I-Data 5250 ALLY - Manual (Page 23)

CHAPTER 1
GETTING STARTED
Overview / Objectives
This chapter provides information on installing the AGILE 5250 ALLY.
Sections of this chapter provide instructions regarding:
• Choosing a location for the 5250 ALLY
• Physical interfacing to the host System, printer and alternate host
• Configuring the 5250 ALLY for communication with the host
System, printer and alternate host
All physical interfacing should be performed before the 5250 ALLY is
turned on. This chapter provides instructions for interfacing the 5250
ALLY ports before providing instructions on configuring those interfaces.
Please follow this order when installing the 5250 ALLY.
This chapter provides step-by-step instructions to assist the user in
performing the basic port configuration required to get the 5250 ALLY
communicating with the host System, printer and alternate host.
All of the configuration operations described in this chapter can be
performed from the 5250 ALLY front panel. Other configuration
operations must be performed by downloading commands in the data
stream from either the twinax host or the alternate host. These commands
are described in subsequent chapters.
Physical Interface
IBM midrange hosts are attached to IBM midrange printers via a twinaxial
interface. Industry-standard printers are typically attached to computers via
a Centronics parallel interface. The 5250 ALLY provides the physical
connection that converts a twinaxial interface to a Centronics parallel
interface.
Data Stream Interface
The data stream in a print job from an IBM midrange host consists of
hexadecimal values, some of which are SCS/DCA control codes, and some
of which represent printable characters for an IBM midrange printer. The
IBM midrange host uses over fifty SCS/DCA commands to control how an
IBM midrange printer formats a given print job.