Lear-Siegler Terminals (such as ADM-3A) <#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#> Newsgroups: comp.terminals Path: utkcs2!emory!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!hela.iti.org!cs.widener.edu !dsinc!netnews.upenn.edu!gynko!rsk From: rsk@gynko.circ.upenn.edu (Rich Kulawiec) Subject: Re: ADM5 (?): The Terminal From Hell... Message-ID: <102267@netnews.upenn.edu> Date: 16 Dec 92 05:00:44 GMT References: <1992Dec10.235708.1@acad.drake.edu> Sender: news@netnews.upenn.edu Organization: Mike Singletary Appreciation Society Lines: 42 Nntp-Posting-Host: gynko.circ.upenn.edu In article <1992Dec10.235708.1@acad.drake.edu> aar001@acad.drake.edu writes: >Ques: What the heck is an ADM5? > >INFO: I took it apart *grin* and looked inside. The producion date seems > to be about March 1982, and its board has about 64 chips. (1 K > chips I would guess) And at the top back of the inside is a little > switch board with 6 (?) little switches. and on the right and left > side (inside above keyboard ) are 2 switches that don't seem to > do anything. > > Ques: Anyone know if the ADM5 can be modified to simulate a VT100 terminal? Since all of its functions are implemented in hardware -- and I mean, in *hardware*, as in the finest Schottky TTL money could buy a decade ago, this would be a tough job. You are looking at Lear-Siegler's followup to the ADM3A, a vintage piece of computing gear so beloved that it has its own newsgroup, alt.religion.adm3a. (In fact, you might try posting your query there, as many ADM3A afficianados may be found there.) Count your blessings: you have a terminal that handles lowercase *without* the necessity of installing the upgrade kit. ;-) ADM's are also pretty hard to kill; I once bounced one down a flight of stairs, and it worked just fine afterwards. They also possess the same flowing, graceful, eye-pleasing lines as a Volkswagen Beetle, another simplistic low-tech design which proved remarkably sturdy. The ADM3A, by the way, has nearly a perfect layout for a Unix keyboard: no weenie function keys, no silly keypad, no useless caps lock, and no arrow keys. What it does have is (1) a handy escape key, just to the left of "q", (2) a handy control key, just to the left of "a", (3) an easy to smack ^, in the upper right hand corner, (4) a decent ~, which is the shift of ^, (5) handy [] and {}, (6) handy _ (right of ;), and (7) reasonable handling of the rest of the punctuation. Compare this sensible layout with the unbelievably brain-damaged default keyboard that Sun ships with Sparc 2's these days. Unfortunately, the ADM5 terminals deviated from their streamlined predecessors by moving the control key to an annoying spot and adding a few useless extra keys. ---Rsk <#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#> Newsgroups: comp.terminals Path: cs.utk.edu!gatech!news.ans.net!cmcl2!adm!smoke!gwyn From: gwyn@smoke.brl.mil (Doug Gwyn) Subject: Re: Another approach to the Adm3a+? Message-ID: <19607@smoke.brl.mil> Date: 26 Jan 93 15:15:35 GMT References: Organization: U.S. Army Ballistic Research Lab, APG MD. Lines: 35 In article mphall@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu (Michael Hall) writes: > This leads me to think there may be a function within the stty >command that sets space characters to either destructive or merely >cursor-forward commands No, "stty" merely affects future behavior of the tty handler portion of the operating system; it does not transmit anything to the terminal. While some of the LSI ADM family of terminals can be configured to have code 32 (space) act as a non-destructive cursor-right action, it is really not a good idea, as many programs expect the usual space character to act destructively. Code 12 (ctrl-L) does act as a cursor- right command regardless of switch settings, and thus this capability is available even when the normal, destructive space is configured. I've seen quite a few incorrect ADM termcaps; here is the set I use. # # LSI ADM-3A, ADM-3A+, ADM-5 # The following ADM-3A switch settings are assumed for normal operation: # SPACE U/L_DISP CLR_SCRN 24_LINE # CUR_CTL LC_EN AUTO_NL FDX # Other switches may be set for operator convenience or communication # requirements. I recommend # DISABLE_KB_LOCK LOCAL_OFF 103 202_OFF # ETX_OFF EOT_OFF la|adm3a|LSI ADM-3A:\ :am:bl=^G:cl=1^Z:cm=\E=%+ %+ :co#80:cr=^M:do=^J:ho=^^:kd=^J:kl=^H:\ :kr=^L:ku=^K:le=^H:li#24:ma=^K^P:nd=^L:rs=^N:sf=^J:up=^K:\ :bs:nl=^J: lb|adm3a+|LSI ADM-3A+:\ :tc=adm3a: l5|adm5|LSI ADM-5:\ :cd=\EY:ce=\ET:kb=^H:kh=^^:se=\EG:sg#1:so=\EG:tc=adm3a: <#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#> Newsgroups: comp.terminals Path: cs.utk.edu!emory!gatech!kd4nc!cld From: cld@kd4nc.uucp (Charles D'Englere) Subject: Re: Help with ADM/3A Message-ID: <1993Mar3.181250.23827@kd4nc.uucp> Organization: KD4NC HAM Packet Radio Gateway References: Date: Wed, 3 Mar 1993 18:12:50 GMT Lines: 28 glenw@remus.rutgers.edu (Glenn T. Wasserman) writes: >I'm going nuts with an Old ADM-3A terminal - the problem is I'm not even >sure if it works right. >I'm trying to connect to a unix machine (linux) and I can't seem to get >uppercase and lowercase to work. There are a bunch of DIP switches, and I >can't seem to get the right combination. Anyone familiar with this? >-Glenn >-- >* Glenn Wasserman - Rutgers University - Computer Science * >** Yes, I use OS/2 and Linux! DOS and Win 3.1 stink! ** >* glenw@remus.rutgers.edu * glenw@gandalf.rutgers.edu * >************************************************************************* Most of these terminals required an optional lower casekit to get the lower case letter to show on the screen. If you have an open 24 pin dip socket, then the kit is NOT installed. Charles -- Grady Memorial Hospital Information Systems UUCP: {...!gatech,!emory}!kd4nc!cld Charles L. D'Englere KD4APM Phone: 404+6167815 100 Edgewood Avenue Atlanta, GA 30305 <#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#> Newsgroups: comp.emacs,comp.terminals,comp.unix.shell Path: cs.utk.edu!darwin.sura.net!haven.umd.edu!mimsy!afterlife!adm!smoke!gwyn From: gwyn@smoke.brl.mil (Doug Gwyn) Subject: Re: HELP! The bells emacs is sending are freaking out my terminal! Message-ID: <19825@smoke.brl.mil> Date: 9 Mar 93 18:28:58 GMT References: Followup-To: comp.emacs Organization: U.S. Army Ballistic Research Lab, APG MD. Lines: 16 Xref: cs.utk.edu comp.emacs:12452 comp.terminals:414 comp.unix.shell:10047 In article ejh@khonshu.colorado.edu (Edward J. Hartnett) writes: >I have a very weird problem with my adm5 terminal dialing into GNU >emacs 18.58; every now and again my terminal will freak out, shooting >all kinds of garbage on to the screen and into emacs too! I have >determined that it happens (both in the tcsh and emacs) every time I >would normally expect a beep! That is, whenever the computer sends a >control G (bell) to my terminal. Hm, this sounds vaguely familiar. I seem to recall that some LSI terminals would respond to ^G by performing some special diagnostic dump -- IF and only IF a certain pin on the RS-232-C port were asserted. This may have been pin 22 but I'm not certain. I can't seem to find the hardware manual for this terminal. The solution, assuming this is the problem, would be to cut the offending wire from the RS-232-C cable. (Very few pins are needed by the ADM-5, and you can probably get by with just pins 2, 3, and 7.) <#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#> Newsgroups: comp.terminals,comp.unix.shell,comp.emacs Path: cs.utk.edu!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!boulder !colorado.edu!ejh From: ejh@khonshu.colorado.edu (Edward J. Hartnett) Subject: MORE INFO on that adm5, ^G problem Message-ID: Sender: news@colorado.edu (The Daily Planet) Nntp-Posting-Host: khonshu.colorado.edu Organization: CIRES, University of Colorado Date: 12 Mar 93 12:08:56 Lines: 45 Xref: cs.utk.edu comp.terminals:434 comp.unix.shell:10107 comp.emacs:12491 Recently I posted a problem I was having with an old adm5 terminal, namely that it was going beserk every time a ^g was sent to it by emacs. I already posted a way to make sure that emacs stops sending the ^g, but seemingly there's a better solution that I'll be trying any day now... Here's a message I received which summarized the situation well. Thanks again to all who replied. From: BRANDAUER CARL M To: ejh@khonshu.colorado.edu Subject: Re: SUMMARY - HELP! The bells emacs is sending are freaking out my terminal! Newsgroups: comp.emacs,comp.terminals,comp.unix.shell The real problem lies in a truly idiotic decision (feature??) of all early ADM type terminals. If one of the rarely used pins in the DB25 connector, something like 'Ring Indicator' or similar, is tied high/low?, the terminal goes into a self-test mode when a CTRL-G (Bel) is received. The solution is to cut all of the connections in the DB25 cable not needed - usually only a few pins are necessary. If you need numbers let me know and I'll look it up at home. Sorry I can't be more specific about the offending pin - while at BTL we repeatedly paid Lear-Siegler $150.00 for sevice calls until we stopped using cables with all 25 pins connected - BUT, that was at least 15years ago. Cheers - Carl Brandauer PS - I got another message from someone who suggested it might be pin 22. Right now I'm using a straight thru cable, but I'll change that to a 4-wire canble, and I'm sure that will get the offending pin, whichever one it is! -- Edward Hartnett ejh@khonshu.colorado.edu <#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#> Newsgroups: comp.terminals Path: cs.utk.edu!