This is the software listing for a sign that will display four lines of text.

CLS : PRINT "Printer port sign, Copyright 1999 BY Robert J Davis"
'INPUT "Use Printer Port Number: ", lpt
'Hardcoded to lpt2 for higher speed - needed for a 486.
'Make these changes for using other printer ports;
IF lpt = 2 THEN dout = &H378: cout = &H37A: cin = &H379
IF lpt = 1 THEN dout = &H3BC: cout = &H3BE: cin = &H3BD
IF lpt = 3 THEN dout = &H278: cout = &H27A: cin = &H279
PRINT "Press q to quit displaying sign ----------"; ""
INPUT "What do you want line 1 to say? ", line1$
INPUT "What do you want line 2 to say? ", line2$
INPUT "What do you want line 3 to say? ", line3$
INPUT "What do you want line 4 to say? ", line4$
new = 1
getline:
IF new > 300 THEN new = 1
IF new = 1 THEN message$ = line1$
IF new = 100 THEN message$ = line2$
IF new = 200 THEN message$ = line3$
IF new = 300 THEN message$ = line4$
DIM array, byte(50)
FOR l = 1 TO 10
   letter$ = MID$(message$, l, 1)
   letter$ = UCASE$(letter$)
   SELECT CASE letter$
   CASE IS = "A": RESTORE a
   CASE IS = "B": RESTORE b
   CASE IS = "C": RESTORE c
   CASE IS = "D": RESTORE d
   CASE IS = "E": RESTORE e
   CASE IS = "F": RESTORE f
   CASE IS = "G": RESTORE g
   CASE IS = "H": RESTORE h
   CASE IS = "I": RESTORE i
   CASE IS = "J": RESTORE j
   CASE IS = "K": RESTORE k
   CASE IS = "L": RESTORE l
   CASE IS = "M": RESTORE m
   CASE IS = "N": RESTORE n
   CASE IS = "O": RESTORE O
   CASE IS = "P": RESTORE p
   CASE IS = "Q": RESTORE q
   CASE IS = "R": RESTORE r
   CASE IS = "S": RESTORE s
   CASE IS = "T": RESTORE t
   CASE IS = "U": RESTORE u
   CASE IS = "V": RESTORE v
   CASE IS = "W": RESTORE w
   CASE IS = "X": RESTORE x
   CASE IS = "Y": RESTORE y
   CASE IS = "Z": RESTORE z
   CASE IS = "1": RESTORE 1
   CASE IS = "2": RESTORE 2
   CASE IS = "3": RESTORE 3
   CASE IS = "4": RESTORE 4
   CASE IS = "5": RESTORE 5
   CASE IS = "6": RESTORE 6
   CASE IS = "7": RESTORE 7
   CASE IS = "8": RESTORE 8
   CASE IS = "9": RESTORE 9
   CASE IS = "0": RESTORE O
   CASE IS = "-": RESTORE minus
   CASE IS = "+": RESTORE plus
   CASE IS = "=": RESTORE equal
   CASE IS = "<": RESTORE less
   CASE IS = ">": RESTORE great
   CASE IS = "#": RESTORE num
   CASE IS = "^": RESTORE up
   CASE IS = "~": RESTORE down
   CASE IS = "?": RESTORE ques
   CASE IS = "*": RESTORE star
   CASE IS = "!": RESTORE excl
   CASE IS = " ": RESTORE blank
   CASE IS = ":": RESTORE colon
   CASE ELSE: RESTORE blank
   END SELECT
   READ byte(0 + l)
   READ byte(10 + l)
   READ byte(20 + l)
   READ byte(30 + l)
   READ byte(40 + l)
NEXT l

start:
IF INKEY$ = "q" THEN END
OUT &H37A, 7: OUT &H37A, 3             'reset
FOR a = 1 TO 50
   OUT &H378, byte(a)
   IF a MOD 10 = 0 THEN
      OUT &H37A, 2: OUT &H37A, 0       'next column
      FOR t = 1 TO 50: NEXT t          'delay to display (50 = 486)
      OUT &H37A, 2: OUT &H37A, 0       'next column
   END IF
   OUT &H37A, 3: OUT &H37A, 2          'next byte
NEXT a
new = new + 1
IF new MOD 100 = 0 THEN GOTO getline
GOTO start
END

