David M. Kristol, Moore School of Electrical Engineering,

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

SRCD {Software Rapid Character Display} is not a program

but a method for quick display of a maximum number of text

characters. A listing of increment-mode command words

is supplied for the sixty-four characters on the Teletype

keyboard. Each character is drawn within a 5 x 7 dot matrix

followed by two blank points to provide spacing. It is mostly

useful for displaying buffers of text, such as for editing

programs or in utilization of the display as a satellite pro-

cessor in time-sharing systems. In these appl ications, the

PDP-8 is frequently sitting in a loop, "listening" for keyboard

characters, or simply doing nothing. With SRCD, the

main frame is constantly engaged in background work,

helping to display characters, and I/O is handled by interrupt

servicing routines.