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!spool.mu.edu!nigel.msen.com !yale.edu!cmcl2!admii!smoke!gwyn From: gwyn@smoke.brl.mil (Doug Gwyn) Subject: Re: ADM 3A TERMINAL DOES GRAPHICS, BUT HOW? Keywords: ADM 3A, TEK 4014, Graphics Message-ID: <20381@smoke.brl.mil> Date: 28 Jul 93 19:00:21 GMT References: <234qq3$g6f@max.physics.sunysb.edu> Organization: U.S. Army Ballistic Research Lab, APG MD. Lines: 38 In article <234qq3$g6f@max.physics.sunysb.edu> danube@max.physics.sunysb.edu (Dan Koller*) writes: > I have an ADM 3A terminal, and I discovered by accident that it does >graphics. The manual says nothing of it, so with the aid of some other >netters, we came to the conclusion that it has an aftermarket card in it >(which I see is indeed installed) and it emulates an old TEK 4014. Yes, while there were at least two such cards available, odds are good that you have Digital Engineering's "RetroGraphics" card. Basically it overlays the graphics with the native ADM-3A text display. (The same company also made such cards for other terminals, including DEC VT-100.) > But is there a simple series of instructions to operate this thing? >Does anybody have a neat little summary of them they could send me? >Alternatively, does anyone have or know of any drivers to operate such a >unit on an IBM PC clone? Basically it emulates a 4010, not really a 4014. It enters graphics mode when it receives a Tektronix graphics escape sequence such as ESC FF (which clears the graphics overlay) -- from the UNIX shell: echo '\0033\0014\c' I forget how it gets back into text mode, but I think it happens when a recognizable ADM-3A escape sequence is seen (e.g. cursor positioning). The Tektronix Graphics INput (GIN) mode, which on a real Tektronix let an application read a cursor that the user positioned via two thumbwheels, was simulated using the ADM-3A arrow keys. There was an option to attach a cursor control box to make this more convenient. > Finally, what's a ADM worth these days (without the graphics). I have >2.5 of these things, but only envision keeping one of them. The ADM-3A was one of the first affordable CRT terminals -- it was the successor to the upper-case only ADM-3, advertised as "The Dumb Terminal" (trademark of Lear-Siegler Inc.). It is basically only of historical value, although one in working order might fetch $50 or so (original cost was just under $1000). I had one at home that quit working and I couldn't justify investing the time to fix it, even though I have complete tech info for it. <#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#> Newsgroups: comp.terminals,alt.folklore.computers Path: cs.utk.edu!emory!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!EU.net!sun4nl!sci.kun.nl !severus.mbfys.kun.nl!rhialto From: rhialto@mbfys.kun.nl (Olaf Seibert) Subject: Re: Questions about archaic terminals Message-ID: Sender: news@sci.kun.nl (News owner) Nntp-Posting-Host: severus.mbfys.kun.nl Organization: University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands References: <3iifuu$dan@netaxs.com> Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 16:27:17 GMT Lines: 20 Xref: cs.utk.edu comp.terminals:3655 alt.folklore.computers:98144 In <3iifuu$dan@netaxs.com> esr@netaxs.com (Eric Raymond) writes: >I've taken over (with his approval) the master termcap file from John Kunze at >Berkeley. I've significantly reorganized and updated it, and am trying to >clean up the cobwebs and dust in its neglected corners. Rather than helping with any of these terminals, I'd want to say something about the adm12. If your master copy says :us=\EG1: it's incorrect, as I discovered this weekend when I got one for free (an adm-12, not a termcap file. I already had it. For free). \EG1 is actually invisible. Underlined is \EG8 if I recall correctly. Btw, is there anybody who knows the adm-12's commands apart from those in the termcap? -Olaf. -- --- Olaf 'Rhialto' Seibert rhialto@mbfys.kun.nl <#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#> From: waters@polaris.net (Jonathan Waters) Newsgroups: comp.terminals Subject: Re: Intermediate Terminal