a: DATA 003,237,238,237,003
b: DATA 000,118,118,118,137
c: DATA 129,126,126,126,189
d: DATA 000,126,126,126,129
e: DATA 000,118,118,118,126
f: DATA 000,246,246,246,254
g: DATA 129,126,126,094,157
h: DATA 000,247,247,247,000
i: DATA 255,126,000,126,255
j: DATA 159,127,127,127,128
k: DATA 000,231,219,189,126
l: DATA 000,127,127,127,127
m: DATA 000,253,251,253,000
n: DATA 000,249,231,159,000
O: DATA 129,126,126,126,129
p: DATA 000,246,246,246,249
q: DATA 129,126,126,062,001
r: DATA 000,230,214,182,121
s: DATA 121,118,118,118,142
t: DATA 254,254,000,254,254
u: DATA 128,127,127,127,128
v: DATA 240,207,063,207,240
w: DATA 192,063,207,063,192
x: DATA 126,145,231,145,126
y: DATA 252,243,015,243,252
z: DATA 030,078,102,114,120
1 : DATA 255,125,000,127,255
2 : DATA 030,110,110,110,113
3 : DATA 118,118,118,118,137
4 : DATA 240,247,247,000,247
5 : DATA 112,118,118,118,142
6 : DATA 129,118,118,118,142
7 : DATA 254,254,254,014,240
8 : DATA 137,118,118,118,137
9 : DATA 249,246,246,054,193
star: DATA 213,227,128,227,213
excl: DATA 255,064,064,255,255
blank: DATA 255,255,255,255,255
great: DATA 255,190,221,235,247
less: DATA 255,247,235,221,190
equal: DATA 255,235,235,235,255
up: DATA 247,251,253,251,247
down: DATA 247,239,223,239,247
minus: DATA 247,247,247,247,247
plus: DATA 247,247,193,247,247
num: DATA 235,193,235,193,235
ques: DATA 254,078,238,238,241
colon: DATA 255,153,153,255,255

   This is the software listing for a sign that displays a countdown to midnight.
This version was written for and tested on New Years eve December 31 1999.
Note that much of the code is the same as the previous version.

CLS : PRINT "Printer port sign, Copyright 1999 BY Robert J Davis"
PRINT "press q to quit"
'INPUT "Use Printer Port Number: ", lpt
'Hardcoded to lpt2 for higher speed - needed for a 486.
'Make these changes for using other printer ports;
IF lpt = 2 THEN dout = &H378: cout = &H37A: cin = &H379
IF lpt = 1 THEN dout = &H3BC: cout = &H3BE: cin = &H3BD
IF lpt = 3 THEN dout = &H278: cout = &H27A: cin = &H279
newtime:
new = 1
hours$ = STR$(23 - VAL(MID$(TIME$, 1, 2)))
hours$ = MID$(hours$, 2, 2)
IF VAL(hours$) < 10 THEN hours$ = "0" + hours$
minutes$ = STR$(59 - VAL(MID$(TIME$, 4, 2)))
minutes$ = MID$(minutes$, 2, 2)
IF VAL(minutes$) < 10 THEN minutes$ = "0" + minutes$
seconds$ = STR$(59 - VAL(MID$(TIME$, 7, 2)))
seconds$ = MID$(seconds$, 2, 2)
IF VAL(seconds$) < 10 THEN seconds$ = "0" + seconds$
message$ = " " + hours$ + ":" + minutes$ + ":" + seconds$
IF hours$ = "00" AND minutes$ = "00" THEN
   IF seconds$ = "59" OR seconds$ = "58" THEN message$ = "* HAPPY *"
   IF seconds$ = "57" OR seconds$ = "56" THEN message$ = " NEW YEAR"
END IF
LOCATE 3, 2: PRINT "TIME: " + TIME$
PRINT "COUNT:" + message$

