Emulator Eliminator

The Software Solution for Remote 5250 Access

Part One

Contents: Introduction Features of Emulator Eliminator System Requirements Questions & Answers Customer Quotes Modem Support Emulator Eliminator API Package PC Menu System File Transfer Support Keyboard Support Mouse Support Ordering Information Technical Support Product Reviews Trademarks

Introduction

Emulator Eliminator is a client and server software system that runs on your IBM AS/400 and remote personal computer to provide dial up access to your AS/400. With Emulator Eliminator, an AS/400 with a communication line and asynchronous modem and a personal computer with a modem are all that is required for your programmers and users to have remote access to your applications.

Emulator Eliminator requires no emulation board or card.

Features of Emulator Eliminator

General Features

Two AS/400 sessions and remote printing are supported on each personal computer. Printer output may be written to disk(ette).
The number of sessions (1 or 2) may be specified.
Uses PC / AS/400 cooperative processing.
IBM PC Support is not required.
An asynchronous controller is not required.
Baud rates of 1200 - 19200 are supported.
Existing ECS (IBM Electronic Customer Support) modem, communication line, and telephone line can be used.
RS232 communication ports COM1, COM2, COM3 and COM4 are supported.
Non-standard serial port addresses and interrupts (IRQs) may be specified.
Personal computer monitors from the original IBM monochrome to super VGA can be used.
Color support. Emulates a 3179 Model 2 workstation.
Function keys are fully supported.
"Enter key" definition allows the user to specify whether to use the personal computer Enter key or the Control key as the AS/400 enter key.
Keyboard buffer size can be user defined.
Ability to disable ESC key as a "Get Out Quick".
Keyboard Mapping. Individual keys may be mapped to one or more keystrokes. The keyboard mapping is defined using macros in an ASCII file.
Printer Control Codes. The AS/400 printer attributes (form type, characters per inch, lines per inch, characters per line, lines per page, overflow line, and rotation) are used to send printer control codes to the PC printer.
Prompt for printer forms change. Select whether Emulator Eliminator will prompt for forms change on the PC printer.
Pull down menus are used for easy setup on the personal computer.
A phone list of 15 numbers can be set up for quick dialing. A manual dial feature is also included.
Call retry. Emulator Eliminator will retry a call if it is unsuccessful. The number of times to retry the call and the interval to wait between calls can be specified on the PC.
Software call-back feature allows the IBM AS/400 to return the call. Optionally, a table of valid phone numbers can be maintained on the AS/400 to authorized users.
Auto Sign-on feature allows the AS/400 sign-on display to be bypassed.
An "ASCII Terminal Mode" allows access to AS/400s which have a front end data switch.
Files can be transferred between the AS/400 and PC.
Save files can be up-loaded and down-loaded. AS/400 updates of the Emulator Eliminator may be distributed via personal computer diskette.
Mouse support is provided for MicrosoftTM compatible mice.
UIM Mouse Support. Additional mouse features include the support of UIM displays and disabling the mouse.
Ability to merge personal computer data into an AS/400 application as if keyboard input.
Ability to copy data from an AS/400 application screen and copy to a personal computer file.
Specify path for work, message, keyboard map, printer control, and configuration files.

Security Features

A valid userID and password are necessary to acquire the AS/400 line, device, and controller. The user must also have authority to the programs and files in the Emulator Eliminator library. Without this the Emulator Eliminator job will not start on the AS/400.
A valid user ID and password must be entered in the normal sign-on display. The user has the same authority to objects as he/she has when signed on at a terminal attached directly to the IBM AS/400TM.
Prompt for startup user ID and password. Emulator Eliminator can be configured to prompt for the startup user ID and password for increased security.
Only your personal computer software will work with your AS/400 software. If someone has Emulator Eliminator software for a different AS/400, they cannot use it to connect to your AS/400.
Software call-back feature allows the IBM AS/400 to return the call. Optionally, a table of valid phone numbers to authorized users can be maintained on the AS/400.
An access code can be defined on the personal computer to prevent unauthorized users from executing the personal computer Emulator Eliminator code.
Emulator Eliminator menu options can be pre-configured and locked.
AS/400 user IDs, passwords, program names, and the personal computer access code in the Emulator Eliminator configuration file are encrypted.

