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- Date: Thursday, 26 February 1987 02:29-MST
- From: larry at Jpl-VLSI.ARPA
- To: Info-IBMPC at MIT-MC
- Re: CTTY Answer
-
- An answer to someone else's question follows, on how to set up a cable
- to use another PC as the system console. First you need a serial
- port, of course. The two kinds I've used for this purpose were both
- from IBM: their Asynchronous Communications Adapter and
- Serial/Parallel Adapter. The following cable works on both when
- connected to another ACA or SPA or to a VT100.
-
- pin 2 --------------\ /----------- 2 Transmit Data
- \
- 3 <-------------/ \-----------> 3 Receive Data
-
- 4 --------------\ /----------- 4 Request To Send
- \
- 5 <-------------/ \-----------> 5 Clear To Send
-
- 6 <-+-----------\ /--------+-> 6 Data Set Ready
- | \ |
- 8 <-+ / \ +-> 8 Carrier Detected
- / \
- 20 ------------/ \---------- 20 Data Terminal Ready
-
- 7 ----------------------------- 7 Signal Ground
-
- In case the diagram isn't clear, pins 2 & 3 criss-cross, as do 4 & 5
- and 6 & 20. Pins 6 & 8 are jumpered together. The usual protocol is
- that DTR comes on when power does and goes off only when a terminal
- goes into setup mode or issues a break. In effect, each device says
- "I'm awake!" The other device recognizes this via its DSR input and
- prepares to cooperate. When a device wants to transmit it activates
- RTS ("Can I give you stuff?") and waits until its partner answers
- ("Socket to me!") into its CTS pin.
-
- After the physical hookup is made, enter the appropriate mode command.
- For a VT100 it's typically
-
- MODE COMn:9600,N,8,1
-
- for COM1 or COM2 at 9600 baud, No parity, 8 bits per byte and 1 stop bit.
-
- Then type CTTY COMn
- to give control to the terminal (or terminal emulator) on the serial line.
-
- To return type CTTY CON
- on the terminal.
-
- You can only run programs that use DOS call for input and output.
- BASIC and many word processing programs don't.
-
- Larry @ jpl-vlsi.arpa
-