vPLASMA slims to a bare glass hardwired to COM12

The window is now just the display: 640x160 dot field (5 px pitch,
4 px bezel) plus the title bar, which carries the port status. COM12 —
the device end of the plasma's null-modem pair — is hardwired and
opened at startup, with a retry timer that keeps trying while the port
is missing or busy and reopens it if it dies. The control strip, port
picker, counters, and wire log are gone; the glass keeps two gestures:
double-click cycles the self-test pages, right-click resets the
display to its power-on state.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

.claude/skills/verify/SKILL.md

@@ -13,9 +13,11 @@ dotnet build vrio.sln -v q -nologo          # Debug
 # exe: src\VPlasma.App\bin\Debug\net48\VPlasma.App.exe   (companion display)
 ```
 
-Everything below applies to vPLASMA too. Its serial path can be tested
+Everything below applies to vPLASMA too. It auto-opens **COM12** on
-end-to-end on this machine: vPLASMA opens **COM12**, the script plays the
+launch (hardwired; status in the title bar), so its serial path tests
-game writing **COM2** (second com0com pair; vRIO/RIOJoy use COM1⇄COM11).
+end-to-end with no UI driving: the script just plays the game writing
+**COM2** (second com0com pair; vRIO/RIOJoy use COM1⇄COM11). Double-click
+the glass = self-test pages, right-click = reset.
 Killing a writer mid-stream can leave stale bytes queued in the com0com
 buffer — the next session's byte counter will run high; re-run clean
 before trusting counts.

README.md

@@ -108,8 +108,10 @@ a null-modem cable work the same way.
 The cockpit's second serial device is the **plasma display**: a 128×32
 dot-matrix panel on COM2 (9600 8N1, no flow control) that the game draws
 mission text and status graphics on. `VPlasma.App` is its software replica:
-it opens the device end of a COM port, decodes the display's command
+a bare-glass window that opens **COM12** (the device end of the plasma's
-stream, and renders the dot matrix in plasma orange — text mode included.
+null-modem pair) on startup — retrying while the port is missing or busy,
+port status in the title bar — decodes the display's command stream, and
+renders the dot matrix in plasma orange, text mode included.
 
 The command set was recovered from two Tesla 4.10 artifacts:
 `CODE\RP\MUNGA_L4\L4PLASMA.CPP` (the game's driver — it renders everything
@@ -129,12 +131,14 @@ recovered grammar lives in `src/VPlasma.Core/Protocol/PlasmaProtocol.cs`.
   cell, flashing text (and the flashing cursor) blink on the glass. The
   panel's own ROM glyphs are lost with the hardware, so the classic
   public-domain 5×7 set stands in.
-- **Self test** cycles three pages (banner, charset, graphics pattern)
+- **Double-click** the glass to cycle three self-test pages (banner,
-  through the same parser the wire feeds — useful without a host.
+  charset, graphics pattern) through the same parser the wire feeds —
+  useful without a host. **Right-click** resets the display to its
+  power-on state.
 - Pair it with the game like vRIO ↔ RIOJoy: a second com0com null-modem
-  pair (e.g. `COM2 ⇄ COM12`) — the game's plasma output writes COM2,
+  pair `COM2 ⇄ COM12` — the game's plasma output writes COM2, vPLASMA
-  vPLASMA listens on COM12. The plasma never talks back, so there is no
+  listens on COM12. The plasma never talks back, so there is no transmit
-  transmit path to pace.
+  path to pace.
 
 ## Repository layout
 

src/VPlasma.App/MainForm.cs

@@ -1,238 +1,97 @@
-using System.IO.Ports;
 using VPlasma.Core.Device;
 
 namespace VPlasma.App;
 
 /// <summary>
-/// vPLASMA main window: the plasma glass on the left, a control strip on the
+/// vPLASMA main window: just the plasma glass, sized to the display. The
-/// right — COM port, self-test/clear, live counters, and a decoded-command
+/// device end is hardwired to <see cref="PortName"/> (the plasma side of the
-/// log. Open the COM port, point the game's COM2 (plasma) passthrough at the
+/// second com0com pair) and opened automatically — a retry timer keeps
-/// other end of the null-modem pair, and whatever the sim draws on the
+/// trying while the port is missing or busy, and reopens it if it dies. The
-/// cockpit's plasma display appears here.