Model ADM 31 Date: 7 Mar 1996 22:11:25 GMT Organization: Polaris Networking Lines: 25 Message-ID: <4hnmud$jlj@server.cntfl.com> References: <4hbn4c$qgq@gidora.kralizec.net.au> NNTP-Posting-Host: p1dyn29.polaris.net X-Newsreader: WinVN 0.92.6+ In article <4hbn4c$qgq@gidora.kralizec.net.au>, newhamg@godzilla.zeta.org.au (Gerard Newham) says: > >Gday there, > >I have recently come into possession of one of the above serial >terminals. Going by the plate on the back it was manufacterer by Lear >Siegel, Inc of Anaheim California. Does anyone have any info regarding >this unit, for example emulations it will support, etc? It appears to >handle straight ASCII data quite happily, but I'd be interested in >knowing if it has any more advanced capabilities. Gday from a pom I know the unit very well I wrote emulations for the firmware for this unit, and I knew all the gang from Anaheim. The ADM31 has its own emulation as a base, and then has someoptions (e.g. polling). The base emulation is quite straight forward, uses embedded addtibutes (Esc G n, where "n" is a code of 1,2,3,4 . etc) and suppports cursor ppositioning (Esc Y r c, where "r" and "c" range from space on upwards. I still have some of the code that I wrote .. regards Jonathan <#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#> http://wfn-shop.Princeton.EDU:80/foldoc/cgi-script?terminak terminak /ter'mi-nak`/ [Caltech, ca. 1979] Any malfunctioning computer terminal. A common failure mode of Lear-Siegler ADM-3a terminals caused the "L" key to produce the "K" code instead; complaints about this tended to look like "Terminak #3 has a bad keyboard. Pkease fix." <#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#> If you need a quick-and-dirty way to emulate a serial-port ADM-3a under MS-DOS, try this little tool: http://oak.oakland.edu/pub/simtelnet/msdos/commprog/tega.zip Here follows the instructions for its use: .............................................................................. This terminal emulator is compact and fast. You should have no trouble operating at up to 19,200 kbps, yet operation at slow line speeds is enhanced by compact command sequences and implementation of insert/delete of line/character. The terminal emulator emulates ADM3A or Soroc terminals, and the Osborne computer, but for best results use the given termcap. The command line may take two arguments. The data rate may be specified; if absent then the data rate is not changed. If the letter "O" preceeds the rate, or if the only argument is "O" then snow is eliminated (use this option for old-technology CGA and PGA displays). Only COM1 may be used, and there is no autodial or upload/download facility (that keeps the program small, and I never used a terminal that had these features anyway!). Use ALT-F1 to exit the emulator. Command sequences: CTRL-H Cursor Left CTRL-I Tab CTRL-J Linefeed CTRL-K Cursor Up CTRL-L Cursor Right CTRL-M Return CTRL-Z Clear screen and home cursor CTRL-^ Home cursor (Note, emulator can write to last position on screen without scrolling) ESC ( Normal Video ESC ) Reverse Video ESC * Clear screen and home cursor ESC = y+32 x+32 Position cursor ESC E Insert blank line ESC Q Insert space character ESC R Delete current line ESC T Clear to end of line ESC W Delete character ESC Y Clear to end of screen .............................................................................. Tom Almy Tektronix Inc PO BOX 500, MS 50-370 Beaverton, OR 97077 +1 503/627-6188 <#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#>=<#> References: <38CCB282.7A7B110D@uwasa.fi> Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2000 18:06:21 GMT Newsgroups: comp.terminals Message-ID: From: brian hiles Subject: Re: ADM-3a and a stupid question Jarkko Hermanni Teppo wrote: > Hello all! > I just got my hands on an ADM-3a and I know that in order to > get lower-case characters you have to have the "expansion kit" or > whatever. Anyway, how do I know if it's installed ? When powering > up the terminal I can only type upper case characters.. I guess > it must be the *empty* 24-pin socket just above the keyboard ? > Hmm, anybody have one they can give away :) > > Other than that the terminal is muchos cool, in excellent condition > and I can see why some say the keyboard is a unix-nerd-dream-keyboard:) Yes, that is correct. See: http://www.cs.utk.edu/~shuford/terminal/lear_siegler_adm_news.txt (which you are reading now :-) For potential sources of the DIP expansion kit, you need to post to alt.religion.adm3a. No, I am not making this up! As an side note: I went