Altos IV User manual

~~_
ALTOS
-
IV
TERMiNAl
USER'S
GuidE

Copyright
Notice
Trademarks
Disclaimer
FCC
Notice
Manual Copyright © 1985 Altos Computer Systems.
All rights reserved. Printed
in
U.S.A.
Unless you request and receive written permission from Altos Computer
Systems, you may not copy any part of this document or the software you
received, except
in
the normal use of the software or to make a backup
copy of each diskette you received.
The Altos logo,
as
it appears
in
this manual,
is
a registered trademark of
Altos Computer Systems.
ADDS Viewpoint A2
is
a trademark of Applied Digital Data Systems, Inc.
Epson
is
a registered trademark of Epson America, Inc.
Hayes Smartmodem
is
a registered trademark of Hayes Microcomputer
Products, Inc.
ADM-31
is
a trademark of Lear Siegler, Inc.
TeleVideo
is
a registered trademark of TeleVideo Systems, Inc.
TeleVideo 910 +
and
925 are trademarks of TeleVideo Systems, Inc.
Neither Altos nor its suppliers make any warranty
with
respect
to
the
accuracy of the information
in
this manual. Altos Computer Systems
reserves the right to make changes to the product described
in
this manual
at any time
and
without
notice.
Warning: This equipment generates, uses,
and
can
radiate radio frequency
energy, and if not installed
and
used
in
accordance
with
the instruction
manual, may cause interference to radio communications. It
has
been tested
and
found
to
comply
with
the limits for a Class A computing device
pursuant to Subpart J of Part
15
of
FCC
Rules, which are designed to
provide reasonable protection against such interference when operated
in
a
commercial environment. Operation of this equipment
in
a residential area
is
likely to cause interference,
in
which case the user, at his
own
expense, will
be required to take whatever measures may
be
required to correct the
interference.

Overview
Your
new
Altos
IV
terminal
is
a compact, powerful tool with many built-in
features to make your work faster
and
easier. A full set of editing functions
has
been programmed into the numeric keypad. There
are
57
programmable
keys/key combinations
and
a set of special graphics characters for creating
line drawings
and
diagrams.
By
following the steps described
in
this guide
to install your
new
Altos
IV
terminal. you'II soon
be
able to take advantage
of these features.
Table
3-4 lists frequently used terminal features
and
their
accompanying keystrokes.
Overview


Tab
I e o f
Contents
1
Installing
the
Terminal
Getting
Ready
Making
Connections
Turning on
the
Terminal
Making
Comfort
Adjustments
2
Setting
Up
the
Terminal
Setup
Mode
Levels
Getting
Ready
Entering Setup
Mode
Changing
Active
Fields and Setup Levels
Changing
the
Setup
Parameters
First Setup Level
Second Setup Level
Third Setup Level
Fourth Setup Level
Fifth Setup Level
Sixth Setup Level
Seventh Setup Level
Leaving Setup
Mode
3
Controlling
the
Terminal
Basic Keyboard Controls
Numeric
Keypad
Terminal Features
Communication
Modes
4
Troubleshooting
Symptoms
and Solutions
Appendices
A Specifications
B
Connector
Pin
Assignments
C
Quick
Reference Guide
D Control Codes
Index
Table
of
Contents
1
1
2
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
6
7
7
9
10
11
13
14
17
20
21
24
27
29
32
43
45
iii


Getting
Ready
Making
Connections
1
Installing
the
Terminal
In
this chapter you'll learn
how
to connect the terminal to a computer (or
modem) and to a serial printer.
Unpack
and
inspect your terminal
and
report anything that's missing or visibly
damaged to your local salesperson.
You
should have a terminal, a keyboard
with coiled cable,
and
a power cord.
You'll need a 25-pin male
RS-232C
cable to connect the terminal to your
computer or modem,
and
another cable if you plan to connect a printer
directly to your terminal. If the connector cables supplied
with
your devices
do not match the
pin
assignments
in
Appendix B
(or
if you don't have
cables). see your local salesperson.
You'll need to plug the terminal into a grounded power outlet. Make sure
your building's voltage
(115
in
the
U.S.)
matches the voltage shown
on
the
back of your terminal. If it doesn't, contact your local salesperson.
Allow three inches around the terminal for ventilation.
Follow these steps to connect the terminal to your computer
and
printer:
1.
Press the front half of the power switch
on
the right side of the
terminal to turn the terminal off.
Chapter 1

