Terminal Woes
jd
information with a terminal, which I want to communicate with Linux.
Be aware that I have little experience with Linux and this would be
my first real "project" I would pursuing on the OS.
I purchased an old terminal from a second hand store a while back,
which I used as a telephone. This is a Canadian made AlexTel dumb
terminal. From researching the matter I found out the project ALEX
was a Canadian project by Bell, Nortel, and a company from Quebec
whose name escapes me. It was meant as a telephone, which is mounted
beside the CRT and can input text via a fold able keyboard attached to
the bottom of the CRT. It is meant as a terminal for the blind (TTY)
and a telephone. In the back there is a DB-25 female printer port and
an RS232 male DB9 serial connector along with two phone jacks. Serial
connection is easily established via a hot key and a black screen is
shown, this obviously produces an error without a working connection.
I have two problems essentially, I have no clue how to properly
connect this to my machine physically; and I have had bad luck
purchasing the wrong cables. I first purchased a Male DB25 to Female
DB9 serial cable along with a Serial Extender. To my dismay I did
this before I realized that communication is done through the DB9 on
the terminal and not the printer port. I am considering purchasing a
block adapter to convert the DB25 to DB9 and connect this to the
serial connection on the terminal. Would this be wise? I also heard
that people can use a null modem cable, I have one of those does it
apply to this situation? How can I set this up?
My second, and more important problem is getting more information
about the model and which terminal standard it uses. I have found so
little information about this unit, I am worrying about properly
interfacing it. There is no FCC ID to look up because it is Canadian
made, but the information is as follows:
CRTC ID : 332 2794 A.
Nortel Serial Number: 140000688
Nortel Model Number: NT9G52AJ
Nortel Product Number: NNTM000119.
Nothing in the way of copyright date can be found, although I am
guessing this is really old, circa 1981, by the baud rate it uses.
The configuration screens do not reveal too much only baud settings,
parity check, and the like. I scoured termcap extensively but could
not find a description even remotely associated with this
terminal. Other than that I can find no technical documents regarding
the terminal. Any help you guys can provide regarding either,
physical connection or information would be greatly appreciated.
-jd (jakub...@utoronto.ca)
Paul Ryan
Paul
Richard S. Shuford
|
| I have been having problems setting up, or even acquiring basic
| information with a terminal, which I want to communicate with Linux.
| I purchased an old terminal from a second hand store a while back,
| which I used as a telephone. This is a Canadian made AlexTel dumb
| terminal.
|
| From researching the matter I found out the project ALEX was a Canadian
| escapes me. It was meant as a telephone, which is mounted beside the
| of the CRT.
The ALEXtel terminal appears to be one designed for use with Bell Canada's
"videotex" service, introduced in 1991. It probably understands only the
graphics-oriented NAPLPS (North American Presentation Level Protocol
Syntax) protocol, and perhaps only the alphageometrical subset of that.
I suggest that trying to get an ALEXtel unit to communicate usefully with
Linux is going to be more difficult than you would like. I suggest that
you look for a different terminal that emulates (or is) a DEC VT100 or a
successor model. (Other viable types include TVI955, Wyse 50, or ADM-3a.)
Some information on video terminals and connecting terminals to systems
is here:
http://www.cs.utk.edu/~shuford/terminal_index.html
A collection of ALEXtel terminals has been found useful for artistic endeavors:
http://www.sagamie.org/centres_artistes/interaction_qui/forum_info3.html
a discussion of the ALEX service may be found here:
http://www.wlu.ca/~wwwpress/jrls/cjc/BackIssues/16.3/proulx.html
...RSS
Kieran Murphy
(then Telecom Australia) released in the mid 1980s. It died a rapid and sad
death in the market place. The one I worked on had little ROM "bubbles"
that clipped into the keyboard, and micro tapes to store data.
As I recall, there was an optional bubble to purchase a VT100 emulation and
communication protocol. I did manage to get it respond via the modem
installed in the unit, but without the special ROM the machine brought no
joy.
"jd" <jakub...@utoronto.ca> wrote in message
news:7846b2d8.03062...@posting.google.com...
jd
Thanks to all that helped however it was surprisingly simple to get
the terminal running, despite the odd terminal, it works with all
character attributes fine running termcaps vt100 definition. I used a
null modem serial and changed the inittab and it worked (I was
shocked).
-jd (jakub...@utoronto.ca)
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"Richard S. Shuford" <shu...@list.stratagy.REM0VE-THlS-PART.com> wrote in
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