DEC M3134-PA DS500 module

[Ethan Dicks]

On 4/21/06, a.carlini at ntlworld.com <a.carlini at ntlworld.com> wrote:
> Jay West wrote:
> > However, I think you're missing the basic concept here. The IBM coax
> > terminals do not speak ascii, nor do they speak RS232. Nor are they
> > character based like ANY and EVERY terminal you've probably delt with
> > before. The electrical spec isn't similar to RS232 but current
> > loop...
>
> I know next to nothing about the M3134. It implements enough to
> allow you to hook a 3270-speaking terminal to a DECserver 550.

I, too, know little about the M3134 (but I used to manufacture IBM
protocol emulators for HASP, 3780 and SNA, including 3270
emulators)... about all I _do_ know about the M3134 is that the output
physical layer is some form of coax.  If that doesn't directly connect
a 3270-type terminal, I can't imagine what it's for.  I've only ever
plugged genuine IBM 3270 terminals into a 3274, and a 3274 into a 4331
(mid 1980s, for those at home keeping score).

Now... from an application standpoint, it would be helpful if the
M3134 did some protocol massaging (ASCII<->EBCDIC, 3270 to
stream-of-bytes,etc), but I don't know what it really does.

-ethan