ate Command

AIX Version 4.3 Commands Reference, Volume 1

ate Command

Purpose

Starts the Asynchronous Terminal Emulation (ATE) program.

Syntax

ate

Description

The ate command starts the Asynchronous Terminal Emulation (ATE) program. The ATE program establishes a connection between a workstation and a remote computer. A workstation acts as a terminal connected to the remote computer. Using ATE the user can connect to, and exchange data with, remote databases and other systems.

Note: Users must be a member of the UNIX-to-UNIX Copy Program (uucp) group in order to use ATE. A user with root authority uses System Management Interface Tool (SMIT) to install individual users in groups.

ATE establishes the connection and allows users to record and control the session. After logging in to the remote system, users execute programs, issue commands, and use files on the remote system as a local user. ATE also enables a workstation to emulate a VT100 terminal.

The ATE program uses menus and subcommands. From the menus, users issue subcommands to connect to a remote system, receive and transfer files, and execute commands. The Unconnected Main Menu displays any time users issue the ate command. The Connected Main Menu displays when users press the MAINMENU_KEY (usually the Ctrl-V key sequence) while connected to another system. The connect subcommand makes the connection.

The ATE program supports three control key sequences: the CAPTURE_KEY (usually Ctrl-B), PREVIOUS_KEY (usually CTRL-R), and MAINMENU_KEY (usually CTRL-V). These control keys do not function until the ATE program is started. The control keys and other ATE defaults can be changed by editing the ate.def file format.

Examples

To start the ATE program, enter:

ate

The ATE Unconnected Main Menu displays.

Subcommands

alter	Temporarily changes data transmission characteristics in the ATE program.
break	Interrupts current activity on a remote system.
connect	Connects to a remote computer.
directory	Displays the ATE dialing directory.
help	Provides help information for the ATE subcommands.
modify	Temporarily modifies local settings used for terminal emulation.
perform	Allows the user to issue workstation operating system commands while using ATE.
quit	Exits the Asynchronous Terminal Emulation (ATE) program.
receive	Receives a file from a remote system.
send	Sends a file to a remote system.
terminate	Terminates an ATE connection to a remote system.

alter Subcommand

a [ l CharacterLength ] [ s StopBit ] [ p Parity ] [ r BaudRate ] [ d Device ] [ i DialPrefix ] [ f DialSuffix ] [ w Seconds ] [ a RedialAttempts ] [ t TransferProtocol ] [ c PacingType ]

Note: The default values of the alter subcommand flags can be permanently changed by editing the ate.def file format.

The alter subcommand is accessed from the Asynchronous Terminal Emulation (ATE) Connected or Unconnected Main Menu. Issuing the ate command from the command line displays the Unconnected Main Menu. The alter subcommand temporarily changes these data transmission characteristics:

Data character length
Baud rate
Stop and parity bits
Port name
Modem dialing prefixes and suffixes
Waiting time and retry limits
File transfer protocol
Pacing character or delay time

The settings return to the defaults as defined in the ate.def file format when the user exits ATE.

When issued without flags from either of the ATE main menus, the alter subcommand displays the Alter Menu. To bypass the Alter Menu, enter the alter subcommand, followed by the appropriate flags, at the command prompt on either ATE main menu.

The alter subcommand can change more than one feature at a time. To change the value of more than one variable, type the first flag followed by the new value, followed by a space, then the second flag and second value, and so on.

To permanently change the settings affected by the alter subcommand, customize the ate.def file format.

The Alter Menu

The Alter Menu displays the current settings of the changeable characteristics with the alter subcommand. Enter the letter a after the command prompt on either the ATE Connected or Unconnected Main Menu to view the Alter Menu.

The Alter Menu contains the following columns:

Column Names	Contents
COMMAND	Flag that changes the value of a variable
DESCRIPTION	Description of the variable that the flag affects
CURRENT	Current value of the variable
POSSIBLE CHOICES	Possible values of the variable

To change the value of a variable, enter the flag (from the COMMAND column) and new value (from the POSSIBLE CHOICES column) at the command prompt on the Alter Menu.