+/// title bar carries the port status; double-clicking the glass cycles the
+/// self-test pages (banner, charset, graphics) through the wire parser, and
+/// a right-click resets the display to its power-on state.
 /// </summary>
 internal sealed class MainForm : Form
 {
+    /// <summary>The plasma's fixed port: the device end of the COM2 pair.</summary>
+    private const string PortName = "COM12";
+
     private readonly VPlasmaDevice _device = new();
     private readonly VPlasmaSerialService _service;
     private readonly PlasmaCanvas _canvas = new();
 
-    private readonly ComboBox _portBox = new()
+    private readonly System.Windows.Forms.Timer _reconnectTimer = new() { Interval = 3000 };
-    {
-        Location = new Point(80, 12),
-        Width = 128,
-        DropDownStyle = ComboBoxStyle.DropDownList,
-    };
-    private readonly Button _rescan = new() { Text = "Rescan", Location = new Point(214, 11), Width = 52 };
-    private readonly Button _openClose = new() { Text = "Open", Location = new Point(272, 11), Width = 46 };
-    private readonly Label _linkStatus = new()
-    {
-        Text = "Port closed.",
-        Location = new Point(12, 42),
-        AutoSize = true,
-        ForeColor = Color.Gray,
-    };
-
-    private readonly Button _selfTest = new() { Text = "Self test", Location = new Point(10, 22), Width = 140, Height = 26 };
-    private readonly Button _clear = new() { Text = "Clear display", Location = new Point(156, 22), Width = 140, Height = 26 };
-    private readonly Label _displayHint = new()
-    {
-        Text = "Self test cycles three pages (banner, charset, graphics) through the same parser the wire feeds.",
-        Location = new Point(10, 54),
-        MaximumSize = new Size(288, 0),
-        AutoSize = true,
-        ForeColor = Color.Gray,
-    };
-
-    private readonly Label _counters = new()
-    {
-        Location = new Point(12, 178),
-        AutoSize = true,
-        Font = new Font("Consolas", 8f),
-    };
-
-    private readonly TextBox _logBox = new()
-    {
-        Location = new Point(12, 296),
-        Multiline = true,
-        ReadOnly = true,
-        ScrollBars = ScrollBars.Both, // long wire lines don't wrap — scroll to read
-        BackColor = Color.FromArgb(24, 24, 24),
-        ForeColor = Color.Gainsboro,
-        Font = new Font("Consolas", 8f),
-        Anchor = AnchorStyles.Top | AnchorStyles.Bottom | AnchorStyles.Left,
-        WordWrap = false,
-    };
-    private readonly Button _clearLog = new()
-    {
-        Text = "Clear log",
-        Anchor = AnchorStyles.Bottom | AnchorStyles.Left,
-    };
-
-    private readonly System.Windows.Forms.Timer _uiTimer = new() { Interval = 500 };
     private int _selfTestPage;
 
     public MainForm()
     {
-        // ProductVersion carries the git stamp (see StampGitVersion in the csproj).
-        Text = $"vPLASMA v{Application.ProductVersion} — Virtual plasma display";
-        // Title-bar/taskbar icon from the exe's embedded ApplicationIcon (vwe.ico).
         Icon = Icon.ExtractAssociatedIcon(Application.ExecutablePath);
-        ClientSize = new Size(_canvas.Width + 24 + 332, 560);
+        FormBorderStyle = FormBorderStyle.FixedSingle; // the glass is a fixed-size device
-        MinimumSize = new Size(_canvas.Width + 24 + 332, 420);
+        MaximizeBox = false;
+        ClientSize = _canvas.Size;
         StartPosition = FormStartPosition.CenterScreen;
 
         _service = new VPlasmaSerialService(_device);
 
-        // The glass, on a dark backdrop that absorbs any extra window space.
