Miscellaneous News about Video Terminals

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ARCHIVER'S NOTE:

The information in this document is mostly scavenged from several
different Usenet newsgroups.  It varies in accuracy.  In several places,
you can observe the common Usenet syndrome of a participant not bothering
to actually understand the question being asked before posting an answer!

 ...RSS

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Newsgroups: comp.terminals
X-Nntp-Posting-Host: n206241180182.gsc.gte.com
Sender: news@wlbr.iipo.gtegsc.com (Steven M. Schultz)
Organization: GTE Government Systems
Message-ID: <36535E5F.89D6CBA8@GSC.GTE.Com>
References: <72t9cc$1agi@fidoii.cc.Lehigh.EDU>
To: dls2 <dls2@lehigh.edu>
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 23:55:11 GMT
From: "Scott G. Hall" <Scott.Hall@GSC.GTE.Com>
Subject: Re: Opinions wanted

dls2 wrote:
> 
> What are your most favorite terminals, and why?

The Heathkit H19:  It defined what the first ANSI standard should have been,
	before all of the elongated codes in the VT10x series and the later
	ANSI standard.  To perform the same set of complex screen updates
	for both the H19 and a VT220, the total number of characters required
	for the H19 is much smaller, and therefore faster on slower comm.
	links.

The AT&T 620 & 720: It introduced page-orientation and multiple windows
	accessed with a mouse to UNIX & VMS systems that were still curses
	based.  This became the model for EMACS split-screen output, and
	developed into the IDE-style of development interface.

The Lear-Siegler ADM-3A/ADM-5: A workhorse of a terminal, I still have one
	dated 1969 that is still going strong.  The electronics were easy
	to work on: they were discrete logic, not microprocessor based.
	They are fast, reliable, and easily modified (our school had a bunch
	modified as APL terminal -- special character set and special keys).
	This was also my first terminal that I modified to a Dvorak key-cap
	layout for efficient typing.  This is also the one that you saw in
	all those old movies that had the computer 9-track tape drives in
	background.

Wyse-99GT: It introduced IBM-PC monochrone graphics capability to the
	terminal world, and provided a cheap way of displaying graphics and
	text on the same screen for statistical, banking & stock market,
	and insurance applications.  It also promoted the IBM-PC keyboard
	scancode capability for those programs on minicomputers to begin
	to act like their PC cousins, and offer different active shift
	states (you can change what is displayed in the function-key labels
	immediately as the user presses the various ALT, SHFT and CTRL
	keys, and offer shifted function keys).

	-- for all you purists out there, I know that the Alloy/Link
	   terminal was the first to offer scancodes, but Wyse with the
	   Wyse-150 and the Wyse-99GT was the first big vendor to support
	   it

DEC DecWriter-300: Workhorse hardcopy terminal -- dot matrix even (when
	others were thermal or daisywheel).  They had their agrevations,
	but they kept going and going and...


> What are your least favorite terminals, and why?

Wyse-50/60: Because of protected regions and consuming attributes (attribute
	changes required a space to store them).

DEC VT-52: Not all there (see H19 above) for behaviour codes, and that
	annoying relay buzz that took the place of a bell.  And so huge for
	such a tiny screen.

Teradyne (anything): Just pure junk.  And I ran into lots of folks who were
	duped into buying them.

TeleVideo (anything): A DEC and Wyse wannabe, but they always had to mess
	up a standard for their own purpose and break applications that
	worked on more common terminals.  (They purported to have a VT-52
	compatibility, but that was true only up to a point.)

IBM 3270: Dual coax cable!?!  And sends output in forms based blocks!?!
	-- ugggg!!  (And of course what do we have now with Web forms and
	CGI?)  And that goes for Wang and Sperry/Univac terminals too!

Card Punch terminals: Never working when you need them.  And the lines of
	your file easily got rained on, or would fall and get out of order.
	(at least it made neat signs, and lots of football game confetti).

Teletypes: They should have thought of a CRT terminal sooner!  And these
	things hung out as popular in to the late 1980's!  Although the
	encoding scheme was neat (historically), and the theory of what
	holes to punch where was interesting.

-- 
Scott G. Hall
GTE Government Systems
North Carolina Systems Center
email: Scott.Hall@GSC.GTE.Com


 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Path: utkcs2!darwin.sura.net!haven.umd.edu!mimsy!afterlife!adm!smoke!gwyn
References: <1597.2709216120@kiwi.gen.nz>
Message-ID: <19222@smoke.brl.mil>
Date: 28 Sep 1992 20:38:30 GMT
Organization: U.S. Army Ballistic Research Lab, APG MD.
From: gwyn@smoke.brl.mil (Doug Gwyn)
Subject: Re: vt100 pfkeys

In article <1597.2709216120@kiwi.gen.nz>,
 rabbi@kiwi.gen.nz (Rabbi Bajzheet) writes:
>
>Anybody know how to program the function keys on a vt100?

VT100 PF keys are not programmable in that you cannot make them transmit
arbitrary character sequences.  What a VT100 PF key sends will always be
a fixed sequence (the exact sequence depends on which of four modes the
VT100 is in at the time).  Whatever "programmability" there is is due
entirely to flexibility provided in the application handling these
specific input escape sequences.

> I'm also a bit hazy about the `Here is' key... How do you define it, what
> does it do?

"Here is" is an old teletypewriter feature: in response to a received
"who are you" code (value 5 if I recall correctly), certain equipment
models would trigger a 20-character drum that would send out up to 20
character codes in sequence.  The intention was for news wire services
etc. to verify the station they were transmitting to by sending a WRU
code and getting the "here-is" identifier sent back to be printed on the
enquiring end.  The VT100 lets you program this "answerback code"
in SET-UP mode by, I think, Ctrl-A then a delimiter then the ident then
another delimiter (or something like that).  If it were really important
I could look it up, but odds are that you really don't want to use it.


 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Newsgroups: comp.terminals, alt.folklore.computers
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 00:18:04 -0400
From: "Richard S. Shuford" <shuford@list.stratagy.com>
Subject: Re: Answerback...

Keith Murray wrote:
>
> I have a terminal emulator component to my system that supports VT100
> and others.  A user needs to connect to a system that requires a
> specific "Answerback". ...
> My question is where does the Answerback go? Is it at the communication
> layer or does the emulation handle this? All docs for VT-series
> terminals never mention answerback.


The "answerback" function is ancient stuff, dating back to 5-level-code
("Baudot") Teletype machines. 

I suspect that the VT100 documentation tells about it, but I don't
have that at hand.   On a real DEC VT220, the Answerback message is
a text string that you type in by hand, using the "Keyboard" setup
menu.  It is an empty string by default.

I do have documentation here for a Televideo 955 terminal (a.k.a.
the Stratus V102), and it says that the Answerback message is sent in
response to the ENQ character (ASCII Control-E, 05x) sent by the host.
To the host computer, it appears just as if somebody were typing the 
Answerback characters on the keyboard. 

Some institutions set up their terminals' Answerback with a room
number, so that an application program can tell where a user is
physically sitting.

If the terminal emulation allows the host to program the Answerback
string, it can become a security hole.

Other terminal hints at

    http://www.cs.utk.edu/~shuford/terminal_index.html

 ...Richard S. Shuford


 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Path: cs.utk.edu!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!agate!darkstar.UCSC.EDU
      !news.hal.COM!decwrl!src.dec.com!crl.dec.com!nntpd.lkg.dec.com
      !hannah.enet.dec.com!hedberg
From: hedberg@hannah.enet.dec.com (Bill Hedberg)
Subject: Re: How to read whats on a terminal's screen?
Date: 26 Apr 1994 14:23:45 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation, Marlboro, MA
Lines: 67
Message-ID: <2pj85h$acf@nntpd.lkg.dec.com>
References: <CoH99p.Ito@microsoft.com>
Reply-To: hedberg@hannah.dec.com
Keywords: terminal programming VT100

>In article <CoH99p.Ito@microsoft.com>,
 peterbak@microsoft.com (Peter Bako) writes:
>
>Is it possible, and if yes how, to read the characters on a terminal;s
>screen?  Basically I would like to be able to open up a "window" on the
>terminal, but to be able to refresh the original screen after I remove
>my "window".  The simplest method would be to read the characters directly
>from the screen into an array, draw my window, and then redraw the 
>characters from my array back onto the terminal's screen before returning
>control to the original routine handling that screen.
>
>I've looked thru all of my manuals, and I cannot find any command which 
>would return character information.  Did I somehow miss it, or am I just
>dreaming?  In which case I'm open for suggestions on how to implement this.
>
>Thanks,
>Peter


You appear to be asking about "block mode".

In a typical block mode application a form would be displayed on the
screen and the host would switch the terminal to block mode.  In
block mode, user key strokes change data in local terminal memory
without sending data to the host.  When the user is done entering
data, they press a "Send" key which which sends a signal to the host.
The host then sends a "Transmit data" command to the terminal.  The
terminal responds by transmitting the data in terminal memory back
to the host in a certain format.

In your case, it would be possible to communicate with the terminal
in normal interactive mode, then enable block mode and request the
terminal to "Transmit data" to capture the screen data, and then
disable block mode.  No need for the user to press a Send key.

There are several variations on how block mode is implemented.  There
are differences in reported data format, Send key data, etc.


Rectangular Area operations
---------------------------
Perhaps a better way to:
  open up a "window" on the terminal, but to be able to refresh the
  original screen after I remove my "window"

might be to copy the rectangular area with the text where the window will
be placed to one of the off-screen pages, and then copy it back when you
are done.

This should be much faster than reading back the screen data which could
contain complex character set and rendition information.

Many terminals have multiple pages of screen memory for this purpose.
For example the VT420 has 6 pages of screen memory and the VT510 has
3 pages of screen memory.  The host control sequences:

DECCARA  CSI Pt;Pl;Pb;Pr $ r     Change Attributes in Rectangular Area
DECCRA   CSI Pts;Pls;Pbs;Prs;Pps $ v     Copy Rectangular Area
DECERA   CSI Pt;Pl;Pb;Pr $ z     Erase Rectangular Area
DECFRA   CSI Pch;Pt;Pl;Pb;Pr $ x Fill Rectangular Area
DECRARA  CSI Pt;Pl;Pb;Pr... $ t  Reverse Attributes in Rectangular Area
DECRQCRA CSI Pid;Pp;Pt;Pl;Pb;Pr * y     Request Checksum of Rectangular Area
DECSERA  CSI Pt;Pl;Pb;Pr $ {     Selective Erase Rectangular Area

allow manipulation of rectangular areas of screen memory.

	- Bill

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Path: utkcs2!ornl!sunova!linac!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu
      !zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!mips!munnari.oz.au!mel.dit.csiro.au
      !yarra!bohra.cpg.oz.au!tawfic
From: tawfic@bohra.cpg.oz.au (Mouhammad Tawfic)
Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Subject: Re: Need vt300 termcap entry
Message-ID: <1992Apr9.062648.1188@bohra.cpg.oz.au>
Date: 9 Apr 1992 06:26:48 GMT
References: <rq05nINN134@moe.ksu.ksu.edu>
Organization: Computer Power Software

rjq@phys.ksu.edu (Rob Quinn) writes:
>
> The windows on our VaxStations here emulate vt300's, and I would like to
>support them fully on our Suns for telnet sessions. Does anyone have a termcap
>entry for the vt300? Are there any "master termcap" files floating around that
>I could ftp?

Here it is

d0|vt100|vt100-am|dec vt100:\
	:cr=^M:do=^J:nl=^J:bl=^G:co#80:li#24:cl=50\E[;H\E[2J:\
	:le=^H:bs:am:cm=5\E[%i%d;%dH:nd=2\E[C:up=2\E[A:\
	:ce=3\E[K:cd=50\E[J:so=2\E[7m:se=2\E[m:us=2\E[4m:ue=2\E[m:\
	:md=2\E[1m:mr=2\E[7m:mb=2\E[5m:me=2\E[m:\
	:is=\E[1;24r\E[24;1H:\
	:ct=2\E[3g:st=2\EH:\
	:rf=/usr/lib/tabset/vt100:\
	:rs=\E>\E[?3l\E[?4l\E[?5l\E[?7h\E[?8h:\
	:ks=\E[?1h\E=:ke=\E[?1l\E>:\
	:ku=\EOA:kd=\EOB:kr=\EOC:kl=\EOD:kb=^H:\
	:ho=\E[H:k1=\EOP:k2=\EOQ:k3=\EOR:k4=\EOS:ta=^I:pt:sr=5\EM:vt#3:xn:\
	:sc=\E7:rc=\E8:cs=\E[%i%d;%dr:
da|vt200|vt200-am|dec vt200:\
	:ae=4\E(B:\
	:al=\E[L:\
	:as=2\E(<:\
	:dc=\E[P:dl=\E[M:\
	:ei=\E[4l:im=\E[4h:mi:nd=\E[C:se=\E[m:so=\E[7m:sr=\EM:\
	:ue=\E[m:up=\E[A:us=\E[4m:\
	:tc=vt100-am:
db|vt300|vt300-am|dec vt300:\
	:hs:\
	:es:\
	:ts=\E[1$}\E[;H\E[K:\
	:fs=\E[0$}:\
	:ds=\E[1$}\E[;H\E[K\E[0$}:\
	:tc=vt200-am:

Cheers
M. Tawfic
Cp software, Melbourne, Australia.

-- 
Mouhammad Tawfic                              ACSnet:  tawfic@bohra.cpg.oz[.au]
CP Software                             UUCP:  ..uunet!munnari!bohra.cpg!tawfic
19 Cato St., East Hawthorn,
Victoria, Australia, 3004               Phone: +61-3-8230216 Fax: +61-3-8220089


 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Path: utkcs2!darwin.sura.net!mips!sdd.hp.com!hpscdc!hplextra!hpcc05!hpyhde4
      !hpycla!hpergfg2!hprdash!hprpcd!scottm
Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Message-ID: <17260002@hprpcd.rose.hp.com>
Organization: HP Roseville Site
References: <1992May11.142650.24709@its.bt.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 12 May 1992 23:31:14 GMT
From: scottm@hprpcd.rose.hp.com (Scott McClelland)
Subject: Re: AlphaWindows?

In comp.terminals, tjo@its.bt.co.uk (Tim Oldham) writes:
>
>    I've seen some preliminary info on AlphaWindows, but nothing as solid
>    as a spec. Is such a thing available? When is product likely to be
>    available? Are there OS and/or application implications? Window
>    managers?


There is an AlphaWindow Terminal Specification available and several
vendors are developing terminals that support it.  It provides much
of the look and feel of a GUI windowing environment for character
mode terminals.  A window manager on the host allows the terminal
to display multiple sessions in windows that may be opened and closed,
resized, tiled or overlapped.  It also provides mouse support and
the ability to cut and paste between windows.  Applications do not
have to know about the windowing, but may make use of the additional
capabilities.


For more information contact:
Display Industry Association.
1007 Elwell Court Suite B
Palo Alto, CA  94303
(415) 960-1200.

  [the above may no longer be in business]

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Newsgroups: comp.terminals,alt.bbs,comp.unix.sysv386
Path: utkcs2!darwin.sura.net!mips!mips!decwrl!csus.edu!netcomsv!mork!rlerdorf
Message-ID: <8r_lhbm.rlerdorf@netcom.com>
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Summary: AlphaWindow mailing-list created
Keywords: DIA AlphaWindow Nutec
Date: Sat, 06 Jun 1992 09:23:16 GMT
From: rlerdorf@netcom.com (Rasmus Lerdorf)
Subject: AlphaWindows Mailing-List

An official mailing list for the Display Industry Association's AlphaWindow
standard has been created.  If you are interested in this new development in
terminal technology, join the mailing-list by sending a subscription request
to:  nutec!listserv@infoserv.com

In the body of the message put the line:

subscribe alphawin Your Name

You will get a message back from the server when your subscription has been
accepted and you may then send messages to: nutec!alphawi@infoserv.com
You will also receive regular digests of all postings to the list (if the
software works).  The same server will contain archives of AlphaWindow related
files.  To get more information on all the functions of the server send a 
message to: nutec!listserv@infoserv.com

In the body of the message put the word:

help

To all people who have sent me personal messages asking to join the list,
please send in a request as well.  
-- 
Rasmus Lerdorf			        Nutec North America
Product Manager			        2629 Terminal Blvd.
+1 415 967-4387/967-8818		Mountain View, CA. 94043. USA.
FAX: +1 415 967-8836			internet: rlerdorf@netcom.netcom.com
UUCP: ..!uunet!infoserv!nutec!rasmus	internet: nutec!rasmus@infoserv.com


 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Path: utkcs2!ornl!rsg1.er.usgs.gov!darwin.sura.net!spool.mu.edu!agate!ucbvax!lrw.com!leichter
Message-ID: <9209081151.AA04007@uu3.psi.com>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Distribution: world
Organization: The Internet
Date: 8 Sep 1992 11:32:06 GMT
From: Jerry Leichter <leichter@lrw.com> 
Subject: re: ASCII Characters from Sixel Screen Dumps?