seconds$ = MID$(TIME$, 7, 2)
DIM array, byte(50)
FOR l = 1 TO 10
   letter$ = MID$(message$, l, 1)
   letter$ = UCASE$(letter$)
   SELECT CASE letter$
   CASE IS = "A": RESTORE a
   CASE IS = "B": RESTORE b
   CASE IS = "C": RESTORE c
   CASE IS = "D": RESTORE d
   CASE IS = "E": RESTORE e
   CASE IS = "F": RESTORE f
   CASE IS = "G": RESTORE g
   CASE IS = "H": RESTORE h
   CASE IS = "I": RESTORE i
   CASE IS = "J": RESTORE j
   CASE IS = "K": RESTORE k
   CASE IS = "L": RESTORE l
   CASE IS = "M": RESTORE m
   CASE IS = "N": RESTORE n
   CASE IS = "O": RESTORE O
   CASE IS = "P": RESTORE p
   CASE IS = "Q": RESTORE q
   CASE IS = "R": RESTORE r
   CASE IS = "S": RESTORE s
   CASE IS = "T": RESTORE t
   CASE IS = "U": RESTORE u
   CASE IS = "V": RESTORE v
   CASE IS = "W": RESTORE w
   CASE IS = "X": RESTORE x
   CASE IS = "Y": RESTORE y
   CASE IS = "Z": RESTORE z
   CASE IS = "1": RESTORE 1
   CASE IS = "2": RESTORE 2
   CASE IS = "3": RESTORE 3
   CASE IS = "4": RESTORE 4
   CASE IS = "5": RESTORE 5
   CASE IS = "6": RESTORE 6
   CASE IS = "7": RESTORE 7
   CASE IS = "8": RESTORE 8
   CASE IS = "9": RESTORE 9
   CASE IS = "0": RESTORE O
   CASE IS = "-": RESTORE minus
   CASE IS = "+": RESTORE plus
   CASE IS = "=": RESTORE equal
   CASE IS = "<": RESTORE less
   CASE IS = ">": RESTORE great
   CASE IS = "#": RESTORE num
   CASE IS = "^": RESTORE up
   CASE IS = "~": RESTORE down
   CASE IS = "?": RESTORE ques
   CASE IS = "*": RESTORE star
   CASE IS = "!": RESTORE excl
   CASE IS = " ": RESTORE blank
   CASE IS = ":": RESTORE colon
   CASE ELSE: RESTORE blank
   END SELECT
   READ byte(0 + l)
   READ byte(10 + l)
   READ byte(20 + l)
   READ byte(30 + l)
   READ byte(40 + l)
NEXT l
start:
IF INKEY$ = "q" THEN END
OUT &H37A, 7: OUT &H37A, 3             'reset
FOR a = 1 TO 50
   OUT &H378, byte(a)
   IF a MOD 10 = 0 THEN
      OUT &H37A, 2: OUT &H37A, 0       'next column
      FOR t = 1 TO 300: NEXT t                'delay to display (50 = 486)
      OUT &H37A, 2: OUT &H37A, 0       'next column
   END IF
   OUT &H37A, 3: OUT &H37A, 2          'next byte
NEXT a
IF seconds$ <> MID$(TIME$, 7, 2) THEN GOTO newtime
GOTO start
END

a: DATA 003,237,238,237,003
b: DATA 000,118,118,118,137
c: DATA 129,126,126,126,189
d: DATA 000,126,126,126,129
e: DATA 000,118,118,118,126
f: DATA 000,246,246,246,254
g: DATA 129,126,126,094,157
h: DATA 000,247,247,247,000
i: DATA 255,126,000,126,255
j: DATA 159,127,127,127,128
k: DATA 000,231,219,189,126
l: DATA 000,127,127,127,127
m: DATA 000,253,251,253,000
n: DATA 000,249,231,159,000
O: DATA 129,126,126,126,129
p: DATA 000,246,246,246,249
q: DATA 129,126,126,062,001
r: DATA 000,230,214,182,121
s: DATA 121,118,118,118,142
t: DATA 254,254,000,254,254
u: DATA 128,127,127,127,128
v: DATA 240,207,063,207,240
w: DATA 192,063,207,063,192
x: DATA 126,145,231,145,126
y: DATA 252,243,015,243,252
z: DATA 030,078,102,114,120
1 : DATA 255,125,000,127,255
2 : DATA 030,110,110,110,113
3 : DATA 118,118,118,118,137
4 : DATA 240,247,247,000,247
5 : DATA 112,118,118,118,142
6 : DATA 129,118,118,118,142
7 : DATA 254,254,254,014,240
8 : DATA 137,118,118,118,137
9 : DATA 249,246,246,054,193
star: DATA 213,227,128,227,213
excl: DATA 255,064,064,255,255
blank: DATA 255,255,255,255,255
great: DATA 255,190,221,235,247
less: DATA 255,247,235,221,190
equal: DATA 255,235,235,235,255
up: DATA 247,251,253,251,247
down: DATA 247,239,223,239,247
minus: DATA 247,247,247,247,247
plus: DATA 247,247,193,247,247
num: DATA 235,193,235,193,235
ques: DATA 254,078,238,238,241
colon: DATA 255,153,153,255,255