ethernet - How do I Connect a 30yr-old Tandy 1400LT laptop to the internet?
2014-07
Just for the fun of it, I want to get an old Tandy 1400LT laptop:
- NEC V20 (Intel 8088 equivalent)
- 640 KB RAM
- 9'' CGA backlit monochrome display
- two 3,5'' 720KB DD floppy drives
- RS-232C serial port (DB-9 M)
- Centronics port parallel (DB-25 F)
I want to connect the thing to the internet and use it as an SSH terminal.
The OS should be no problem as it is a 386 hardware. There should be a small Linux distribution which can be run on it.
The problem I see here is the internet connection. Does anyone have experience with serial/parallel-to-Ethernet converters?
The OS should be no problem as it is a 386 hardware.
You'll probably need 4MB of RAM (likely higher) at an absolute minimum to run Linux, and likely 16MB to run any distribution or kernel with a decent software selection since 2000 or so. If you can't upgrade the RAM you are stuck.
Some brief searches seem to suggest this has an 8088 with 512KB or 768KB or RAM, though. Modern Linux won't run on that at all. (You may want to keep an eye on ELKS, the Tandy's NEC CPU is mentioned in the boot/setup.S file.)
I did get Linux booted on an old 1995-era "Winbook" laptop via floppy, I believe I used muLinux.
rs-232c connector
The way to "convert" serial to a network connection is PPP. You would need to set up a PPP client on your laptop, and have a pppd
running on another Linux/Windows host that can route your ppp
connection to your outgoing Internet connection.
You can probably still use it as an ssh terminal somehow if you install SSHDOS on it.
If anything, put an RS-232 adapter on your Linux system, configure your inittab
to spawn a getty
on ttyS0
or ttyUSB0
and use a DOS terminal program to access your system.
Well, if you're really feeling old-school, you can go back to a prehistory I'm barely old enough to remember!
You will need:
- A copy of DOS to run on the Tandy
- Kermit (the terminal emulator, not the frog)
- A null modem cable (or for some real old-school cred, a couple of dial-up modems & phone lines)
- A machine running some kind of Unix-like OS, connected to the internet, with a serial port.
Configure the Unix machine's getty
or eqiuvalent so you can log in on the serial console.
Connect the Tandy to the Unix machine's serial port.
Either using the null modem cable or via the two modems and the telephone network.
Fire up the terminal emulator.
Log in to the Unix box.
Use links
(or lynx
), ftp
, PINE, or any other favorite text-mode internet software.
For best results watch this while setting it all up.
I have a 1400HD and oddly enough do connect it to the internets.
The best method is to get a Xircom PE3-10BT ethernet adapter which will connect to the 1400's parallel port. The PE3 has a DOS ODI driver which will let you use a TCP stack like mTCP, WATTCP, PC/TCP, etc. mTCP includes a irc, ftp, telnet and other clients and works well.
Next would be to connect a Digi One SP or linux box running tcpser to the 1400's serial port and use it as a virtual modem. Either will emulate a modem connected to com1 letting you use a normal terminal software such as procomm, telix, qmpro on the 1400 to telnet.
May I suggest that you try Minix v2.0? It will run on XT hardware like your laptop, although it will probably take some fiddling.
Minix 2.0 is reasonably full-featured and there is a contributed PPP driver that will also run on XT-style hardware. You can then use PPP over a serial connection to a properly networked Linux system. Finding an SSH client that will work on Minix with so little memory is more of a challenge, however...
NAME: 1400 HD
MANUFACTURER: Tandy Radio Shack
TYPE: Portable
ORIGIN: U.S.A.
YEAR: 1987
END OF PRODUCTION: Unknown
BUILT IN LANGUAGE: MS-DOS, GW-BASIC & DESKmate delivered on disks
KEYBOARD: full stroke keyboard, 76 keys
CPU: NEC V20 (Intel 8088 equivalent)
SPEED: 4.77MHz or 7.16MHz
CO-PROCESSOR: Intel 8087-2 (8 MHz) math co-processor
RAM: 640 KB + 128 KB available for RAM-based disk driver or print spooler
ROM: 16 KB
TEXT MODES: 40 x 25, 80 x 25
GRAPHIC MODES: 640 x 200 (monochrome 9'' LCD backlight display), conform to IBM CGA
COLORS: 16 shades of blue with built-in LCD display. Colours with external monitor
SOUND: Sound beeper
SIZE / WEIGHT: 3.5 x 14.5 x 12.5 inches / 13.5 lbs 370 x 310 x 80 mm / 5Kg
I/O PORTS: AC adapter, Centronics/parallel (DB-25 F), RS232/serial port (DB-9 M), RGBI output for color monitor (DB-9 F), composite video output, enhanced keyboard (5 pin Din F), 2 internal slots (modem, I/O bus)
BUILT IN MEDIA:
LT & FD : 2 x 3.5'' floppy disk drives (DS DD, 720 KB each)
HD: one 3.5'' floppy disk drive (720 KB) + 20MB hard disk
OS: Tandy DOS 3
POWER SUPPLY: External PSU - 15v DC 700mA and internal battery (12 volt, 2200 mAh, 4 hours of continuous use)
PERIPHERALS: 1200 baud modem, 128 KB expansion RAMdrive, external hard-disk
PRICE: $1599 (USA, 1987)
According to the above specs, in order to connect this properly you would need to find the original 1200 baud modem listed in the PERIPHERALS section and connect using dial-up. 1200 baud = 1200 B/s. You will need something similar to the device shown on image below:
You are not going to run Linux or any multitasking OS, the 8088 simply does not have the MMU required. Your only chance is DOS using something like Arachne DOS browser - or an old version of it that fits into your available memory. If only want to use it as a console, it's easy enough using a DOS terminal program.
