[Info-vax] USB/DB9 terminal converter for RX2660

[John E. Malmberg]

On 6/3/2016 9:45 AM, Jan-Erik Soderholm wrote:
> Den 2016-06-03 kl. 15:25, skrev John E. Malmberg:
>
> OK. I responded to this privately since you copied me privately.

The private copy is because of a stupid Thunderbird default that I did 
not notice in the early morning.  It was not intentional.

While past versions of thunderbird just told me that it did not have an 
outgoing e-mail set up and send nothing, this version appears to get 
creative and pick one of my e-mail profiles and use it.

I have not done professional VMS programming since leaving HP, but 
before that was doing similar factory automation to that which you 
describe with some of the same migrations over time.

The PLCs were always communicated over a network protocol, not telnet or 
LAT.

The main use of Telnet/Lat was data entry terminals and barcode scanners.

> Just a comment to this specific line:
>
>  > ...I had to delete and recreate the TNA device after a disconnection.
>
> We create our TNA devices like:
>
> $!
> $  Telnet -
>     /create <IP-addres> <IP-port> <TNA dev number> -
>     /prot=none -
>     /time=(noidle,recon=00:00:02)
> $!

> So if the line is disconnected (the remote unit is restarted or
> whatever), the telnet driver in TCPIP will reconnect automaticly.

I am not sure that option was available on the older TCP/IP stack.

The software package that we used was written for physical terminal 
ports, which when though a terminal server equivalent pair over 802.4 
network.  When the 802.4 vendor went out of business is when we switched 
to LAT.

The TCP/IP use resulted from someone deciding to have us handle the 
terminals and scanners in a site over 1000 miles away instead of 
installing local computer resources.

For local use LAT performance was superior.

But we ended up with so many DecServers and LanTronix terminal servers 
that I fixed the program provided with the older decservers to actually 
backup and restore all the properties of the DecServers we had and also 
work with the LanTronix terminal servers.

I also had a program that scanned the NCP database for terminal servers 
"MOP?" mac addresses and it would connect to all the terminal servers 
registered and back the configurations up on a weekly basis.

Both of those scripts ended up on one of the Freeware volumes, but I do 
not know if anyone else ever used them.

> Anyway, an back on target, suggesting to use LAT for a console
> *today* is a joke. You are seriously limiting yourself in the
> choice of clients...

It is good joke, since I have never used LAT for a console before 
working at HP, and I do not remember if the HP setup used LAT or not.

When I worked on VMS as a customer, the only time I needed access to the 
physical console is when I was doing something local to the box like 
hardware servicing or a major operating system upgrade.  Both of which 
were very infrequent events.

Of course I am a dinosaur that is still using a mouse pad that failed 
Y2K testing.

Regards,
-John
wb8tyw at qsl.net_work