brinsmead@calgary.UUCP (07/16/86)
A friend has asked me to locate an emulator for an IBM 327x
terminal that will run on his (1040) ST. Can anyone provide a pointer
to such a beast -- I'm sure they exist, but I've never seen one.
Public domain is best, but I'm happy to get any and all suggestions
possible.
Thanx in advance.
Mark Brinsmead
University of Calgary,
Calgary Alberta.hsu@eneevax.UUCP (Dave Hsu) (07/18/86)
In article <261@vaxb.calgary.UUCP> brinsmead@calgary.UUCP (Mark Brinsmead) writes: > > A friend has asked me to locate an emulator for an IBM 327x >terminal that will run on his (1040) ST. Can anyone provide a pointer >to such a beast -- I'm sure they exist, but I've never seen one. > > Mark Brinsmead I'm not so sure that such a beast exists. The 3270 series terminals are best described as workstations, not terminals in the ordinary sense. Like CDC `terminals', only more picky. 3270's don't talk serial at all; they have a ridiculous protocol that involves transferring entire screen pages, and buffered input areas. There is no such thing as a 3270 emulator. What you need is either a normal terminal emulator run through a front end (like a Series/One running the Yale package) or one of those elusive Applelink SNA adapters that purportedly came out for the Macintosh, and something to make your ST talk Applelink. -dave -- David Hsu (301) 454-1433 || -8798 "It was Dave, not me..honest!" -eneevax Communication & Signal Processing Lab / Engineering Computer Facility The University of Maryland -~- College Park, MD 20742 ARPA:hsu@eneevax.umd.edu UUCP:[seismo,allegra,rlgvax]!umcp-cs!eneevax!hsu "Who cometh to the bridge of death must answer me these questions three, 'ere the other side he see....aiggggh!"
rb@cci632.UUCP (Rex Ballard) (07/21/86)
In article <9@eneevax.UUCP> hsu@eneevax.UUCP (Dave Hsu) writes: >In article <261@vaxb.calgary.UUCP> brinsmead@calgary.UUCP (Mark Brinsmead) writes: >> >> A friend has asked me to locate an emulator for an IBM 327x >>terminal that will run on his (1040) ST. Can anyone provide a pointer >>to such a beast -- I'm sure they exist, but I've never seen one. >> >> Mark Brinsmead > >I'm not so sure that such a beast exists. The 3270 series terminals >are best described as workstations, not terminals in the ordinary sense. >Like CDC `terminals', only more picky. 3270's don't talk serial at all; >they have a ridiculous protocol that involves transferring entire screen >pages, and buffered input areas. > >There is no such thing as a 3270 emulator. What you need is either >a normal terminal emulator run through a front end (like a Series/One >running the Yale package) or one of those elusive Applelink SNA >adapters that purportedly came out for the Macintosh, and something to make >your ST talk Applelink. > >-dave This little "oops" just had to get some sort of reply. There are 3270 emulator packages available for the IBM-PC, two or three of which are written in "C" and possibly even port-able to the ST. In addition to the software, a very high speed serial interface, probably through the DMA port will also be needed. Specifically, the serial chip should support SDLC and/or HDLC protocol. There are several likely candidates including Intel, NEC, and Motorola parts. Again, the old "1 address line" limitation of the DMA port is likely to create a bit of inconvenience. I suppose you could call some of the makers of IBM-PC SNA adapters to see if they have done an ST port yet. It is quite likely that at least one of them either has already done it, or will be doing it soon. There may also be some SCSI->SNA adapters coming in the near future, so watch for them as well.
baba@garth.UUCP (07/25/86)
In article <242@cci632.UUCP> rb@ccird1.UUCP (Rex Ballard) writes: >>> A friend has asked me to locate an emulator for an IBM 327x >>>terminal that will run on his (1040) ST. Can anyone provide a pointer >>>to such a beast -- I'm sure they exist, but I've never seen one. >>> >>I'm not so sure that such a beast exists. The 3270 series terminals >>are best described as workstations, not terminals in the ordinary sense. >>Like CDC `terminals', only more picky. 3270's don't talk serial at all; >>they have a ridiculous protocol that involves transferring entire screen >>pages, and buffered input areas. >>-dave > >This little "oops" just had to get some sort of reply. There are 3270 >emulator packages available for the IBM-PC, two or three of which are >written in "C" and possibly even port-able to the ST. In addition to >the software, a very high speed serial interface, probably through the >DMA port will also be needed. Specifically, the serial chip should >support SDLC and/or HDLC protocol. "It's a desert topping!" "It's a floor wax!" Stop! You're both right! 327x is the designation of a family of IBM display products. They include very dumb terminals that are the display stations Dave refers to, as well as the relatively intelligent control boxes, shared between multiple display stations, that Rex speaks of. The interface between the tubes and the controller is a 2 Mbit/sec (if I recall correctly) synchronous serial line with a proprietary encoding scheme. The interface between the controllers and their hosts can be a serial interface running SNA/SDLC or BSC, or a direct channel connection. I assume they will put them on their token ring as well, sooner or later. Emulating a 327x display station with an Atari or any other personal computer currently on the market is out of the question without a *significant* hardware assist. Emulating a "remote" control station would just take a lot of rather tricky software work. Baba