AspeQT-2K26 (formerly AspeQT/RespeQt) Files

# Technical Guide: W: Web Pipe Device Y: Clipboard Device

**Author:** 13leader.net
**Date:** January 2026
**Project Repo:** https://github.com/pjones1063/AspeQt-2k

**Y: Clipboard Device (System Integration)**

The Y: device provides a bi-directional bridge between the Atari 8-bit and your host
computer's system clipboard (Windows, macOS, or Linux). This allows for rapid code transfer
and data sharing without saving files to disk.

**Usage Scenarios**

Paste Code: Copy BASIC listings from a website on your PC and paste them directly into the
Atari editor.

Export Data: Send program listings or variable data from the Atari to your PC's text editor.
Write to PC LIST "Y:" - Sends the current BASIC program to the PC clipboard.

Write to PC PRINT #1;"TEXT" - Sends specific text to the PC clipboard.

Read from PC ENTER "Y:"- Types the PC clipboard content into the Atari (like keystrokes).

Read from PC COPY "Y:" "E:" - Displays PC clipboard content on the screen.


Code Example: Reading & Writing

Writing to the PC Clipboard

Basic
10 REM Send a variable to the PC Clipboard
20 A$="Copied from Atari"
30 OPEN #1,8,0,"Y:"
40 PRINT #1;A$
50 CLOSE #

Reading from the PC Clipboard Ensure you have copied text on your PC first.
Basic
10 DIM BUFFER$(256)
20 OPEN #1,4,0,"Y:"
30 INPUT #1,BUFFER$
40 PRINT "I found this on your clipboard:"
50 PRINT BUFFER$
60 CLOSE #


**W: Web Pipe Device (Thin Client Gateway)**
The W: device transforms the Atari 8-bit into a "Thin Client" capable of interacting with modern web services. Instead of implementing complex network stacks (TCP/IP, SSL) on the
Atari, the W: device acts as a transparent proxy. It forwards standard BASIC text commands
to a backend script running on your PC via HTTP.
Multi-Channel Support (W1: - W4:)
AspeQt-2k26 supports up to 4 simultaneous connections for complex "Full Duplex" applications.

- **W1:** Primary Channel (Device $57)
- **W2:** Secondary Channel (Device $56)
- **W3:** Tertiary Channel (Device $55)
- **W4:** Quaternary Channel (Device $54)
**2. On-the-Fly Mode Switching (AUX2 Flag)**
By default, the W: device uses the global translation settings defined in the AspeQt Options
menu. However, you can override this setting per connection using the 3rd number in the OPEN command). **AUX2** parameter (the
+
Driver Logic (C++ Implementation)
The handler determines the translation mode by examining the High Byte of the AUX register.
The specific logic used in the driver is as follows:

C++
int aux2 = (aux >> 8) & 0xFF; // Extract High Byte
if (aux2 == 1) return true; // Force TEXT (Translate Atari $9B <-> Unix \n)
if (aux2 == 2) return false; // Force BINARY (Raw Data, No Translation)
return globalSetting; // Default (AUX2=0)


Usage in BASIC

- **AUX2 = 0 (Default):** Uses the "Translate EOL" checkbox setting from the AspeQt GUI.
- **AUX2 = 1 (Force Text):** Essential for reading text files or API responses (converts \n
    to ATASCII $9B).
- **AUX2 = 2 (Force Binary):** Essential for downloading binary data (sprites, fonts,
    executables) where byte values must remain unaltered.
**3. Application Examples Library**
The following examples demonstrate "Hybrid Computing" by offloading processing to a
Python backend.
General Prerequisites
For all examples below, you must have pip install flask **Python 3.x** installed on your Host PC. **Base Install:**

**App 1: Stock Market Ticker (New)**
Fetches real-time stock quotes using the yfinance library. The Python script sanitizes the
output (removing Unicode arrows/colors) to ensure safe display on the Atari.

- **Dependencies:** pip install flask yfinance
- **Python Script:** stock_ticker.py
- **BASIC File:** STOCKS.LST
**App 2: Atari Newswire / RSS Reader (New)**
Turns the Atari into a teletype news reader. It fetches RSS feeds (BBC, NASA), sanitizes
"smart quotes," and wraps the text to 38 characters to ensure perfect formatting on the 40-
column display.
- **Dependencies:** pip install flask feedparser
- **Python Script:** news_reader.py
- **BASIC File:** NEWS.LST


**App 3: Gemini AI Chatbot**
Turns the Atari into a client for Google's Gemini Large Language Model. You can type natural language questions ("Who is Captain Kirk?") and receive intelligent, summarized answers on
the Atari screen.

- **Dependencies:** pip install google-generativeai
- **Python Script:** gemini_ai.py
- **BASIC File:** GEMINI_AI.LST

**App 4: Basic Graphical Weather Station**
Fetches live weather data from the Open-Meteo API for a specific location (configured in
Python) and displays it on the Atari using GRAPHICS 5 (4-color mode). It draws custom pixel-
art icons for Sun, Clouds, Rain, or Snow.

- **Dependencies:** pip install requests
- **Python Script:** weather.py
- **BASIC File:** WEATHER.LST

**App 5: Cloud Notepad (Persistence Demo)**
Demonstrates Reading and Writing to the PC's hard drive. You can type a note on the Atari, save it, turn the Atari off, and retrieve the note later. It acts as a "Cloud Drive" for text.

- **Dependencies:** flask (Standard)
- **Python Script:** cloud_note.py
- **BASIC File:** CLOUD_NOTE.LST

**App 6: Text-to-Speech Synthesizer**
The "Talking Atari." Any text typed on the Atari is sent to the PC, where it is read aloud using
the Linux espeak engine. This demonstrates zero-latency media triggering.

- **Dependencies:** flask (Python); sudo apt install espeak (Linux System)
    +
- **Python Script:** tts_server.py


- **BASIC File:** TTS_SERVER.LST

**App 7: Web News Scraper**
Connects to a modern news website (like CBC or BBC), scrapes the HTML, strips out
ads/javascript, and delivers a plain-text headline summary to the Atari.

- **Dependencies:** pip install requests beautifulsoup
- **Python Script:** scraper.py
- **BASIC File:** SCRAPER.LST

**App 8: Linux Remote Execution**
Allows the Atari to execute shell commands on the Linux Host (e.g., ls -la, whoami). It
includes a safety whitelist to prevent unauthorized access.

- **Dependencies:** flask (Uses standard subprocess library)
- **Python Script:** exec_linux.py
- **BASIC File:** EXEC_LINUX.LST

**App 9: Windows Remote Control**
Similar to the Linux version but tailored for Windows Hosts. It can launch GUI applications
(Calculator, Notepad) or open URLs in the default browser.

- **Dependencies:** flask (Uses standard subprocess library)
- **Python Script:** exec_win.py
- **BASIC File:** EXEC_WIN.LST

**App 10: File Upload / Telemetry**
A utility to upload raw data or text files from the Atari to the PC. This can be used for saving game high scores, sensor logs, or telemetry data.

- **Dependencies:** flask
- **Python Script:** file_upload.py


- **BASIC File:** FILE_UPLOAD.LST

**Quick Dependency Install Command**
To run **all** examples in this library, install the following packages on your Host PC:
**Linux / macOS / Windows:**
Bash
pip install flask requests beautifulsoup4 google-generativeai yfinance feedparser psutil

_(Note: Linux users also need sudo apt install espeak for the TTS demo)_