be stationary. It puts up smaller concentric rings in each of the
four corners which shouldn’t be scrolled.

Holding down the Option key while choosing A-Z Focusing Text (COMMAND
F OPTION) fills the screen with 12 point Monaco text. On a large monitor,
12 point text fills in much faster than 9 point text. Choose 9 point text
for greater detail. Choose 12 point text for a faster fill in.

Holding down the Option key while choosing Brightness and Contrast Test
sets up four additional test patterns, one in each corner of the screen.

Holding down the Option key while choosing IW Alignment Grid skips the
screen display and goes directly to the print routine.

Holding down the Option key while choosing IW CPI Font Test also skips
the screen display and goes directly to the print routine.

Holding down the Option key while choosing IW CPS Speed Test selects
the built-in Elite 12 font (rather than the default Pica 10 font). To switch
back to Pica 10, reselect IW CPS Speed Test (from the menu) without
holding down the Option key. In either case, if you press the printer’s NLQ
button (turning on NLQ), IW CPS Speed Test will measure NLQ print speed
rather than Draft. By using these options, you can measure four different
print speeds: Draft Pica 10, NLQ Pica 10, Draft Elite 12 and NLQ Elite 12.

Holding down the COMMAND and PERIOD keys allows you to break out of an
audio test or cancel printing in progress - provided the keys stay down
long enough. Hold them down until the current dialog box disappears.

Choosing Transfer… from the File menu allows you to bypass the Finder
and run another application directly from Test Pattern Generator. This
command works the same as other Transfer commands (ie. ResEdit,
RMaker) and should only be used under the (normal) Finder. If chosen
under MultiFinder or Switcher, a System Error will result.

Choosing Set Startup… from the Special menu allows you to configure
Test Pattern Generator for your personal needs. Clicking Ok creates a
TPat.Prefs… file in the current directory. If there is no TPat.Prefs… file
in the current directory, TPat Generator displays General Instructions
by default.

Choosing Shut Down (COMMAND E) from the Special menu Ends the
program, Ejects all disks and Restarts the Mac safely, the same as if
you’d chosen Restart in the Finder. If there’s no room for a mouse on
the work bench, or if you find the cord tangles in your tools, there’s
no compelling reason to connect one.

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES

By choosing Unlisted Mac Monitors… from the Screen Sizes menu and
entering new dpi values, you can change the grid size. For example, on a
9" Mac (normally 72 x 72) entering 36 x 36 results in a 1/2" grid, entering
18 x 18 results in a 1/4" grid, etc. Changing these values also affects the
space between concentric circles. Entering 36 x 36 dpi results in 1÷16
linearity rings, entering 18 x 18 results in 1÷32 linearity rings, etc.

For use with disproportional monitors, all four linearity tests now
consider aspect ratio. The other eight tests do not. For example, the
original monitor built into an unmodified Lisa (or Mac XL) displays 90 dots
horizontally by 60 lines vertically. Because 90 dots/60 lines = distorted
images,1.5 times taller than on a standard Mac (where 72 dots/72 lines =
1), proportional images are distorted by a factor of 150%. In Test Pattern
Generator, however, all four linearity tests “compensate” for
disproportional screen values. Entering 90 x 60 on an unmodified Lisa does
return a true 1x1 grid and also returns reasonably “round” 1÷8 circles. As
a result, technicians can now rely on the linearity tests to set up even the
most unusual Mac II color monitors, and casual users can still rely on the
Brightness and Contrast tests (which do not compensate for
disproportional screen values) to evaluate overall performance with
Macintosh graphics software.

NOTE: Initially, the Unlisted Mac Monitors… dialog box displays default
values obtained from the toolbox. You can change them and restore the
toolbox defaults at any time by clicking the Reset button. If you click the
Reset button and get a beep, it means the current values already are the
toolbox defaults (indicating there was nothing to Reset).

OBTAINING HELP

Test Pattern Generator presently has three levels of help. The Open…
command (COMMAND O) under the File menu allows you to open, read and
print ordinary text files (like this one). In addition, the Reference Menu
contains a monitor list and six technical diagrams which pertain to
“secret” take-apart procedures. These diagrams have been included for
reference purposes and should be viewed by qualified technicians only.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE NO USER ADJUSTABLE VIDEO CIRCUITS ON
THE MACINTOSH COMPUTER. WORKING ON HIGH VOLTAGE VIDEO COMPONENTS
IS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE NO USER ADJUSTABLE
CIRCUITS ON THE IMAGEWRITER PRINTER. WORKING ON THE IMAGEWRITER
PRINTER IS ALSO EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS. RUN TEST PATTERN GENERATOR
LIKE ANY OTHER PROGRAM. LEAVE SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.

Finally, choosing Get Info… from the File menu allows you to obtain
screen size confirmation from the operating system.

SERVICE BULLETINS

To write a commercial help file for use with Test Pattern Generator, use
any word processor and save the file as TEXT with carriage returns at the
end of every line (TEXT with line breaks). This feature allows licensed
commercial users to update service bulletins at any time, without having
to order a whole new version of the program.

PRINTING

You can print this or any other TEXT file from Test Pattern Generator by
choosing Open… (if necessary) and then Print… (COMMAND P) from the File
menu. Laser printing requires that there be a LaserWriter driver in the
System folder. ImageWriter printing requires that there be an ImageWriter
driver in the System folder. These are both standard Macintosh
requirements. Assuming the requirements have been met (and that there is
a printer connected), you can print this file right now by turning on the
printer and choosing Print… (COMMAND P) from the File menu.

To adjust the page size before printing, choose Page Setup…, first. The
keyboard short cut for Page Setup…  is ∏ (COMMAND OPTION P).

DISTRIBUTION

All Macintosh User Groups are given carte blanche to distribute Test
Pattern Generator in the normal fashion. Other than that, Test Pattern
Generator may be freely distributed, but it may not be sold for profit nor
included with any peripherals sold for profit without the express written
consent of the author. This version is released under the Honor System and
carries a suggested registration fee of 10.00.

Please address all TPat correspondence to:
TPat Generator, c/o Larry Pina, 47 Meadow Rd., Westport, MA 02790.