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COMMUNICATIONS HARDWARE

ICOM Informatics US supports a variety of communication protocols for connecting PCs and LANs to IBM® mainframes: SDLC, SNA Coax, 802.2 LLC, X.25/QLLC, Bisync and Non-SNA Coax. In addition to DI3270 communications and emulation software, communication hardware is required to connect the standalone or gateway PC to the host. DI3270 software is compatible with IBM SDLC adapters, bisync adapters, and coax adapters; and DI3270 is compatible with other vendors boards that are truly IBM compatible. To simplify adapter selection for our customers, ICOM US offers a number of communication adapters to support the DI3270 product line. ICOM US sells adapters only in conjunction with DI3270 software, and continues to develop software interfaces for an increasing number of hardware adapters. It is not required that hardware be purchased from ICOM; previously purchased boards and boards obtained from alternative sources may increase the cost-effectiveness of the DI3270 software purchase. If your hardware needs are not satisfied in this list, contact ICOM US to determine if a solution is available.

Remote Connections
ICOM US offers a number of remote communications solutions varying in speed, capability, and price.

High Speed Adapter - ISA Bus
An IBM ISA-bus compatible plug-in communications board with an RS-232 interface. Connects to a Data Communications Equipment (DCE) port for serial communications at variable synchronous data rates certified to 128Kbps operation.
Speed: Certified to 128K bps.
Lines: Half- or full-duplex processsing on switched or leased 2- or 4-wire lines.
IRQs: Not used.
I/O: Address software selectable.
DMA: Not used.
 

High Speed Adapter - PCI Bus
A single port SDLC adapter with built in T1 and Fractional T1 DSU/CSU. The card is software configurable to run at speeds from 64kbps to 1.54Mbps in steps of 64kbps.Intelligent card with on board protocol handling. 256k of fast static RAM shared memory. Balanced line signals supporting RS232, V.35, X.21, RS422 EIA530 etc. supported on all ports, both high speed and low speed.  All serial ports are RS485 compliant supporting multipoint line configurations. Small footprint, low power.

RS232-V.35 Converter and Cables
Many installations require V.35 to support high speed remote connections. The V.35 converter provides bidirectional data conversion between the High Speed Adapter (RS-232 DTE) and V.35 data communications equipment (DCE) for high speed data transfer. Accommodates both mechanical and electrical interconnection of RS-232 and V.35 interface circuits. Optional V.35 converter to the V.35 device cables are available with V.35 female, V.35 male, or V.35 host nul modem (male) ends. See "Hardware Product Summary" for model codes. Call ICOM US tech support for V.35 details.

MultiProtocol Adapter
The MultiProtocol Adapter for the ISA bus (PC-MPA-01) supports both SDLC and binary synchronous communications with IBM mainframe equipment. In its SDLC mode, PC-MPA-01 is 100% compatible with software written for IBM SDLC Adapter part #1502090, and its use is the same. A gateway or communications module that supports this adapter will also support IBM part number 1501205 or 1502090, or on an IBM PS/2 Multi-Protocol Adapter/A, part number 6450348. PC-MPA-01 is also a 100% compatible replacement for IBM’s binary synchronous adapter P/N 1501204 or 1502075.

In SDLC mode (default) PC-MPA-01 board uses Interrupt Levels (IRQ) 3 and 4, and I/O addresses 380h - 38Ch. Other hardware adapters present in the machine intended for use as a gateway or to run the communications module should be configured not to use these interrupts or this I/O space.

In binary synchronous mode, PC-MPA-01 uses Interrupt Levels (IRQ) 3 and 4 and I/O addresses 3A0h - 3A9h. Other hardware adapters present in the machine intended for use as a gateway or communications module should be configured not to use these interrupts or this I/O space.

Speed: Through 9600bps gateway
Lines: Half-duplex processing on switched or leased 2-wire or 4-wire line.
IRQs: IRQ3 and IRQ4, non-switchable.
I/O: SDLC: Address 380, non-switchable; no memory area required.
Bisync: Address3A0, non-switchable; no memory required.
DMA: Level 1 for SDLC (not used for bisync)
Bus: PC bus (ISA or EISA)

DI3270 will also run on your existing IBM SDLC adapters in either a PC or micro channel machine. Refer to the part numbers above. (For micro channel, use IBM Part # 6450348).

Direct Connections
DI3270 can be attached to an IBM 3174 controller, to a 3720/3725/3745 front-end processor, or to a 9370 host system through a token ring interface; it can also be attached to a 3174 or 3274 controller via coax connection, either as a DFT standalone or a small (five-session) gateway, or as a gateway with up to forty sessions, by emulating a 3299 terminal multiplexer having eight five-session DFTs.

Multiplexed Coax Adapter
Sophisticated adapter for up to 40 session SNA gateway or 32 session non-SNA. May be defined to local or remote IBM 3174 or 3274 controller as 3299 terminal multiplexer with eight five-session DFT terminals, resulting in up to 40 sessions specified at the controller; allocation of sessions, under DI3270 control,is transparent to the controller itself. Alternatively, may be defined to controller as five-session DFT terminal without 3299 support feature, enabling no more than five sessions on a small LAN, or a single standalone DI3270 installation. Based on National Semiconductor DP8344 chipset.
Speed: Coax speed defined at 1.5M bps.
Lines: RG62U 93 ohm cable.
IRQs: Default = IRQ3, switchable.
I/O: Default address = 380; 8K shared memory area required, default at CE00, assignable.
Bus: PC bus

DFT Coax Adapter
Inexpensive coax adapter emulating DFT terminal connected to 3174 or 3274 controller running SNA or non-SNA, enabling either five sessions on a LAN, or four sessions in a standalone DI3270 installation. Based on Chips and Technologies 82C570 micro controller chip.
Speed: Coax speed defined at 1.5M bps.
Cable: RG62U 93 ohm cable.
IRQs: Default = IRQ2, non-switchable.
I/O Default Address = D20, non-switchable; 8K shared memory area required, default at CE00, software modifiable between C000 and DE00.
Bus: PC bus

802.2 LLC Connection
DI3270 supports an 802.2 LLC gateway into an IBM 3174 controller (SNA only) equipped with IBM’s 802.2 LLC Gateway Feature, either locally attached or remote; DI3270 also supports an 802.2 LLC gateway attached to a comparably equipped IBM 3720, 3725 or 3745 front-end processor or 9370 host. ICOM US does not offer the lower level software or hardware, but supports IBM’s 4 MHz and 16 MHz product offerings and all competitive products compatible at the 802.2 interface level. DI3270 may be installed either as a single gateway with multiple workstations (the implementation ICOM recommends), or as any number of standalone installations, each defined as a separate physical unit ("downstream PU") to the IBM controller. It emulates a 3174 Model 03R, 13R or 53R in either scenario.

In the gateway implementation, either a single adapter or a two-adapter solution may be used. In the single adapter scenario, workstations share a single physical network with the gateway and the mainframe, and IBM’s LAN arbitrator software or a compatible equivalent must be used. Alternatively, a gateway may be attached to each of two distinct networks, with the host connection separate from the workstations. In this scenario, the workstations' network may be other topology running NetBIOS or Novell's IPX.