2
Turning
on
the
Terminal
2.
Plug
the keyboard cable into the terminal's keyboard socket
on
the left
side
and
into the keyboard.
3.
Connect your computer interface cable to the terminal MODEM port
and
to the computer
RS-232C
port. If you're connecting a modem,
follow the modem manual instructions to connect it to your telephone.
Power
Connector
4.
If you have a serial printer, connect the printer interface cable
to
the
terminal AUX port
and
to the printer RS-232C port.
5.
Tighten the screws
on
both sides of each connector with a
Va-inch
flat-blade screwdriver to secure the connection.
6.
Plug
the slotted (female) end of the power cord into the three-pronged
connector
on
the back of the terminal. Plug the pronged end into a
grounded power outlet (three-slot
in
the U.S.). If there's
no
grounded
outlet nearby, you
can
use
an
adapter if you ground the outlet by
attaching the adapter pigtail to the outlet faceplate screw.
After the terminal is properly installed, turn it
on
by pressing the back half of the
power switch
on
the right side of the terminal. Listen for a beep indicating
that the terminal has received power.
When you turn the terminal
on,
it tests itself for a
few
seconds. If it's been
on
recently, the screen flashes several display patterns
as
the test runs. If
testing uncovers a problem, a beep sounds,
an
error
code-A,
C,
K,
P,
X, Y,
0,
or
9-appears
in
the bottom right corner of the screen,
and
you can't
operate the terminal.
See
Chapter
4,
"Troubleshooting.
If
Installing the Terminal

Making
Comfort
Adjustments
When you see the cursor
in
the upper left corner of the screen, the terminal
has
passed
all
of its tests
and
is
ready for operation. Generally, the next
thing to appear
on
the screen
is
the status line. This line
is
a bold rule at the
top of the screen
with
the letters
FDX,
BLK,
or
HDX
on
the upper left side.
Adjust the terminal so the center of the screen
is
slightly below your eye level.
Tilt it to find the
most
comfortable angle. Adjust the screen's brightness
with
the slideswitch
at
the lower right corner. The slide switch markings are
for your convenience. Brightness levels may vary from terminal to terminal.
Brightness
__
-..;;;..."""~~
Slideswitch
To
slant the keyboard, turn it over
and
pullout
the hinged feet. The
keyboard should be
at
or below elbow height.
Foot
Chapter 1
3

4
Setup
Mode
Levels
Getting
Ready
Entering
Setup
Mode
Changing
Active
Fields
and
Setup
Levels
2
Setting
U p
the
Terminal
In
this chapter, you'll learn
how
to enter setup mode
(a
nonoperating mode)
to adapt your terminal to your computer, peripherals, and application
programs. The terminal cannot communicate
with
a computer or printer
unless they communicate
in
a common language.
In
the first six levels of setup mode, you choose parameters such
as
baud
rate and compatibility,
as
required by your computer, peripherals, and
application programs.
You
choose other parameters, like cursor style and
carriage return, to suit your particular needs.
In
the seventh level of setup mode, you
can
program the terminal control
keys,
as
well
as
the accounting keys
and
function keys. Thus, you can enter
frequently repeated key combinations, or even long character strings,
with
a
single keystroke.
Default values for each parameter are set
at
the factory and you can always
return
to
them. Values you save
in
memory when you leave setup mode
remain
in
memory until you change them. Values you
don't
save remain
in
effect only until you turn
off
the terminal.
Several other terminal features
can
be turned
on
from the keyboard (see
Chapter
3).
The terminal's default values may not match the requirements of your
computer, modem, or printer. Look
in
their manuals
and
note the
requirements
in
the inside back cover of this manual for future reference.
~
Caution-Don't enter setup mode while data
is
being transmitted between the
terminal
and
the computer. The terminal cannot receive data during setup
mode.
To
enter setup mode, press the SHIFT
and
SETUP
keys simultaneously.
Any information
on
the screen remains frozen until you exit setup mode,
and a line of boxes, called fields, appears at the top of the screen. These
fields prompt you
in
setting
up
your terminal.
I
SETUP-Exit
I I
ARROW
KEYS-New
Fleldsl
~
BAR-Next
ChoIce
II
ENTER-Old
II
ESC-Default
I
Another line
of
fields at the bottom of the screen (the setup line) shows
parameters you
can
change. The active field
is
highlighted. Change the
active field
with
the
<l
and
[>
keys.
You
can
rotate through the seven setup
levels
with
the 6 and
\l
keys.
Setting Up the Terminal