	Anybody out there have a method for pulling ASCII characters out
	of Sixel screen dump files (perferably with location information)? 
	I'm interested in something for VMS systems running either VWS, 
	DECWindows *or* MOTIF...

(What is this with Sixel in the last couple of weeks?  :-) )

Sixel format is a method for representing bitmaps using ASCII G0 characters
(i.e., 7-bit non-control characters).

In one sense, your question is meaningless - there's nothing to extract
because a Sixel file already IS (made of) ASCII characters.

I suppose what you want to do is read the characters that were on the screen
being dumped.  This isn't a matter of "extraction"; it's a matter of recog-
nition.  If you have a character recognizer that is reasonably flexible, it
would probably be a straightforward matter to convert the Sixel files into
a bitmap format it could read - presumably, something like what it would
normally get from a scanner.  (If you are seriously interested, the sixjet
program I posted recently would be a good start.  For a suitable fee :-),
I'd even consider making the requisite modifications.)

Or you could print the Sixel file, then put it in the scanner.  Given the
speed of character recognition programs I've seen, this additional step would
have only a minor effect on the total time required for the operation.

							-- Jerry

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Path: utkcs2!gatech!concert!ais.com!bruce
Message-ID: <1992Sep27.004436.5755@ais.com>
References: <1992Sep17.025142.14560@candle.uucp>  <6201@npri6.npri.com>
            <DRACK.92Sep17080605@osprey.mars.tsd.arlut.utexas.edu>
            <pershing.717533734@teal>
Organization: Applied Information Systems, Chapel Hill, NC
Date: 27 Sep 1992 00:44:36 GMT
From: bruce@ais.com (Bruce C. Wright)
Subject: Re: Canceling effect of F6 key

In article <pershing.717533734@teal>,
 pershing@teal.csn.org (Paul Pershing) writes:
> 
>>...actually, the VMS terminal driver munges the sequence sent from the
>>  keyboard
>>(<ESC>[17~) into a ^C.  your application and/or DCL environment is then
>>interpreting the ^C to be a ^Y.....
> 
> Speaking of VT220 function keys... I have looked (it seems like) everywhere
> for the codes used on F1-F20, including the DO key, and maybe even the
> PF1-PF4 keys that are used on our VAXstation 3100s, so I can create a set
> of function keys on my PC term program at home and be able to function
> when I'm dialed in. I can't find them, and I do not have access to any
> of the VMS/VAX documentation (where I'm told such definitions are), and
> I've tried about everything..

	Find		CSI 1 ~		Select		CSI 4 ~
	Insert here	CSI 2 ~		Prev Screen	CSI 5 ~
	Remove 		CSI 3 ~		Next Screen	CSI 6 ~

	F6		CSI 1 7 ~	F15 (Help)	CSI 2 8 ~
	F7		CSI 1 8 ~	F16 (Do)	CSI 2 9 ~
	F8		CSI 1 9 ~	F17		CSI 3 1 ~
	F9		CSI 2 0 ~	F18		CSI 3 2 ~
	F10		CSI 2 1 ~	F19		CSI 3 3 ~
	F11		CSI 2 3 ~	F20		CSI 3 4 ~
	F12		CSI 2 4 ~
	F13		CSI 2 5 ~
	F14		CSI 2 6 ~

	PF1		SS3 P		PF3		SS3 R
	PF2		SS3 Q		PF4		SS3 S

Notes:

    1.	CSI is 0x9b in 8-bit controls mode, or ESC [ in 7-bit mode.
    2.	SS3 is 0x8f in 8-bit controls mode, or ESC O in 7-bit mode.
    3.	ESC is 0x1b in both 8-bit controls mode and in 7-bit mode.
    4.	All other characters are themselve, therefore the F20 sequence
	is 4 characters long in 8-bit mode and 5 characters in 7-bit mode.
    5.	Keys F1-F5 send no codes on the VT220 and VT320;  they are strictly
	local function keys.  On the VT420 they can be configured as either
	local function keys or as normal function keys with codes in the
	range of CSI 1 1 ~ through CSI 1 5 ~ .
	
> 	Or, maybe someone who knows where I can get a term program via
> ftp that does VT220 or even 300_SERIES emulation with all the keys?

Look for a recent version of MS-Kermit - version 3.11 has decent VT320
emulation.  Its user interface isn't as slick as some programs that 
are out there, and its file transfer isn't _quite_ as fast, but it's
one of the most solid VT emulators available & it works very well with
VMS, plus it's free.  It should be available on most bulletin boards;
you can also FTP it from Columbia (watsun.cc.columbia.edu in the kermit
directory) if you have access to FTP.

Good luck,

Bruce C. Wright

 [This was the situation in 1992.  In 2002, Kermit-95 offers VT320 emulation
  and other features such as SSH under Windows, although the adjective "free"
  has been replaced by "low-cost".] 


 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin,comp.terminals
Path: utkcs2!darwin.sura.net!spool.mu.edu!news.nd.edu!mentor.cc.purdue.edu
      !noose.ecn.purdue.edu!dynamo.ecn.purdue.edu!wb9omc
Message-ID: <wb9omc.719168778@dynamo.ecn.purdue.edu>
Keywords: terminals
Sender: news@noose.ecn.purdue.edu (USENET news)
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network
References: <ldkpm9INN4ho@lovelady.cs.utexas.edu> <1992Oct13.224537.4643@datamark.co.nz> <1bjbsqINNcii@swan.doc.ic.ac.uk>
Date: 15 Oct 92 17:06:18 GMT
From: wb9omc@dynamo.ecn.purdue.edu (Duane P Mantick)
Subject: Re: Leaving terminals on


Fanning the flames.....  :-)

I think it depends on the situation.  If you have your OWN terminal and
you don't share it with other people, AND you don't use it more than 
8 hours out of a 24 hour day, turn it off.

Caveat: don't turn it on and off and on and off and on and off every few
minutes.  You'll more than likely blow the hell out of it.  If you have a 
terminal in an office, for example, leave it on ALL day and turn it off
at night.

In our public terminal rooms, I incourage people to leave the terminals
ON.  The room is open 24 hours and people USE them 24 hours.  The constant
power-cycling is proven to be detrimental.

More Caveat:  terminals with switching power supplies are more sensitive
to power-cycle transients than terminals with a linear, brute-force
power supply, in general.

Paul Zawada mentioned the WYSE terminals - they are an abortion whether
power-cycled or not.  Our WYSE50's blow up for no reason other than 
incredibly stupid design features like electrolytic capacitors located
1/16 inch from a HOT heat sink.  Heat dries out cap, cap fails.  Terminal
goes boom.  Most common in the WYSE50 is C206 on the MPS board.
The best cap we've found as a replacement is the Nichicon HA series. 
These dudes are DESIGNED for the high curent and high heat of a horizontal
deflection circuit.  (wyse should have used them in the first place....)

You can't really make a blanket statement about power-cycling that applies
in ALL cases.  The best way I could phrase it is:

Don't turn it off if you're coming back in less than an hour.  DO turn it
off if you're NOT coming back for MORE than an hour.  If it's a WYSE,
throw it in the trash....  :-)

Duane Mantick
Engineering Computer Network, Purdue University
Supervisor of Terminal Repair

The above comments only represent my opinion.  Period.

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Path: utkcs2!emory!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uwm.edu!news.bbn.com
      !bbn.com!pdsmith
From: pdsmith@bbn.com (Peter D. Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Subject: Re: VT100 code: ESC \
Date: 18 Dec 1992 16:29:11 GMT
Lines: 14
Message-ID: <lj3v2nINNiao@news.bbn.com>
References: <18625@mindlink.bc.ca>
NNTP-Posting-Host: bbn.com
Summary: Meaning of ESC \

In article <18625@mindlink.bc.ca>, 
Frank@mindlink.bc.ca (Frank I. Reiter) writes:
>
> One more vt100 question: Can anyone tell me what an ESC \ sequence is
> supposed to do?  I have several text files describing VT100 codes, and none
> of them mention this one.  Thanks in advance!
> 

Certainly!  'ESC \' is the 7-bit equivalent of the 8-bit 'ST' character; 'ST'
stands for 'String Terminator' and is used for two things:

    (1) To cancel an escape sequence.
    (2) To finish a 'DCS' sequence (DCS is another eight-bit character;
        its 7-bit equivilent is ESC-P

					Peter D. Smith

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Path: cs.utk.edu!emory!ogicse!cvedc!pcx.ncd.com!jcb
Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Message-ID: <1992Dec21.195733.22439@pcx.ncd.com>
Article-I.D.: pcx.1992Dec21.195733.22439
References: <18623@mindlink.bc.ca>
Organization: NCD PC-Xdivision
To: Frank@mindlink.bc.ca
Date: 21 Dec 92 19:57:33 GMT
From: jcb@pcx.ncd.com (Jim Becker)
Subject: Re: VT100 scrolling region


   Subject: pNN: VT100 scrolling region
   From: Frank@mindlink.bc.ca (Frank I. Reiter)
   Sender: news@deep.rsoft.bc.ca (Usenet)
   
   Part of an application I am working on includes a VT100 emulator. We thought
   this was complete until today when one of our users began using it to telnet
   into a VAX system where the default editor makes use of scrolling regions.
   

having been down this path recently, i would highly recommend that you
get one of the DEC programming manuals explaining use of the scrolling
regions.  there are many "shortcuts" that applications make when using
scrolling regions that  will  break  a  non-robust  terminal  emulator
implementation.  you will end up doing a lot of tweaking for different
applications as they use this functionality in different, non-obvious,
ways. 

-jim

-- 
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Newsgroups: comp.terminals,comp.protocols.misc
Expires: Sun, 31 Jan 1993 22:23:24 GMT
Message-ID: <1hqbm7INN3c7@CS.UTK.EDU>
References: <18623@mindlink.bc.ca> <lj3vgrINNieu@news.bbn.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: carlsberg.cs.utk.edu
Date: 29 Dec 1992 20:16:07 GMT
Organization: University of Tennessee, Knoxville--Dept. of Computer Science
From: Richard Shuford <shuford(at)cs.utk.edu> 
Summary: Escape code effects
Keywords: VT100, scroll, control code, Escape, ANSI X3.64, terminal
Subject: ANSI X3.64 sequences (was Re: VT100 scrolling region)

In article <lj3vgrINNieu@news.bbn.com> pdsmith@bbn.com (Peter D. Smith) writes:
> In article <18623@mindlink.bc.ca>, Frank@mindlink.bc.ca (Frank I. Reiter)
> writes:
> > Part of an application I am working on includes a VT100 emulator.
> > 1) Does ESC [;22r mean "scroll lines 0 through 22" or does it mean "Set
> > the bottom scrolling line to 22, leave the top line as it is set already"?
>
> It should mean 'scroll lines 1 to 22'.


The control sequences recognized by the Digital Equipment Corporation
VT100, VT200, VT300, and VT400-family character-cell video terminals
are an extended variant of the control sequences specified by an ANSI
standard, ANSI X3.64.  (ISO DP6429 is the international version.)

The generic sequence introducer is a thing called CSI (Control
Sequence Introducer).  If you are using 8-bit communication, you
can use the hexadecimal value 9B to represent this (but be sure you
understand the side effects thereof).  Otherwise, use the 7-bit
equivalent: the Escape character (1Bh) followed by [  (the left
bracket character).

The canonical form of the given scroll-region command would be  

    CSI xx ; yy r

or in 7-bit style

    Esc [ xx ; yy r

(where xx and yy are decimal digits expressed in ASCII/IA5; you do not
actually use a space between sequence elements, this is for clarity.
Be careful with the notation here--sometimes a space character _is_
a sequence element, as in the SR Scroll Right editing function.)

In an X3.64 control sequence, the numeric arguments may default to an
arbitrary value specific to the device function being controlled.  Do
not assume that the default always will be 0 or 1. (Or there may be
no default allowed.)  For example, the numeric arguments in the GSM
(Graphic Size Modify) sequence have the default values 100, 100.

As a private extension to X3.64, DEC defines the DECSTBM (Set Top and
Bottom Margins) command as follows:

        CSI Pt ; Pb r

    Selects top and bottom margins defining the scrolling region.
    Pt is the line number of the first line in the scrolling region.
    Pb is the line number of the bottom line.
    If you do not select either Pt or Pb, they default to the top
    and bottom respectively.  Lines are counted from 1.

(See \VT220 Programmer Pocket Guide/, part EK-VT220-HR-002, page 37.)

> Remember that these sequences
> could be implemented in TTL without a microprocessor of any
> kind & therefore use the simplest possible implementation.  

Peter must be thinking of the much simpler DEC VT52 sequences.  As far
as I know, terminals implementing X3.64 have ALWAYS used a built-in
microprocessor.  The VT100 was built around an 8-bit-bus Intel 8085.

In fact, when the X3.64 document was published (circa 1978), some
vendors, insisting on using discrete logic designs, objected that the
standard was so complex it could not be implemented.  Most of these
vendors are now floating belly-up on the tide of technology.  Some
credit is due to The Heath Company for a pioneering microprocessor-
based video terminal that implemented many of the X3.64 functions.

> > 2) Should a clear screen code clear the scrolling region only, or the
> >    entire screen?  How about a clear to end of screen?
>
> I think this is the whole screen regardless of the scrolling region.
> Don't bet your company on it, though.

Screen clearing should not depend on scrolling.

Erasing parts of the display (EL and ED) in the VT100 is performed thus:

     Erase from cursor to end of line           Esc [ 0 K    or Esc [ K
     Erase from beginning of line to cursor     Esc [ 1 K
     Erase line containing cursor               Esc [ 2 K
     Erase from cursor to end of screen         Esc [ 0 J    or Esc [ J
     Erase from beginning of screen to cursor   Esc [ 1 J
     Erase entire screen                        Esc [ 2 J

Some brain-damaged terminal/emulators respond to Esc [ J as if it were
Esc [ 2 J (here the default is 0), and _some_ versions of Microsoft's
MS-DOS ANSI.SYS contain a bug requiring software to send Esc [ k
(instead of the uppercase).  Of course, you would never make this mistake.

The VT200 and later terminals have the ECH control sequence:

  Esc yy X

(where yy is a numeric parameter)

This erases the cursor position and the next (yy-1) positions, but this
is not part of the least common denominator VT100.

 - - - - - -
 [old ftp pointer removed]
 - - - - - -

VT, Flip Chip, DIBOL, and Rainbow are trademarks of Digital Equipment
Corporation.
-- 
 ...Richard S. Shuford  | "A man's own folly ruins his life, yet
 ...shuford@cs.utk.edu  |  his heart rages against the Lord."
 ...Info-Stratus Coord. |  Proverbs 19:3


  [Archival update:  Digital Equipment Corporation was absorbed by
   Compaq Computer Corporation, which (as of spring A.D. 2002) is
   itself in the process of merging with Hewlett-Packard.]


 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Path: cs.utk.edu!gatech!concert!ais.com!bruce
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Message-ID: <1993Jan28.152639.5974@ais.com>
Date: 28 Jan 93 15:26:39 GMT
References: <930117225018.21e04331@HANNA2.NLU.EDU> <1993Jan18.214243.5943@ais.com> <1993Jan28.131844.1@lib.haifa.ac.il>
Organization: Applied Information Systems, Chapel Hill, NC
From: bruce@ais.com (Bruce C. Wright)
Subject: Re: VT220 and VT320 Key codes

In article <1993Jan28.131844.1@lib.haifa.ac.il>, 
jody@lib.haifa.ac.il (Yosef Branse) writes:
>
> In article <1993Jan18.214243.5943@ais.com>, bruce@ais.com (Bruce C. Wright)
> writes:
> 
>> As I recall the big differences between the VT220 and the VT320 are that
>> the VT320 added support for ISO Latin-1 (the VT220 only had the DEC
>> Multinational character set) and for a 25th status line.  There are
>> also differences in the format of the downloaded (soft) character sets,
> 
> One practical difference between the VT220 and 320 that I am aware of is the
> ability of the 320 (and 420) to load soft fonts, at least as they are used by
> Aleph, the standard  system for online catalogs in Israeli university
> libraries (and some others). Thus, we can display bibliographic information
> for Arabic books in legible  Arabic characters only  on VT320 and VT420
> terminals (and compatibles) but not VT220 and below. In addition, the soft
> fonts are used for Hebrew characters in cases where the terminal does not
> have the Hebrew chip standard on terminals in Israel.

