setting up a serial connection to a PC (winXP) hyperterminal ?

[francoisp31]

Hi all,

I want to connect a PC, using hyperterminal to a DS20E or a DS10 running Tru64 v5.1b.

So We made a mmj-db9 cable, it is verifyed & it seems good. (0 ohm connector to connector), following the standard dec mmj-db9 layout.

Here is what I made to try to setup the connection :

From SRM first :
>>>set console serial
>>>set tt_allow_login 1
>>>set com1_flow software (was default)
>>>init
>>>boot
On Tru64 itself here is my inittab end :
cons:1234:respawn:/usr/sbin/getty console console vt100
tty00:234:respawn:/usr/sbin/getty /dev/tty00 console vt100
an init q was used a few days ago (when inittab was modified).


From the pc I setup the connection like
9600 baud 8bits no parity 1bit (stop) and vt100 key setup.

But when I try to connect hyperterminal says "connected" and then ... nothing ... no login banner ... no error messages ... nothing...

Did I forget to setup/do something ?
I think so...but what ? :)

Thanks
Regards

[Steven Schweda]

> [...] it seems good. (0 ohm connector to
> connector), following the standard dec
> mmj-db9 layout.

Which "the standard"? If both systems look
like terminals (DTE), then you need a
null-modem cable. If you own an ohmmeter,
you should also have a voltmeter, and you
can see if pins 2 and 3 look as if they're
butting heads or cooperating. Or just try
the other wiring scheme.

[Rob Leadbeater]

Hi,

If I remember correctly, COM1 on both the DS10 and DS20E, are DB9 connectors, not MMJ.

Are you sure you're using the correct cable/connector ??

Cheers,

Rob

[Steven Schweda]

> [...] DB9 connectors, not MMJ.

A fair point. You may wish to look for
someone local who has a clue and can see
what you're doing.

[francoisp31]

of course it i an mmj ! cause it plug to mmj !
:)

maye the machine model isn't 20 or 10 but this is not the probleme at all, in fact...

but the setup software side or SRM side should be the problem. no ?

[Steven Schweda]

> maye the machine model isn't 20 or 10 but
> this is not the probleme at all, in fact...

In fact, you don't know what the problem is.
It could be in the hardware or the software,
and a description of the equipment which
includes this many maybe's is a waste of
everyone's time.

If you ever figure out what you have,
exactly, and how it's connected, exactly,
please let us know.

[francoisp31]

Ok so to give more informations here's what I have after hardware best identification :

Hardware plateforms : (so not ds10 or 20 as I supposed first)
machine model for the test is a
HP Alpha Server 800 / 334
machine model for prod will be a
HP Alpha Server 800 5/500

And they are using a DEC mmj -> db9 cable to the PC & we know this is not a cable problem as said it is ok & tested wire to wire according to theses docs : http://www.lammertbies.nl/comm/cable/dec-mmj.html
equ H8571-J femalle DB9 rs232 to mmj schematics.

so :
db9 MMJ
4 1 DTR
3 2 TX+
5 3+4 RX-+TX-
2 5 RX+
1+6+8 6 DSR

Dec MMJ is known as com1 on SRM

I hope you can help us.

Thanks for the time you've already spend about this.

[Rob Leadbeater]

Hi,

Don't assume that your cable is good, or that you're following the correct schematic !

Try reversing the transmit and receive pins as previously suggested...

Cheers,

Rob

[Steven Schweda]

> [...] we know this is not a cable problem
> [...]

I'm sure _you_ know that, but I don't.

Did you build an adapter like the one in the
diagram, or did you build a cable? A normal
MMJ-MMJ cable acts as a null modem. If you
built your own cable without considering
this, then you probably have a cable problem.

To substitute evidence for assumptions, use a
meter to measure the voltage between pin 2
and any convenient ground (say, pin 5) on the
PC's 9-pin connector. Repeat for pin 3.
Then do the same with pins 2 and 3 on the
9-pin connector of your cable (when it's
connected to the other computer). One of the
pins should be a firm voltage, probably
greater than six (positive or negative).
That's TXD. The other (RXD) should be a
fairly high-Z circuit showing close to zero.
(The high-Z property tends to make it look
fuzzy if you're using an oscilloscope to do
the measurement. You _do_ have an
oscilloscope, right?)

If pin 2 on one side looks like pin 3 on the
other side, then you may have the cable built
correctly. If both pins 2 look the same (and
both pins 3 look the same), then you have a
straight-through cable, not the required
null-modem cable.

[francoisp31]

We 've not build it .

[Steven Schweda]

> So We made a mmj-db9 cable [...]

> We 've not build it .

Huh?

You haven't described it very well, either.
Of course, that doesn't matter if "this is
not a cable problem".

If you expect help from non-psychic people
who can't see or touch your cable, you may
need to do better.

By the way, I don't think that you need to
use a serial SRM console if all you want is
to use the serial port as a serial port in
Tru64, so all that SRM "set XXX" stuff is
probably not helping. In fact, if you use a
serial console, that may interfere with the
use of that serial port for normal purposes.

You might look into using tty01 instead of
tty00, if you have two serial ports. That
works on my XP1000, where I added this to
/etc/inittab:

tty01:34:respawn:/usr/sbin/getty /dev/tty01 9600 vt100

And my XP1000 uses the graphics console.

You can also use "tip" to talk through a
serial port on the Tru64 system (as you
would use HyperTerminal on the Windows
system), which can be handy for testing.

Also, you can see the port characteristics
of /dev/ttyXX using:

stty -a < /dev/ttyXX

Note, however, that I practically never use
the serial ports under Tru64.

[francoisp31]

we made only the mmj-mmj part not the adapter db9 to mmj that is the absolute real dec model.

H8571J reference

[Steven Schweda]

> we made only the mmj-mmj part [...]

And there are two ways to do that, one of
which will work better than the other. I've
stopped caring what you have to say about the
cable. I'm interested only in the signals.

If you're serious about making this work,
look at the signals on the RXD and TXD pins
of both 9-pin connectors. Otherwise, you
might try prayer. Or more guesswork. Or
more unjustified confidence.

[francoisp31]

I'll check signals,
to be sure, I tri using com2 db9 dec side to mmj on real vt320 terminal using same calbe and adaptator, that works.
I got the >>> SRM prompt for example

[francoisp31]

finaly using another dec station it works...

[Rakesh Jha_1]

I have used Cisco console cable with Cisco DB9 connector on both ends for this type of connectivity to all type of alpha server with DB9 port like - DS10, AS4100, DS20, AS1000, AS800, AS2100. Never had any problem.
I have used both Hyperterm and Netterm without any issue.
No special setting.

[Rakesh Jha_1]

I have used Cisco console cable with Cisco DB9 connector on both ends for this type of connectivity to all type of alpha server with DB9 port like - DS10, AS4100, DS20, AS1000, AS800, AS2100. Never had any problem.
I have used both Hyperterm and Netterm without any issue.
No special setting.

Rakesh Jha