# IBM Terminals

IBM 3278 Display Console

You are standing in a clearing in the Great Blue forest. Before you is a tree representing video-terminal products made by International Business Machines.

The tree's first branch emerges low on the trunk--where it almost hangs down into the mulch of punchcard chad. This old branch has the cryptic initials EBCDIC carved into it in a style that looks vaguely like the transit numbers on a check.

The second branch is not as hoary, and seems to have been grafted onto the trunk, higher up. The tattered red-white-and-blue remains of an American flag are tangled into the twigs, near what may have been an eagle's nest.

At the top of the tree, there is a new branch, green and leafy, but with sprouts intertwined in an intricate pattern.

There is an old camp stool here. Perhaps to your surprise, there are no mice here.

The page you are viewing concentrates on the particular features of IBM terminals and emulations of them. For information that applies in general to all video terminals, see the general information page.

## IBM Terminal Information from the Archives...

- Concerning IBM's EBCDIC-speaking terminals.
  (Such as models 3270, 3278, 5250, 3179, 3191, 3192, etc.)
- Chart of EBCDIC codes (GIF)
- Your IBM terminal may send and receive in block mode....
- Concerning IBM's ASCII-speaking terminals.
  (Such as models 3101, 3151, 3153, 3161, 3163, etc.)
- How to setup and reset the IBM 3151 terminal.
- Termcap entries for the 3151/3161 ASCII terminals.
- About IBM keyboards: on the PC/AT and other equipment.
- General discussion of (mostly EBCDIC) data communication in the IBM world.

- Configuring operating systems to support character-cell terminals.
- Software emulations of character-cell terminals.

## Software:

- tn5250 (sourceforge: emulates IBM terminal for AS/400)
- Read about a Windows Socket 3270 Telnet Application.
- And then perhaps retrieve QWS3270....
- Anonymous FTP of Unix 3270-related software at CERN.
- Telnet/400 (shareware 5250 emulator--A. York--new link)
- x3270 (emulates IBM 3278/3279 under X windows; also available from this mirror site)

## Other Internet Resources

- CoreStore has photos of IBM 3270 and 3290 terminals in action, connected through a 3174 terminal controller. ::.
- Chapter 2 of this Wyse document contains a diagram of an IBM 3270 keyboard's layout.
- FOLDOC describes an IBM 3270.
- Introduction to SNA: IBM's Systems Network Architecture (Yale)
- Introduction to APPC: (Advanced Program-to-Program Communications)
- AS/400 Journal (geocities)
- IBM "Thin Client" Publications (Windows-Based Terminal, NetVista)
- IBM Library Server (online documentation search)
- IBM 5494 Remote Control Unit Functions Reference (AS/400 5250 protocol)
- IBM 3174 Establishment Controller: Introduction
- Mainframes.Com
- Loriaux.com System/390 Home Page (the old page)
- VSE operating system mailing list
- Hercules System/370, ESA/390 Emulator
- Hercules Yahoo Group
- SP User Group
- An IBM "3270 PC" on the Trailing Edge
- StarQuest's IBM-world technology white papers ::.
- How 80-Column Punchcard Codes Mutated Over Time into EBCDIC (Iowa/Jones)
- ASCII/EBCDIC translation code tables (room42.com)
- EBCDIC chart (HTML-encoded; some glyphs may vary in appearance)
- Thin Clients, TCP/IP, and the AS/400 (ONC white paper by Pearle Systems) ::.
- Cisco IBM Networking Technical Notes ::.
- Cisco Airline Product Set (ALPS)
- Model 5494 Communication (and MCA Twin-Axial adapter)
- Using 7171 Protocol Converter with Full-Screen 3270 Emulation
  (Connecting ASCII terminals to a mainframe that speaks EBCDIC.)
- hex for Unix by Eric Raymond can dump an EBCDIC file in hexadecimal.
  (2003-02-20: link now points to version 1.3 at catb.org)

## Links to vendor pages.

A partial list of dealers who sell new and used video terminals is here.

- International Business Machines (IBM home page)
- IBM 3151 ASCII Display Terminal
- IBM 3151 and 3153 Asynchronous Communications Guide
- aixterm command documentation (IBM)
- IBM Networking Support
- IBM Network Station (Network Computers)
- IBM AS/400 Peripheral Products Home
- IBM SecureWay Personal Communications (software)
- IBM 3270 Emulation Products and support ::.
- IBM AS/400 ASCII Workstation Reference (V3R1: SA41-3130-00)
- IBM AIX Communication Server Self-Study Guide (Dec 96)
- IBM Networking Home Page
- IBM Networking Hardware Support ::.
- IBM Network Computer Home
- IBM Client/Server Computing
- IBM's CICS Home Page
- IBM's CICS/Internet (Web) Gateway for 3270 data streams
- IBM NWays Multinetwork Controller (product description)
- IBM San Francisco Project (updated link)
- IBM AS/400 Home Page
- IBM RS/6000 AIX Support
- IBM Special Needs Solutions (help for disabilities)
- IBM ToroLab
- IBM Serial Infrared Communication (for PDAs)
- Cleo Communications offers 3270-SNA connectivity as well as A+, 3780plus, and other bisync/async legacy solutions. ::.
- Neoware now holds the Memorex/Telex/Visara MTX business, including 3270/5250 thin clients. ::.
- Inducomp, Inc. (industrial 5250 and 3270 terminals and peripherals) ::.
- Teubner merged with Esker.
- Dickens Data Systems, Inc. (IBM networking partner)

> Some vendors of terminal-emulation software for PCs and Macintoshes have been claiming to "support" 3270 terminal emulation--when what the product actually supports is mere emulation of a Televideo terminal with a special keymap that a protocol converter has to interpret. (The protocol converter also gets to do the tricky work of the ASCII-to-EBCDIC code translation and asynchronous/bisynchronous communication bridging.) In some environments, this setup is what you want, but sometimes you want these functions handled within the PC--as other products do. Just be certain of what you are getting!

- SAS Institute (Emulus 3270 vector-graphics emulator for X Windows)
- Perle Systems (midrange controllers, servers)
- OpenConnect Systems (DynaComm tn3270; VSE, MVS software)
- Computer Network Technology/Brixton (Enterprise/Access)
- Brixton PU2.1 SNA Server for Solaris (alebra.com)
- Eicon Technology, Inc. (Aviva 3270 emulation for Windows-95/NT)
- SimWare, Inc. (SimPC, SimMac, A2B, Salvo 3270-to-HTML)
- Mitem Corporation. (middleware for terminal interface retrofit)
- Attachmate Corporation (terminal emulation, host software)
- NetManage, Inc. (Chameleon, Swift, TN3270 vendor)
- Zephyr Corporation (Passport TN3270E Client for Windows 95/NT)
- VicomSoft (vendor of MacOS Terminal Emulation)
- Databeast (dataComet shareware Telnet/tn3270/scripting for Macintosh)
- Mocha Pocket TN3270 (for Palm OS)
- IBM WebSphere Host-on-Demand (SSL-based telnet sessions from web browser)
- Forest Computer (scrape screen to view output on Web browser)
- Computer Software Manufaktur Remote Login for Windows (demo, 3151)
- Better On-Line Solutions (5250 emulation, twinax hardware)
- ConnectTronix Corporation (BATM: 5250 connectivity)
- Blue Emulations, Inc. (BluVista 3151 emulation for Win9x and CE)
- Andrew Corporation
- Forvus Research, Inc. (PCI-bus and USB 3270 Host-access solutions; 30-day evaluation available)
- Data Interface Corporation (TN3270, bisync protocol conversion)
- Farabi Technology Corporation (5250/twinax adapters)
- Black Box Corporation (data communication vendor)
- CQ Computer Communications, Inc. (bisync, SNA, SDLC)
- UniKix was acquired by PeerLogic, which itself was bought by Critical Path;
  offered InJoin Trans CICS emulation and Path3270/Connect)
- I/O Concepts (X-Direct: Unix to mainframe, 3270 WebSession)
- Protech Consulting Inc.
- StarQuest Software offers Client Access for Unix/Linux emulating the IBM 5250.
- Productivity Systems Inc. (emulates IBM 3164 Color ASCII terminal)
- The Workstation Group, Ltd. (no terminals: IBM-to-Unix tools)
- IBM REXX stuff
- Midrange Computing

## Internet RFCs (Requests For Comments)

Some effort was made in the late 1990s to improve the "tn3270" method of connecting IBM 3270 and 5250 terminals to hosts via TCP/IP. Read about it here.

- TN3270 Current Practices (January 1994 RFC, June 1997 link)
- TN3270 Extensions for LUname and Printer Selection
- TN3270 Enhancements
- Conventions for Using an IBM 2741 Terminal as Network User Console
- Definitions of Managed Objects for SNA Data Link Control: SDLC
- Character Sets on the Network

## Usenet Sources

> You can access these newsgroups only if your Web browser is configured to read news from a news-server computer that receives them.

- comp.protocols.ibm
- bit.listserv.ibm-main
- comp.sys.ibm.sys3x.misc
- comp.sys.ibm.as400.misc
- comp.sys.ibm.ps2.hardware
- comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.comm
- comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.systems
- comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.networking

The following trademarks are claimed by IBM:

- MVS
- Think
- Gearbox
- Helpdesk

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Introductory material copyright © 1995
and archive contents collection copyright © 1995, 1999, 2003 Richard S. Shuford.

This page's count says that you are visitor number since 2003-04-23.

Camp Stool

There is a use for the camp stool. If your boss has just told you that you've got to write a 3270 emulator program on a rush schedule, and you are still puzzled about what "EBCDIC" means, then the stool is to sit on and take deep breaths for a minute before you go on.

While you're resting, I might as well mention that it stands for Extended Binary-Coded-Decimal Interchange Code. Have a look at it.

While you are breathing, you could download some EBCDIC conversion tools. Enjoy the green lightning while you are here. And ponder the computing days of yesteryear, when EBCDIC was spawned for use on 80-column punched cards but migrated to other mechanisms. And perhaps you can wish that Mel was here to help you!

Well, Mel is no longer on the scene, but at least one interesting development has lately occurred: an EBCDIC version of the Apache Web Server software!

Click here when you are ready to go on....