But the VT200 series _does_ have soft fonts.

I suspect that the problem you mention is caused by one of two things:

    1)	The VT220 soft fonts have a different downline load sequence
	from the VT320 soft fonts.  The major difference is that the
	size of the bitmap matrix is different;  you can display VT220
	soft fonts on a VT320 because the matrix is larger on the 320
	than it is on the 220, but they look awful (the aspect ratio
	is wrong, and the characters are too small).  Therefore, it
	is quite possible that the authors of the bibliographic system
	did not support the older terminal which has a much smaller
	useable font bitmap.

    2)	It's possible that the VT200 series does not support right-
	to-left languages like Hebrew and Arabic.  I don't know the
	answer to that offhand, but I know that the VT300 series does.
	Although you can program the VT220 and VT320 to do right-to-left
	writing, it would all be special-case code on the host to move
	the cursor left after every character displayed;  this might well
	be too much trouble for the software authors to support.  The
	VT300-series terminals used in Israel and the Arabic countries is
	NOT the same as the VT320's in use in the West;  it's a special
	model for right-to-left languages.  I don't know if there was an
	equivalent terminal in the VT200 series;  if there wasn't then
	that could be a sufficient reason not to support the VT200.

Another possibility is that the terminals you mention do not have a `full'
VT220 emulation.

Bruce C. Wright

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Path: cs.utk.edu!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!odin!trier
Organization: Information Network Services, Case Western Reserve University
Message-ID: <1sjmeb$kqs@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>
References: <horenC6qCvI.MA3@netcom.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: odin.ins.cwru.edu
Date: 9 May 1993 19:35:39 GMT
From: trier@odin.ins.cwru.edu (Stephen C. Trier)
Subject: Re: (How) Can a TVI925 Emulate a VT100?

In article <horenC6qCvI.MA3@netcom.com>,
 horen@netcom.com (Jonathan B. Horen) writes:
>
>How, dear friends, can I get my Televideo TVI925 to emulate a vt100? 

Try iScreen, posted to a comp.sources.something group last year.  It
is a fancy pseduo-tty manipulator that permits running multiple sessions
on a dumb terminal.  It will attempt to emulate a vt100 on just about
anything, though its success in emulation does vary depending on how
smart your terminal is.  (For instance, it doesn't do very well at all
with magic cookie or really-dumb terminals.)

-- 
Stephen Trier (trier@ins.cwru.edu)   Star Trek dialog mistake of last week:
Network Software Engineer              "We've tried every decryption key
IRIS/INS/T                               on record, Captain."
Case Western Reserve University             - Geordi LaForge, ST:TNG, 5/1/93


 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Path: cs.utk.edu!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu
      !cs.utexas.edu!uunet!pipex!warwick!uknet!newcastle.ac.uk!turing!ncrr
Nntp-Posting-Host: turing
Message-ID: <C8rE85.4pA@newcastle.ac.uk>
Summary: translation from termcap to terminfo
Organization: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, NE1 7RU
Keywords: termcap terminfo captoinfo tic untic
Date: Thu, 17 Jun 1993 09:26:28 GMT
From: C.R.Ritson@newcastle.ac.uk (C.R. Ritson)
Subject: SUMMARY: terminfo/termcap translation

A while ago, I posted a request for either a FAQ for this newsgroup,
or for help in creating a terminfo entry. No-one pointed out a FAQ,
but several people helped me create my missing terminfo file.

My problem was on a Macintosh running A/UX which is a system-V
based system, with a vi that needs terminfo. We had some old tvi910+
terminals for which we had a termcap entry but no terminfo entry.
Apple even supply a tvi910+ termcap entry. I wonder why?

Two solutions were pointed out:-

a)	Borrow a working terminfo database entry, and re-generate the
	source with "untic", which you can get from the net, or as
	standard on some machines, including the HP workstations we
	just aquired but which I don't use a great deal.

b)	Use the publiicly available "captoinfo" to translate a working
	termcap entry into terminfo source.

Many thanks to all who helped.

Chris Ritson <C.R.Ritson@newcastle.ac.uk>
EMAIL: C.R.Ritson@newcastle.ac.uk       Chris Ritson,
PHONE: +44 91 222 8175                  Department of Computing Science
FAX  : +44 91 222 8232                  University of Newcastle upon Tyne,
TELEX: uk+53654-UNINEW_G                UK, NE1 7RU

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Path: cs.utk.edu!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!spool.mu.edu
      !bloom-beacon.mit.edu!uhog.mit.edu!grapevine.lcs.mit.edu!ai-lab!mikc
Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Organization: Free Software Foundation
Lines: 22
Message-ID: <235re0INNk5@life.ai.mit.edu>
References: <1993Jul21.200759.3022@cs.cornell.edu> <20354@smoke.brl.mil>
NNTP-Posting-Host: spiff.gnu.ai.mit.edu
Date: 28 Jul 1993 12:28:48 GMT
From: mikc@gnu.ai.mit.edu (Mike Coughlin)
Subject: Re: any terminal w/50+ rows?

In article <20354@smoke.brl.mil> gwyn@smoke.brl.mil (Doug Gwyn) writes:
>I've seen other brands of terminals that support a large number of
>rows, [such as the C. Itoh] CIT-500 with 64 lines  
>(I don't know if these are still marketed.)  

  I use one of these. It is almost 10 years old and therefore a
primitive antique by the standards of the computer industry.  Not
only is it not marketed, but C. Itoh barely knows of its existence.

There are a few spare parts still available. Dealers in used computers
still have them for sale. The CRT tube is turned so the long side is
vertical (portrait mode as a photographer would say). It is very nice
to be able to see a whole page of text all at one time.

>If you need termcap entries
>for the ones I've mentioned, send me a note. (Gwyn@ARL.Army.Mil)

Many Unix systems have an entry for the cit-500 in their termcap
data base. But there is an error. The number of lines is set at 
40 instead of 64. This makes using these terminals with editors
and readers impossible. Setting up your own termcap or terminfo
file on each remote computer you use is the price you have to
pay to read more lines than usual.

-- 
   Michael Coughlin             mikc@gnu.ai.mit.edu      Cambridge, MA USA

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Newsgroups: comp.periphs,comp.os.vms,comp.sys.dec,vmsnet.misc
Path: cs.utk.edu!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!agate!library.ucla.edu
      !news.mic.ucla.edu!unixg.ubc.ca!erich.triumf.ca!music
Organization: TRIUMF: Tri-University Meson Facility
Lines: 119
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <28AUG199318033504@erich.triumf.ca>
References: <1993Aug25.100736.30@flying-disk.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: erich.triumf.ca
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41 
Date: 28 Aug 1993 18:03 PST
From: music@erich.triumf.ca (FRED W. BACH)
Subject: Re: Need VT-220 type terminal for 132 column use


In article <1993Aug25.100736.30@flying-disk.com>,
 frisbie@flying-disk.com writes...
#I have a client who needs a continuing source of VT-220
#compatible terminals, with one special characteristic:
# 
#Much of their use is in 132-column mode.   After extensive

   I sympathize.
   All of my Fault Reports are in 132-column mode !
   I want to see One Record on One Line.  That way the
   columns line up nicely, and visual searching is easy
   and friendly.

#evaluation, they selected the Micro-Term terminal which
#have fully-formed characters, even in 132-column mode.
#I must agree with them that Micro-Term terminals have
#the most readable characters I have ever seen in a VT-200
#compatible terminal.
# 
#Unfortunately, Micro-Term no longer seems to be in business.

   Is there any truth to the statement that one might have to
 compromise and build cheap junk these days just to stay in business? 8-)

# 
#I looked at a DEC VT-420 yesterday, as it was touted as being
#very readable.   While the 132-column characters are quite
#sharp (you can see every dot), they are not nearly as nice.

   Sure.  They make the dots bigger and then we can see them.

#The VT-420 uses a 5x9 dot pattern inside a 6x16 cell size.
#The Micro-Term 4520 uses a 16x20 dot pattern inside a 20x20
#cell.   The difference is astounding.

    No kidding.  You see it.  I see it.  Why can't *they* ?
# 
#Does anyone know of a suitable replacement?

    Not me.  Please let me know.
# 
#Since I have cross-posted this to four newsgroups, please
#send your suggestions directly to me.   Of course, I will
#summarize the results.
# 
#Thank you.
# 

    FLAME ON!.   (not intended at Alan.  He's OK.)

    Ah!  Another case of throwing out the baby with the bathwater when 
 some young hot-shot engineers who need work decided to build a new
 terminal.   THEY ALL COME LIKE THIS.  I am truly surprised that you 
 found anything in the new generation of small-to-medium monitors that
 could even come close to some of the better old hardware's performance
 on small characters.  It must be the RISC (Really Inferior Small Character)
 mentality.

    I must STRONGLY agree with you about the readability of the 132-char
 screens on new terminals.  They are the pits! (IMNSHO).

    We have a number of VAXstations and Dec Xterms here and the 132-char
 mode is more readable on an ancient Data General D400.  But even DG blew
 it when they redesigned the D400 to the spiffy-looking D410.  The z-axis
 modulation on the CRT was effectively different for horizontal and vertical
 character-segments (still made out of dots).  And our new DEC touch screen --
 arghh.  It's fuzzy enough at 80 chars.

   It seems the z-axis modulation on the xterms and the VAXstations is
 not much better.  Uniform, yes, but not intense enough.  The front-panel
 brightness and contrast controls don't eliminate the problem.  We can get
 black characters on a white background on an 80-char line, but when I 
 set term/width=132, then the characters seem to turn grey and fuzzy, not
 black and crisp.  One thing the crt screen hardware needs is a clever little
 high-frequency gamma correction.  My VCR and Televisions have such controls
 -- they are called SHARPNESS controls.  I'm sure all you CCU (television
 camera-control-unit) operators out there know what I mean.  (I was one.)
 I doubt that it would cost very much, either.  But I am told there is nothing
 that can be done -- "Why do you want those long lines, anyway? -- nobody else
 does!.  We're all normal folk and we all use 80-character lines.  [ Etc. Etc.
 ad naseum.]"   Alan, have they tried that old saw on you, too?   (I guess
 they have to practise all the BS lines they learn in Psych 101, etc.)
 (Many people think BS means Bachelor of Science.)

    Just another case of forgetting good engineering practises of the past,
 albeit in the ANALOG world, in the interest of expediency.  We now live in
 a DIGITAL (pun intended) world and some of us are stuck with our digits up
 our collective noses ;-) .

    Furthermore, there are nowhere near enough front-panel (OK, you could
 hide them under a cover) controls to trim things like dynamic convergence
 which is really bad when you go to small characters.  Another case of
 oversimplification because the manufactureres perceive the users as
 idiots (but idiots who can play Spock and mind-read the terminal since 
 that would be the only way you can read some of them  ;-)  )

    And our problems are even worse than most because of the variable DC
 magnetic field in the Control Room here.   Oh well.  At least I can still
 whine a little.   If I ever get to teach, I'd like to teach a course in
 the history of technology.  Too many good "inventions" are lost.  Someone
 wrote that those who don't pay attention to history [ in this case I would
 call it chrono-ergonomics ] are doomed to relive it.

    FLAME OFF.

    Thanks for the post, Alan.  Good one.  Right on.

#--  Alan E. Frisbie               Frisbie@Flying-Disk.Com
#--  Flying Disk Systems, Inc.
#--  4759 Round Top Drive          (213) 256-2575 (voice)
#--  Los Angeles, CA 90065         (213) 258-3585 (FAX)

 Fred W. Bach ,    Operations Group        |  Internet: music@erich.triumf.ca
 TRIUMF (TRI-University Meson Facility)    |  Voice:  604-222-1047 loc 327/278
 4004 WESBROOK MALL, UBC CAMPUS            |  FAX:    604-222-1074
 University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., CANADA   V6T 2A3

 These are my opinions, which should ONLY make you read, think, and question.
 They do NOT necessarily reflect the views of my employer or fellow workers.

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.os.vms,comp.sys.dec,vmsnet.misc,comp.periphs
Path: cs.utk.edu!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu
      !moe.ksu.ksu.edu!mccall!cmkrnl!jeh
Message-ID: <1993Aug29.040921.2621@cmkrnl.com>
References: <1993Aug25.100736.30@flying-disk.com> <28AUG199318033504@erich.triumf.ca>
Organization: Kernel Mode Systems, San Diego, CA
Date: 29 Aug 93 04:09:21 PDT
From: Jamie Hanrahan <jeh@cmkrnl.com>
Subject: Re: Need VT-220 type terminal for 132 column use


In article <28AUG199318033504@erich.triumf.ca>,
 music@erich.triumf.ca (FRED W. BACH) writes:
>     FLAME ON!.   (not intended at Alan.  He's OK.)
> [...]
>     Ah!  Another case of throwing out the baby with the bathwater when
>    It seems the z-axis modulation on the xterms and the VAXstations is
>  not much better.  Uniform, yes, but not intense enough.  The front-panel
>  brightness and contrast controls don't eliminate the problem.  We can get
>  black characters on a white background on an 80-char line, but when I
>  set term/width=132, then the characters seem to turn grey and fuzzy, not
>  black and crisp.  One thing the crt screen hardware needs is a clever little
>  high-frequency gamma correction.

I don't know what kind of monitors you're using... but if they're color, you
have a basic problem:  To render single-pixel fonts really well, you need about
two triads per pixel, and three would be preferable.  There are NO monitors
with a dot pitch fine enough and a screen large enough to provide this, not at
1280x1024 or 1024x864, not at least until you get into stratospheric pricing.

(And such monitors will be used on very-high-end CAD workstations at 1600x1200
or even 2000x1500, so you have the same problem all over again.)

If this is the problem, gamma correction isn't going to help.  If you want to
display a black pixel in between two light pixels and the dot triads on the CRT
at that particular point in the scan line happen to fall in between the pixel
times, no way will you be able to see much more than a gray blur, no matter
what the beam current is doing.  And since the pixels aren't sync'd to the dot
triads, this effect WILL happen at some points on the scan line; you can't get
away from it.

> My VCR and Televisions have such controls -- they are called SHARPNESS
> controls.

I was under the distinct impression that the sharpness control was merely a
bandwidth limiter / peaking control, while gamma correction is a modification
of the video level -> beam current transfer function, not related to bandwidth.
But whatever... it seems to me that this correction could easily be done by an
outside box, working on the R,G, and B lines.  For DEC video with composite
sync on green you'd have to switch the correction out during the sync
intervals, but sync separators are single- chip items these days... why not try
it and report back?

(meanwhile, if you want a 20" color monitor for your VAXstation that does
justice to single-pixel fonts, junk the VRT19 and buy a NEC 6FG instead.)

(And if you REALLY want sharp-edged characters in a single-pixel font, simply
use a monochrome monitor.  No "dot pitch" problems.  It'll be lots cheaper,
too.  Oh, and turn the brightness down so that the pixels don't "spill over"
onto each other.)

>     Furthermore, there are nowhere near enough front-panel (OK, you could
>  hide them under a cover) controls to trim things like dynamic convergence
>  which is really bad when you go to small characters.  Another case of
>  oversimplification [...]

Ah.  I had a long conversation with someone fairly high up in NEC's customer
service organization on a similar issue.  I wanted NEC to sell service manuals,
including adjustment procedures, esp. including convergence adjustments.  Their
experience is that this is a net loss for them.  Not money-wise, but because
most shops simply are not equipped to do the job properly -- but they attempt
it anyway, leading to poor customer satisfaction, with NEC as much as with the
shop.  So they will only provide this information to NEC authorized service
companies that have completed proper training, have the necessary equipment,
etc.  I won't go into all of the details, but I started that conversation
firmly convinced that anyone with experience setting up tv broadcast monitors
could do the job, using a handy computer as a test pattern generator.  I don't
think so any more.