+        _canvas.Location = new Point(0, 0);
-        var backdrop = new Panel { Dock = DockStyle.Fill, AutoScroll = true, BackColor = Color.FromArgb(28, 28, 28) };
+        Controls.Add(_canvas);
-        _canvas.Location = new Point(12, 12);
-        backdrop.Controls.Add(_canvas);
-
-        Controls.Add(backdrop);
-        Controls.Add(BuildControlStrip());
 
         // Device / service events arrive on the serial reader thread; marshal to the UI.
         _device.Updated += () => RunOnUi(() => _canvas.UpdateFrom(_device));
-        _device.Logged += line => RunOnUi(() => PrependLog(line));
+        _service.ConnectionChanged += _ => RunOnUi(UpdateTitle);
-        _service.Logged += line => RunOnUi(() => PrependLog(line));
-        _service.ConnectionChanged += open => RunOnUi(() => OnConnectionChanged(open));
 
-        _rescan.Click += (_, _) => RefreshPorts();
+        _canvas.DoubleClick += (_, _) => RunSelfTest();
-        _openClose.Click += (_, _) => ToggleOpen();
+        _canvas.MouseClick += (_, e) =>
-        _selfTest.Click += (_, _) => RunSelfTest();
-        _clear.Click += (_, _) =>
         {
-            _device.Reset();
+            if (e.Button == MouseButtons.Right)
-            PrependLog("Display reset to power-on state");
+                _device.Reset();
         };
-        _clearLog.Click += (_, _) => _logBox.Clear();
 
-        _uiTimer.Tick += (_, _) => UpdateStatus();
+        // Open at startup, retry while closed (port missing/busy, host restarts).
-        _uiTimer.Start();
+        _reconnectTimer.Tick += (_, _) => EnsureOpen();
+        _reconnectTimer.Start();
 
         FormClosed += (_, _) =>
         {
-            _uiTimer.Dispose();
+            _reconnectTimer.Dispose();
             _service.Dispose();
         };
 
-        RefreshPorts();
-        UpdateStatus();
         _canvas.UpdateFrom(_device);
-        PrependLog("vPLASMA ready. Open a COM port, then point the game's plasma output (COM2) at the other end of the pair.");
+        EnsureOpen();
     }
 
-    private Panel BuildControlStrip()
+    private void EnsureOpen()
-    {
-        var panel = new Panel
-        {
-            Dock = DockStyle.Right,
-            Width = 330,
-            BackColor = SystemColors.Control,
-        };
-
-        panel.Controls.Add(new Label { Text = "COM port:", Location = new Point(12, 15), AutoSize = true });
-        panel.Controls.Add(_portBox);
-        panel.Controls.Add(_rescan);
-        panel.Controls.Add(_openClose);
-        panel.Controls.Add(_linkStatus);
-
-        var display = new GroupBox { Text = "Display", Location = new Point(12, 68), Size = new Size(306, 100) };
-        display.Controls.Add(_selfTest);
-        display.Controls.Add(_clear);
-        display.Controls.Add(_displayHint);
-        panel.Controls.Add(display);
-
-        panel.Controls.Add(_counters);
-
-        var logLabel = new Label { Text = "Wire log:", Location = new Point(12, 278), AutoSize = true };
-        panel.Controls.Add(logLabel);
-        panel.Controls.Add(_logBox);
-        panel.Controls.Add(_clearLog);
-
-        panel.Resize += (_, _) =>
-        {
-            _logBox.Size = new Size(306, panel.ClientSize.Height - _logBox.Top - 42);
-            _clearLog.SetBounds(12, panel.ClientSize.Height - 34, 80, 26);
-        };
-
-        return panel;
-    }
-
-    private void RefreshPorts()
-    {
-        string? selected = _portBox.SelectedItem as string;
-        _portBox.Items.Clear();
-        foreach (string name in SerialPort.GetPortNames().Distinct().OrderBy(n => n, StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
-            _portBox.Items.Add(name);
-        if (selected is not null && _portBox.Items.Contains(selected))
-            _portBox.SelectedItem = selected;
-        else if (_portBox.Items.Count > 0)
-            _portBox.SelectedIndex = 0;
-    }
-
-    private void ToggleOpen()
     {
         if (_service.IsOpen)
-        {
-            _service.Close();
             return;
-        }
-
-        if (_portBox.SelectedItem is not string port)
-        {
-            PrependLog("No COM port selected — install a com0com pair or attach an adapter, then Rescan.");
-            return;
-        }
 
         try
         {
-            _service.Open(port);
+            _service.Open(PortName);
         }
         catch (Exception ex) when (ex is IOException or UnauthorizedAccessException or InvalidOperationException or ArgumentException)
         {
-            PrependLog($"Open failed: {ex.Message}");
+            UpdateTitle(); // stays closed; the timer tries again
         }
     }
 
-    private void OnConnectionChanged(bool open)
+    private void UpdateTitle()
     {
-        _openClose.Text = open ? "Close" : "Open";
+        // ProductVersion carries the git stamp (see StampGitVersion in the csproj).
