Re: FW: LCD localization issues

From: Otto Stolz (Otto.Stolz@uni-konstanz.de)
Date: Tue Feb 16 1999 - 05:09:01 EST


Am 1999-02-12 um 8:33 h hat Hart, Edwin F. geschrieben:
> The ROM typically had the glyphs for the IBM PC Code Page 437. However,
> later versions of DOS (e.g., 5.0 and up, maybe 4.0) had an option to change
> the code page, which presumably changed the glyphs displayed.

This is done via the DOS commands "Device" and "Mode". You will need the
following command in your Config.sys file:
   device=C:\DOS\display.sys con=(lcd,,1)
and in your Autoexec.bat file the commands:
   mode con codepage prepare=((855) C:\DOS\ega.cpi)
   mode con codepage select=855
Of course, this setup depends on suitable Display.sys, and Ega.cpi files.
I have not tried the LCD, and 855 parameters, though. I think, LCD will work;
perhaps, you will need an Lcd.cpi file instead of the Ega.cpi; search for
*.cpi files, in your DOS, and Windows, directories. Codepage 855, however,
may be only available in a DOS version enabled for cyrillic. See your DOS
manual, or simply try it.

> IBM likely has a PC code page for Cyrillic.

At least two, viz. 855 and 866;
cf. <http://czyborra.com/charsets/codepages.html#CP855>
and <http://czyborra.com/charsets/codepages.html#CP866>.

You may prefer the 866 DOS codepage over 855. According to my DOS 5.0
manual, an LCD screen allows for at most one alternate codepage, so you
will have to decide between 855 and 866 (i. e. you cannot switch between
those, while DOS is running).

> You should also consider the ISO/IEC 8859-5 Latin/Cyrillic code page.

Cf. <http://czyborra.com/charsets/cyrillic.html#ISO-8859-5>. However,
this is probably not available with standard DOS implementations. You
would have to use a special .cpi file, perhaps home-brewed.

> You should also obtain a different BIOS to display messages in Cyrillic.

This is an entirely different approach, as it depends on a cyrillic hard-
ware (i. e. ROM) font. I think, this is not available with the displays
under discussion (otherwise, we would not have seen the question, in the
first place, would we?).

> Use Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups 3.1.1, Windows 95, Windows 98, or
> Windows NT and use the Control Panel to configure Windows xx to use a
> Cyrillic code page for messages and use the correct language.

Cf. <http://czyborra.com/charsets/cyrillic.html#CP1251>
and <http://czyborra.com/charsets/cyrillic.html#Unicode>.

Best wishes,
   Otto Stolz



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