Chapter One

INTRODUCTION

This book and the accompanying cassette contain the details of NOS-BASICODE. It has been designed as a standard for software exchange between different brands of computers. These include some of the most popular brands being used in many different parts of the world

APPLE II & IIe	TRS-80
BBC Models A & B	VIC 20
Commodore 64	Videogenie
Sharp MZ80A	ZX81

Side 1 of the cassette contains the various translation programs, each specific for a particular brand of computer. In simple terms you first teach your computer the BASICODE standard by loading the translation program, then you can read and write, using the standard. Instructions on how to do this are contained in the following chapters.

Of course, it's possible that your brand of home computer is not listed. If so, in Chapter Four, the BASICODE standard is described, which will help you compile a translation program for your computer. Naturally, you will need some programming experience, but if you succeed, let us know so we can then include it in future editions of this handbook. Translation programs should be sent to us on cassette with a printed listing if possible. The address is The Chip Shop, BBC, London W1A 1AA.

Programs following the BASICODE protool are also welcome. These may be used on the air so that others can benefit. Credit will be given to the author.

It is important to stress that BASICODE has been produced on an entirely non profit-making basis.

It has its origins in the weekly radio programme Hobbyscoop which is broadcast by the Dutch domestic service, Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS).

Hobbyscoop transmitted its first computer program in 1978, at which point many listeners wrote to ask if there was something wrong with their radio receiver! The following year computer data was transmitted each week in cooperation with TELEAC which is roughly equivalent to the Open University.

At that time four brands of computer were popular: Apple, Exidy Sorcerer, PET and Tandy TRS-80. Each computer therefore had its own week in the month when machine-readable data could be transmitted. But this led to problems for the broadcasters. Two of the computers used a very slow baud rate which meant that intelligent programs took up far too much airtime on a national radio network. Up to eight minutes of objectionable noises was too much even for the enthusiasts! Added to this, the cassette systems proved to be rather unreliable on two of the four computers. Only a very small group of the Dutch computing public was being reached at any one time.

Klaas Robers, who is a well-known inventive radio amateur in The Netherlands, then came up with an interesting proposal. This involved the creation of a type of Computer Esperanto which could be read and written by various home computers. A group of computer hobbyists got together and BASICODE was the result of many months of research. Later, when the limitations of the first BASICODE were recognised, Klaas Robers, together with Jochem Herrmann, developed the improved BASICODE-2. This has now been in regular on-air use since January 1st 1983.

It was soon discovered that the Dutch medium wave signal was reaching outside the Dutch borders. Letters came from computer enthusiasts in England, Germany, Belgium, France and Denmark asking for more information. Further international interest was created when the Dutch external service, which broadcasts worldwide on short wave, took an interest in BASICODE. The Thursday English language programme Media Network ran a feature on the code. They also tried a series of popular experiments with a slowed down version of BASICODE running at 300 Baud. The data went out on short wave and listeners within 1,200 miles of the transmitters reported success.

The weekly Hobbyscoop programme is in Dutch, naturally, but it can be received in some parts of the UK. It can be heard on Sundays at 1810 GMT in winter, 1710 GMT in the summer months, on medium wave 747 kHz, or 401 metres. Because listeners in Denmark, Belgium, Southern Britain and West Germany can load BASICODE programs from medium wave without problems the computer segment of the programme (around 1840 or 1740 GMT), now includes short explanations in English. If you are in range of the medium wave broadcasts, tune in and see if you can receive them.

Apart from the people named above who have been involved with the success of BASICODE, many individuals in The Netherlands have helped us in the production of translation programs and, in some cases, hardware designs. We thank them.