>     And our problems are even worse than most because of the variable DC
>  magnetic field in the Control Room here.

Another point for monochrome monitors - no purity problems from magnetic
fields.

	--- Jamie Hanrahan, Kernel Mode Systems, San Diego CA
drivers, internals, networks, applications, and training for VMS and Windows NT
uucp 'g' protocol guru and release coordinator, VMSnet (DECUS uucp) W.G., and
Chair, Programming and Internals Working Group, U.S. DECUS VMS Systems SIG
Internet:  jeh@cmkrnl.com (JH645)  Uucp: uunet!cmkrnl!jeh  CIS: 74140,2055


 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.os.vms,comp.sys.dec,vmsnet.misc,comp.periphs
Path: cs.utk.edu!darwin.sura.net!spool.mu.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!destroyer
      !nntp.cs.ubc.ca!cs.ubc.ca!unixg.ubc.ca!erich.triumf.ca!music
Organization: TRIUMF: Tri-University Meson Facility
Message-ID: <29AUG199315025683@erich.triumf.ca>
References: <1993Aug25.100736.30@flying-disk.com>
         <28AUG199318033504@erich.triumf.ca> <1993Aug29.040921.2621@cmkrnl.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: erich.triumf.ca
Date: 29 Aug 1993 15:02 PST
From: music@erich.triumf.ca (FRED W. BACH)
Subject: Re: Need VT-220 type terminal for 132 column use

In article <1993Aug29.040921.2621@cmkrnl.com>, jeh@cmkrnl.com writes...
 <quoting me>
# 
#> My VCR and Televisions have such controls -- they are called SHARPNESS
#> controls.
# 
#I was under the distinct impression that the sharpness control was merely a
#bandwidth limiter / peaking control, while gamma correction is a modification
#of the video level -> beam current transfer function, not related to bandwidth.

   Yes, I knew this at the time.  Gamma correction is used to bring out the
 grey scale of some object on the screen or some part of the screen.  However,
 in the analog world the effect is the same.  Note that I said high-frequency
 gamma correction.  The sharpness control selectively amplifies the contrast
 (which effects the output of the video-level -> beam current transfer function
 by selectively modifying the video level) of small items and edges on the
 screen.  The sharpness control effectively modifies the contrast range of
 something other than the whole screen.  The IF amplifier/video detector are
 likely controlled by the TV's sharpness control, but the effect is the same
 as if it were put into the Video Amplifier.  One does not have to think of
 gamma correction as being limited to the whole screen.  It does not.  It
 can be applied to part of the screen.  The sharpness control achieves this
 dynamically, based on signal rather than screen position.  So it's a little
 bit of a matter of semantics, I guess.

   Anyway, I'm not sure I fully understand the problems of the triad of
 dots and the pixels at this time.  But what you did make clear is that
 the designers of new monitors did NOT take care to emulate effectively 
 the monitors that their new ones replace.  Perhaps they should have gone
 into the field and had a look at what people really wanted and really used.
 The 132-character screens are quite common.  How come those designers never
 come and find me?  I'n not hiding.

#But whatever... it seems to me that this correction could easily be done by an
#outside box, working on the R,G, and B lines.  For DEC video with composite
#sync on green you'd have to switch the correction out during the sync
#intervals, but sync separators are single-chip items these days... why not
#try it and report back?

    Does anybody have a cct design that I could pass on to my Hardware
  boys????  I would appreciate it immensely.

#(meanwhile, if you want a 20" color monitor for your VAXstation that does
#justice to single-pixel fonts, junk the VRT19 and buy a NEC 6FG instead.)

    Someone here made the decision that the Control Room would be an
  all-DEC shop.  Too bad.  The Data Analysis Center here has some NEC's.

#(And if you REALLY want sharp-edged characters in a single-pixel font, simply
#use a monochrome monitor.  No "dot pitch" problems.  It'll be lots cheaper,
#too.  Oh, and turn the brightness down so that the pixels don't "spill over"
#onto each other.)

    Yup. I am constantly at the contrast and brightness knobs.

#>     Furthermore, there are nowhere near enough front-panel (OK, you could
#>  hide them under a cover) controls to trim things like dynamic convergence
#>  which is really bad when you go to small characters.  Another case of
#>  oversimplification [...]
# 
#Ah.  I had a long conversation with someone fairly high up in NEC's customer
#service organization on a similar issue. I wanted NEC to sell service manuals,
#including adjustment procedures, esp. including convergence adjustments. Their
#experience is that this is a net loss for them.  Not money-wise, but because
#most shops simply are not equipped to do the job properly -- but they attempt
#it anyway, leading to poor customer satisfaction, with NEC as much as with the
#shop.  So they will only provide this information to NEC authorized service
#companies that have completed proper training, have the necessary equipment,
#etc.  I won't go into all of the details, but I started that conversation
#firmly convinced that anyone with experience setting up TV broadcast monitors
#could do the job, using a handy computer as a test pattern generator.  I don't
#think so any more.
# 
     With training and some equipment, I think I could.  I run a cyclotron, the
   world's LARGEST cyclotron.  I can tune a monitor.  If they can do it, I can
   do it.  I bet I could do it better than they could since I would have the
   time to dicker around more than they would.  I have a reputation as a real
   fusspot.  I used to do dynamic conversion on Color Crt's 25 years ago.
   The physics hasn't changed although the electronics may have changed.
   In fact, I was the first one to get a color CRT going in our 5-to-50
   gauss Control Room. (SEE BELOW)

#>     And our problems are even worse than most because of the variable DC
#>  magnetic field in the Control Room here.
# 
#Another point for monochrome monitors - no purity problems from magnetic
#fields.

      Indeed.  I still use the (green-screen) Dasher D400 for 132-character
  Fault Report records.  (Tilt *IS* a problem-- about 20 degrees off so we
  often rotate the deflection yokes on the crt's.)

      The degaussing coil is standard issue here.  So are a number of tiny
  little ceramic magnets.  Just protect your floppy disks, I always tell
  the operators.

#	--- Jamie Hanrahan, Kernel Mode Systems, San Diego CA
#drivers, internals, networks, applications, and training for VMS and Windows NT
#uucp 'g' protocol guru and release coordinator, VMSnet (DECUS uucp) W.G., and
#Chair, Programming and Internals Working Group, U.S. DECUS VMS Systems SIG
#Internet:  jeh@cmkrnl.com (JH645)  Uucp: uunet!cmkrnl!jeh  CIS: 74140,2055

 Fred W. Bach ,    Operations Group        |  Internet: music@erich.triumf.ca
 TRIUMF (TRI-University Meson Facility)    |  Voice:  604-222-1047 loc 327/278
 4004 WESBROOK MALL, UBC CAMPUS            |  FAX:    604-222-1074
 University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., CANADA   V6T 2A3

 These are my opinions, which should ONLY make you read, think, and question.
 They do NOT necessarily reflect the views of my employer or fellow workers.


 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Path: cs.utk.edu!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!darwin.sura.net
   !news-feed-2.peachnet.edu!umn.edu!lynx.unm.edu!Mr-Hyde.aoc.nrao.edu!bgreschk
Message-ID: <1993Sep12.193613.943@Mr-Hyde.aoc.nrao.edu>
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro NM
References: <CD7zw2.6BK@agora.rain.com>
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 19:36:13 GMT
From: bgreschk@Mr-Hyde.aoc.nrao.edu (Bob Greschke)
Subject: Re: CHEAPEST VT-100-ish terminal???

In article <CD7zw2.6BK@agora.rain.com>,
 rcman@agora.rain.com (James Mcnalley) writes:
>
>	Who makes the cheapest VT-100 compatible terminals?  A long
>warranty and MTBF would be good also.  (I know the two normaly don't
>go together.)  I already looked into using a minimalist PC as a dumb
>terminal, but the only way for the PC to get cheap enough to be close
>to a dumb terminal would be to run PROCOMM from the floppy drive and
>floppys are sooooo slow :-)
>
>	Thanks!
>-- 
>=============================================================================
>James McNalley         | A CPU fan?  Why would someone like a CPU any 
>JEM Computer Consulting| more than, say, RAM or the system BUS???
>rcman@agora.rain.com   | Sometimes I just don't get the computer industry.



Here in the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) control room I put together the
control console using 3 vintage 1984 (at least that's what the tag inside sez)
real-live-IBM PC's that had been cast aside by the secretaries.

 - I went through them, cleaned them out (one was *full* of sunflower seeds --
I have no idea how they got in there)

 - Stuck in a $99 VGA card from Jameco

 - Ripped out the hard disk (if they had one) and replaced it with a nice
reliable 360K full-height 5 1/4" floppy (so each machine would have 2)

 - Put MS-DOS 3.3 on one floppy, and PROCOMM on the other

 - Stuck nice 12" Magnavox monitors on 2 of them, and a 20" Magnavox monitor on
the other one

...and have had nothing but blissful trouble-free operation ever since (about 2
years). I shut them down and blow them out once-in-a-while, tighten the screws
a bit, wiggle the connectors, etc.

We don't exactly use them as terminals, though. They are connected to our Sun's
serial ports and just used as VT100 display terminals (the keyboards aren't
even attacthed -- the best setup for a PC! 8-). But they would work just fine
as dumb terminals (if you can stand the keyclack).

The best part: I really wanted everything in COLOR (for an operating console)!
So this was the cheapest route I could find. PROCOMM supports the ISO 6429
color standard (basically forground and background colors accessed with VT100
escape sequences). So this worked out great! Plus we have one terminal in
80x43, one in 132x43 and the large one in 132x66 text modes.

As far as floppies being slow, once it's booted it's booted (which does take
a couple of minutes -- plenty of time to get that morning cup of coffee 8-).
-- 
Bob Greschke                | National Radio Astronomy Observatory         /
Internet: bgreschk@nrao.edu | VLBA Operations, POB O, Socorro, NM 87801  C(|--(
----------------------------+------------------------------------------ /| \
12m, 140ft, GBT, VLA, VLBA...NRAO: For All Your Radio Astronomy Needs -@-@-@-

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Path: cs.utk.edu!darwin.sura.net!dtix.dt.navy.mil!oasys.dt.navy.mil!notformail
Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Date: 13 Dec 1993 12:47:16 -0500
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD
Message-ID: <2ei9r4INNsfp@oasys.dt.navy.mil>
References: <60.3033.2013.0N18DFB6@canrem.com>
Reply-To: conrad@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Conrad Johnson)
NNTP-Posting-Host: oasys.dt.navy.mil
From: conrad@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Johnson)
Subject: Re: HELP WITH HDS TERMINAL Wanted

Looking at the back of the HDS 200

The left most connector is RS-232 with pins 2 and 3, 4 and 5 reversed.
The middle one is an RS-232 straight-thru connector.

The right hand one is for probably for an HDS mouse to allow you
to zoom, etc.

The HDS phone no. is  1-800-hds-1551  or 215-382-5000

They will be happy to have you pay for a manual or maybe their
marketing people can tell you who has one and will send you a copy.

Conrad


 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Path: cs.utk.edu!gatech!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!MathWorks.Com!transfer.stratus.com!xylogics.com!Xylogics.COM!carlson
Organization: Xylogics Incorporated
Message-ID: <2g1g3g$l62@newhub.xylogics.com>
References: <jeffo.757321161@uiuc.edu>
Reply-To: carlson@xylogics.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: steam.xylogics.com
Date: 31 Dec 1993 15:22:24 GMT
From: carlson@Xylogics.COM (James Carlson)
Subject: Re: Wyse-50 questions

In article <jeffo.757321161@uiuc.edu>,
 jeffo@uiuc.edu (J.B. Nicholson-Owens) writes:
|>
|> I have some questions about the Wyse-50 terminal:
|> 
|> (1) On my Wyse-50, when I print a string with some underlined or
|> inversed part in the middle, there are spaces inserted around the
|> underlined or inversed area.  For instance:
|> 
|> TheBrownFoxJumpedOverTheFence  becomes  The BrownFox JumpedOverTheFence
|>    ^^^^^^^^
|>    this part is underlined
|> 
|> Why does this happen and is there something I can do to properly render
|> the text?  I have the feeling the terminal treats the inverse_on and
|> inverse_off mode setting chars as spaces when printing, but I don't know
|> why.


There are two (major) types of attributes used in terminals -- character
and embedded.

Your terminal is using embedded attributes.  These are special non-
displaying characters which tell the display driver to begin doing a
particular attribute following a screen location, until another
attribute character is encountered.  Since they take up screen memory,
they have to take up display space, and are usually rendered as a blank.
These attributes have the advantages that they can turn on and off
blocks of attributes in a single operation (just overstrike the
attribute location) and make the terminal cheaper to build.

The other type, used by VT100-type terminals, are character attributes,
which can be thought of as "wide" characters, where each screen position
has extra bits to describe the attributes for each individual character.
These have the advantage that you don't have to waste a screen position
to change attributes, but require you to overstrike all of the
characters in a string to reset the attributes and require more memory.

If you have a VT emulation mode on that beast, use <ESC>[<param>m to set
the character attributes.

(If you're trying to do 3270 emulation, embedded attributes are exactly
what you want, anyway, since the 3270 uses that type.)

--
James Carlson <carlson@xylogics.com>            Tel:  +1 617 272 8140
Annex Software Support / Xylogics, Inc.               +1 800 225 3317
53 Third Avenue / Burlington MA  01803-4491     Fax:  +1 617 272 3159

  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

As of June 1996, the remaining assets of Falco Data Products.
may have been taken over by

    PathLink Technology Corporation
    Suite C-1017
    1000 Escalon Ave.,
    Sunnyvale, CA 94086 USA

    voice: +1 408/720-7620

    World Wide Web: http://www.pathlink.com/

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Path: utkcs2!transfer.stratus.com!cam-news-feed2.bbnplanet.com
      !cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!news-xfer.netaxs.com
      !xfer.kren.ne.kr!xfer.kren.nm.kr!newsfeed.dacom.co.kr!nntp.kreonet.re.kr
      !news.kigam.re.kr!usenet.seri.re.kr!usenet
Message-ID: <6f7opi$kt3$1@usenet.kreonet.re.kr>
NNTP-Posting-Host: dol.fastsys.co.kr
Organization: System Engineering Research Institute (SERI)
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 07:54:18 GMT
From: jkhwang@ns.fastsys.co.kr (jkhwang)
Subject: ASIC ( CRT Controller )

Our company had developed a ASIC (CRT Controller).
We are using this ASIC on our products (Dummy Terminal).
The functions of ASIC are better than other CRTCs.

<CRTC description>
1. 100 QFP (Input Pin=20, Output Pin=30)
2. Double Width Line
   Double Height Top/Bottom Line or Char.
3. Cursor Blinking, Block, Underline .....
4. First scan line interrupt
5. 32 scan line per row
6. Smooth Scroll 
7. Up to 6 MHz CCLK clock frequency
8. Non-interlace mode only

If you need more informations,  mail to me. thanks

<jkhwang@ns.fastsys.co.kr>

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals, comp.arch.embedded, sci.geo.petroleum
Message-ID: <2bacd939.0111021041.3ad5c2ab@posting.google.com>
Organization: http://groups.google.com/
Date: 2 Nov 2001 10:41:30 -0800
From: Matt Roberds <mroberds@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Computer terminal for pipeline terminal

Followup-To: comp.terminals

Hello all!

I work for a pipeline company and we are looking at upgrading
the computer terminals at some of our US locations.  These
terminals are used by tank truck drivers to log in, select the
type and amount of product they want, etc.  The terminals are
plugged in to a remote Unix workstation.

Right now we are using normal serial terminals, which can't be
placed right next to the rack (dispensing unit) -- they have to
go in a separate little shack as they aren't rated for hazardous
locations.  We'd like to use hazardous-location-rated terminals
that can be placed at the rack, so the driver can do everything
in one place.  We already have all the valves, plumbing, sensors,
gauges, and so on; we just need an operator interface.

The requirements we have include:

UL listing - Class I Division 2 Group D
Serial host interface - anything standard like RS-232 or RS-485
Magnetic card reader
Graphic display - LCD most likely.  Doesn't have to be very big;
  it just needs to do text and simple monochrome graphics
Keypad - preferably full alphabet plus a numeric pad
Quantity - 20 to 40 over the next three years or so

So far, it looks like what we want falls into the "terminal" 
category rather than the "industrial PC" category.  The industrial
PCs are nice but are really more hardware and cost than we need for
this application.  A couple of products that appear to meet our
needs are the PASS Controller from Diamond Control Systems
http://www.diamondcontrol.com/buy_pass.htm and some of the
ProVicom models from R. Stahl http://www.rstahl.com/products/HMI.htm .