To return to one of the ATE main menus from the Alter Menu, press the Enter key.

Flags

a RedialAttempts	Specifies the maximum number of times the ATE program redials for a connection. If the RedialAttempts variable is 0, no redial attempt occurs. Options: 0 (none) or a positive integer Default: 0
c PacingType	Specifies the type of pacing protocol used. Default: 0 (no pacing) Note: The PacingType variable has no effect when the xmodem protocol is used. The PacingType can be either of the following: Character Signal to transmit a line. The signal can be any ASCII character. When the send subcommand encounters a line-feed character while transmitting data, it 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 and 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.
d Device	Specifies the name of the asynchronous port used to connect to a remote system. Options: Locally created port names. The first 8 characters of the port name display in the Alter Menu. Default: tty0
f DialSuffix	Specifies the dial suffix that must follow the telephone number when autodialed with a modem. Consult the modem documentation for the proper dial command. Options: 0 (none) or a valid modem suffix. The first 8 characters display in the Alter Menu. Default: no default
i DialPrefix	Specifies the dial prefix that must precede the telephone number when autodialed with a modem. Consult the modem documentation for the proper dial commands. Options: ATDT, ATDP, or other values depending on the type of modem used. The first 8 characters display in the Alter Menu. Default: ATDT
l CharacterLength	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
p Parity	Checks whether a character was 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
r BaudRate	Specifies the baud rate, or 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 19200 Default: 1200
s StopBit	Specifies the number of stop bits appended to a character to signal the end of that character during data transmission. This number must match the number of stop bits used by the remote system. Options: 1 or 2 Default: 1
t TransferProtocol	Defines the type of asynchronous protocol that transfers files during a connection. p File transfer protocol controls the data transmission rate by waiting for either a specified character or 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 An 8-bit file transfer protocol to detect data transmission errors and retransmit the data. Options: p (pacing), or x (xmodem) Default: p
w Seconds	wait Specifies the number of seconds between redial attempts. The wait period does not begin until the connection attempt times out or until it is interrupted. If the attempts flag is set to 0, no redial attempt occurs. Options: 0 (none) or a positive integer Default: 0

Examples

To display the Alter Menu, enter the alter subcommand at the command prompt on either ATE main menu:
```
a
```
The Alter Menu is displayed.
To alter transmission settings from the Alter Menu, enter the appropriate flags at the command prompt on the Alter Menu:

To change the value for the rate flag, enter:
```
r 9600
```

For the current session of ATE, the baud rate is changed to 9600 bps.

To change the value of the wait flag, enter:
```
w 7
```

For the current session of ATE, the wait time for redial changes to 7 seconds.

To bypass the Alter Menu when using the alter command, type the command abbreviation a, followed by the appropriate flags, at the prompt on one of the ATE main menus. For example, to change the rate, wait, and attempt values, enter the following at the prompt on either ATE main menu:
```
a r 9600 w 5 a 1
```

For the current session of ATE, the baud rate changes to 9600 bps, the wait time for redial changes to 5 seconds, and the maximum number of redial attempts changes to 1 attempt.

break Subcommand

The break subcommand sends a break signal to the remote system connected to the terminal by the Asynchronous Terminal Emulation (ATE) program. The break subcommand interrupts current activity on the remote system. Issue the break subcommand from the ATE Connected Main Menu.

Attention: The break subcommand may disconnect the current session. The system may lose data.

Example

To interrupt the current session, at the remote system login screen, press the MAINMENU_KEY (usually the Ctrl-V key sequence). When the ATE Connected Main Menu displays, enter:

A break signal is sent to the remote system, and the ATE Unconnected Main Menu displays. Now exit the ATE program or issue other ATE subcommands.

connect Subcommand

c [ TelephoneNumber | PortName ]

The ATE connect subcommand enables users to connect to a remote computer using Asynchronous Terminal Emulation (ATE). Issue the connect subcommand from the ATE Unconnected Main Menu. The connection can be made between two machines connected by cable or by telephone line. Users establish connection in one of three ways:

direct	Uses an established cabled link to another system.
manually dialed	Uses a telephone number dialed by the user.
automatically dialed	Uses a modem to dial a specified telephone number (a modem-dialed connection).

