How to type square brackets? Informer 207 VT100 IBM Terminal

[AB]

Hello folks, I have a great condition INFORMER 207 VT100 terminal which works nicely via RS232 @ 9600.. except I am limited by not knowing how to enter certain characters, for example square brackets, control characters (control-c and z is pretty important to me!)

Anyone ever encountered this device before? Clearly this machine had IBM connectivity in mind but as it prints [square brackets] there surely must be a way for me to enter them? :-)
cheers
andy

[Richard]

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

AB <lordha...@gmail.com> spake the secret code
<41e17d04-5d4e-4ab0...@googlegroups.com> thusly:

>Hello folks, I have a great condition INFORMER 207 VT100 terminal which
>works nicely via RS232 @ 9600.. except I am limited by not knowing how
>to enter certain characters, for example square brackets, control
>characters (control-c and z is pretty important to me!)

I'm assuming you didn't get a manual for it?

>Anyone ever encountered this device before?

I've only ever seen it listed on ebay. I have an informer in the
collection (top shelf, right
<http://computergraphicsmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/wall-12.jpg>)
but I haven't done anything with it yet.

>Clearly this machine had
>IBM connectivity in mind but as it prints [square brackets] there surely
>must be a way for me to enter them? :-)

Have you tried using the Alt key in combination with the {} key?
--
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The Terminals Wiki <http://terminals-wiki.org>
The Computer Graphics Museum <http://computergraphicsmuseum.org>
Legalize Adulthood! (my blog) <http://legalizeadulthood.wordpress.com>

[Richard]

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

AB <lordha...@gmail.com> spake the secret code
<41e17d04-5d4e-4ab0...@googlegroups.com> thusly:

>Hello folks, I have a great condition INFORMER 207 VT100 terminal which
>works nicely via RS232 @ 9600.. except I am limited by not knowing how
>to enter certain characters, for example square brackets, control
>characters (control-c and z is pretty important to me!)

Another idea: if you disassemble it, you might be able to identify hwo
the keyboard is processed into characters and identify a combination
of switches that can be pressed to generate the necessary character
code.

Given this keyboard's number of special keys, it's unlikely they're
generating ASCII codes straight from the keyboard but rather a
scancode instead that's processed into a character code for the
transmit line.

[AB]

Hi Richard - sadly no manual... nor any trace of a manual online!
I did try everything imaginable with the ALT key.. but no joy finding a way to do an ESC or [] sequence or a CTL-C which would be quite useful.

If you make any progress with the INformer in your collection do let me know :-)
cheers
Andy

[AB]

Hi Richard- regarding figuring out the coding/scancodes etc? I'm 'fraid that would be way outside my skillset :-)

cheers

[Richard]

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

AB <lordha...@gmail.com> spake the secret code

<e3089616-5f70-45eb...@googlegroups.com> thusly:

>Hi Richard - sadly no manual... nor any trace of a manual online!

Yes, unfortunately no manual has been found yet. Whenever I find new
manuals online, I link them into manx and then link manx into the
terminals wiki.

>I did try everything imaginable with the ALT key.. but no joy finding a
>way to do an ESC or [] sequence or a CTL-C which would be quite useful.

Bummer! I haven't done anything with this terminal since I got it, so
obviously I didn't even notice the lack of control or other characters
on the keyboard!

>If you make any progress with the INformer in your collection do let
>me know :-)

It now becomes an interesting teardown project :-), so it moved up
higher on the list of things to attack when I have some time. Mine
might not be the exact model as yours; Informer made a bunch of model
variants.

I'll try to remember to post back here if I learn something. If I do
learn anything more, it will definitely go on the wiki.

[AB]

thanks Richard!
Andy

[t...@tomseago.com]

I have also just purchased one of these from eBay in a "not working but hopefully fixable" condition. About the only thing close to a manual I've found online is this link for a slightly different product, but presumably something that might have some strong similarities, including using the "ALT" key essentially as CTRL.

This might add a little more knowledge at least.

https://www.jefftk.com/informer-213-ae-manual.pdf

t'

[AB]

Fantastic! thanks :-)

[t...@tomseago.com]

On Monday, July 8, 2019 at 5:31:53 PM UTC-7, AB wrote:
> Fantastic! thanks :-)

Oh and one more gem - an actual “pocket reference” that might be even more useful!

https://web.archive.org/web/20150910080503/http://www.employees.org/~kirk/doc/informer.pdf

I kind of can’t wait to get my hands on this thing and I sure hope it’s restorable. Because who can read at anything faster than 9600 baud anyway?

t’

[AB]

Tom you must have advanced google skills or something! Great finds :-)