ChessLab communications protocol
 

Hello,

What is the initial startup protocol of ChessLab? I understand it communicates with external eboards via UCI but what it the initial response it needs to get from the eboardto know that it is connected? Is it "isready"?

Thx,
John

AW: ChessLab communications protocol
 

Hi,

I am a little confused as to what this is all about.
Which software do you mean with ChessLab?
I'm pretty sure that no electronic chessboard uses the UCI protocol for communication.
Perhaps you can explain in more detail what it's all about.

Lars

Re: ChessLab communications protocol
 

Well, 12 years ago I build my own "eboard" that communicates with engines like Stockfish, LC0, etcetera using the UCI protocol. I now want to be able to use my eboard with the old chess computers that are availble in MameChess. You can already use these with Arena using UCI to communicate moves and analysis back and forth. I just need to figure out a way to spit this out over a USB/Com port to my own eboard. I thought ChessLab was using UCI since it interfaces with eboards and the old chess computers (see MameChess 2020 Mysticum Touch).

AW: Re: ChessLab communications protocol
 

I'm still not quite sure what you want to achieve, but Arena can log all the communication it exchanges with the old chess computers.

Lars

Re: ChessLab communications protocol
 

I think I got it figured out. There already exist a UCI interface for every emulated old chess computer. It's written in lua. This is how Arena can communicate with the chess computers in UCI. I just need to figure out how I can use the keyboard (console) to send and receive UCI data. For example, if you start the Stockfish engine from a command line, you can communicate with it in UCI. How would I do that for the old chess computers? E.g. if I open a command line and type "messchess boris" the emulated chess computer starts up but I don't have UCI communications from my keyboard.

AW: ChessLab communications protocol
 

Hi John
I play against all the old chess computer ROMS on my Certabo electronic board.
Have a look on Certabo's GitHub page, it might help you but I'm not sure.
https://github.com/CERTABO/CERTABO-CHESSBOARDS-SOFTWARE

Regards
Bryan

AW: Re: ChessLab communications protocol
 

Hi John,

A command line cannot simply send commands to a program with a graphical user interface. You need a separate, simple program that starts MessChess and then uses the standard input/output channels of this process to send commands to the program and receive the responses.

Lars

Re: ChessLab communications protocol
 

Thanks Lars, Bryan!