Does anyone know of any similar products from other manufacturers?
Any experiences, good or bad, with particular products or
manufacturers?

Thanks very much for your help!

Matt Roberds


 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Path: cs.utk.edu!gatech!udel!news.mathworks.com!transfer.stratus.com
      !xylogics.com!Xylogics.COM!carlson
Date: 27 Jan 1995 16:04:39 GMT
Organization: Xylogics Incorporated
Message-ID: <3gb5in$747@newhub.xylogics.com>
From: carlson@Xylogics.COM (James Carlson)
Subject: Re: asking for suggestions for a kermit/linux terminal type


In article <3gb08p$78n@hearst.cac.psu.edu>,
 nodog@sabine.psu.edu (Anderson Mills) writes:
|>
|> I have a Linux box and an 8088 runnng Kermit connected together with a
|> serial cable.  I can specify that the Kermit emulate a Heath-19,
|> Honeywell VIP7809, VT52, VT100, VT102, VT220, VT320, Tek4010, Prime
|> PT200, Data General D463, or D470.  I think that the Linux termcap has
|> most of these.  Now, which one should I choose?  Is there one with less
|> overhead that would make the connection feel quicker?  I assume that I
|> should avoid the VT100 if it actually implements some of the bugs that
|> the VT102 was supposed to correct (I have no idea if they would do
|> that).  I looked around at the cs.utk.edu site and wasn't really able to
|> find a comparison between different terminals.  Any thoughts???


The differences aren't very great.  (I can't comment on the VIP or the
Prime terminals; I've never written code for them.)

The D463 and D470 have the smallest cursor movement sequences of any of
those listed (one character for the arrow keys, three characters to set
any cursor address).  Next would be the Tek4010, H-19 and VT52 (two
characters for the arrow keys and about three to address), then followed
by the others (VT series -- about 3 characters for cursor keys and about
8 characters for any cursor address).

Unless you're running at 300 bps, I'd suggest that the differences are
entirely negligible.  Pick the one with the best features for your
application.

The D463 (at least a real one; I don't know about emulators, and I'd be
wary of them) has integrated graphics support, and more function keys
than any of the others (15 function keys by 4 combinations of CTRL and
SHIFT, plus 4 CX keys by 4 CTRL/SHIFT, plus a few extras -- about 80
function keys in all).

The Tek4010 and VT-series are much more standard and will be better
supported by application programs.  The Tek4010 has a funky way of
handling text (you sure wouldn't want to edit with it), but it has a
nice, standard graphics protocol.  The VT-series are good for editing.

The VT52 and H-19 are essentially the same.  Limited support for
character attributes, but reasonable low-featured functionallity.

---
James Carlson <carlson@xylogics.com>            Tel:  +1 617 272 8140
Annex Software Support / Xylogics, Inc.               +1 800 225 3317
53 Third Avenue / Burlington MA  01803-4491     Fax:  +1 617 272 2618


 [NOTE:  The Kermit implementations of VT100 emulation do not
         reproduce the bugs.  ...RSS ]


 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Path: cs.utk.edu!stc06.CTD.ORNL.GOV!fnnews.fnal.gov!mp.cs.niu.edu
      !vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uwm.edu!news.alpha.net!news.mathworks.com
      !newshost.marcam.com!charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu!olivea!wetware
      !barrnet.net!nntp.ampex.com!dct1!holter
Message-ID: <D3yx22.Bzo@ampex.com>
Organization: AMPEX Recording Systems Corp.
Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 02:18:01 GMT
From: holter@ampex.com (Jerry Holter)
Subject: Re: Ampex A210 plus V2.0

In article h9p@news.u.washington.edu, thorson@homer23 (thorson) writes:
>thorson (thorson@homer23) wrote:
>: Hi.
>: Can someone tell me how to change the speed from 9.6k to 19.2k on the
>: Ampex A210 plus terminal.  Shift + setup gives me the setup status bar and
>: the arrow keys let me move around the setup menus, but how do I change
>: the settings.  I can't find the correct key.  And when I do change the 
>: settings how will I save them.  I have no manual.


The space bar is used to cycle through alternate choices for a given setup
item. Then you can use Shift-S to save the setup.

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Path: cs.utk.edu!stc06.CTD.ORNL.GOV!fnnews.fnal.gov!uwm.edu!news.alpha.net
      !news.mathworks.com!uunet!in1.uu.net!newstf01.news.aol.com
      !newsbf02.news.aol.com!not-for-mail
Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Date: 23 Feb 1995 22:10:48 -0500
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
Message-ID: <3ijino$gb0@newsbf02.news.aol.com>
References: <3ih94s$fem@ixnews2.ix.netcom.com>
From: psichel@aol.com (PSichel)
Subject: Re: vt100 emulator

In Message-ID: <3ih94s$fem@ixnews2.ix.netcom.com> you wrote

> i'm looking for a vt100 emulator that will run under windows or
> dos that will respond to software comands to switch between 132
> and 80 col modes and swap font pitch in the process. i'm having
> trouble finding anything that is legible in the small pitch.
> thanks for the help... jcr


A frequently overlooked fact is that even the cheapest video terminals
have higher horizontal resolution than most PCs.  The original VT100
displayed 800 pixels across.  The "standard" for PCs is only 640.

[as of 1995]

The VT510 uses 800x432 to display 50 lines of132 columns using
a 6x8 cell (24 lines uses 6x16).

Unless you're prepared to go beyond VGA (640x480), it will be difficult
to find a legible 132 column font.


- Peter

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

X-Date: 27 February A.D. 1995
X-From: shuford@cs.utk.edu

Some persons have inquired about where to purchase used terminals.

One place to try:

    Computer Hardware Resources, Inc.
    Houston, Texas
    WATS voice:  1-800/410-6161
    POTS voice: +1 713/683-8853
    POTS fax:   +1 713/683-8977

This firm sells refurbished DEC, Televideo, and Wyse terminals and
dot-matrix printers and will repair most brands of terminals for a
flat rate of $79.00 (US).

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals,alt.folklore.computers
Path: cs.utk.edu!news.msfc.nasa.gov!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!howland.reston.ans.net
      !math.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!lll-winken.llnl.gov!uop!pacbell.com
      !amdahl.com!amd!netcomsv!flying!frisbie
From: frisbie@flying-disk.com (Alan Frisbie)
Subject: Re: Questions about archaic terminals
Message-ID: <1995Feb26.101155.484@flying-disk.com>
Date: 26 Feb 95 10:11:54 PST
References: <3iifuu$dan@netaxs.com>
Organization: Flying Disk Systems, Inc.
Lines: 30

In article <3iifuu$dan@netaxs.com>, 
esr@netaxs.com (Eric Raymond) writes:
>
> 1.  I believe Hazeltine, Fortune Systems, Ann Arbor, Harris (the Beehive
>     people), Intertec Data Systems, and Soroc are out of business.  Can
>     anyone confirm any of these?

While I do know the current status of any of these, I would
like to pass on a bit of history (folklore?) about Soroc.

As you may recall, the Soroc logo consisted of their name,
with the letter "S" superimposed over an odd design.   This
consisted of a circle with a slightly smaller 15 degree (approx.)
wedge with rounded corners inside it.   The color was sort of
a metallic gold/yellow.

If I had been more of a beer drinker it might have been obvious
to me, but it took a clue from their service department to make
me exclaim, "Of course!"   The circular object was the top of
a beer can (the old removable pop-top style) and "Soroc" was an
anagram for "Coors".

I can just imagine the founders of the company sitting around
one evening, tossing back a few and trying to decide what to
call their new company and what to use for a logo.

--  Alan E. Frisbie               Frisbie@Flying-Disk.Com
--  Flying Disk Systems, Inc.
--  4759 Round Top Drive          (213) 256-2575 (voice)
--  Los Angeles, CA 90065         (213) 258-3585 (FAX)

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals,alt.folklore.computers
Path: cs.utk.edu!nntp.memphis.edu!nntp.msstate.edu!gatech
      !news-feed-1.peachnet.edu!darwin.sura.net!wvnvms!marshall.wvnet.edu
      !marshall.edu!copley1
Message-ID: <1995Feb27.084311@hobbit>
Date: 27 Feb 95 08:43:11 EDT
References: <3iifuu$dan@netaxs.com> <3impmp$hh0@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>
Organization: Marshall University
Nntp-Posting-Host: frodo.marshall.edu
From: copley1@marshall.edu (Ronald Copley)
Subject: Re: Questions about archaic terminals

In article <3impmp$hh0@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>,
 dawn@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (Dawn Owens-Nicholson) writes:
>
> esr@netaxs.com (Eric Raymond) writes:
>>2.  Anyone have either Internet or snail addresses, or phone numbers, for the
>>    terminal-manufacturing groups at the following corporations?
> 
>>	Visual, Control Data, Datamedia, IBM, General Terminal Corp.,
>>	Kimtron, Microterm, Perkin-Elmer, Tektronix, Volker-Craig, Masscomp,
>>	General Electric, Southwest Technical Products, Cybernex.
> 
> I would try IBM at:
> 
[IBM addresses deleted for clarity]


MASSCOMP is sadly out of business (gazing lovingly at an MCX-530). However,
the entire line was purchased by XS International in Georgia. I don't have the
number on me, but a prompt will bring it...

--
Informatiks                       |
Ronald Copley, owner              |  Buying and selling small to medium
1010 Township RD 78W              |  quantities of used Pyramid, Sun, 
Scottown OH  45678-9051           |  DEC (PDPs) and Data General computer
+1.614.643.1340                   |  equipment. Trades welcome!!
(evenings, please)                |
--

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Path: cs.utk.edu!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!newsjunkie.ans.net
      !newstf01.news.aol.com!newsbf02.news.aol.com!not-for-mail
From: psichel@aol.com (PSichel)
Subject: Re: WANTED:  small screen VT100s
Date: 27 Mar 1995 11:04:24 -0500
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
Message-ID: <3l6nm8$gtv@newsbf02.news.aol.com>
References: <D63u45.6tM@cdsmail.cdc.com>
Reply-To: psichel@aol.com (PSichel)


In Message-ID: <D63u45.6tM@cdsmail.cdc.com> you wrote:
>
> I have an application where I require small screen (6-9")
> VT100-compatible terminals

Check out the ADDS "Little Foot".  It's a small pizza box with an external
DC adaptor designed to hang off small monitors.  I think they offer
a 9" version.

- Peter

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Path: cs.utk.edu!stc06.ctd.ornl.gov!fnnews.fnal.gov!mp.cs.niu.edu
     !vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!news.sprintlink.net!online!kimz
From: kimz@online.magnus1.com (Bulletin board login)
Subject: RESELLERS
Organization: Magnus Online
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 21:20:10 GMT
Message-ID: <D64B9n.MzD@online.magnus1.com>

Portable Solutions, Inc. located in Baltimore Maryland has developed an RF 
Mobile Terminal for use in the manufacturing, warehousing, governmental, 
healthcare, hospital, hotel, or automotive environments.  The RF Mobile 
Terminal's Spread Spectrum radio modems require no FCC site license and 
delivers fast reliable real time wireless communication.  The full-screen 
terminal emulator provides for true "plug and play" versatility, requiring no 
system programming. The terminal weighs 4.5 lbs and has a battery life of 8 
hours. PSI is looking for established VAR/Resellers to market the RF Mobile 
Terminals.

    Portable Solutions, Inc.
    Attn: Kim Zech
    3510 Parkfalls Dr.,
    Baltimore, MD 21236; 
    +1 410/529-6132

|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   ||||||||  ||||||||  ||||||||  |        PORTABLE SOLUTIONS, INC.           |
|   ||    ||  ||           ||     |        3510 Parkfalls Dr.                 |
|   ||||||||  ||||||||     ||     |        Baltimore, Maryland 21236          |
|   ||              ||     ||     |        (410) 529-6132  Voice/Fax          |
|   ||        ||||||||  ||||||||  |gopher.magnus1.com   hhtp://www.magnus.com/|
|   RF Mobile Terminals Supplier  |        kimz@online.magnus1.com            |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|


 \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

[ARCHIVAL NOTE]

Another vendor, with a product called the "Mobile Terminal", is

    Reflection Technology
    Suite R-509
    230 Second Ave.
    Waltham, MA 02154
    voice: +1 617/890-5905
      fax: +1 617/890-5918

The Mobile Terminal appears to mount in a headset; it is advertised to
combine radio and voice technology for hands-free operation.  Compatibility
is claimed with DEC, IBM, and HP terminals.

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Path: cs.utk.edu!stc06.ctd.ornl.gov!fnnews.fnal.gov!uwm.edu
     !lll-winken.llnl.gov!noc.near.net!news3.near.net!paperboy.wellfleet.com
     !news-feed-1.peachnet.edu!news.Gsu.EDU!gatech!news.mathworks.com!uunet
     !inews.intel.com!itnews.sc.intel.com!usenet
Date: 31 May 1995 15:40:32 GMT
Organization: Intel - Internet Information Technologies
Message-ID: <3qi2lg$b4g@itnews.sc.intel.com>
References: <3qcl5o$ssc@ionews.ionet.net>
NNTP-Posting-Host: bwong.sc.intel.com
To: mrbill@ionet.net
From: Bennet Wong <bennet_wong@ccm.sc.intel.com>
Subject: Re: Need Info on DataMaxx Terminal

I believe DataMaxx go bye bye 6-7 years ago. A company call
Link Technologies used to manufacture terminal for them. Check them out.

 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Subject: Re: alloy link terminal
Summary: Link Technology
Expires: 30 Jul 1995 22:11:33 GMT
References: <3r67lu$srl@freenet.vancouver.bc.ca>
Date: Wed, 8 Jun 1995 17:00:00 EDT
Sender: shuford@cs.utk.edu
Followup-To: comp.terminals
Organization: University of Tennessee, Knoxville--Dept. of Computer Science

In article <3r67lu$srl@freenet.vancouver.bc.ca>,
 dastow@freenet.vancouver.bc.ca (David Stow) writes:
>
> I would like to find a keyboard for a PCST/G terminal made by Alloy Computer
> Products and Link Technologies. Please contact me if you know what kind of
> keyboard might work or where I could contact either of these two companies.

    Link Technology, Inc.
    46595 Landing Parkway
    Fremont, CA 94538
    +1 510/623-6637

Link has a very close business relationship with Wyse Technology.

    [even closer than I thought...see below. ...RSS]

    Wyse Technology, Inc.
    3471 North First Street
    San Jose, CA 95134
    +1 408/473-2595

You might find a keyboard at a used equipment dealer, such as

    Spectra Equipment, Inc.
    Suite 206
    5101 East La Palma Ave.
    Anaheim, CA  92807
    voice: +1 714/970-7000 
      fax: +1 714/970-7095
     WATS:    800/745-1233

although such a dealer would rather sell you the whole unit.

-- 
 ...Richard S. Shuford  | "If you find honey, eat just enough--
 ...shuford@cs.utk.edu  |  too much of it, and you will vomit."
 ...Info-Stratus contact|  Proverbs 25:16 NIV



  [##########  update  ##########]

  Message-Id: <m0sMdby-000RTVC@ibeam.intel.com>
  Date: Fri, 16 Jun 95 08:45:29 -0700
  From: Bennet Wong <bennet_wong@ccm.sc.intel.com>

  Link is part of Wyse Technology for the past five years. They have closed
  down Link in January.  Link Technologies is now only a brand name of Wyse. 
  The 510 phone number and its address will still be vaild till end of Aug.


 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Path: cs.utk.edu!not-for-mail
From: shuford@cs.utk.edu (Richard Shuford)
Subject: Re: wanted: info on old terminal
Followup-To: comp.terminals
Date: 16 Jun 1995 11:35:42 -0400
Organization: University of Tennessee, Knoxville--Dept. of Computer Science
Expires: 10 Aug 1995 22:11:33 GMT
Message-ID: <3rs8ceINN47g@duncan.cs.utk.edu>
References: <3rqo1p$flo@netnews.upenn.edu>
Summary: MAI Basic Four address

In article <3rqo1p$flo@netnews.upenn.edu>,
 dthamm@dolphin.upenn.edu (Douglas H Thamm) writes:
>
> Hi. I have come across an old "MAI Basic Four" terminal which I 
> would like to purchase for the sole purpose of getting to the Internet. 
> Has anyone ever heard of this terminal?

