Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!uw-entropy!thebes!campbell
From: campbell@Thalatta.COM (Bill Campbell)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386
Subject: Re: Using Wyse-150 Terminals ??
Message-ID: <2546@thebes.Thalatta.COM>
Date: 6 Jan 90 19:55:39 GMT
References: <2210@wb3ffv.ampr.org>
Reply-To: campbell@Thalatta.COM (Bill Campbell)
Organization: Thalatta Corporation, Bellevue WA
Lines: 72
Keywords: unix xenix wyse vp/ix 150

In article <2210@wb3ffv.ampr.org> howardl@wb3ffv.ampr.org ( WB3FFV) writes:
>
>    Hello All,
>
>I am wondering if anybody has tried using the Wyse-150 terminals under 
>UNIX or Xenix ??  They look like nice terminals, and claim to have DOS

I have tried the Wyse-150 extensively under SCO Xenix 386 and found them
better than a Wyse-60 or most other terminals for several reasons:
	1.	Better print-through in VT100 modes (it doesn't pass-through
		the printer-off codes through to the printer).
	2.	Passed all 8-bits through to the printer.
	3.	Standard Parallel printer port.

We use terminals on Point-of-Sale and accounting systems where we
print using the terminal's printer port.  Most terminals using
the TVI/Wyse50/Wyse60 (i.e. non-ansi) emulations have codes that
conflict with printer control information (^R is used for print
size control on many OKIDATA printers).  Many terminals aren't
smart enough when transparent printing to look-ahead far enough
to catch the printer-off codes in ansi emulations before they go
to the printer.  This results in 4i's throughout your printout
making the terminals useless with the multiplexing printer
drivers supplied on ARNET, computone, ... intelligent boards.

The Wyse-150 seems to work well in the native (almost wy60) mode,
but I have had some problems:
	1.	(vt100) The protected field attributes don't work so you cannot
		clear unprotected fields quickly.
	2.	With the 101-key board you cannot always get codes from
		the keys above the arrow keys.  Since there are no
		function keys above the keypad I like to use these keys
		as synonyms for function keys so the operator doesn't
		have to use two hands for data entry.

We were going to use wyse-150's as our standard terminal in spite
of these problems until we tried the LINK-MC5.  The mc5 seems to
be a much better terminal than the wy150 and they are about the
same price (Link is owned by Wyse).
	1.	Two serial ports and a standard parallel printer port (PC
		standard cable).  The data communications parameters are
		independent on each port and you can use the terminal on
		two separate ports and hot-key between the applications.
	2.	Many more emulations (vt320..., vt220, vt100, wy60...).
	3.	Better customer support.
	4.	The auxiliary keys above the arrows on the 101-keyboard
		all send codes in all the emulations we have tried.

We have found some bugs in the current (2.03) firmware on the mc5
including:
	1.	Remote printing doesn't work in VT220-7 emulation, but
		sends the printer output back down the active serial port :-).
	2.	The auxiliary port only seems to work with xon-xoff
		handshaking even though DTR is selected.
	3.	Software selection of the wy60 mode resets all the
		communications handshaking to xon-xoff overriding the
		setup.

These are being fixed in the 2.04 firmware to be released in the
next week or so.

Both these terminals have a PC-term mode and work with VP/IX at
least as I have been willing to mess with this mode.

Disclaimer:
	Celestial Software has no affiliation with any of the
	manufacturers mentioned above.
-- 
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