For connection to ASCII hosts, Personal Communications provides the VT
Emulator for VT340, VT100, and VT52 terminals. ASCII hosts commonly
use these terminal control sequences as standards for session presentation,
and many ASCII-host application programs assume a VT-compatible terminal.
VT emulation allows your personal computer or workstation to operate
as if it were a VT terminal. Software that is designed to operate
a VT340, VT100, or VT52 terminal should work correctly with the Personal Communications VT
emulator.
Although the keyboard layout on VT terminals is similar
to that of the personal computer, there are some exceptions. See Default Key Functions for the VT Emulator Layout for the default mapping of keys for VT emulation.
For file transfer to and from ASCII hosts, using the XMODEM and
YMODEM protocols, see Using XMODEM and YMODEM.
VT connections to non-ASCII hosts, such as the IBM® zSeries® are
also possible if you have the appropriate communication devices.
Configuring a VT Session
Use the Customize Communication -> ASCII
Host panel to select values for the parameters that define your
ASCII host session. There are two types of parameters: Session and
Link.
Customizing the VT over Async Attachment
Click Communication from the WorkStation-window
menu bar.
Click Configure from the Communication menu.
The Customize Communication window opens.
Optionally enter the port number, change the terminal ID, or select
the Auto-reconnect check box.
Click OK until the Customize Communication
window closes.
Customization is complete.
Session Parameters
These parameters correspond to setup choices on a VT340 terminal.
Online/Local
In the Online state, the emulator receives
data from the host computer, and can send data to it. In the Local state, data you enter on the keyboard appears
on the screen, but is not sent to the host; data from the host is
held, and not presented on the screen until you change the state to Online.
Operating Mode
Select Char if the host does not echo
the characters you type on your keyboard. The VT emulator displays
them as it sends them to the host.
Select Echo if
the host echos your keyboard characters for display. The VT emulator
displays them only as they return from the host.
If you see
doubled characters, you should select Echo instead
of Char. Echo is the default.
Machine Mode
There are four machine modes. These are:
VT340 mode, with 7-bit controls
This is the default. This mode is recommended for most applications.
VT340 mode, with 8-bit controls
The emulator is set for an 8-bit environment with 8-bit controls.
VT100 mode
This mode is intended for situations requiring strict compatibility
with the VT100 terminal. In general, the VT340 7-bit mode is appropriate
for applications that expect a VT100.
VT52 mode
This mode is only for applications designed for the VT52 terminal.
Screen Size
You can choose the number of rows and columns that the session
screen displays. The choices are
Rows: 24, 36, 48, 72, and 144
Columns: 80 and 132
The defaults are 24 rows and 80 columns.
Type of Host Code-Page
The choices are for the host code page are National, PC, and
Multinational. Multinational which selects the 8-bit DEC Supplemental
Graphic Character Set is the default. If you select National, then
you must select a country from the Host Code Page pull-down list.
The PC option selects the PC Code Page 437.
Host Code-Page
Select a National host code page. The choices are as follows:
Belgian
Canadian French
Danish
Finnish
French
German
Italian
Norwegian
Spanish
Swedish
Swiss French
Swiss German
United Kingdom
United States
ISO Latin 9 (ISO 8859-15) character set
support for ASCII (VT) sessions
Support of the ISO Latin 9 (ISO 8859-15) character set is available
for ASCII (VT) sessions.
Optional Parameters
These parameters correspond to setup choices on a VT340 terminal.
Reverse Screen Image
Check this box to reverse the foreground and background colors.
User Feature Lock
Check this box to lock the following functions so that the host
cannot change them.
Auto Repeat
Keyboard Lock
Reversed Screen Image
Tab Stops
Auto Wrap
Check this box if you want the VT emulator to start a new line
whenever the current row of characters reaches the end of line.
Auto-Answer Back Message
Check this box if you want the VT emulator to send a message
automatically to the host, once a connection has been established.
Move Cursor on Mouse
Click
Select this option if you want the cursor to move when you click
the left mouse button in the session window presentation space.