Changing
the
Setup
Parameters
First
Setup
Level
Press the
<J
or [> key to choose the parameter you wish to change; press
the spacebar to cycle through your choices. Leave your selection displayed
and go
on
to the next parameter you
want
to change.
Restoring
Parameters
To
restore values previously saved
in
memory, press the
ENTER
key.
To
return
all
parameters to their default values, press the
ESC
key.
To
save
changes you've made, press the SHIFT
and
SETUP
keys simultaneously,
then press the Y
key.
The changes will be saved even after you turn
off
the
power.
The following sections describe the setup levels, their parameters, and
possible settings. Default settings are listed first.
I
HANDSHAKE:
NONE I I
SCREEN:
DARK I ICURSOR: BLOCK I IBL I
NK:
ON
I IMODE: FDX I
Table
2-1
First Setup Level
Parameter Settings Explanation
HANDSHAKE NONE The
MODEM
port has
no
handshaking
protocol. Don't select this if you also
select smooth scroll. transparent or
auxiliary (copy print) print mode, or
19200 or 38400 baud.
XONjXOFF The
MODEM
port handshaking protocol
is
X-onjX-off.
DTR
The
MODEM
port handshaking protocol
is
DTR.
BOTH The
MODEM
port handshaking protocol
is
X-onjX-off
and
DTR.
SCREEN
DARK
The screen
has
a dark background.
LIGHT The screen
has
a light background.
CURSOR BLOCK The cursor
is
a rectangle.
LINE The cursor
is
an
underline.
BLINK
ON
The cursor blinks.
OFF
The cursor
is
steady.
Chapter 2
5

6
Second
Setup
Level
Table
2-1
Continued
Parameter
MODE*
Settings
FOX
HDX
BLOCK
H-BLK
Explanation
The communication mode
is
full-duplex.
The communication mode
is
half-duplex.
The communication mode
is
block.
The communication mode
is
half-duplex
block.
*See Chapter 3 for a discussion of modes.
IDATA
BITS:81IsTOP
BITS:lIIPARITY:NONEI
Table 2-2 Second Setup Level
Parameter Settings Explanation
DATA
BITS
8 The MODEM
and
AUX ports send and
receive only 8-bit characters.
7 The MODEM
and
AUX ports send
and
receive only 7-bit characters.
STOP
BITS
After the terminal sends a character to
the computer, it sends one stop bit.
2 After the terminal sends a character to
the computer, it sends
two
stop bits.
PARITY
NONE The terminal doesn't
add
or check for a
parity bit.
ODD The terminal sends data
with
odd parity,
ignoring any incoming parity bits.
EVEN
The terminal sends data
with
even parity,
ignoring any incoming parity bits.
MARK The terminal sends data
with
mark parity
ignoring any incoming parity bits.
Setting
Up
the Terminal

Third
Setup
level
Fourth
Setup
level
Table 2-3 Third Setup Level
Parameter
BAUD
RATE
Settings
9600
19200
38400
50
75
110
134.5
150
300
600
1200
1800
2000
2400
4800
Explanation
Sets baud rate (speed, expressed
as
bps-bits
per second) at which the
terminal sends and receives data through
the
MODEM
port and sends data out
the AUX port. This sets both the
MODEM and AUX port baud rates.
[]1E
END:
US/CR
I IAUTO
NL:
ON
I
~
IAUTO
SCRL:
ON
I I
LOCK:
CAPS I I
REPEAT:
ON
I
Table 2-4 Fourth Setup Level
Parameter
BLK
END
Chapter 2
Settings
USjCR
Explanation
When you send a block of data, the
terminal sends a unit separator
(US)
character at the end of each line and a
carriage return
(CR)
character at the end
of the block.
CRLF
jETX When you send a block of data, the
terminal sends carriage return and line
feed
(CR
LF)
characters at the end of
each line,
and
an
end of
text
(ETX)
character at the end of the block.
7

8
Table 2-4 Continued
Parameter Settings Explanation
AUTO NL
ON
When a character
is
entered at the end
of
a line, the cursor goes to the beginning
of
the next line.
OFF
When a character
is
entered at the end
of
a line, the cursor stops.
CR
CR
The terminal interprets a received
CR
character
as
a carriage return. The
RETURN and
ENTER
keys send a
CR
character.
CRLF
The terminal interprets a received
CR
character
as
a carriage return and a line
feed. The RETURN and
ENTER
keys
send a
CR
character.
AUTOSCRL
ON
When you enter a character at the end
of
the last line, the top line of data scrolls up
off
the screen and
is
lost.
OFF
When you enter a character at the end
of
the last line, the cursor goes
to
the
top
left corner
of
the screen.
LOCK
CAPS
The CAPS LOCK key shifts the alphabetic
keys
to
uppercase.
REV
Reverses the action of the SHIFT key
when
CAPS LOCK
is
on. All shifted
alphabetic keys are lowercase; unshifted
alphabetic keys are uppercase.
REPEAT
ON
The keys repeat if pressed for more than
one-half second.
OFF
Disables key repeat.
Setting Up
the
Terminal

