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Files Reference

ate.def File Format

Purpose

Determines default settings for the Asynchronous Terminal Emulation (ATE) program.

Description

The ate.def file sets the defaults for use in asynchronous connections and file transfers. This file is part of Asynchronous Terminal Emulation and is created in the current directory during the first run of ATE. The ate.def file contains the default values in the ATE program uses for the following:

The first time the ATE program runs from a particular directory, it creates the ate.def file in that directory, with settings as follows:

LENGTH 8
STOP 1
PARITY 0
RATE 1200
DEVICE tty0
INITIAL ATDT
FINAL
WAIT 0
ATTEMPTS 0
TRANSFER p
CHARACTER 0
NAME kapture
LINEFEEDS 0
ECHO 0
VT100 0
WRITE 0
XON/XOFF 1
DIRECTORY /usr/lib/dir
CAPTURE_KEY 002
MAINMENU_KEY 026
PREVIOUS_KEY 022

Edit the ate.def file with any ASCII text editor to permanently change the values of these characteristics. Temporarily change the values of these characteristics with the ATE alter and modify subcommands, accessible from either ATE Main Menu.

Parameters in the ate.def File

Type parameter names in uppercase letters in the ate.def file. Spell the parameters exactly as they appear in the original default file. Define only one parameter per line. An incorrectly defined value for a parameter causes ATE to return a system message. However, the program continues to run using the default value.

These are the ate.def file parameters:

LENGTH Specifies the number of bits in a data character. This length must match the length expected by the remote system.

Options: 7 or 8.

Default: 8.
STOP Specifies the number of stop bits appended to a character to signal that character's end during data transmission. This number must match the number of stop bits used by the remote system.

Options: 1 or 2.

Default: 1.
PARITY Checks whether a character is successfully transmitted to or from a remote system. Must match the parity of the remote system.

For example, if the user selects even parity, when the number of 1 bits in the character is odd, the parity bit is turned on to make an even number of 1 bits.

Options: 0 (none), 1 (odd), or 2 (even).

Default: 0.
RATE Determines the baud rate, or the number of bits transmitted per second (bps). The speed must match the speed of the modem and that of the remote system.

Options: 50, 75, 110, 134, 150, 300, 600, 1200, 1800, 2400, 4800, 9600, or 19,200.

Default: 1200.
DEVICE Specifies the name of the asynchronous port used to make a connection to a remote system.

Options: Locally created port names.

Default: tty0.
INITIAL Defines the dial prefix, a string that must precede the telephone number when the user autodials with a modem. For the proper dial commands, consult the modem documentation.

Options: ATDT, ATDP, or other values, depending on the type of modem.

Default: ATDT.
FINAL Defines the dial suffix, a string that must follow the telephone number when the user autodials with a modem. For the proper dial commands, consult the modem documentation.

Options: Blank (none) or a valid modem suffix.

Default: No default.
WAIT Specifies the time to wait between redialing attempts. The wait period does not begin until the connection attempt times out or until it is interrupted. If the ATTEMPTS parameter is set to 0, no redial attempt occurs.

Options: 0 (none) or a positive integer designating the number of seconds to wait.

Default: 0.
ATTEMPTS Specifies the maximum number of times the ATE program tries to redial to make a connection. If the ATTEMPTS parameter is set to 0, no redial attempt occurs.

Options: 0 (none) or a positive integer designating the number of attempts.

Default: 0.
TRANSFER Defines the type of asynchronous protocol that transfers files during a connection.
p
pacing:

File transfer protocol controls the data transmission rate by waiting for a specified character or for a certain number of seconds between line transmissions. This helps prevent loss of data when the transmission blocks are either too large or sent too quickly for the system to process.

x
xmodem:

An 8-bit file transfer protocol to detect data transmission errors and retransmit the data.

Options: p (pacing), x (xmodem).

Default: p.
CHARACTER Specifies the type of pacing protocol to be used.
Character
Signal to transmit a line. Select one character.

When the send subcommand encounters a line-feed character while transmitting data, the subcommand waits to receive the pacing character before sending the next line.

