[GreenKeys] simulators and TTYs

Fri Dec 13 20:50:24 EST 2013

On Fri, Dec 13, 2013 at 05:07:39PM -0800, W2HX wrote:
> Ok, I'm interested in this thread.  Quick question. Does anyone know if I can use some flavor of unix/linux that would allow me to simply set a termcap to force baudot code and upper case only?  I guess the question asked in another way would be, how easily could I make my M28 machines work as a terminal to some kind of computer system either linux or a simulated operating system such as being discussed below.  I am familiar with the RS232-60mA conversion. But I am hoping something simple as a configuration could tell the system that my terminal speaks baudot.
> 
> thanks
> 73 Eugene W2HX

not with baudot. linux can set the character framing but doesn't know the 
character set. i use an adapter i made from a little usb dev board. others 
here on the list will suggest other alternatives i'm sure. if they fail to 
dissuade you you're welcome to my code and info. the dev board is around 
$20 from pjrc.com (teensy 2.0) iirc. you still need a pair of optocouplers 
too, and if +you want to run full duplex, which you really do, two loop 
supplies. This makes it look more or less like the normal ascii terminal 
it is expecting.  

You certainly could write software for linux to do the translation etc and 
present a pty interface you could run a getty on, and that's probably a
cleaner approach, but what I have works and I haven't felt like spending
the time or energy. 

eric

> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Christian Gauger-Cosgrove
> Sent: Friday, December 13, 2013 6:19 PM
> To: Cory Heisterkamp
> Cc: David Burns; greenkeys
> Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] the rareness of the KSR 35 vs ASR 35
> 
> I'll field an answer to this question!
> 
> 
> 
> On 13 December 2013 12:51, Cory Heisterkamp <coryheisterkamp at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Which begs the question, could something similar be done today as sort 
> > of an interactive historical recreation? Either using a local PC as 
> > the 'time share' machine, or setting up a web-accessible server where 
> > scratch files could be created and TTY's could "dial" into? Wouldn't that be a kick.
> > -Cory
> >
> There are two questions which you need to ask before you can start with such a project:
> 
> 1. What computer and what operating system would I like to emulate?
> 2. What is the host platform?
> 
> If your answer to the first question is any of the machines in the SIMH suite (most popular being the PDP-11, PDP-8, HP21xx, and DG NOVA), then rejoice, for in the newest 4.0 branch it is possible to hook the virtual serial devices to real serial ports. To get them working with a teletype, you'd need only have to configure the serial port correctly, and put a current loop converter between the two sides.
> 
> If you want to run an IBM mainframe system, you develop a much more difficult problem, of needing to convert the raw TTY traffic into telnet. Though, you can emulate any System/370 and upwards machine; but as I'm unsure of whether MTS has been resurrected it may not be all that useful to you unless you feel comfortable configuring/reconfiguring/sysgen'ing the operating systems that I know for certain are available (OS/360 21.8F, MSV 3.8J, and VM370 version-I-cannot-remember).
> 
> There are other simulators available that emulate other systems, I don't know much/anything about them though (there is dtcyber like Mr.
> Elmquist mentioned in his e-mail). There is also a professional PDP-11 simulator out there known as E11, it is quite costly for a commerical version (necessary for larger disks, like what would be used on a timesharing system) but it has a lot of functionality that SIMH doesn't implement/probably won't implement (example: it works with UNIBUS and QBUS interface hardware, so you can control real peripherals). If you plan on simulating a PDP-10 SIMh only supports the KS10, if you need support for the KL10 (e.g. for later versions of TOPS-20), you have to use the klh10 emulator, which as far as I can tell only works on POSIX systems.
> 
> 
> The second question determines the ease with which you can interface to the teletype. SIMH in the 4.0 version works fine on Windows and POSIX environments (BSD, Linux, Solaris, or actual UNIX); however some of the stuff that might be doable on POSIX systems without too much work (like automatically answering modem pools) are difficult -- at best -- on Windows.
> 
> 
> 
> If you want some help setting up a SIMH instance and some of the DEC operating systems (I mostly dink around with RSTS/E as a hobby) I'd be more than happy to help you set it up.
> 
> 
> 
> Also, for maximal comedy, you can also setup most Linux and BSD distributions such that they will accept logins from serial ports. So if you wanted you could always connect a Model 33 or Model 35 to your modern Linux or BSD box and actually use the system itself via the 33 or 35. (There might be some oddness though.)
> 
> 
> Cheers,
> Christian
> 
> 
> --
> Christian M. Gauger-Cosgrove
> STCKON08DS0
> Contact information available upon request.
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