-        _portBox.Enabled = !open;
+        string status = _service.IsOpen
-        _rescan.Enabled = !open;
+            ? $"{PortName} @ 9600 8N1"
-        _linkStatus.Text = open ? $"Listening on {_service.PortName} @ 9600 8N1." : "Port closed.";
+            : $"{PortName} unavailable — retrying";
-        _linkStatus.ForeColor = open ? Color.DarkGreen : Color.Gray;
+        Text = $"vPLASMA v{Application.ProductVersion} — {status}";
     }
 
     private void RunSelfTest()
     {
         byte[] bytes = PlasmaSelfTest.BuildPage(_selfTestPage);
-        PrependLog($"Self test page {_selfTestPage + 1}/{PlasmaSelfTest.PageCount}: {bytes.Length} bytes fed through the parser");
         _device.OnReceived(bytes, bytes.Length);
         _selfTestPage = (_selfTestPage + 1) % PlasmaSelfTest.PageCount;
     }
 
-    private void UpdateStatus()
-    {
-        VPlasmaDevice.Point cursor = _device.CursorCell;
-        _counters.Text =
-            $"Bytes received:   {_device.BytesReceived}\n" +
-            $"Graphics rows:    {_device.GraphicsRows}\n" +
-            $"Chars drawn:      {_device.TextCharsDrawn}\n" +
-            $"Font / grid:      {_device.Font} ({VPlasmaDevice.Width / _device.CellWidth}×{VPlasmaDevice.Height / _device.CellHeight} cells)\n" +
-            $"Cursor:           col {cursor.Col}, row {cursor.Row} ({_device.CursorMode})\n" +
-            $"Attributes:       {(_device.Attributes == PlasmaAttributes.None ? "default" : _device.Attributes.ToString())}";
-    }
-
-    private void PrependLog(string line)
-    {
-        string stamped = $"{DateTime.Now:HH:mm:ss.fff}  {line}";
-        string text = _logBox.TextLength == 0 ? stamped : stamped + Environment.NewLine + _logBox.Text;
-        if (text.Length > 20000)
-            text = text.Substring(0, 20000);
-        _logBox.Text = text;
-    }
-
     private void RunOnUi(Action action)
     {
         if (IsDisposed || Disposing)

src/VPlasma.App/PlasmaCanvas.cs

@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ namespace VPlasma.App;
 /// </summary>
 internal sealed class PlasmaCanvas : Control
 {
-    private const int DotPitch = 6;  // 5 px dot + 1 px gap
+    private const int DotPitch = 5;  // 4 px dot + 1 px gap → a 640×160 dot field
-    private const int DotSize = 5;
+    private const int DotSize = 4;
-    private const int Bezel = 16;
+    private const int Bezel = 4;
 
     private static readonly Color BezelColor = Color.FromArgb(20, 18, 16);
     private static readonly Color GlassColor = Color.FromArgb(26, 14, 6);