System Requirements

IBM AS/400 Requirements

OS/400 Ver. 2, Rel. 1. Mod. 0 or higher.
A communication line EIA RS232 (can use existing ECS line).
An asynchronous modem (can use IBM 5853 or IBM 7855 ECS modem).
A telephone line (can use existing ECS phone line).
Less than 3 megabyte disk.

Personal Computer Requirements

DOS/MS-DOS Ver. 2.0 or higher.
A serial RS232 communication port attached to an external modem or an internal modem.
512K RAM.
Approximately 360K disk for the basic Emulator Eliminator. Printer control, keyboard mapping, and other advanced features may require additional disk.
Printer support requires an attached printer.
Mouse support requires a Microsoft compatible mouse.

Questions & Answers

How fast is Emulator Eliminator?

Personal computers using Emulator Eliminator run at approximately the same speed as personal computers using PC Support with an ASCII workstation controller.

All data transmitted between the AS/400 and the personal computer are restricted to the baud rates supported by the AS/400 and the modems (ie. 1200-19200). The normal sign-on screen is approximately 460 characters. At 2400 baud (240 characters per second) it will take 2 seconds to transmit the sign-on screen. Since the software compresses the data and only changes to the screen are transmitted, the actual time needed to transmit a screen is reduced.

How long has Emulator Eliminator been available?

Emulator Eliminator has been available since July 1991 and been installed on hundreds of AS/400s and thousands of personal computers around the world.

What is a modem setup adapter?

Some modems do not have a front control panel and must be configured using software. You must vary on an AS/400 line to configure the modem, but you can not vary on the AS/400 line until the modem has been configured. Therefore we created the modem setup adapter to allow us to vary on the AS/400 line and use AS/400 software to configure the modem. After the modem is configured, the setup adapter is removed.

Is there a job running on the AS/400 just waiting for someone with Emulator Eliminator to call?

No. A job does not start on the AS/400 until it is contacted by a personal computer running Emulator Eliminator.

Can I use Emulator Eliminator to dial into an ASCII workstation controller or asynchronous controller?

No. Emulator Eliminator is designed to allow you to call into an EIA RS232 communications line on the AS/400.

How long has REDOC been around?

REDOC was founded in August 1988. We specialize in software products for the AS/400. We have written several products for the AS/400 market. Our current communication products for the AS/400 include: A. S. Phone Home and File Transfer Command Facility.

Can Emulator Eliminator be purchased retail?

We are beginning to acquire agents throughout the United States. Emulator Eliminator can be ordered through one of these agents. All software is shipped directly from the main office in Hoyt, Kansas.

Where is Hoyt, Kansas?

Hoyt is about 15 miles north of Topeka and about 75 miles west of Kansas City.

Can Emulator Eliminator be used on a System 38 or System 36?

No. Software is required on both the AS/400 and the personal computer. We do not have software available for either system and have no plans at this time to develop it.

Do I have to manually change the ECS modem to go between ECS and Emulator Eliminator?

Yes. On the IBM 5853 it is just a matter of depressing or releasing the A/S button. On the IBM 7855 you must select the appropriate profile and whether to use synchronous or asynchronous.

Can I use an AS/400 modem that is not listed?

Maybe. Many modems can be used only with another modem of the same manufacturer and model. Other modems can be used but only at one baud rate. REDOC technical support can help setup addition modems, but we may require that the modem be shipped to us for evaluation.

Customer Quotes

: "Your technical support was excellent. They were quite helpful, knowledgeable, and courteous, even when I was impatient & had a defective modem that wasn't even your problem. Thank you to your support people. You went out of your way for me."
D. O. - Olney, IL

"EE has replaced Dial/3X because of the problems Dial/3X has w/cached mother boards. Once we got over the learning curve to "non-PC" oriented people they enjoy using your product."
K. W. - Irvine, CA

"The Emulator Eliminator was very easy to set up. Tech support did an outstanding job of helping us with our modems that were not listed in the setup program."
J. S. - Crystal Lake, IL

"I've used other products to dial in and by far this one is the easiest to do and the least expensive."
P. C. - Campbell Hall, NY

Information continued in part two

Last modified: 11/28/2003