IBM Programmed Symbols Adapter

From: Derek Peschel <dpeschel_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Mon Apr 12 20:23:23 1999

> I just picked up an IBM 3270 Personal Computer Programmed Symbols Adapter
> card in the box. The box says that it's "an option that provides the
> storage and controls for displaying an APL font and six additional
> programmable fonts." It's a full length 8 bit card with two sockets on the
> to edge. There is also two jumpers in the box that I assume are used to
> jumper this card to another card. I didn't get any instructions or
> software with it. Does anyone know how to use it or have instructions etc
> for it?

It's possible you need a 3270 Personal Computer. (In other words, the 3270
model number refers to the main product which your adapter "adapts", not the
adapter card itself.)

As I recall, the 3270PC consisted of one or more cards that went inside a
regular PC. I forget what it did (there are a number of "big iron for small
computers" products IBM made, and I can never keep track of them all, and I
actually don't especially care). I think it turned your PC into a 3270
terminal so you could talk to big iron, without providing any "big iron"
capability on the PC itself. But it could have been an emulator -- there
was a series of those, so you could actually run some of the VM family of
OSs on your computer.

I'm only providing these details because it's possible that the card won't
work by itself. You not only would need exotic IBM equipment, you would
need the _right_ exotic IBM equipment.

-- Derek
Received on Mon Apr 12 1999 - 20:23:23 BST