If the system login is not disabled, attempts to connect to another computer return an error. To disable the workstation port that handles system login by remote users, a user with root authority must use the pdisable command. Once the workstation port is secure from remote logins, the user must then ensure the remote system is ready to receive calls.

No connection is established if the line is busy, if the party does not answer, or if the user specified an unrecognized number. If any of these conditions exist, a message is displayed.

If a busy signal is received while trying to connect to a remote workstation, press the PREVIOUS_KEY (usually the Ctrl-R key sequence), and enter the TelephoneNumber parameter again.

Once the connection is established, ATE displays a message indicating the name of the port used for the connection.

Parameters

PortName	Specifies the name of the port used for a direct connection.
TelephoneNumber	Specifies the telephone number used to establish a modem connection.

Examples

To establish a direct connection, at the command line of the ATE Unconnected Main Menu, enter:
```
c tty0
```
This command establishes a direct connection using port tty0. After connection is established, a message displays, followed by a login screen. Enter the requested login information and press the MAINMENU_KEY (usually the Ctrl-V key sequence) to display the ATE Connected Main Menu.
To establish a manually dialed connection, at the command line of the ATE Unconnected Main Menu, enter:
```
c
```
The ATE program prompts the user for information necessary to establish a manually dialed connection, such as a telephone number or modem to use. After connection is established, ATE displays a message giving the port name used for the connection, followed by a login screen. Enter the requested login information and press the MAINMENU_KEY (usually the Ctrl-V key sequence) to display the ATE Connected Main Menu.
To establish an automatically dialed connection, at the command line of the ATE Unconnected Main Menu, enter:
```
c  2229999
```
This example dials the telephone number 222-9999. After connection is established, a message displays indicating the port used for the connection, followed by a login screen. Enter the requested login information and press the MAINMENU_KEY (usually the Ctrl-V key sequence) to display the ATE Connected Main Menu.

directory Subcommand

The ATE directory subcommand displays a dialing directory. Users establish a connection to a remote computer by selecting one of the directory entries from the displayed directory. The directory subcommand is issued from the ATE Unconnected Main Menu. The directory subcommand uses the information contained in the dialing directory to establish an automatically dialed (modem-dialed) connection.

When ATE starts, it checks the current directory for an ate.def file format. If an ate.def file format does not exist in the current directory, it creates one. The initial location of the dialing directory is /usr/lib/dir, but this value can be changed by editing the ate.def file format. If users specify a different dialing directory in the ate.def file format, that directory is used.

The dialing directory contains entries for remote systems called with the ATE program in the format:

Name Phone Rate Length StopBit Parity Echo Linefeed

These fields give the name of the entry (usually the person or company whose computer the phone number reaches), the telephone number, and other information the ATE program uses to establish the connection.

See "Dialing Directory File Format for ATE" in AIX Files Reference for more information about dialing directory entries.

When an entry displays on the screen using the directory subcommand, the entry is preceded by an entry number. Select the entry to establish a connection to by entering its entry number in response to a prompt.

Example

To display a dialing directory, at the command line of the Unconnected Main Menu, enter:

The dialing directory specified in the ate.def file format displays and prompts the user for an entry number. Enter the number of the dialing directory entry to establish a connection with. ATE establishes the connection and displays a message indicating the port name used.

See How to Set up an ATE Dialing Directory in AIX Version 4.3 System User's Guide: Communications and Networks.

help Subcommand

h [ a ] [ b ] [ c ] [ d ] [ m ] [ p ] [ q ] [ r ] [ s ] [ t ]

The ATE help subcommand provides help information for the ATE subcommands. Issue the help subcommand from either the Unconnected or Connected Main Menu of ATE. Help information is available for all the ATE subcommands, and can be requested for several subcommands at the same time.

