OS2 World Community Forum

OS/2, eCS & ArcaOS - Technical => Applications => Topic started by: christech on August 17, 2022, 06:39:19 pm

Title: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: christech on August 17, 2022, 06:39:19 pm
Can anyone recommend an app to connect to serial devices? I found my COM port with the help here. I'm trying to connect to a network switch to test out the connection.
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: ivan on August 17, 2022, 08:37:04 pm
Is it an active or passive switch?  If active, all you need is a browser and open the management console.  If passive, just plug in the network cable to the internet modem and another cable to your computer then use a browser to connect to the internet.

I have both active and passive switches on my internal network and have never used a serial device on them.
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: Eugene Tucker on August 17, 2022, 08:39:39 pm
There is a versio of Putty for OS?2 Arca OS   It is a bit old. the is another app called ZOC which they stopped making an OS/2 version ages ago. but I think you can still get it from EMtec .... https://www.emtec.com/download.html?what=zoc#zocfiles. It was a very good application.
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: christech on August 17, 2022, 09:24:32 pm
I tried QPutty but there is no serial option. With ZOC I can see the serial output from the switch but can't type anything.
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: Dave Yeo on August 17, 2022, 11:12:37 pm
Kermit? http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/k95.html (http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/k95.html). Hmm, binaries don't seem to be there, I'll zip up my install and attach.
Also https://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/util/remote/miniTerm_a5.zip (https://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/util/remote/miniTerm_a5.zip) might work as a simple terminal program. It's been a long time but there are others at https://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/util/remote/ (https://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/util/remote/)

Let me know if kermit works, should be uploaded to Hobbes
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: Andreas Schnellbacher on August 18, 2022, 12:11:45 am
With ZOC I can see the serial output from the switch but can't type anything.
ZOC has several protocols and handshakes to try. It's rather unlikely that it doesn't work. Additionally the baud rates etc. must match. Which cable do you try with which application on the other side?
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: christech on August 18, 2022, 12:38:36 am
I'm using a serial console cable to my Serial USB. I'll try Kermit..
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: Andreas Schnellbacher on August 18, 2022, 09:53:11 am
I'm using a serial console cable to my Serial USB.
From one machine to the other? Or from one port to another both on the same machine, which is similar? What do you mean with "serial console cable"? Pins 2 and 3 straightly connected?

Then you need a null modem cable. Sometimes it works to exchange just 2 and 3 on one side, but in most cases you also need the other connections.
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: christech on August 18, 2022, 05:34:47 pm
Console cables are rollover or crossover cables. These typically come with the switches to provide an initial setup.
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: Andreas Schnellbacher on August 18, 2022, 07:15:20 pm
Console cables are rollover or crossover cables. These typically come with the switches to provide an initial setup.
OK, I understand. Then it might not be a machine-to-machine connection. And if the cable is prepared for a connection to a machine, it should work. I guess that the baud rates doesn't match.

The serial interface is probably not the Kermit protocol. That doesn't mean that a so-called Kermit terminal app can't work with it. But Kermit is one of the protocols for point-to-point connections. BTW: XModem is another one that allows reliable connections with a null modem cable even up to 57600 Baud. But that doesn't apply for your case.

Do you have a description in the switch manual about how to connect to a machine over the supplied cable?
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: Andi B. on August 19, 2022, 11:17:07 am
OS/2 usually comes with Halite. Maybe you have to select it during ArcaOS installation. It  reminds me a bit to Hyperterminal on Win. It's simple and looks a bit weird this days but it works if you set up a serial connection profile.

Zoc is 'the' ultimate terminal application for OS/2 - ArcaOS with all sort of functions and possibilities which may be confusing at first. But it's worth to play with it.

Qputty also works here.   

Quote
With ZOC I can see the serial output from the switch but can't type anything.
So your cable and baud rate is okay. I suggest you deselect all the handshake options in the Zoc dialog to test. Maybe that helps. If not, I once had a problem with a USB to serial converter which only worked in one direction. I trashed it away and another one works as expected.
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: Andreas Schnellbacher on August 19, 2022, 10:30:31 pm
Halite - Hyperterminal
Both stem from the same producer, Hilgraeve. Hyper Access existed also for W$. Both didn't work for many connections. But is should work well with standard connections and fonts.