Here is basic contact information for this vendor:

   MAI Basic Four, Inc.
   14101 Myford Road
   Tustin, CA 92680

   +1 714/730-3022

This is old information, so your mileage may vary.

There exist other types of used terminals that may be easier to deal with.

>
> Any help is appreciated, and please respond via email.

How about being a good Net Citizen and at least bothering to listen to
the conversation for a while in the place where you posed your question?

-- 
 ...Richard S. Shuford  | "A man's riches may ransom his life,
 ...shuford@cs.utk.edu  |  but a poor man hears no threat."
 ...................... |  Proverbs 13:8 NIV


 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
NNTP-Posting-Host: lakoma.sbone.tu-cottbus.de
NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:36:38 +0000 (UTC)
Message-ID: <gb0rfl$kgs$1@R02S09.SBone.TU-Cottbus.De>
Organization: BRANDENBURG TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY at COTTBUS (Germany)
Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:38:26 +0200
From: Stefan Nuernberger <nuernbe@TU-Cottbus.DE>
Subject: Manual for MAI DT4315A

I recently acquired a MAI Systems DT4315A terminal, 1993 model.
Unfortunately the internet does not reveal much useful information about
it. I'm searching particularly for the manual. Maybe someone out there
still owns a copy of the document and likes to share. Thanks.

Stefan

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
NNTP-Posting-Host: 203.153.224.10
References: <gb0rfl$kgs$1@R02S09.SBone.TU-Cottbus.De>
Message-ID: <20080920181432.f6691bf0.andrewb@zagam.net>
Organization: Ye 'Ol Disorganized NNTPCache groupie
Date: Sat, 20 Sep 2008 18:14:32 +0800
From: Andrew Buckeridge <andrewb@zagam.net>
Subject: Re: Manual for MAI DT4315A

These may be a bit like older
Televideo tvi910 or tvi920 or
LSI adm3a or adm3a+.

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
NNTP-Posting-Host: lakoma.sbone.tu-cottbus.de
NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:43:56 +0000 (UTC)
References: <gb0rfl$kgs$1@R02S09.SBone.TU-Cottbus.De>
    <20080920181432.f6691bf0.andrewb@zagam.net>
Message-ID: <gb2r6c$cva$1@R02S09.SBone.TU-Cottbus.De>
Organization: BRANDENBURG TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY at COTTBUS (Germany)
Date: Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:45:47 +0200
From: Stefan Nuernberger <nuernbe@TU-Cottbus.DE>
Subject: Re: Manual for MAI DT4315A


Thanks for the reply but I don't think those devices are quite related.
As I wrote the MAI DT4315A was manufactured 1993 so it should be quite a
bit newer than he TeleVideo or LSI. However I managed to gather some
important information on the device.
First it uses 220V current. I assume that is not quite common in the US
so this is a device maybe manufactured exclusively for Europe. There is
a MAI DT4315 (without the "A") that maybe resembles the 110V US Version.
This Document [1] has some useful information on the 4315. Strangely
they call it "BASIC FOUR-4315".

- It's a Dual Universe terminal with two RJ45 serial host ports and
  one RJ45 printer port
- It supports VT100 Emulation
- Supported formats: 80 x 25, 80 x 30, 132 x 25, 132 x 30, 132 x 36
- Black on White / White on Black modes
- The terminal menu can be accessed through [CTRL]+[ESC]
- The host port is switched through [ALT]+[ESC]

Pin Assignment for the Host Ports
PIN -> Signal
1       TXD
2       Signal Ground
3       RXD
4       Signal Ground
5       DSR
6       Signal Ground
7       DTR
8       Signal Ground

(Does this pin assignment adhere to some standard?)

The keyboard uses a 4P4C (RJ9/RJ10) connection like a telephone handset.
I don't know the pin assignments for this, but that should not be a
problem as long as the original keyboard is working.

This information should be quite sufficient to get the device hooked up
and working. A complete manual would be nice anyway ;)


    [1] http://www.bcpsystems.com/support/matrix/Fibs/4315.txt

 [
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

   BCP Systems
   Manufacturing and Repair
   1130 South Las Brisas Place
   Placentia, CA 92870 USA
   Contact Customer Service at: 800-984-6759

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
NNTP-Posting-Host: xmission.xmission.com
NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:54:19 +0000 (UTC)
References: <gb0rfl$kgs$1@R02S09.SBone.TU-Cottbus.De>
    <20080920181432.f6691bf0.andrewb@zagam.net>
    <gb2r6c$cva$1@R02S09.SBone.TU-Cottbus.De>
Message-ID: <gb9lor$n3l$1@news.xmission.com>
Organization: multi-cellular, biological
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:54:19 +0000 (UTC)
From: Richard <legalize+jeeves@mail.xmission.com>
Subject: Re: Manual for MAI DT4315A

Stefan Nuernberger <nuernbe@TU-Cottbus.DE> spake the secret code
<gb2r6c$cva$1@R02S09.SBone.TU-Cottbus.De> thusly:

> First it uses 220V current. I assume that is not quite common in the US
> so this is a device maybe manufactured exclusively for Europe. There is
> a MAI DT4315 (without the "A") that maybe resembles the 110V US Version.
> This Document [1] has some useful information on the 4315. Strangely
> they call it "BASIC FOUR-4315".


It was very common for terminal manufacturers to OEM their terminals to
other companies.  The other companies put their branding on the case,
but it was manufactured by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM).


-- 
"The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" -- DirectX 9 draft available for download
      <http://www.xmission.com/~legalize/book/download/index.html>


 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Date: Sat, 05 Apr 1997 22:51:16 -0600
From: idis-info@idiscorp.com
To: magicman@radiks.net
Subject: Re: Color Dumb ASCII Terminals

Actually, I can steer you to both.  The Relysis TR175 is a great
terminal, and you can get them from IDIS Corp.  Visit our web page at
http://www.idiscorp.com/, call us at 1-800-232-5322, or e-mail us at
<idis-info@idiscorp.com>.


-- 
   Relisys, Inc.
   919 Hanson Ct.
   Milpitas, CA 95035
   +1 408/945-3113

 ..............................................................................

As of autumn in A.D. 2001, the above URL has gone stale.
However, a Relisys TR175 may still be seen on the net among
other models for sale:

    http://home.att.net/~terminals/

Here is the description given on that page:

    Relisys TR175-II

    100-240V 50/60Hz, Color Terminals
    14" screen, 0.28mm dot pitch
    DP, Programmable function keys
    Ports: Main (RS-232, 25-pin) AUX (RS-232, 9-pin),
           Parallel printer port (25-pin), Accepts standard
    Personalities: UNIX (ANSI), CCI Concurrent, DR.
                   Multiuser DOS, THEOS (PC-Term), QNX, PC-MOS,
                   VM/386, 386 Multiware, TSX-32, AIX, Citrix Multiuser
    Keyboard (not included)



More recent flat-screen Relisys models are advertised (circa 2001) here:

    http://www.adtcom.com/Relisys/Relisys.htm

This page indicates that Relisys is now a brand of the Taiwanese conglomerate
TECO Group:

    http://www.teco-info.co.uk/

A diagram of connecting a TR175 in a credit-card-swipe configuration was here:

    http://www.us.ramesys.com/cd2000/support2/hardware/workstation/relisys.htm

 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Path: cs.utk.edu!gatech!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!crl.dec.com!crl.dec.com
      !nntpd.lkg.dec.com!dial20_port2.mro.dec.com!user
Message-ID: <sichel-1508951751360001@dial20_port2.mro.dec.com>
References: <40otrh$57m@cronkite.ocis.temple.edu>
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
From: sichel@hannah.enet.dec.com (Peter Sichel)
Subject: Re: Future of Terminals
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 1995 17:51:36 -0400

In article <40otrh$57m@cronkite.ocis.temple.edu>, rt@astro.ocis.temple.edu
(Voyager) wrote:

> I would like to get a scope of where terminals will be in 5 years. I
> mean, it seems as though many people are using PCs as clients. I find
> that terminals are a cheaper and more efficient way.

Though the market for terminals is clearly changing, they are not
going away for exactly the reasons you like them.  They are a low-
cost, efficient solution for a range of applications ("transaction
processing", most "knowledge workers" have moved to other platforms).

As for what's happening in the market and what to expect:

- The market for serial asynchronous text terminals is declining
  at around 10% per year.  Somewhat faster in the U.S., but slower
  in Europe.  Depending on who's forecast you favor, the rate of
  decline could increase (faster migration to PCs) or decrease
  (most appropriate apps have already migrated leaving a mature
   installed base).

- Market is 2-3 million units this year.

- Digital eliminated the price umbrella for ANSI terminals when it
  announced the VT510/Dorio-10 in September of 1993 with a *list*
  price starting under $400.

Lower prices, lower margins, and lower volume are driving industry
consolidation.  There is only room for a small number of large
profitable vendors and some smaller niche vendors.  Expect most others
to get out of the business.

Expect engineering investment/development for basic text terminals
to slow since the products are already mature and feature rich.
The business is still profitable and important to the remaining
large vendors which will ensure good prices and availability
for several years to come.

I don't see PCs quickly replacing text terminals at the low end
for these reasons:

(1) basic economics - terminals are a lot less expensive for
    comparable displays;
(2) Simpler and more durable; average service life is 6 years for VTs
    versus 3 years for PCs (before upgraded or replaced);
(3) Even though PC prices are falling, PC software is driving hardware
    requirements up (mainstream DOS and Windows apps are requiring more
    and more RAM).

On the other hand, PCs benefit from low software cost, strong mind share
and availability, and low entry cost for smaller systems.

-- 
- Peter Sichel
  C&P Video Terminals Architecture
  Digital Equipment Corporation

 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

X-Date: 1995-08-29
Subject: source of used terminals

Preowned Computer Systems, Terminals, and Parts

Microtrader Canada
(Brent Crighton, Owner)
2229 Henderson Highway
Winnipeg, Manitoba,
Canada

Voice....204-339-3999
Fax......204-334-6599
Direct...204-227-4089
www......http://www.magic.mb.ca:80/~microt/
email....microt@magic.mb.ca

 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Newsgroups: comp.terminals,comp.periphs
Path: cs.utk.edu!willis.cis.uab.edu!news.ecn.bgu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu
      !howland.reston.ans.net!news.sprintlink.net!in2.uu.net!EU.net
      !Belgium.EU.net!chaos.kulnet.kuleuven.ac.be!news.vub.ac.be!is1e!mlacroix
Message-ID: <439p7g$if8@rc1.vub.ac.be>
References: <40r104$nl6@ixnews7.ix.netcom.com> <40tb1tINN94v@duncan.cs.utk.edu>
            <40sq65$qmk@cronkite.ocis.temple.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: is1e.bfu.vub.ac.be.
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
Organization: Brussels Free Universities (VUB/ULB), Belgium
Date: 14 Sep 1995 17:36:48 GMT
From: mlacroix@vub.ac.be (Lacroix Marc)
Subject: Re: getting DEC VT terminal working in highly magnetic environment.


:   Steve Spurlock (spurlock@ix.netcom.com) wrote:
: >
: > I need information for a VT like terminal to be able handle being in a
: > harsh magnetic environment that measures about 200 gauss.
: > Would a liquid crystal display work?
: >
: > I am looking for a low cost solution.  any information on who makes a
: > VT terminal to work in such an environment would be appreciated.
: >
: > We have tried insulating a normal DEC terminal and putting the terminal
: > in different enclosures.  no matter what we try the screen gets highly
: > distorted.

I once had the same problem, trying to use a vt200 near a Cyclotron yoke 
during mappings of magnetic field.

If 200 gauss is your figure , assume you need a 30 cm 'soft' iron (the 
magnetic one) box to contain the screen, 1.5 cm thick walls for the box will
give you something in the range 2000 gauss (2 walls) in the iron, and almost 
nothing in the air (I do not remember permeability of Iron at 2Kgauss, but it
must be fair.

So : build a MAGNETIC iron shield (transformer blades steel is fine) about 1.5
 or 2 cm thick (more if you can at the REAR of the terminal, closed at rear,
opened in front (why do I say that...), and put screen in.  Should work.
I even did almost the same thing for a 19 inch screen, HiRes, Colour, for which
even the terrestrial magnetic field is a problem (.5Gauss typ). This last field 
is generally 'neutralized' by the DEGAUSS button of the screens.
Take care NOT TO USE NORMAL IRON, OR MAGNETIZED IRON : they will NOT work the
good way.

Speaking about EL displays and PC's : any LCD, plasma, TFT, or whatever will 
work fine : just keep the 'box' away (safer for HDD).
I also once used a RS232 data line tester, with LCD screen and VT100 emulation
inside (EPROM's) : with this one no problem, sure.  Comfort is limited.
E-mail if you want the specs (not at hand now)

Hope this helps 
Marc

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals,alt.folklore.computers
Subject: serial flow control (was Re: vt102 parity (checkered parity character)
Summary: X-on/X-off flow control
Expires: 30 Nov 1995 11:22:33 GMT
References: <45m4uv$3bq@news.azstarnet.com>
Sender: shuford@cs.utk.edu
Followup-To: comp.terminals
Organization: University of Tennessee, Knoxville--Dept. of Computer Science
Keywords: flow control, serial communication, DEC VT102

In article <45m4uv$3bq@news.azstarnet.com>,
 equant@azstarnet.com (Nathan  Hendler) writes:
>
> I have been able to connect my DEC VT102 to a host at speeds of 19,200 bps
> and less.
> However anything over 2400 and I get parity errors (ie - a character that is
> like a checkered block, which a VT 100 manual calls a parity error character)
> when I get a bunch of text at once.  So, if I was to type "w" at the bash
> prompt, I would get an ok listing of who's on the sytem until I reached about
> half way, and then it would start to get garbled and there would be a grip
> of parity error characters.
>
> It seems to me that this could be a buffer problem, and not a parity problem

You are correct.  Most DEC character-cell terminals will display a
checkered block for any character that it cannot understand, for whatever
reason.  Parity mismatch is one way this can happen, but what you are 
seeing is characters overrunning the input, coming in faster than the
terminal can display them.  

You don't say what type of connection you have to your host computer,
but most are able to honor in-band X-on/X-off flow control, so you
should set your terminal server or serial port to use it.  Ask your
system administrator how to do this in your configuration.

The "X-off" character is Control-S (or formally the "ASCII DC3 control"),
and it tells the remote host computer to stop sending characters until
further notice.

The "X-on" character is Control-Q (DC1), and tells the host computer
to re-start the flow of data.

"In-Band" means that these flow-control characters are sent on the
same wire as the regular data, mixed in with the text characters that
are being displayed.  This is in contrast with out-of-band methods
of flow control that toggle a voltage on, for instance, the Data
Terminal Ready wire in your multiconductor serial cable.  However,
most older DEC terminals can use only in-band X-on/X-off control.

Incidently, it sometimes happens that a person using a terminal will
type Control-S key by accident.  This causes the host computer to stop
sending data, much to the puzzlement of the user, who is mystified
about why the display has stopped. Typically, the only way the host
computer will start up again is if it receives a Control-Q, and the
confused user may not know how to do this.  Over the years, this quirk
has caused users to report many nonexistent program bugs and system
crashes that never happened.  As a partial compensation for this
problem, many DEC terminals automatically send a single Control-Q
character when the power is first turned on.  So if the frustrated
user turns the terminal off and then back on, the flow-control
deadlock will be broken as a side-effect.

Another wart on the scheme is that Richard Stallman, author of the
popular Emacs editing environment, disliked inband flow control, so he
bound Control-Q to the quoted-insert function and Control-S to the
incremental-search-forward function.  There are ways to work around
these assignments; see Chapter 23 (Operating System Interface) of the
GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual, where a section describes the variable
keyboard-translate-table and gives a function called evade-flow-control.

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals,comp.unix.internals
Path: cs.utk.edu!news.msfc.nasa.gov!newsfeed.internetmci.com
      !howland.reston.ans.net!blackbush.xlink.net!news.asys-h.de
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Message-ID: <jum-1712951647110001@anubis.han.de>
References: <RSM.95Dec16103445@platinum.math.arizona.edu>
Date: Sun, 17 Dec 1995 15:47:11 GMT
From: jum@anubis.han.de (Jens-Uwe Mager)
Subject: Re: /dev/vt0 in early Unices: what was it?