Fifth
Setup
Level
I
CRT
SAVER:OFF
I I
PROTECT:DIM
II
ATTRIBUTE:PAGE
I
Table 2-5 Fifth Setup
Level
Parameter
CRT
SAVER
PROTECT
ATTRIBUTE
Chapter 2
Settings
OFF
ON
DIM
NORMAL
PAGE
LINE
Explanation
Disables screen
(CRT)
saver feature;
data
is
always displayed.
If the terminal
is
inactive for
18
minutes, the screen blanks but data
is
not lost. Press the SHIFT key to
restore the screen.
Protected characters are dim.
Protected characters appear
in
normal video.
Display attributes
are
active to the
end of the screen or the next
display attribute, whichever
occurs first.
Display attributes
are
active to the
end of the line or the next display
attribute, whichever occurs first.
9

10
Sixth
Setup
Level
'COMPATIBLE
MODE:WY30
/
~~
'KEYPAD:NUMERIC/ 'FKEYS:REMOTEI ,TEST:OFF /
Table 2-6 Sixth Setup Level
Parameter Settings Explanation
COMPATIBLE Altos
IV
The terminal
can
run
programs
written
MODE for WY-50, WY-100,
and
Lear Siegler
ADM-31 terminals.
TV1910+ The terminal
can
run
programs
written
for TeleVideo 910 + terminals.
TVI925 The terminal
can
run
programs
written
for TeleVideo 925 terminals.
ADDSVP The terminal can run programs
written
for ADDS Viewpoint A2 terminals.
ENHANCE
OFF
The terminal ignores the enhanced
set of commands.
ON
The terminal recognizes
an
additional
group of commands normally
recognized by the terminal selected
in
Compatible mode.
KEYPAD
NUMERIC The keypad keys function
as
normal
numeric keys.
APPLIC The keypad sends application
sequences.
FKEYS
REMOTE Reprogrammed function keys send
code sequences to the computer.
LOCAL Reprogrammed function keys send
code sequences only to the terminal.
TEST
OFF
The terminal is ready for normal
operation.
ON
Enables a manufacturing test.
Do
not
select this value.
Setting Up the Terminal

Seventh
Setup
Level
The seventh setup level allows you to program
57
keys:
•The terminal control keys
(ESC,
TAB,
BACK
SPACE,
DEL,
RETURN, LINE
FEED,
6,
'V,
<J,
l>,
and
HOME)
•The accounting keys
on
the numeric keypad (comma, minus sign, period,
ENTER,
and
0 through
9)
•The function keys
on
the top row of the keyboard
These keys
can
hold a total of 1024 characters
(64
per key
up
to 1024). The
first
121
characters you program are saved
in
memory; the rest are
effective only until you turn
off
the terminal's power.
The terminal assigns memory space
in
the same order
as
keys are displayed
in
setup mode. When you reprogram a
key,
it may use
up
some of the
121
character spaces previously saved for another
key.
To
check that a key's
program
is
saved, press that key to see if it displays a highlighted field.
You
can
continue reprogramming the keys until you leave the setup mode.
As soon
as
you enter the seventh setup level, the top line
of
the screen
displays fields that prompt you
in
programming the keys.
ISETUP-Exltllup
or
DOWN-New
KeyIILEFT-BackIIENTER-Oldl
[BOME-ClearIIOTHER-Datal
The bottom line displays the name of a key that you
can
program.
Each
of the
57
programmable keys
is
displayed, one at a time beginning
with
the terminal control keys. The area (or field) following the key's name
is
highlighted. As you enter characters, they appear
in
the highlighted field.
•
Note-If
you try to enter more than 64 characters for that
key,
the terminal
beeps
and
the rest of the characters are ignored.
The next section describes the steps you would follow to program any
of
these keys.
Chapter 2
11