Zoc is 'the' ultimate terminal application for OS/2 - ArcaOS
.. and still for Windows, while PuTTY is nowadays the better option, at least it was for Telnet. I don't have experience with it over serial connections. BTW: I use the same ZOC version on W$ at work that exists as last version for OS/2, just because it has less bugs. I have included key conversion and many REXX macros for automation. But I agree, that should be overkill for a simple connection with a appropriate cable.

Quote
With ZOC I can see the serial output from the switch but can't type anything.
So your cable and baud rate is okay. I suggest you deselect all the handshake options in the Zoc dialog to test.
Good point. May be. The standard is: 9600/8/N/1/- (9600 Baud, 8 Bit, no parity, 1 stop bit, no Xon/Xoff hand shake AKA flow control.)
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: christech on October 03, 2022, 11:37:39 pm
I've gotten further. Saw another post to add the /Z /V to the USBCOM.SYS device statement. I am now able to connect to the serial device and enter text. The problem now is it its adding some extra characters when I enter text. So far HyperAccess Lite is the only program that is at least connecting. I see the [24;11H after entering text and it seems to me like it's some kind of escape sequence.
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: Tom on October 04, 2022, 12:03:15 am
I see the [24;11H after entering text and it seems to me like it's some kind of escape sequence.

If I am not mistaken, that escape sequence positions the cursor on row 24, column 11 on your screen. Does this match what you are seeing?
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: christech on October 04, 2022, 12:19:29 am
Sounds about right, I was also able to get ZOC working, and it's doing the same thing. I was able to login to the device but the escape sequences are still there. Weird!
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: christech on October 04, 2022, 12:46:18 am
When logged into the device with ZOC, it now has a [25;26H escape code
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: christech on October 05, 2022, 04:54:44 pm
I found a PC with a serial port. Loaded up ArcaOS on it. Guess what? The serial port works perfect. No extra characters when typing into a serial session. I tried two USB->Serial adapters and they both have the same behaviour with the escape sequences. I'm guessing it has something to do with the USBCOM.SYS and it's PL2303 support, perhaps there is something with my two adapters and the way their PL2303 chipset.. ZOC is working great and so is HyperAccess Lite with the plain USBCOM.SYS.
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: Andi B. on October 05, 2022, 05:09:56 pm
I've numerous PL2303 adapters which do not send/receive extra characters. Neither with the old PL2303 driver from hobbes nor with the latest usbcom from ArcaNoae.
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: christech on October 05, 2022, 05:18:03 pm
Weird, right? Maybe these have counterfeit chips  ;D These PL2303 based adapters are no names. I have a few more that I will try out.
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: Andi B. on October 05, 2022, 05:32:06 pm
What does this
Quote
[25;26H
mean in HEX values? Are these 2, 3 or more bytes?
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: christech on October 05, 2022, 06:10:51 pm
I ran lsusb for each USB-> serial adapter, and they are the same.

Bus 001 Device 005: ID 067b:2303 Prolific Technology, Inc. PL2303 Serial Port /
Mobile Action MA-8910P


Bus 001 Device 005: ID 067b:2303 Prolific Technology, Inc. PL2303 Serial Port
Mobile Action MA-8910P

Bus 001 Device 005: ID 067b:2303 Prolific Technology, Inc. PL2303 Serial Port /
Mobile Action MA-8910P
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 067b:2303 Prolific Technology, Inc. PL2303 Serial Port /
Mobile Action MA-8910P

Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: jailbird on October 05, 2022, 07:14:53 pm
As a child of the BBS era, I can safely assume that those are ANSI escape sequences:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code

Sounds like your ZOC terminal emulation on the working host is probably ANSI and on the non-working host probably VT100?
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: roberto on October 05, 2022, 09:24:58 pm
I ran lsusb for each USB-> serial adapter, and they are the same.

Bus 001 Device 005: ID 067b:2303 Prolific Technology, Inc. PL2303 Serial Port /
Mobile Action MA-8910P

Look at this link can be helpful for you:
https://www.os2world.com/forum/index.php/topic,1277.45.html
Saludos
Title: Re: Terminal App Recommendation
Post by: christech on October 05, 2022, 10:24:46 pm
As a child of the BBS era, I can safely assume that those are ANSI escape sequences:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code

Sounds like your ZOC terminal emulation on the working host is probably ANSI and on the non-working host probably VT100?

That's what I was thinking. But the host is VT100. I tried changing the terminal emulation and that didn't help.