Terminal Emulation and keymapping?

We are using a very complicated bit of technology - terminal emulation as a VT220 terminal. Har har.

I'm trying to find an alternative to the $410/seat interface that the vendor sells for 64-bit OS. It's an IT program, regular users don't need 95% of the technology. We telnet to a local server -- not high function stuff here.

My problem comes when I try to fix the keymapping. Does anyone have a guide or a key or a master list? Seems that VT220 has F4 programmed to be so type of ESC or BACK button. The vendor had also programmed the minus key to have the same function. The old emulation has a keymapping file that the new programs won't load.

The pdf for it says F4 = F14 and -(minus) = PF4

The saved keymap file says
6a=^[OR
6d=^[OS
6f=^[OQ
70=^[OP
71=^[OQ
72=^[OR
73=^[OS
74=^[[28~
75=^[[29~
76=^[[18~
77=^[[19~
78=^[[20~
79=^[[21~
7a=^[[23~
7b=^[[24~
90=^[OP

It's all greek to me and hours of searching and testing have yielded no real answers. I can program the F4 to do something different, just not to ESC or whatever that code really is. I've tried making it some sort of F14 or hex code or other bizarre command that I don't understand but had hopes for.

I tried another emulation program that has the F4 programmed as the ESC when in VT200 but it doesn't allow for custom keymapping to make the minus key match it. There is source code for it but I can't figure it out from the code either.

Can anyone point me the right direction? (Original 32-bit program is QVT. First test program is IVT and the one that is pre-programmed and source code is available is PutTY)

 

I cannot say that I am familiar with VT220 emulation but I did find this. Not sure if will help.

http://www.connectrf.com/documents/vt220.html

 

Thanks, it does actually have some useful information in it that I hadn't found before. I'm not sure it will work for this, I will test it in the morning.

I do wish I had this chart when i was trying to overcome a programming error. They forgot to program in the line feed for the end of a print job for HALF of the documents. The workaround was ridiculous. I finally set the printers to a print server that would allow me to enter a HEX Code to be sent after each print job. (a $20 linksys maybe?) It still irritates me but it works. Just prints a blank page between the half of the jobs that do have the correct programming. Yeah, I'm dealing with a whole company of the best and brightest.

I'll at least keep the hex chart for their next brilliant idea. And I'll test some ideas this gave me.

I did discover the in VT100 they call it some sort of break, it's in my notes at work. No breaks in this reference but there is a key sequence that I"m going to try a macro for.

 

I also discovered why they mapped the minus sign to match the PF4. It seems in the terminal keyboard had PF1-4 keys above the number pad. The PF4 key is in the position that the minus key above the number pad is in now. That is a sign that someone was familiar with the original technology and preserved the "esc" type function that terminal users would be used to. That's where their brilliance ends though. Now my users are used to having it.

 

Not sure if you already have this but thought it might give some additional info.

http://vt100.net/docs/vt220-rm/

 

tgell, thank you so much for your help. That last 1984 vintage manual is a gem! Between your links and testing a fifth program with a different mapping system, I figured it out! This last program shows all the VT key options and shows the codes it is using. I think I can make almost all 5 of these programs work now.

Thank you again and I'm impressed with your search skills. I thought that I had some advanced google skills but yours have been far more useful!

 

Thank You, glad I could help out.