In article <RSM.95Dec16103445@platinum.math.arizona.edu>,
rsm@math.arizona.edu (Robert S. Maier) wrote:

> I recently looked at the SunOS source for plot(3) (the old package of Unix
> graphics routines, which I'm writing a modern version of).  It includes
> libraries of routines for plotting graphics on various graphics terminals.
> One of them (libvt0.a) clearly wasn't intended to drive a specific terminal
> at all.  It simply sends command to /dev/vt0, in a special format.
> 
> I'd hazard a guess that `vt' means `virtual terminal'.  Can anyone fill me
> in on this?  Was there at one time (in very early Unices) a virtual
> terminal driver in the kernel?  If so, why was it there?  And why was
> it removed?

If I remember right this was an interface for a Versatec plotter device. I
believe it used an Unibus expansion card for PDP-11 computers to talk to
the plotter, therefore the special kernel level driver.

> To this day, the entries in many termcap files include a `vt' attribute
> for older terminals.  Is there any connection?  Thanks in advance.

This has nothing to do with the /dev/vt0 device, this was a number
identifying a kernel based terminal emulator. One could set parameters
using a struct termcb and the LDSETT and LDGETT ioctl() calls. It
basically translated from a virtual terminal model (described in
sys/crtctl.h) to a real terminal like VT100. Most System V.4 based systems
still have the header files, although I doubt that anyone used this stuff
for years.
______________________________________________________________________________
Jens-Uwe Mager                  jum@anubis.han.de
30177 Hannover                  jum@helios.de
Brahmsstr. 3                    Tel.: +49 511 660238

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Date: 6 Feb 1997 08:42:48 -0500
Date: 6 Feb 1997 08:42:48 -0500
Organization: Bay Networks Incorporated
Message-ID: <5dcn4o$rqb@atlas.xylogics.com>
References: <32F918CF.7408@modcomp.com>
From: James Carlson <carlson@xylogics.com>
Subject: Re: Beehive Terminal Emulationi

In article <32F918CF.7408@modcomp.com>, Michael Duvall <mduvall@modcomp.com>
   writes:
|> I am looking for a terminal or software package that emulates an aging
|> Beehive terminal.


If you can't find one, look for a Heathkit (or Zenith) 19 emulator.
It's pretty much a superset of the Beehive Superbee.

-- 
James Carlson <carlson@xylogics.com>, Prin Engr   Tel:  +1 508 916 4351
Bay Networks - Annex I/F Develop. / 8 Federal ST        +1 800 225 3317
Mail Stop BL08-05 / Billerica  MA  01821-3548     Fax:  +1 508 916 4782

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Newsgroups: comp.unix.sco.programmer,comp.unix.sco.misc,
            comp.terminals,comp.databases.xbase.fox
Path: utkcs2!stc06.ctd.ornl.gov!news.er.usgs.gov!jobone!newsxfer3.itd.umich.edu
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Message-ID: <33A5374B.167E@yy.laketaylor.org>
References: <866209028.27566@dejanews.com> <33A15DC2.2781@yy.laketaylor.org>
            <5o1rf6$84b@comix.comix.santa-cruz.ca.us>
NNTP-Posting-Host: lake.laketaylor.org
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 08:53:31 -0400
Organization: Lake Taylor Hospital
From: "Mark A. Davis" <mark@laketaylor.org>
Subject: Re: FOXPRO UNIX Terminal clearing problem

Jeff Liebermann wrote:
>
> Mark A. Davis (mark@yy.laketaylor.org) wrote:
> : This is a known problem with Foxpro, it is due to extremely poor
> : programming.  They clear the screen by sending characters to EVERY cell,
> : rather than just sending a clear code or clear-range code.  Microsoft
> : never fixed this problem, then dropped all development and support.
>
> Amazing. I'm still using Foxplus 2.1.2, thanks to problems like this.
>
> Every time I run into some kind of emulation atroscity, I
> resort to loading a few Fox memory variables with the
> appropriate terminal control sequences extracted from the
> terminfo (not termcap) database.  For example, to clear the
> screen, just run:
>         tset clear
>
> As usual, I can't find the program I used.  The list of
> terminfo tokens is in the man page under  terminfo(M).


Indeed.  Of course, our problem is (and I believe the other poster's
too) that we did not write the software (the application, not Foxpro
obviously), and without the source, all we could do was plead with the
vendor to fix it. :-(  I think that was the most serious "bug" we found.

It seems lots of other screen code is kind of poor too. One fun thing
to do is to slow a terminal down to 300 or 1200 bps and WATCH as the
screen painting is being done.... truly facinating.  Even WITH the
correct workarounds we did, nothing under 19,200 bps is tolerable
(and even 19,200 is kind of a pain).

My advice is to avoid anything which is written in Foxpro.
Another one "bites the dust".

-- 
/--------------------------------------------------------------------\
|   Mark A. Davis,  |Lake Taylor| Voice: (757)-461-5001x431 8-4:30ET |
|    Director of    | Hospital  | mark@yy.laketaylor.org ***to reply |
|Information Systems|Norfolk, VA| from USENET remove anti-spam "yy." |
\--------------------------------------------------------------------/

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers
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Message-ID: <33A4B9A2.AAA@plano.net>
NNTP-Posting-Host: tnt-dal-234.dallas.net
Organization: Canine Computer Center
Date: Sun, 15 Jun 1997 22:58:41 -0500
From: Charles Richmond <richmond@plano.net>
Subject: C64 terminal article in Byte

I found the Byte magazine article that describes how to turn your
Commodore 64 into an 80-column terminal. It is in the issue of
Byte whose subject is "Bargain Computing".  This is the March 1985
(Vol. 10, Number 3) issue of Byte on pages 183-192. The authors
are John C. Field, Greg Richards, and Eric Beenfeldt.

This article tells you how to construct a video board to attach
to the C64 game port that will generate the 80-column screen and
be controlled by the C64 keyboard. It also tels how to construct
a small board to make the serial output of the C64 more RS-232C
compatible.

Try your local college library or large metro library for this
article. If you do *not* have access to these, sometimes libraries
can get photocopies of these articles via inter-library loan
facilities, if you have enough info for them.

-- 
+--------------------------------------------------------------+
|     Charles and Francis Richmond       <richmond@plano.net>
+--------------------------------------------------------------+

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Path: transfer.stratus.com!cam-news-feed2.bbnplanet.com
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Organization: Columbia University
Message-ID: <6iicnq$q6p$1@apakabar.cc.columbia.edu>
References: <Pine.SOL.3.95L.980503123201.1841A-100000@unix19.andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: 3 May 1998 18:23:54 GMT
From: Frank da Cruz <fdc@watsun.cc.columbia.edu>
Subject: Re: Perkin-Elmer

In article <Pine.SOL.3.95L.980503123201.1841A-100000@unix19.andrew.cmu.edu>,
Brian Miles  <miles@andrew.cmu.edu> wrote:
: I have a rather old looking Perkin-Elmer 550 Terminal which appears to
: work. I haven't actually hooked it up to anything else, but when I turn it
: on it shows a blinking cursor after about a minute or so.  My question is:  
: How much is this thing worth?  From the looks of the keyboard layout it
: doesn't appear to be of any practical use anymore, so I assume that its
: value is purely historical.
: 
: If anyone has any info on this relic (well, from my point of view at least), 
: I'd greatly appreciate your help.
: 

The Perkin Elmer 550 and 1100 are perfectly good ASCII terminals, dating
back to about 1977.  The historical significance of this line is that it
was one of the first affordable CRTs capable of displaying full ASCII (as
opposed to, say, uppercase only); it cost about $500 (if memory serves) at
a time when other terminals (Datamedia, DEC, Hazeltine, etc) cost well
over $1000.  It has its own unique (and simple) set of escape sequences
for cursor control and screen clearing, suitable for use with EMACS, etc,
and also includes a "display controls" mode, in which control characters
can be displayed graphically rather than acted on (like a data scope) for
debugging.
 
The local termcap file still includes entries for the Perkin Elmer 550,
1100 (Fox), and 1200 (Owl).
 
- Frank

 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(Spring 1998)

For a complete termcap file or terminfo database, see

    http://sagan.earthspace.net/~esr/terminfo/index.html

(Spring 2000)

Oops... the web page has now moved:

    http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/terminfo/

(Spring 2002)

    http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/terminfo/    is still a working link.

 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Message-ID: <200204221506.RAA02974@hs-eber02-01>
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 17:01:37 +0200 (MEST)
To: the inquirer
From: the knowledgable one
Subject: Re: Terminal Emulation Query

> Hi all,
> 
> One of our customers is asking if there's a way to
> connect his (168) terminals that use RS232 interface
> and emulate 1251 and 6312 (Concurrent 6312 and
> Concurent APT-10 in 6312 emulation) to a Solaris server.
> 
> Does Solaris support such an emulation? Is there a
> third-party solution for this case?


I believe historically, Concurrent is a spin-off from Perkin-Elmer,
and those terminals list as "pe1251" resp. "pe6312" in the Solaris
terminfo database.

Setting TERM=pe1251 resp. TERM=pe6312 should work.

 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Message-ID: <3612e7c5.83730137@news.demon.co.uk>
References: <3610C9E8.4294@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 14:02:57 GMT
From: Harry Broomhall <haeb@demon.net>
Subject: Re: Seeking a termcap entry for viewdata (Prestel or Minitel)

On Tue, 29 Sep 1998 12:52:08 +0100, Simon Rawles <radwulf@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>Hello to the readers of comp.terminals.
>
>A few days ago, I became the owner of an Alcatel viewdata terminal. It's
>like a French minitel, but will also work with the British Prestel-like
>systems. I've got it to connect to Silicon Village and other services,
>but I'd like to get it working as a terminal for my Linux machine.
>
>Not surprisingly, there isn't a termcap for viewdata terminals supplied
>with Linux. I say "not surprisingly" because this is not the normal type
>of terminal. Control codes (change colour, flash on/off etc) each take
>up the space of a character on the screen, so that each screen (or
>'frame') is 1K (-ish). termcap seems to assume that control codes do not
>take up screen space in this way, and I think that's why I am having
>difficulty finding on.
>
>If anyone out there can help, that would be great. Send me a mail or
>reply here. Otherwise, I am going to have a go at writing my own. But
>I'd rather not write my own if someone else had done one already.



   Not sure quite what you are trying to do. If you want to use this
terminal as a 'glass tty' type of thing then investigate the
'cookie-glitch' setting in TERMCAP.

   In reality, you will have a *lot* of problems getting this to work,
as Viewdata has a number of 'features' that TERMCAP cannot handle.
The chief one is that all control codes are reset to default at the
end of a line.

   Regards
          Harry.


 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Organization: Columbia University
Message-ID: <72kc6v$mvf$1@apakabar.cc.columbia.edu>
References: <364d6205.0@139.134.5.33>
NNTP-Posting-Host: watsun.cc.columbia.edu
Date: 14 Nov 1998 16:47:27 GMT
From: jaltman@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Jeffrey Altman)
Subject: Re: Extracting the text content of a VT100 or ANSI term emulation

In article <364d6205.0@139.134.5.33>, Bigpond NEWS <peyam@yazd.net> wrote:
:
: I am trying to write a program in VBDOS to capture configuration data for a
: device that uses VT100/ANSI standard terminal emulation to talk via the
: serial port. What I want to do is read info from the serial port directly
: into VBDOS but the data contains not only text but Escape sequences etc How
: can I extract just the text that I need ?
: 
: Please email me on peyam@yazd.net if you have any info.
: 
: regards,
: peyam
: 
: 
: 


One of the significant benefits of ANSI standard X3.64-1979 (since
withdrawn) is that you do not need to know anything about the semantics
of the escape sequences in order to be able to parse them.  A filter
to strip out the x3.64 sequences from a data stream can easily be 
written in about an hour.

I don't have any idea what VBDOS is (although I have a feeling it is
a Visual Basic port to DOS) but regardless of the language involved 
it shouldn't be too hard to do.  The only problem you might face is
if the application that is sending the data stream is including 
queries that require an response.

-- 
    Jeffrey Altman * Sr.Software Designer * Kermit-95 for Win32 and OS/2
                 The Kermit Project * Columbia University
              612 West 115th St #716 * New York, NY * 10025
  http://www.kermit-project.org/k95.html * kermit-support@kermit-project.org

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Newsgroups: comp.terminals
NNTP-Posting-Host: watsun.cc.columbia.edu
Organization: Columbia University
Message-ID: <72k6ko$k6i$1@apakabar.cc.columbia.edu>
References: <364CF0AA.EF44F93@NetCologne.de>
Date: 14 Nov 1998 15:12:24 GMT
From: jaltman@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Jeffrey Altman)
Subject: Re: Crt-Terminalemulation

In article <364CF0AA.EF44F93@NetCologne.de>,
Rainer Fürste <Rainer.Fuerste@NetCologne.de> wrote:
: Hi there,
: 
: is there anybody, who has further information about the capabilitys of
: the Crt-Terminalemulation (VanDyke Technologies)? I'm trying to
: customize it for use with an AIX-based application and i really suffer
: from a lack of information.
: Almost desperate
: 
: Rainer Fuerste



If you are a registered user, then you should feel free to contact
VanDyke Technologies directly for assistance with their program.

-- 
    Jeffrey Altman * Sr.Software Designer * Kermit-95 for Win32 and OS/2
                 The Kermit Project * Columbia University
              612 West 115th St #716 * New York, NY * 10025
  http://www.kermit-project.org/k95.html * kermit-support@kermit-project.org

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
NNTP-Posting-Host: 206.34.179.25
Reply-To: mdalene@ctol.net
Message-ID: <slrn74k7ag.8h.mdalene@pinkrose.ctol.net>
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 18:27:12 -0500
From: mdalene@pinkrose.ctol.net (B'ichela)
Subject: Re: Where to get a dumb terminal
References: <3648F294.31840A80@enter.net>

In article <3648F294.31840A80@enter.net>, Sean wrote:
>
> Any idea how cheaply I could get and where I could get
> a DEC dumb terminal (monitor and keyboard) that would
> work with linux? thanks


One place I can think of is computer swap meets or ham fests. a VT100
or a VT102 can probally be found for squat! In fact my Rainbow 100 I
got for Squat~ (dumpster fodder) it comes with two single sinded 80
track drives, a Monochrome monitor, 256K ram. I had to find the CP/M
80/86 disks for it. Point is, it works on Linux and it works great.
Check out flea markets as well.

Incidently, the DEC Rainbow is a full computer with a built in VT100
terminal applicvation. when you boot it. just hit t for terminal. 

Set up is done similar to a true vt100 terminal.  it has NVRAM so you
can set it and forget it. you just have to do t to select terminal
when at the menu.

-- 
		A pearl of wisdom from the y2K newsgroups:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y2K appears to be the Baby Boomers mid-life crisis, and it has the
potential to be a dandy.
			-- Anonymous --
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

			B'ichela

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Newsgroups: comp.terminals,comp.unix.misc,comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.sys5.r4
Path: !cam-news-feed2.bbnplanet.com!cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net
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Message-ID: <366D4FEC.FA03DE5C@lucent.com>
References: <$yLfjAAImRb2EwsX@wyvis.demon.co.uk>
Organization: Lucent Technologies
Date: Tue, 08 Dec 1998 17:12:28 +0100
To: Roger Woodward <roger@wyvis.demon.co.uk>
From: Edmond van As <evas@lucent.com>
Subject: Re: console 25 pin configuration for icl drs6000 level300?

Roger Woodward wrote:
> 
> Does anyone know the pin configuration of a console cable for an ICL
> DRS6000 level300. I have an ICL M15 terminal and an ICL DRS6000 but no
> cable to connect the two!! Standard console cables do not work, with or
> without a null modem....
> The cable would be 25pin male at the console end, 25 pin female at the DRS
> end.
> Thanks a million to anyone who can tell me.
> cheers
> roger
> 
> Roger Woodward
> Woodward Associates (UK) Ltd
> Tel: (+44) 01628 666083
> mailto:rwoodwar@wyvis.demon.co.uk

Try this,

2  -------\   /------------  3
                     \/
                     /\
3  -------/   \------------  3


7  ---------------------  7


Regards, 

Edmond van As
Lucent Technologies

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals,comp.unix.misc,comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.sys5.r4
Organization: Lucent Technologies
Lines: 25
Message-ID: <366E7A75.CF15CC3B@lucent.com>
References: <$yLfjAAImRb2EwsX@wyvis.demon.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 09 Dec 1998 14:26:13 +0100
To: Roger Woodward <roger@wyvis.demon.co.uk>
From: Edmond van As <evas@lucent.com>
Subject: Re: console 25 pin configuration for icl drs6000 level300?