12
Programming
Terminal
Control
Keys
In
this section you/II learn
how
to program the terminal
control
keys
[ESC,
TAB,
BACK
SPACE
(BS)'
DEL,
RETURN
(RTN),
LINE
FEED
(LF)'
UP
(!'t
DOWN
(v),
LEFT
«),
RIGHT
(»/
and
HOME].
1.
Display the key you
want
to program by pressing the
\l
(or 6)
key.
2.
Type the characters you
want
this key to send.
To
enter
an
escape
sequence, press the
ESC
key
and
the other key(s).
To
enter a control
code, press
CTRL
at
the same time you press the other
key.
If you
want
to
add
a
CR
character, press the
RETURN
key.
Escape
sequences, control codes, and
CR
characters each count
as
one
character.
•
Note-Remember,
you
can
enter up to 64 characters per
key.
The first
121
characters you enter
can
be saved
in
memory when you turn
off
the terminal. After you enter more than
121
characters, the characters
are displayed
in
a dim field. These dim characters are saved only until
you turn off the terminal/s power.
If you make
an
error, press the
<J
key to delete the previous character,
or press HOME to clear the field
and
start again.
3.
Select the next key you
want
to program by pressing the
\l
(or 6)
key.
Press the HOME key
to
clear any old data (previously programmed) from
the
key.
•
Note-If
you clear a key
and
don/t reprogram it, the terminal will send the key/s
default values.
If you/ve previously programmed the keys
and
during a subsequent
programming session
want
to restore their previous contents which
were
saved
in
memory, press the
ENTER
key.
Programming
Accounting
Keys
The accounting keys [comma
(KPD
I),
minus sign
(KPD
-)/
period
(KPD
.),
ENTER,
and
0 through 9
(KPD
0 through
KPD
9)]
have default editing
functions (see Chapter
3).
While you/re
in
the seventh setup level, the
bottom line on your screen displays the field for the first accounting
key,
the
keypad comma, shown
as
~
You
can
program these keys by following Steps 1 through 3
in
the section
"Programming Terminal Control Keys."
Setting Up
the
Terminal

Leaving
Setup
Mode
Programming
Function
Keys
The function keys
on
the top row of the numeric keypad (described
in
Chapter
3)
can
also
be
programmed.
You
effectively have 32 programmable
function keys
(8
shiftable to
16).
The unshifted function keys are displayed
as
Fl
through F16; the shifted keys are displayed
as
sFl
through sF16.
Chapter 3 describes function keys
in
detail. If you do not program them,
they send the default codes
as
listed
in
Table
3-3.
You
can
program the function keys by following Steps 1 through 3
in
the
section "Programming Terminal Control Keys."
Press the SHIFT
and
SETUP
keys simultaneously to leave setup mode. The
status line displays
I
SAVE
CHANGES
FOR
POWER-ON?
I
~
~
I
ENTER-Old
I I
ESC-Defaul
t I
• Press the Y key to save
all
changes
in
memory. The changes will be saved even
if you turn
off
the power or reset the terminal.
• Press the N key to leave setup mode
without
saving the changes. The
new
parameters are effective only until you turn
off
the power.
• Press the
ENTER
key to restore
all
parameters from memory before leaving
setup mode.
• Press the
ESC
key to restore
all
parameters to their factory default values. Then
press Y to save these values, if desired.
Chapter 2
13

14
Basic
Keyboard
Controls
3
Controlling
the
Terminal
This chapter describes
how
to control the terminal
from
the
keyboard.
The alphanumeric keys are identical
to
those on a standard typewriter. Keys
that control terminal functions (such as RETURN and TAB) are dark grey.
IBGGGIIGGGGIIEJEJEJEJI
EJEJBB
[;J[;J~~
B
OJ
[]]
rn
OJ
[I]
[1J
[I]
GJ
ITJ
[]]
[]
[;Jll
BackJ
~
Prey
SCRN
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 . =
Space
Next
[E]JGJ000[2J~G0GGWITJLJ
~
Del
[E]JGJGJG0~000~DCJI
[Retn]
§
Ej[EIJ000~000[3JCJOJ[8J0B
I~II
IDGGG
To
reprogram
the
terminal control keys, see Chapter
2.
The
following
table
describes
the
default
functions
of
the
terminal control keys
when
the
terminal's
not
in
setup
mode. The local keys, CAPS LOCK and RESET
SETUP, act directly at
the
terminal. All
the
other
keys (called remote keys)
send ASCII codes
that
your
computer's
programs
may
reinterpret. If you are
in
block
mode,
the
code is
sent
directly
to
the
terminal and produces
the
effects
described
in
Table
3-1
.
•
Note-Keep
in
mind
that
pressing
them
will
not
produce
the
described
effect
unless your program recognizes
the
codes
sent
by
these
keys.
Table 3-1
Key
ARROW
KEYS
The Keyboard
Description
Move
the
cursor
in
the
direction
of
the
arrows. Press
the
CTRL and
6.
or
'V
keys
to
change
the
smooth
scroll speed.
6.
sends VT;
'V
sends LF;
<J
sends BS;
[>
sends
FF.
Controlling
the
Terminal
Table of contents