Re: TK Added Value Items

> Dave Wade wrote:

> > Gerhard wrote:

> > The primary advantage of using the protocol converter is that it 
> > provides ASCII CRT support with existing software, whereas the 
> > TWX attach mode has neither screen services nor available 
> > software. The other advantage is that it allows the use of 
> > hardware tabs, which makes program entry much easier. Since I 
> > still don't have a working Wylbur (chokes on ASM XF, and 804s on 
> > Tachyon), this would be a nice alternative.

> I can't see any point in doing 7171 support as if you have a LINUX,
> Solaris or BSD box then you can get ASCII CRT support via TN3270. If
> you look at my pics in the VM/370 group:-

> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/H390-VM/photos/album/1040167207/pic/list

> You can see my TeleVideo Personal Terminal (TV/PT) connected as a
> 3270 to VM/370 via my Sparc U60. The TV/PT connects directly to one
> of the serial ports on the U60 ...

><snip>

> I have used a real 7171 and I would say the above gives almost
> exactly the same functionality and feel.

><snip>

> Given this I can't see any point in adding 7171 or Yale ASCII
> support to Hercules. Perhaps it would be worth providing a cook book
> for how to set this up, and seeing if it could be made to work in
> Windows. I don't see why it couldn't be made to work on Windows
> using one of the many UNIX for Windows tool sets, such as CYGWIN,
> but as I have a SparcStation20 and a SparcU60 I haven't really
> bothered. In fact if it won't work on Windows directly I could
> probably produce a 7171/Yale Ascii VMWare appliance that would run
> under the VMWare player/or the VMWare server and which would give
> the same sort of function. Given that no "X" windows is needed this
> could be a very light VM.....

From the discussion it seems that attaching via a 7171 isn't quite like a 2703/TTY session ( http://www.lightlink.com/mhp/2703 ) and that the ASCII-3270/3270-ASCII 'magic' would be taking place outside of MVS as Dave mentions, perhaps in Hercules emulation or a standalone application.

From the MVS side of things it also looks like there is no 7171 device in the system generation so perhaps the '3270's it provides are genned as normal 3270s without MVS's knowledge that the attached are somewhat different.

Phil