Roger Woodward wrote:
> 
> Does anyone know the pin configuration of a console cable for an ICL
> DRS6000 level300. I have an ICL M15 terminal and an ICL DRS6000 but no
> cable to connect the two!! Standard console cables do not work, with or
> without a null modem....
> The cable would be 25pin male at the console end, 25 pin female at the DRS
> end.
> Thanks a million to anyone who can tell me.
> cheers
> roger
> 
> Roger Woodward
> Woodward Associates (UK) Ltd
> Tel: (+44) 01628 666083
> mailto:rwoodwar@wyvis.demon.co.uk


Sorry!

 It has to be 3 -> 2 instead of 3 -> 3.
              ^^^^^^

Regards,

Edmond van As
Lucent Technologies

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc,comp.std.misc
Path: transfer.stratus.com!list.stratagy.com!shuford
Organization: Info-Stratus
In-Reply-To: <371E055B.12A49F95@GSC.GTE.Com>
Message-ID: <Pine.3.96.990421180338.7480E-100000@stratagy.com>
References: <7ffo0l$fpf$1@narses.hrz.tu-chemnitz.de> <371E055B.12A49F95@GSC.GTE.Com>
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1999 01:15:55 -0400
From: "Richard S. Shuford" <shuford(at)list.stratagy.com>
Subject: IBM PC serial connectors and keyboards (was Wyse 120: which cable?)

Scott G. Hall wrote:
>
> You can thank IBM for this non-standard crap.  They chose to use a
> male connector on their PCs -- where everyone else was using a female
> connector on their PCs and terminals -- just to force customers to
> have to buy IBM cables.


Everyone else?  Not DEC.  I'm sitting three feet from a VT220
terminal, which has a male connector on its rear panel.  And I can
attach to it the female end of a Burroughs (Unisys) serial cable,
the other end of which terminates in a male connector that fits
the female connectors on most modems.

It's easy to attribute sinister motives to any big corporation, and
in some cases suspicion is justified, but not here.

In 1983, I was working for BYTE magazine (which, back then, generated
the type of enthusiasm people now have for "Wired"), and I took part
in an interview with Don Estridge, the IBM Vice President who oversaw
the development of the IBM PC at the emancipated IBM Entry Systems
Business unit in Boca Raton, Florida. (A writeup of the interview was
published in the November 1983 BYTE, pages 88-97.)

Although the subject of male vs. female connectors was not explicitly
brought up, Larry Curran and I did discuss several details of the
design of the original IBM PC with Mr. Estridge.  And, from the
general philosophy he espoused, I believe that IBM used male-pin
serial connectors because that is what the EIA RS-232-C standard said
you are *supposed* to use on the DTE side of a serial connection.
(Oddly enough, it did *not* say you should use a DB-25P, but it did
say that the DTE connector should be male and the DCE end female!)

A thing we did talk about was one IBM PC design decision that people
griped about very intensely in the early 1980s: that the original
84-key keyboard put the \| backslash-or-vertical-bar key to the left
of the Z key (in the so-called B00 position). IBM's PC designers did
so because that is where the consensus international keyboard
standard said it should go.  (The relevant standard in the old ANSI
catalog was X4.23-1982; it has been superceded by X3.154-1988/R1994.)

Even though IBM historically pushed proprietary technology, the Entry
Systems Business unit intended to follow what were, on paper at least,
recognized formal standards.  I'm sure that the adherents of the
proprietary approach within IBM were smugly amused at how much flak
the PC team took from using the formal consensus keyboard standard.

A photo of the original PC keyboard appeared on page 232 of that same
November 1983 BYTE, in an article comparing IBM's PC to one just
introduced by Texas Instruments.  The author, Bobbi Bullard, went on
to complain at length about the IBM keyboard's key placement, in case
you suspect I'm blowing the issue out of proportion.

(According to industry rumor, which I cannot verify, the fact that
the international standard put the \| key in the B00 position is
blamed on delegates to the standards committees from one cantankerous
nation in Europe, which I won't name here, thus avoiding a diplomatic
crisis.)

A tutorial on basic RS-232-C concepts can be seen on this Web page:

    http://www.arcelect.com/rs232.htm

Some brief history of the IBM PC is visible at:

    http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/special/anniversary/back/lkr1c.htm

    [Alas, the anniversary article has become a 404 page.]

Collected information about video terminals is still to be seen at:

    http://www.cs.utk.edu/~shuford/terminal_index.html

In some possible world, Philip "Don" Estridge might have eventually
become president of IBM.  The 22-year IBM veteran was clearly a man
moving up; shortly after the interview he was appointed IBM's Vice
President for Worldwide Manufacturing.  But he and three other IBM
executives died in an airplane crash in August 1985.

Requiescat in pacem.

 ...Richard S. Shuford
    shuford(at)LIST.stratagy.com

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

2003 Update:  Despite my obliqueness, the diplomatic crisis came anyway.
              The cantankerous nation was France.  ...RSS

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
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Organization: AT&T Worldnet
Message-ID: <RNey4.3894$lA4.275039@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 22:36:33 GMT
From: "Robert Gallinaro" <r.gallinaro@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: 14" HP Terminals

We are an electronics scrap dealer located in Nashua, NH.  
We frequently run across terminals and workstation monitors in volume.

At present, we have 5000 HP 14" terminals.  Model numbers include
700-92, 700-94, 700-96, & 700-98.

If anyone is interested in these, please feel free to contact me by
return mail or by phone at 603-880-9048.

Sincerely,
Bob Gallinaro
RMG Enterprise

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
Message-ID: <slrnb875lm.t14.fabian@wh59-408.st.uni-magdeburg.de>
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User-Agent: slrn/0.9.7.4 (Linux)
Organization: University of Magdeburg, Germany
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 00:26:30 +0000 (UTC)
From: Fabian Wickborn <fabian@wickborn.net>
Subject: Termtek 725 and Linux screen

Hi Newsgroup,

I've got a Termtek Terminal TK-725, which is connected to a Linux
machine via 10-Base-T Ethernet. 
The Terminal should be able to perform this emulations:
WY-120/60, 325, 50+;
TVI910+, TVI925;
PC TERM; ADDS A2;
VT52, VT100, VT220;
Console ANSI;

(see for details: http://www.termtek.de/TK-725.htm)

What I want to now is to use little machine with "screen"
(http://www.gnu.org/software/screen/), using the status line to
display screen's hardstatus.

Which terminal emulation shall I use for that? I would like to use all
features like cursor keys, colors, status line etc. But I couldn't get
it to work. Which $TERM is the right one?

Regards,
Fabian
-- 
Fabian Wickborn - fabian@wickborn.net
           http://fabian.wickborn.net
         Magdeburger Linux User Group
#mdlug on EuIRC - http://www.mdlug.de

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Newsgroups: comp.terminals
References: <slrnb875lm.t14.fabian@wh59-408.st.uni-magdeburg.de>
Message-ID: <b61hak$e56$2@news1.radix.net>
Organization: RadixNet Internet Services
Date: 28 Mar 2003 13:05:24 GMT
From: Thomas Dickey <dickey@saltmine.radix.net>
Subject: Re: Termtek 725 and Linux screen

Fabian Wickborn <fabian@wickborn.net> wrote:
> Hi Newsgroup,
> I've got a Termtek Terminal TK-725, which is connected to a Linux
> machine via 10-Base-T Ethernet. 

The wyse terminfo entries indicates that they support status line--none
of the other emulations appear likely.  (wyse 50 would be hard to use--
wyse 325 is the most likely to be usable).

-- 
Thomas E. Dickey <dickey@radix.net> <dickey@herndon4.his.com>
http://dickey.his.com/
 ftp://dickey.his.com/

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
References: <slrnb875lm.t14.fabian@wh59-408.st.uni-magdeburg.de>
Message-ID: <b6p9gf$7bls9$2@ID-21915.news.dfncis.de>
Date: 6 Apr 2003 13:19:12 GMT
From: Joerg Klemenz <joerg@gmx.net>
Subject: Re: Termtek 725 and Linux screen

* Fabian Wickborn wrote:
>
> I've got a Termtek Terminal TK-725, which is connected to a Linux
> machine via 10-Base-T Ethernet. 
> [..]
> What I want to now is to use little machine with "screen"
> (http://www.gnu.org/software/screen/), using the status line to
> display screen's hardstatus.

The status line can be programmed only in Wyse 120 ("native") mode. I
have never used screen but I don't think it's too usefull with a 80x25
terminal.

BTW: The device has "virtual terminals" just like Linux. Press Alt-Fn
or Ctrl-Alt-Fn (I don't remember exactly).

> Which terminal emulation shall I use for that? I would like to use
> all features like cursor keys, colors, status line etc. But I
> couldn't get it to work. Which $TERM is the right one?

What features/ programs will not work?
For a quick start try the vt emulation with the various xterm entries.
You can change the keys in the terminal setup to match the terminfo
entry so you dont have to change anything.

I used to have an incomplete tk725 termcap entry (made from a vt220
entry by Mr. Dickey I believe) that kinda works.

Also TERM=vt100 will always work (in vt100 mode of course). Cursor
keys should work, even shift-cursor as should ins, del, home, end etc.

Note that the terminal controller (a Termtek ASIC) becomes *very*
slow when you use color. Unless you don't mind that a screen refresh
takes 2 seconds you don't want color.

Also note that the vt emulation is buggy as hell (the device is
primary a Wyse emulator) and it's probably impossible to get it
working 100%

        joerg

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
References: <slrnb875lm.t14.fabian@wh59-408.st.uni-magdeburg.de>
    <b6p9gf$7bls9$2@ID-21915.news.dfncis.de>
Message-ID: <b6pllh$1ve$2@news1.radix.net>
Organization: RadixNet Internet Services
Date: 6 Apr 2003 16:46:41 GMT
From: Thomas Dickey <dickey@saltmine.radix.net>
Subject: Re: Termtek 725 and Linux screen

Joerg Klemenz <joerg@gmx.net> wrote:
>
> For a quick start try the vt emulation with the various xterm entries.
> You can change the keys in the terminal setup to match the terminfo
> entry so you dont have to change anything.

For some tests, the "tack" program distributed with ncurses is useful to check
individual entries.  Note that vt220 doesn't implement a status line, so that
wouldn't satisfy that part.

I don't see that wy120 implements color though.  The wy370 entry would be a
good place to start if the tk725 did emulate that.  But termtek's webpage
doesn't mention that - I'd expect that color support is some flavor of "ANSI". 
However, wy120 isn't ANSI.  Nor is the wy325 entry.  I see some comments
in ncurses for ncr260wy325pp, which might be related - but that's for an
emulation by a different vendor.

Perhaps you can get the vendor to provide some information (though reading
their webpage leads me with the notion that they are not accustomed to doing
this ;-)

-- 
Thomas E. Dickey <dickey@radix.net> <dickey@herndon4.his.com>
http://dickey.his.com/
 ftp://dickey.his.com/

 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Newsgroups: comp.terminals
References: <slrnb875lm.t14.fabian@wh59-408.st.uni-magdeburg.de>
    <b6p9gf$7bls9$2@ID-21915.news.dfncis.de> <b6pllh$1ve$2@news1.radix.net>
Message-ID: <b6s3jd$8ig2j$1@ID-21915.news.dfncis.de>
Date: 7 Apr 2003 14:56:47 GMT
From: Joerg Klemenz <joerg@gmx.net>
Subject: Re: Termtek 725 and Linux screen

* Thomas Dickey wrote:
>
> Joerg Klemenz <joerg@gmx.net> wrote:
>> The status line can be programmed only in Wyse 120 ("native") mode. I
>> have never used screen but I don't think it's too usefull with a 80x25
>> terminal.
> ...
>
>> For a quick start try the vt emulation with the various xterm entries.
>> You can change the keys in the terminal setup to match the terminfo
>> entry so you dont have to change anything.
>
> For some tests, the "tack" program distributed with ncurses is useful
> to check individual entries.  Note that vt220 doesn't implement a
> status line, so that wouldn't satisfy that part.


This Terminal will display a (top) status line in all modes (including
vt). AFAIK you can program the line only in Wyse ("native") mode.


> I don't see that wy120 implements color though.  The wy370 entry
> would be a good place to start if the tk725 did emulate that.  But
> termtek's webpage doesn't mention that - I'd expect that color
> support is some flavor of "ANSI".  However, wy120 isn't ANSI.  Nor is
> the wy325 entry.  I see some comments in ncurses for ncr260wy325pp,
> which might be related - but that's for an emulation by a different
> vendor.


The documentation suggests that only the vt emulations can set colors,
"The remaining personalities associate colors based on existing
monochrome video attributes."

If I understand it correctly, you can set 18 display attributes such
as dim, blink dim/blink, etc and the terminal will translate it into
preset colors in Wyse 120 mode.


> Perhaps you can get the vendor to provide some information (though
> reading their webpage leads me with the notion that they are not
> accustomed to doing this ;-)


I have documentation for a 625 (its somewhat confusing). It appears to
be a cheap translation from a chinese original. The author is
identified as "sales".

        joerg

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Newsgroups: comp.terminals
NNTP-Posting-Host: 81.106.167.191
NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2009 22:36:06 UTC
References: <m3ab67ytjs.fsf@myrkraverk.com>
Message-ID: <q9rIl.83287$uK2.34295@newsfe20.ams2>
Organization: virginmedia.com
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:34:01 +0100
From: Paul Potter <pryan_st@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Sizes of hardware terminals (for a game)

Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> Are there hardware terminals smaller than 80x25?  And if so, who would
> be hurt by disallowing play on them?
>
> I'm currently working on an ascii art space invaders type of a game,
> and now that I'm pretty much done prototyping and moving on to game
> play, I am wondering how much the size of the playable area should be
> allowed to influenced by the terminal size.  Personally, I think, in
> terms of scoring and fairness, I should restrict the playable area to
> 80x25; reserving space on bigger terminals for status info.
>
> Is this something terminal enthusiasts want to comment on?
>
> Currently I'm limited to terminal emulators for testing, I hope that
> won't affect hw terminal players.  In my prototypes, I'm providing
> IJKL, WASD and ,AOE movements as well as arrows.  Note to self:
> remember to provide that in menus as well.
>
> Johann


Love the idea.

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Newsgroups: comp.terminals
NNTP-Posting-Host: xmission.xmission.com
NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2009 02:03:20 +0000 (UTC)
References: <m3ab67ytjs.fsf@myrkraverk.com>
Message-ID: <gstr18$2nd$1@news.xmission.com>
Organization: multi-cellular, biological
Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2009 02:03:20 +0000 (UTC)
From: Richard <legalize+jeeves@mail.xmission.com>
Subject: Re: Sizes of hardware terminals (for a game)

[Please do not mail me a copy of your followup]

Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.com> spake the secret code
<m3ab67ytjs.fsf@myrkraverk.com> thusly:

>Are there hardware terminals smaller than 80x25?  And if so, who would
>be hurt by disallowing play on them?

To reach the widest audience 80x24 is what you should target.

There are terminals out there with other funky geometries, but 80x24
is the most common.

-- 
"The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" -- DirectX 9 draft available for download
      <http://www.xmission.com/~legalize/book/download/index.html>

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Newsgroups: comp.terminals
NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 26 Apr 2009 12:06:19 -0500
References: <m3ab67ytjs.fsf@myrkraverk.com> <gstr18$2nd$1@news.xmission.com>
Message-ID: <m3y6tnxs62.fsf@myrkraverk.com>
Date: Sun, 26 Apr 2009 17:04:37 +0000
From: Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.com>
Subject: Re: Sizes of hardware terminals (for a game)

legalize+jeeves@mail.xmission.com (Richard) writes:
>
> Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.com> spake the
> secret code <m3ab67ytjs.fsf@myrkraverk.com> thusly:
>
>> Are there hardware terminals smaller than 80x25?  And if so, who
>> would be hurt by disallowing play on them?
>
>  To reach the widest audience 80x24 is what you should target.


Thank you (all), that's what I'm doing.

-- 
Johann

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