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Early IBM terminal controller wanted. UK

A

Alsilisk

Experienced Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2020
Messages
57
Location
South England
Hi all,

I am looking for an IBM terminal controller that can interface to coax devices with the type B standard. These would be 3272, 3274, 3271 controllers.

Thanks,

Al
 
Dave,

I have a 3174. The reason I need an older one is because of a printer I bought recently which is a 3286. Trouble is that it is type B coax so unless I can find a controller or adapt the modern interface for it. It's pretty useless to me (although quite a cool piece).

I know of a few 32xx around but they are all in the states. Shipping would be just be silly.

Al
 
Al,

Yes shipping from the states can be silly.. I only have clone 3270 screens but whilst there are some available in the USA they are like hens teeth hear. I don't think I ever got involved with Type-B coax, Whats special about it? I wonder if the Arduino interface could be adapted?

Dave
 
Dave,

I would agree it is a shame that nothing really is around in Europe, people like Mike Ross came and cleaned the place out a decade or so ago.... things do turn up and I have some interesting things (nothing really came from the UK though), but compared to the US everything is impossible to find. On the subject of type B coax. It was just the original standard that was used, on a casual check it appears it has a fewer features and a slightly different data stream format. It was used on the 3277 and phased out by the 3278. In the manuals for the controllers they usually mention you can have some type A ports and some type B ports. This was only 32xx, the 3174s all were type A as the 3277 and all their counterparts were long since "phased out" or still being used with the 32xx controllers. I am curious as to why the standard changed. Them calling it type B does imply they were going to change it all along, so perhaps type B was simpler to implement in less hardware? The Arduino interface might be adaptable. I need to have a chance to look at it.

Al
 
That is a very kind offer and I will most likely take you up on it. But not for a while... I still need to actually get the 3286 running before I go delving into making an interface for it. It has a small hidden panel for running test routines so it is not totally brain dead without a coax link.

Argecy I just ignore at this point.... I bet half the stuff they claim to have they don't. Even on that page they say they have "Most parts, components and features available". What ticks me off the most with these sites is a lack of list pricing. Would make negotiating with utter nutcases much easier if "reputable" companies had list prices (even if they were vastly inflated) so we all had something to back against. With housing I get having to (sometimes) contact the company, but legacy computer spares... gimme a break.

As far as Jim Austin goes.... what is his policy on people borrowing and restoring items of kit for experimental purposes? He has a fair few coax terminals and I would really like to have one, a friend recently got a 3277 in Germany (my 3286 came from the same haul). But I have not seen any type A 3270 terminals pop up in Europe. (He also has some other... nicer stuff I would love to restore, but I assume he wants them to remain in his hangars.) I have not really spoken to Jim at all, probably should at some time considering he is one of the biggest collectors on the continent.

Al
 
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