When the receive subcommand is ready to receive data, it sends the pacing character, then waits 30 seconds to receive data. The receive subcommand sends a pacing character again whenever it finds a carriage-return character in the data. The receive subcommand ends when it receives no data for 30 seconds.

Interval
Number of seconds the system waits between each line it transmits. The value of the Interval variable must be an integer. The default value is 0, indicating a pacing delay of 0 seconds.

Default: 0.
NAME File name for incoming data (capture file).

Options: A valid file name less than 40 characters long.

Default: The kapture file.
LINEFEEDS Adds a line-feed character after every carriage-return character in the incoming data stream.

Options: 1 (on) or 0 (off).

Default: 0.
ECHO Displays the user's typed input.

For a remote computer that supports echoing, each character sent returns and displays on the screen. When the ECHO parameter is on, each character is displayed twice: first when it is entered, and again when it returns over a connection. When the ECHO parameter is off, each character displays only when it returns over the connection.

Options: 1 (on) or 0 (off).

Default: 0.
VT100 The local console emulates a DEC VT100 terminal so DEC VT100 codes can be used with the remote system. With the VT100 parameter off, the local console functions like a workstation.

Options: 1 (on) or 0 (off).

Default: 0.
WRITE Captures incoming data and routes it to the file specified in the NAME parameter as well as to the display. Carriage-return or line-feed combinations are converted to line-feed characters before they are written to the capture file. In an existing file, data is appended to the end of the file.
Note
The CAPTURE_KEY (usually the Ctrl-B key sequence) can be used to toggle capture mode on or off during a connection.

Options: 1 (on) or 0 (off).

Default: 0.
XON/XOFF Controls data transmission at a port as follows:
  • When an Xoff signal is received, transmission stops.
  • When an Xon signal is received, transmission resumes.
  • An Xoff signal is sent when the receive buffer is nearly full.
  • An Xon signal is sent when the buffer is no longer full.

Options: 1 (On) or 0 (Off).

Default: 1.
DIRECTORY Names the file that contains the user's dialing directory.

Default: the /usr/lib/dir file.
CAPTURE_KEY Defines the control key sequence that toggles capture mode. When pressed, the CAPTURE_KEY (usually the Ctrl-B key sequence) starts or stops capturing (saving) the data that is displayed on the screen during an active connection.

Options: Any ASCII control character.

Default: ASCII octal 002 (STX).
MAINMENU_KEY Defines the control key sequence that returns the Connected Main Menu so the user can issue a command during an active connection. The MAINMENU_KEY (usually the Ctrl-V key sequence) functions only from the connected state.

Options: Any ASCII control character.

Default: ASCII octal 026 (SYN).
PREVIOUS_KEY Defines the control key sequence that displays the previous screen anytime during the program. The screen displayed varies, depending on the screen in use when the user presses PREVIOUS_KEY (usually the Ctrl-R key sequence).

Options: Any ASCII control character.

Default: ASCII octal 022 (DC2). The ASCII control character is mapped to the interrupt signal.
Notes:
  1. Changing or remapping may be necessary if control keys conflict across applications. For example, if the control keys mapped for the ATE program conflict with those in a text editor, remap the ATE control keys.
  2. The ASCII control character selected may be in octal, decimal, or hexadecimal format, as follows:
    octal 000 through 037. The leading zero is required.
    decimal 0 through 31.
    hexadecimal 0x00 through 0x1F. The leading 0x is required. The x may be uppercase or lowercase.

Examples

To change characteristics of ATE emulation, create an ate.def file that defines those characteristics.

For example, to change the RATEto 300 bps, the DEVICE to tty3, the TRANSFER mode to x (xmodem protocol), and the DIRECTORY to my.dir, create the following ate.def file in the directory running the ATE program:

RATE         300
DEVICE       tty3
TRANSFER     x
DIRECTORY    my.dir

The time the ATE program starts from that directory, the program uses the defined values.

Files

/usr/lib/dir Contains the default dialing directory file.

Related Information

The ate command.

The alter subcommand, connect subcommand, directory subcommand, modify subcommand, receive subcommand, send subcommand.

ATE Overview for System Management, ATE Overview, How to Edit the ATE Default File, How to Set Up an ATE Dialing Directory in AIX 5L Version 5.2 System User's Guide: Communications and Networks.

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