AS400 async port troubles

[Lee Roth <roth@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'm attempting to convince an AS400 with a 6141 async workstation
controller to talk to me... without much success.

Here is the scenario:

I want to attach a telnet-based terminal server port to the async port on
the 6141, the ultimate goal is being able to have an application program
access the
AS400 and pretend to be an ASCII terminal so some 'screen scraping' kind of
things can be done.

I was unable to find DB25 pinnout info for the async port on the 6141 side,
but I did (via the IBM Fax server) find a document that explained the DB25
pinout on a
3153 ascii terminal. From reviewing that information, it appears that a
"male-to-male null modem" cable would be required to connect the 3153 to
the 6141 port, so I
proceeded to make my own cable accordingly.

Now, I connect the port from the terminal server to the 6141 async port via
my 'null modem cable', but the AS400 continually says "Pending Vary On",
which the
AS400 types tell me means that the AS400 doesn't think there is anything on
the
end of the cable. At present, my terminal server outputs DTR which is wired
to DSR on the
AS400 end.

Here are my questions:

1) What is the AS400/6141 expecting in order to believe there is something
on the port and successfully 'vary on'? Am I missing a particular modem
control
signal, or is there some kind of handshake character sequence that I am not
providing at the moment?

2) The AS400 folks believe they have configured things properly... I
attempted to guide them into configuring the port 'as vanilla as possible'.
(As you can
tell, I have *no* experience with AS400s).

3) Are there any online documents that might provide details that would
help answer #1 and #2? Admittedly, I've only begun my search but have not
uncovered
anything yet.

I'm accustomed to connecting something to a system port, getting the bauds
to match, hitting a few carriage returns and being in business. I have a
distinct
feeling, Toto, that I'm not in Kansas anymore.

Thanks-



Lee Roth
Trade Point USA
roth@tpusa.com

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