| Home | About | Concept | It's a Jungle | What you need to know | Services | Auth. Entry | Contact Us |
Task: Transmit data stored on HP Calculator tapes to an IBM Mainframe
The client expected to spend thousands of dollars developing software that would allow a calculator to transmit data over an intelligent, shared communication link.
Our Assessment: A much simpler, less risky solution was available
As initially envisioned by the client, the project would have required developing software that would allow a calculator to emulate an IBM terminal. This was risky, as well as complex. Any change to IBM's transmission protocol could cause the link to fail. In addition, transmissions intended for large monitor screens did not lend themselves to display on the small calculator screen.
The Solution: A special cable
After consultation with the client, we designed a special three-ended cable that allowed the calculator to inject data into an existing terminal's communication link. Nothing more was needed because the IBM terminal sharing the link handled the communication protocol used by the mainframe and displayed transmissions received from the mainframe. The cost to the client was under $200.