Answer Back Message
Enter the message, which is a maximum of 31 characters, to send
to the host when communication is established.
Conceal
If you check this box, your answerback message is not displayed
in the configuration window. After you conceal your message, the Conceal box has no effect, and the message remains
concealed until it is changed.
User Defined Key Lock
Check this box to lock user-defined keys. For example, you can
select User Defined Key Lock and define the
values of the F6 to F20 keys. These keys are then locked with those
values and cannot be redefined by the host.
Transparent Mode
Check this box to cause the VT emulator to display control characters
rather than interpreting them.
VT ID
The attributes of the selected model are sent to the host computer.
Choose one of the following: VT100 ID, VT101 ID, VT102 ID, VT220 ID, VT240 ID, VT320 ID, or VT340 ID.
History Logging
When this option is enabled, text is logged into the VT history
window as it scrolls off the screen from the top margin row. The top
and bottom margins are set when the host application defines the scrolling
region.
History Logging Buffer Size
Use this list to select one of the available sizes for the history
log buffer. The choices are 16KB, 32KB, 64KB, 128KB, and 512KB. The
default is 64KB.
History Logging - Enhanced
Data erased due to the Erase in Display command is scrolled
into the history window. See Enhanced History Logging for more
information.
Advanced ASCII Host
The Advanced button takes you to the Advanced
ASCII Host dialog. The Advanced Options dialog contains all of the
configuration options needed for the Local editing feature of VT340
Emulation. The following list defines these configuration options.
Default settings are indicated in bold.
Graphics Cursor
Determines whether the graphics input cursor is shown when in
graphics mode. Possible values are Enabled or
Disabled.
Sixel Scrolling
When this option is selected, a sixel graphics image scrolls
to the next row when the last column is reached. Possible values are Enabled or Disabled.
MacroGraph Reports
Controls the ability of the host to retrieve stored macro graph
procedures. Possible values are Enabled or Disabled.
Edit Mode
Selects whether local editing is available and the current mode
of operation. Possible values are Unavailable,
Interactive, or Edit.
Erasure Mode
Determines which characters can be erased in edit mode. Possible
values are Unprotected or All.
Edit Key
Determines how the VT340 emulation switches between interactive
and edit mode. Possible values are Immediate or
Deferred.
Transmit
Determines how the VT340 emulation sends a block of data to
the host system in edit mode. Possible values are Immediate or
Deferred.
Application Keys
Determines how the unshifted function keys F6 through F20 work
in edit mode. Possible values are Disabled,
Immediate, Prefix, or Suffix.
Guarded Area
Determines whether protected characters can be sent to the host
system. Possible values are All or Selected.
Selected Area
Determines whether the VT340 emulation can send all characters
or only selected characters to the host system. Possible values are All or Selected.
Multiple Area
Determines whether VT340 emulation can send all selected areas
on the page, or only the area selected with the cursor. Possible values
are Multiple or Single.
VT131 Transfer
When Line Transmit Mode is disabled, this
feature selects an ANSI-style or VT131-style data transmission. Possible
values are ANSI or VT131. The size of the block
depends on the Transfer Termination Mode value.
EOL Characters
Allows you to select characters used to indicate the end of
a line (EOL) in a data block. By default the VT340 emulation sends
a carriage return (CR). Up to six hexadecimal characters can be specified.
EOB Characters
Allows you to select characters used to indicate the end of
a data block (EOB). This feature has no default. Up to six hexadecimal
characters can be specified.
Page Coupling
Determines whether to automatically display a new page when
the cursor moves to a new page in page memory. Possible values are Enabled or Disabled.
Line Transmit Mode
Allows you to send characters one line at a time to the host
system. Possible values are Disabled or Enabled.
Transfer Termination Mode
When Line Transmit Mode is disabled, this
feature determines whether the VT340 emulation sends a partial page
or the scrolling region. Possible values are Enabled or
Disabled.
Space Compression Mode
Determines how the VT340 emulation sends unused character fields
and spaces in a data block. Possible values are Disabled or
Enabled.
