topic Re: DEC Talk in Operating System - OpenVMS

DEC Talk

Richard Zacharias — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 18:45:53 GMT

Having a problem using the DCL TYPE command to send a file to a LAT port(i.e. type/output=lta502: test.txt). In this case I am sending a text file to a DECTALK device (lta502:) The system is an ALpha 1000/500A running Open VMS 7.3-1. I can not figure out why. It works on ther ALpha platforms running Open VMS 7.3-1, so it is not a VMS or platform issue. It may be a LAT configuration issue but I am not sure. Any help would be appreciated.

Re: DEC Talk

Hein van den Heuvel — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 19:47:04 GMT

So what happens? Something, anything? nothing?

Define 'problem'.

Is there an error message reported?
Care to share or make it a guessing game?

Do you think it is to do with the specific file, the target, or the device?

Does an other, small file work?
If you hook up a terminal or PC with hyperterm, do you 'see' the data?

Does the process attempting the type have access rights to the LT device?

Who/how did one come up with that LT502 number?

Is this per chance a file with very long records causing a (byte) quota problem? Maxbuf?

Hope this helps some,
Hein.

Re: DEC Talk

Hoff — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 21:19:12 GMT

Yes, details on the error(s) would be useful.

The usual triggers for connectivity issues with LAT are factors like failure to set the DECserver port for remote access. You can follow the directions for setting up a printer, as these are basically identical to DECtalk. DECtalk is a voice printer, after all.

Which DECtalk? DTC01? DTC03? One of the other ones?

Which DECserver? How is the port set up?

How is LTA502: set up?

There exists DECtalk support information available on the older Freeware distros -- each with different bits. Everything I could scrounge up and ship.

Start here:
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/freeware/freeware40/dectalk/
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/freeware/freeware50/dectalk/

DECtalk itself is now over at Fonix; the product was sold off some years ago.

Stephen Hoffman
HoffmanLabs
[formerly of the DECtalk group]

Re: DEC Talk

Richard Zacharias — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 09:48:43 GMT

>>Which DECtalk? DTC01? DTC03? One of the >>other ones?
>>Which DECserver? How is the port set up?
>>How is LTA502: set up?

Sorry, looks like some important info was left out.

The lta502: LAT port is set up as a LA120 printer on a DECserver 200/MC terminal server.

The DECTALK device is a DTC01.

>>Define 'problem'
We use DECTALK as a voice alarm system for our operators. All our Prcess computers (VAX/Alpha) use this port.

On the other nodes, we test the DECTALK device by using the DCL 'TYPE' command and setting the output=lta502: (i.e. 'type/output=lta502: '

On this particular node, when we use this command it returns an error "error opening lta502:[] Directory not found"
It looks like the /output qualifier sees the lta502: as disk device instead of a LAT device.

>>access rights? Yes all users have the correct access rights.
>>File size? Does not matter

Thanks for the replies. I am new to using forums.

Re: DEC Talk

Hein van den Heuvel — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 10:11:21 GMT

Welcome to the HP ITRC Forum!

>> On this particular node, when we use this command it returns an error "error opening lta502:[] Directory not found"
It looks like the /output qualifier sees the lta502: as disk device instead of a LAT device.

Ah, that helps a lot.
That means that at this point there is no device lta502:
As you surmised, this is the same effect as using a non-existent logical name:
For example:

$ type/out=xyz: tmp.txt
%TYPE-F-OPENOUT, error opening XYZ:[HEIN]TMP.TXT; as output
-RMS-F-DEV, error in device name or inappropriate device type for operation

So you woudl want to do a $SHOW DEV LTA502 to see (or rather not see!) the target, and then probably use $SHOW DEV LTA to see all devices.
Maybe the LATCP DEFINE commands failed?
Can this host really talk to that Terminal Server?
Maybe you ended up with a different LTA number?

You might want to consider a logical name "DECTALK_ALERT_DEVICE" or some such to point to the real LTAxxx: in general.
Here, maybe you can DEFINE LTA502 LTAxxx: to test.

Hein.

Re: DEC Talk

Richard Zacharias — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 10:23:55 GMT

Thanks. I will try your suggestions.

Re: DEC Talk

Richard Zacharias — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 12:08:42 GMT

Hein,
Thanks for your help. The latport was there and set up. The problem was with VMS 7.3-1. This was a project to migate from a VAX to an Alpha platform. I installed VMS 7.3-1 but did not install the patches. I installed the update patches and every thing works as advertised. No problems! Thanks again for your help.

Re: DEC Talk

Hal Kuff — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 06:51:51 GMT

As I recall from 1980, no tyopeahead, very long line length, eightbit, and some other requirements have to be set on the lta device... hope that spurs a fix....

Re: DEC Talk

Jan van den Ende — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 15:15:21 GMT

Richard,

also from me, Welcome!

>>>
Hein,
Thanks for your help.
<<<

Please read

http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/helptips.do?#33

to find out HOW to say thanks in these forums.

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe