Asynchronous Terminal Emulation (ATE) enables a user to run commands on the remote system, send and receive files, and use the xmodem protocol to check the data integrity in the files transferred between systems. The user can also capture and file incoming data from the remote system.
Note: The user must be a member of the UNIX-to-UNIX Copy Program (UUCP) group in order to use ATE. A user with root authority uses System Management Interface Tool (SMIT) to install individual users in groups.
This section provides the following conceptual information:
ATE uses menus and subcommands. Starting ATE with the ate command displays the Unconnected Main Menu, which enables the user to:
Depending on the subcommand issued from the Unconnected Main Menu, ATE displays various submenus. When using the modify or alter subcommands, ATE displays the Modify Menu or the Alter Menu, respectively. When using the directory or connect subcommand to connect to a remote system, ATE displays the Connected Main Menu. When using the directory subcommand, ATE displays the dialing directory (a list of phone numbers).
From the Connected Main Menu, the user can issue subcommands to:
In addition, the modify, alter, help, perform, and quit subcommands perform the same functions as those provided from the Unconnected Main Menu.
The user can control certain actions of ATE with control key sequences. These key sequences are known as the CAPTURE_KEY, the MAINMENU_KEY, and the PREVIOUS_KEY. The key sequences are discussed in "Using Control Keys with ATE" . ATE is installed with default key combinations for these keys, but the user can change the key combinations by modifying the ATE default file, ate.def.
The ATE Unconnected Main Menu displays when the user issues the ate command. Once a connection is established, using the ATE connect subcommand, ATE displays the Connected Main Menu.
The following subcommands are issued from the ATE Unconnected Main Menu. To issue the subcommand, enter the first letter of the subcommand at the command prompt on the menu. For example, enter d to issue the directory subcommand.
| alter | Temporarily changes data transmission characteristics, such as the speed of transmission. |
| connect | Makes a connection. |
| directory | Displays a dialing directory. |
| help | Displays help information. |
| modify | Temporarily modifies local settings, such as the capture file, for incoming data. |
| perform | Allows the user to perform workstation operating system commands within ATE. |
| quit | Quits the ATE program. |
Of the control key sequences CAPTURE_KEY, MAINMENU_KEY, and PREVIOUS_KEY, only the PREVIOUS_KEY control key can be used from the ATE Unconnected Main Menu.
ATE displays the Connected Main Menu when a connection is established using the ATE connect subcommand from the ATE Unconnected Main Menu, or when the user presses the MAINMENU_KEY while connected to a remote system.
The following subcommands are issued from the ATE Connected Main Menu. To issue the subcommand, enter the first letter of the subcommand at the command prompt on the menu. For example, enter a to issue the alter subcommand.
| alter | Temporarily changes data transmission characteristics, such as the speed of transmission. |
| break | Sends a break signal to the remote system. |
| help | Displays help information. |
| modify | Temporarily modifies local settings used by the emulator, such as the capture file for incoming data. |
| perform | Allows the user to perform workstation operating system commands within ATE. |
| quit | Quits the ATE program. |
| receive | Receives files from a remote system. |
| send | Sends files to a remote system. |
| terminate | Terminates the ATE connection. |
All three ATE control keys can be used from the ATE Connected Main Menu.
Use the following control keys with ATE. Change the key sequence for each function by editing the ate.def file.
| CAPTURE_KEY | Starts or stops saving data displayed on the screen during a connection. The default key sequence for the CAPTURE_KEY is Ctrl-B.
The CAPTURE_KEY has a switch or toggle effect. Pressing this control key starts saving data. Pressing this control key a second time stops saving data. Data is saved in the capture file defined in the ate.def file. The default capture file name is the $HOME/kapture file. Use the modify subcommand to temporarily change the capture file name. Edit the ATE default file to permanently change the name of the capture file. The CAPTURE_KEY key sequence does not function while the terminal is performing a file transfer operation, and is only valid when a connection is established. If the user presses the CAPTURE_KEY key sequence before a connection is established, the next command entered is unsuccessful and an error message is displayed. |
| PREVIOUS_KEY | Returns to the previously displayed screen. The PREVIOUS_KEY is also used to stop a file transfer operation. The default key sequence for the PREVIOUS_KEY is Ctrl-R. |
| MAINMENU_KEY | Displays the Connected Main Menu so the user can issue an ATE subcommand. The default key sequence for the MAINMENU_KEY is Ctrl-V. Use this control key to display the Connected Main Menu after a connection to a remote system is established.
If the user presses the MAINMENU_KEY key sequence before a connection is established, the next command entered is unsuccessful and an error message is displayed. By customizing the ATE default file, the user can permanently change the control key settings and the capture file name. |
ATE creates the ate.def default file in the current directory the first time the user runs ATE. Edit the ate.def file to customize various aspects of ATE. For example, the user can change the name of the dialing directory file, the type of transfer protocols used to send and receive files from the remote system, and the baud rate ATE expects the modem to use. See "How to Edit the ATE Default File" for a complete discussion of ATE customization.
In addition to editing the default file to customize ATE, the user can temporarily change certain aspects of ATE with the modify and alter subcommands. These subcommands can change certain settings. The exceptions are the control key sequences (which can only be changed by editing the default file) and the name of the dialing directory (which can be changed with the directory subcommand or by editing the default file). Any changes made with the modify, alter, or directory subcommands are effective only for that session of ATE. The next time the user runs ATE, the settings used are those defined in the default file.
When using a modem with ATE, the user can create a dialing directory of up to 20 phone numbers. The directory subcommand displays the telephone numbers and enables the user to select one to connect to the system being called.
By using a dialing directory, the user avoids having to look up the telephone number when calling a particular system. The user can also specify certain data transmission characteristics in the dialing directory file. This is useful if some connections use characteristics that differ from the defaults.
The user can create a personalized dialing directory and the system administrator can create a system-wide dialing directory. Specify which dialing directory to use in the ATE default file. See "How to Set up an ATE Dialing Directory File" for more information.
For procedure information on ATE, see:
Emulators Overview explains how emulators work.
The ate command starts ATE and displays the Unconnected Main Menu, from which the user can access the ATE subcommands for connecting to remote systems and sending and receiving files.
The xmodem command allows the user to transfer files using the xmodem protocol.
The alter subcommand, break subcommand, connect subcommand, directory subcommand, help subcommand, modify subcommand, perform subcommand, quit subcommand, receive subcommand, send subcommand, terminate subcommand.