Link Parameters
The Configure Links button take you to a
panel for configuring the details of the connection to the ASCII host
computer. The panel you see depends upon the attachment type that
you chose for your ASCII host. There are two types:
VT over Async
VT over Telnet
Configuring Links for VT over Async
The VT over Async attachment connects to an ASCII host through
a protocol converter, using normal telephone lines or a direct connection.
For VT over Async attachment, you must define the following items.
Attachment Parameters
Communication Port
Line Speed in bps
Data Bits
Parity
Stop Bits
Advanced Configuration Parameters
Flow Control
XOFF Point
Modem Signal Detection
Break Signal Length
Additional Configuration Information
Automatic-Dial
Modem Name
Primary/Backup Phone
Title
Configure Phone/Modem
Automatic-Dial Facility
Automatic-Dial Utility
Dial / Stop Dialing
Hang up
Manual Dial
Auto-exit after connection
Modem-signal indicator
Attachment Parameters
Communication Port
Select the number of the communications port though which your
async connection will be established. The choices are COM1, COM2,
COM3, and COM4. The default is COM1.
Line Speed (bps)
Line speed is the data transmission speed in bits per second.
If
you have a 14,400 or 28,800 baud modem, its use of V.42bis compression
technology allows you to take advantage of the highest speeds that
your system supports. For a 14,400 baud modem, select a line speed
of 57,600 or lower; for a 28,800 baud modem, select 115,200 or lower.
If
you are not successful with these high speeds, you may need to select
a lower line speed. For example, if your COM port does not have a
FIFO buffer, you might need to select a lower speed. When a connection
attempt fails or is not reliable at a higher speed, try a lower speed.
The
default speed is 9600 bps.
The maximum usable speed depends
on the capability of the processor or the communication port. If your
connection fails, try a slow speed.
If you use the 8250 UART,
your line speed should not be higher than 19,200 bps.
Data Bits
Select the number of bits that constitute a character, either
7 or 8. Your choice should match the value your ASCII host uses. The
default is 8.
Parity
Parity is a method for detecting transmission errors. An extra
bit is appended to some unit of data, usually a byte. That bit is
set to 0 or 1, making the total number of 1 bits an even number (for
even parity) or an odd number (for odd parity). The valid parity type
is None, Odd, Even, Space, or Mark. None means that no parity bit
is sent or expected. Mark and Space mean that the parity position
is always set to 1 or 0, respectively, and that received parity is
not checked.
Select the same parity used on your remote system.
The
default is None.
Stop Bits
One or two stop bits signify the end of each asynchronously-transmitted
character. Select the same value, 1 or 2, as used by your remote system.
The number of stop bits in use may depend upon the line speed. The
default is 1.
Advanced Configuration Parameters
The following advanced configuration parameters are available:
Flow Control
Select the method for controlling the flow of data between the
emulator and the modem or the ASCII host. The choices are:
XON/XOFF
The software flow control method places the characters DC3 and
DC1 into the data stream to stop and start the flow of data. This
method, no longer common, allows the session user to pause incoming
data for reading, by using the Control-S and Control-Q keys. DC3 is X'13',
or XOFF; it is initially mapped to Control-S. DC1 is X'11',
or XON; it is initially mapped to Control-Q. The keyboard positions
are remappable.
Hardware
The hardware flow control method uses the electrical signals
RTS (Request to Send) and CTS (Clear to Send). If your modem is using
high-speed data compression, or if you are performing XMODEM or YMODEM
file transfers, this method is mandatory.
Both
This method uses both hardware and XON/XOFF flow control; it
is the default.
None
If you select None there is no flow control.
XOFF Point
For software flow control, the XOFF point is the level (in bytes)
at which the XOFF signal is sent to the modem or ASCII host. The options
(64, 256, 512, and 1024) specify the space remaining in the buffer.
For example, if you select 64, the XOFF signal is sent when 64 bytes
of space remain in the buffer.