One option that comes to mind, given that you admit in your question you only really want to use it as a SSH terminal anyway, would be to use a terminal emulator on the Tandy to act as a serial terminal to a more modern computer, connected over RS232.
You could still effectively "SSH out" to hosts on the internet although obviously in this case the laptop itself is not actually on the net. But it would definitely be a lot more usable.
Try using a Console server / terminal servers / serial server / device server - different names for the same thing. You can connect to it via your RS-232 port (assuming you get the cable right - you may need to build one) and from there out via ethernet to the internet. But why bother. Its cheaper and more fun to get a Raspberry Pie, have a real linux distro on a modern processor, and if you want to go old school boot it up using the Risc OS or use one of the many available emulators.
Unless you're doing this project as a hobby in and of itself, I would hesitate to even try connecting something that old and primitive to a network. It's likely to be far more work than you bargain for, and is very likely to cause system problems. If you're green and don't want to toss a working piece of equipment (I'm that way), a better use for this might be a direct serial connection (null modem?) to a headless server, as a maintenance console in a normally lights-out environment.
You should checkout what this guy has already done and not re-invent the wheel if you don't have it :)
http://users.telenet.be/mydotcom/library/network/dostcpip.htm
He describes how to get a TCP/IP stack working under DOS, although everything is using a dial up there are links to DOS browsers and other stuff.
Given that system specs you cannot run a current linux distro in that machine as said above but i think you can build your own linux to fit that laptop, check Linux From Scratch tutorials and maybe you can install a simple core linux with just a bash terminal.
2 other options are:
Become programmer (if you are not already) and build your own OS
Ask a programmer to develop an OS for you (look for arduino and small-medium devices programmers)
Are there any computer vendors (like Dell, Lenovo, or..) that still sell laptops with an internal serial port?
We are using several modem and other kind of box at work that have to be used (and/or programmed) with serial port (RS232, DB9, ..). We tried many usb/pcmcia serial adapter which run fine when used to load programs on the boxes but not with modems. The protocol behind the RTC connection (with modem) need timer we are not able to reach when using an adapter (maybe until we find a very good adapter), and that leads to my question..
My brand new Dell Latitude E5500 has a serial port on the left side of it. Alas, it has no parallel port.
Panasonic and Fujitsu have them in nice laptops.
I have also just started looking for a new laptop with a serial port.
I can confirm eleven81's answer that Dell is still selling the Latitude E5500, however that machine is limited to Core 2 Duo processors. If you go to the newer E6410 and E6510 you gain access to i5 and i7 processors, but they have dropped the serial port.
In following Tim's answer, the Fujitsu Lifebook E780 also has a serial port, but also comes with i5 and i7 processors - albeit at several hundred $$ more than the E5500's.
The Panasonic Toughbook series all seem to have serial ports, but with different processors. The 52 has Core 2 Duo or Core i5 processor. The 19, 30 and 74 have Core 2 Duo. And the base price of the Toughbooks also seems above the other two vendors top prices.
The e-series of Dells have a legacy port (serial/parallel) adapter available, and the elite docking station offers serial + parallel as well.
All Toshiba Tecra A11 and Tecra S11 models come with a built in serial port.
Panasonic Toughbooks as well.
HP just release a nice Notebook with serial port and the option to use an i5 or i7 processor. It's the HP Probook 6540b Notebook PC. I just bought one for much cheaper than the Fujitsu and the Panasonic and it has a lot of the perks/options you could want. Julia at customer service did a great job hooking me up with the best possible configuration (and also threw in a nice discount).... Call her (800) 888.5858 ext. 7719068. She definately knows her stuff!! Here's what I got with it...
Configurable - HP Probook 6540b Notebook PC
(ENERGY STAR)
NF162AV
HP Probook 6540b Notebook PC with ATI Radeon HD 4550 512MB Discrete Graphics
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64 (MS Office Trial not included)
Genuine Windows 7 Logo
Intel Core i7-620M Processor (2.66GHz, 1066, 4MB L2 cache)
Intel Core i7 Label
Estar Label
Webcam Integrated 2.0MP Only Available with and required selection for Display w/Camera
15.6-inch diagonal HD+ LED anti-glare (1600 x 900) WVA WWAN and Camera
ATI RadeonT HD 4550 512MB Discrete Graphics
4096MB (1333-MHz, DDR3, 2DIMM) - 64-bit OS recommended with 4GB memory
500-GB SATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
DVD+/-RW SuperMulti with Double Layer LightScribe Drive
Dualpoint Keyboard US (touchpad and pointstick)
802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter US (Intel)
HP Integrated Module with Bluetooth® 2.1 Wireless Technology
HP Mobile Broadband (powered by GobiT) with GPS
Service Provider Verizon Wireless, Sprint or ATT
56K v.92 high speed modem
Integrated Fingerprint Reader
Integrated Smart Card Reader
HW Ki t 90W US
9-cell (93 WHr) Lithium-Ion primary battery