to Cal Berkeley in the late '80s, when BSD UNIX was in constant development. Of course, the undergraduates were relegated to the bowels of Cory Hall and Evans Hall, and down the unlit, concrete steps (where on the grey walls some wag had spray-painted the quote from Dante's "Inferno," "Abandon all Hope, Ye Who Enter Here"), one comes to a stark, fluorescent-lit room with peeling travel posters and rotting sound tiles. The terminals: row upon row of Lear-Siegler ADM-3a terminals (with the capability of displaying lowercase characters, BTW.) I just can't face those horrible things anymore; it must be the memory of too many 3:00 A.M. programming sessions. -Brian ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Newsgroups: comp.terminals,alt.folklore.computers Message-ID: <944uc6$dc4$1@shell.monmouth.com> Organization: Kentucky Fried Fox Date: 17 Jan 2001 15:12:54 -0500 From: colonel@monmouth.com (He Comes As No Surprise) Subject: what does A.D.M. stand for? Sorry if this is a F.A.Q. I haven't been able to find the answer on the Web or in Deja. In "Lear-Siegler ADM-3A", what did "A.D.M." stand for? -:- -- "Hey, Rocky! Watch me pull a UNIX program out of my source directory!" "AGAIN?" "Nothin' up my sleeve . . . PRESTO!" IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. AUTHOR-NAME. B. J. MOOSE, FROSTBYTE DATA SYS. SOURCE-COMPUTER. IBM-7044. OBJECT-COMPUTER. IBM-7044. . . . "No doubt about it--I gotta get a new source directory!" -- Col. G. L. Sicherman home: colonel@mail.monmouth.com work: sicherman@lucent.com web: http://www.monmouth.com/~colonel/ ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Newsgroups: comp.terminals,alt.folklore.computers Organization: University of Tennessee, Knoxville Message-ID: References: <944uc6$dc4$1@shell.monmouth.com> Date: 18 Jan 2001 12:51:13 -0500 From: Victor Eijkhout Subject: Re: what does A.D.M. stand for? himself@esands.com (him self) writes: > On Thu, 18 Jan 2001 03:49:16 GMT, Marco S Hyman wrote: > > > > In "Lear-Siegler ADM-3A", what did "A.D.M." stand for? > > > > American Dream Machine. > > > If we are going to be silly .. > > Awful Dumb Monitor. No, that can't be, because it was already called an ADM-3a Dumb Terminal. Said so on the boxes. Must be Advanced Display Module, then. Btw, the adm-3a manual had the best designed ascii chart I've ever seen. I made a TeX implementation of it: ftp://ctan.tug.org/tex-archive/info/ascii.tex -- Victor Eijkhout ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Newsgroups: comp.terminals,alt.folklore.computers Organization: The University of Iowa Message-ID: <947kri$ci4$1@flood.weeg.uiowa.edu> References: <3a674781_2@news.iglou.com> Date: 18 Jan 2001 20:48:50 GMT From: "Douglas W. Jones,201H MLH,3193350740,3193382879" Subject: Re: what does A.D.M. stand for? From article <3a674781_2@news.iglou.com>, by "Bill Marcum" : > I think they actually did use "American Dream Machine" in advertisements > for the ADM-3. Don't know if that was the original meaning of the > initials. Remember, this was the era when almost all of us using interactive computers were stuck with ASR 33 Teletypes, except for those using IBM 2741's to work with IBM 360 systems. Compared to those boat anchors, the ADM video terminals were reliable, quiet, clean, versitile and even inexpensive. They really were dream machines! Lear Siegler ran what must have been the very last factory in downtown Ann Arbor back then. I used to commute past it on a fairly regular basis when I worked at ComShare Inc. (now www.comshare.com) in the summer of 1972. Doug Jones jones@cs.uiowa.edu ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Newsgroups: comp.terminals,alt.folklore.computers References: <3a674781_2@news.iglou.com> <947kri$ci4$1@flood.weeg.uiowa.edu> Message-ID: Organization: WebUseNet Corp Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 08:48:13 -0500 From: "Mike" Subject: Re: what does A.D.M. stand for? > the ADM video > terminals were reliable, quiet, clean, versitile and even inexpensive. > They really were dream machines! I once purchased an ADM-3A for home use, solely to connect with Micronet, the forerunner of CompuServe. It was a nice terminal, but the power supply in mine always seemed flaky. I returned it for repair several times, but they never got it right. Compared to the other heavy, boxy terminals of that time (Hazeltine, etc.), the ADM was definitely a winner for its compact, quiet, and sleek design. IIRC, you could order them with white, green, or amber text. Mike //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////