Modem Signal Detection
Select the method that the VT emulator will use to determine
whether data can be sent on the asynchronous line. The options are:
None
The VT emulator will assume that the line is ready, ignoring
CD, CTS and DSR.
Ignore CD
The VT emulator will ignore Carrier Detect, which some modems
artificially force high. Use this option if your host is connected
through a null modem cable; most null modems do not support CD.
All
The VT emulator will monitor CD, CTS (Clear to Send) and DSR
(Data Set Ready).
Break Signal Length
The break signal is an intentional framing error on the asynchronous
line, used as an attention signal to the host. Some hosts expect the
break to be a particular length. The default value is 250 milliseconds.
The other options are 500, 1000, and 2000 milliseconds. Select the
value required by your host.
Additional Configuration Information
Automatic-Dial
Click Yes for Automatic-Dial; then use
the Configure Phone/Modem if you need to provide
more detailed information than is shown. Click No if
you are using a leased-line connection; you will not use the Automatic-Dial
Facility.
Modem Name
When running Windows
XP, the modem information is handled through the operating system
control panel modem applet. This drop-down list contains all the modems
defined to Windows®; select the one you wish
to use.
Primary Phone
This entry is the primary phone number that should be dialed,
in order to gain access to the network. It can include a delay for
the dial tone and access codes for an outside line or for long-distance
services.
Backup Phone
This entry specifies a backup phone number. If you specify a
backup number, it is dialed automatically after an attempt to contact
the gateway or host through the primary number fails. If you leave
this option blank, backup dialing does not happen.
Title
This optional entry is text to describe the connection that
you are configuring. The text will be displayed when the number is
dialed, but it has no effect on the connection.
Configure Phone/Modem
When Personal Communications is running onWindows
XP, phone and modem configuration is handled through the operating
system's modem utility.
Clicking this button allows you to adjust
the details of the modem configurations.
Automatic-Dial Facility
The automatic-dial facility establishes a connection to the
host when you start a session.
To use the automatic-dial facility,
you must store the dial information, telephone numbers, communication-line
information and modem-control information in a file. For details,
see the online help. The following functions are provided to
enable you to create and change a dial-configuration file:
Configure Phone/Modem
Automatic-Dial Utility
Automatic-Dial Utility
The automatic-dial utility enables you to configure and use
the automatic-dial function.
The automatic-dial utility window opens
when Show AutoDial Utility in the Communication
menu (on the session-window menu bar) is selected and the Automatic-Dial
Facility starts.
Dial / Stop Dialing
This push-button either starts or stops dialing, depending on
the current dialing status.
Dial
Click Dial to dial the specified telephone
number and establish a connection.
Stop Dialing
Click Stop Dialing to stop the dial process
immediately.
Hang up
Clicking Hang up sends the modem-hang-up
string and disconnects your PC from the remote computer.
Manual Dial
Manual Dial enables you to use a nonpublic
telephone line or operator assist to dial the number.
Auto-exit after connection
Choose Auto-exit after connection if you
want the automatic-dial utility window to close after a connection
is established. The window will otherwise remain open.
Modem-signal indicator
Personal Communications LibraryOn Windows
XP systems, use the operating system's modem utility to monitor modem
signals.
Configuring Links for VT over Telnet
The VT over Telnet attachment is an application that uses TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) and that enables
remote logon to an ASCII host. TCP/IP provides connectivity functions
for both local area networks (LAN) and wide area networks (WAN) and
includes the ability to route information between LANs and WANs. The
major TCP/IP networks--the Internet--use a standardized
addressing procedure to ensure that IP addresses are unique and that
communication between enterprises is possible.
The VT over Telnet attachment for Personal Communications requires
a TCP/IP stack that supports the Windows Sockets
Version 1.1 interface. WSOCK32.DLL must be in the Windows system
directory or the current path to provide the interface for the stack
program and to support the Windows Sockets
V1.1 interface.
For the VT over Telnet attachment, you must define the following
attachment parameters.
Host Name or IP Address (mandatory)
Port Number (optional)
Terminal ID (optional)
Auto-reconnect (optional)
Host Name or IP Address
Specify either the alphabetic name of the target host or its
numeric IP address.
Host Name
The name of the target host is a string--for example:
host.test.ibm.com
Host IP Address
The IP address of the target host is in dotted-decimal notation--for
example: 0.0.0.0
Port Number
Specify the decimal number of the target host's Telnet port.
The default, 23, is the standard Telnet port.
Terminal ID
The VT emulator and the Telnet server use the terminal ID for
negotiating an appropriate connection. Ask your Telnet administrator
for your host's correct terminal ID. When the default box is selected,
the default values are selected from the Machine Mode, as shown in
the following table:
Machine Mode
Default Terminal ID
VT340
DEC-VT220
VT100
DEC-VT100
VT52
DEC-VT52
ANSI
ansi
Auto-reconnect
If the session is disconnected from the host, and if this box
is selected, you will be re-connected automatically.
The default
is not selected.
Using A VT Session
Your Personal Communications VT session works as if you were using a VT340, VT100,
or VT52 terminal. For mainframe VT, iSeries®, eServer™ i5,
or System i5® connections, the protocol converters
have defined VT keyboard sequences, such as F1 or PA1.
The following tables are provided:
Characters generated by VT Compose Key
Characters displayed in transparent mode
OIA line display messages
Refer to Administrator's Guide and Reference for default mapping of
the VT340 keyboard to the PC keyboard, as used by the Personal Communications VT emulator.
Compose Key
The VT emulator supports the VT340 compose key for generating special
characters on the display. Before using the compose key, define a
key combination that represents it.
Using the compose key involves three separate actions:
Press and release the compose key.
Press and release the first character (see Table 33).
Press and release the second character.
The first and second characters may be typed in either order,
except when the table specifies that they must be entered as shown,
Table 33 shows the appearance and name of each
special character, the character pair that generates the character,
and an indication whether the order of entering the characters is
significant.
Table 34 shows the symbol displayed for each character
and control code when the VT emulator is in transparent mode. The
characters at AA and BA are the feminine and masculine ordinals, respectively.
The characters at 1E, 1F, 80, and 9E are underlined, although they
may not appear underlined on the output.
During VT emulation, messages unique to VT can appear in certain
columns of the OIA line. These columns display only VT messages, and
do not display any of the messages that would appear there in 3270
or 5250 mode. Table 35 shows the meaning of each VT-specific
message. Columns that are not mentioned in the table show messages
common to all Personal Communications modes.
New characters replace the character
at the cursor position in Local Edit mode.
INSERT
New characters move characters in
page memory to the right in Local Edit mode.
61 through 64
HOLD
Screen is in hold mode.
66 through 69
EDIT
Local Edit mode is enabled.
71 through 72
Pn (n=1 through 6)
Current page number.
History Logging
You can use the Windows scroll
bar control to view history data from the current VT session. When
configuring the session, select the History Logging option
and specify the size of the log (see Configuring a VT Session).
When history logging is enabled, text is logged into the VT history
window as it scrolls off the screen from the top margin row. The top
and bottom margins are set when the host application defines the scrolling
region, using the DECSTBM command sequence ((ESC [ Pn ; Pn r)).
Enhanced History Logging
When the host application sends the Erase in Display (ED) command
sequence to erase a portion of the emulator screen, the contents can
be logged into the VT history window before being erased. To enable
this functionality, select the History Logging -
Enhanced option, when configuring the VT session parameters.
The format of the host application ED command is ESC [ Ps J, where Ps is
one of the following values:
0
Erases the screen contents from the cursor position to the end
of the screen. This is the default setting.
1
Erases the screen contents from the beginning of the screen
up to and including the cursor position.
2
Erases the entire screen contents.
When the ED command setting is 0 or 1, and History
Logging - Enhanced is enabled, then the portion of the
screen that is about to be erased will be logged into the history
window before being erased. When the parameter value is 2, the entire
screen contents are logged into the history window before being erased,
regardless of whether enhanced history logging is enabled.