When issuing the help subcommand, ATE displays a description of each subcommand requested and instructions for using the subcommand. Help information for each subcommand displays individually, in the order requested. After reading each help message, press Enter to view the next page of help text. At the end of the help text, press Enter to return to the main menu.

Issue the help subcommand with the first letter of an ATE subcommand for help information. These are the names for the ATE subcommands:

Name	ATE Subcommand
a	alter subcommand
b	break subcommand
c	connect subcommand
d	directory subcommand
m	modify subcommand
p	perform subcommand
q	quit subcommand
r	receive subcommand
s	send subcommand
t	terminate subcommand

Examples

To receive help information for a single subcommand, enter the following at one of the ATE main menus:
```
h c
```
Help information displays for the connect (c) subcommand. After viewing the help information, press the Enter key, and ATE displays the menu from which the help subcommand was issued.
To receive help information for multiple subcommands, enter the following at one of the ATE main menus:
```
h r s
```
The help information for the receive subcommand (r) displays first. After viewing the help information, press the Enter key. Help information for the send subcommand (s) displays. After viewing the help information, press the Enter key, and ATE displays the menu from which the help subcommand was issued.

modify Subcommand

m [ n CaptureFileName ] [ e ] [ l ] [ v ] [ w ] [ x ]

Note: The default CaptureFileName and the initial settings of the other modify subcommand flags can be permanently changed in the ate.def file format.

The modify subcommand is accessed from the Asynchronous Terminal Emulation (ATE) Connected or Unconnected Main Menu. The modify subcommand temporarily changes how ATE functions on the local system in the following ways:

Changes the name of the capture file that receives incoming data.
Switches (toggles) the following features on or off:
- Add a line-feed character at the end of each line of incoming data.
- Use echo mode.
- Emulate a DEC VT100 terminal at the console.
- Write incoming data to a capture file as well as to the display.
- Use an Xon/Xoff (transmitter on/off) signal.

The settings return to the default values as defined in the ate.def file format when the user exits ATE.

When issued without flags from either of the ATE main menus, the modify subcommand displays the Modify Menu. The Modify Menu can be bypassed by entering m (the modify subcommand abbreviation), followed by the appropriate flags, at the command prompt on either ATE main menu.

The modify subcommand can change more than one feature at a time. To change the name variable, enter the n flag followed by the new file name. All other variables are switches that can be turned on or off by typing the flag. Typing the flag switches, or toggles, the value.

To permanently change the settings affected by the modify subcommand, customize the ate.def file format in the directory running ATE.

Modify Menu

The Modify Menu displays the current settings of the features changeable with the modify subcommand. To display the Modify Menu, enter the letter m after the command prompt on either the ATE Connected Main Menu or the ATE Unconnected Main Menu.

The Modify Menu contains the following columns:

Column Names	Contents
COMMAND	Flag to enter to change a value
DESCRIPTION	Description of the variable the flag affects
CURRENT	Current value of the variable
POSSIBLE CHOICES	Possible values of the variable

To change the value of a flag other than the name flag, enter the flag (from the COMMAND column) at the command prompt on the Modify Menu. The flag value toggles to the alternate setting. To change the name of the capture file, enter the letter n (the name flag), followed by the new file name, at the prompt on the Modify Menu.

To return to the ATE Connected or Unconnected Main Menu from the Modify Menu, press the Enter key.

Flags

e	echo Displays the input typed by the user. With a remote computer that supports echoing, each character sent returns and displays on the screen. When the echo flag is on, each character is displayed twice: first when it is entered and again when it returns over a connection. When the echo flag is off, each character displays only when it returns over the connection. Options: On or off Default: Off
l	linefeed Adds a line-feed character after every carriage-return character in the incoming data stream. Options: On or off Default: Off
n CaptureFileName	name Specifies the file name for incoming data when the write flag is on, or when the CAPTURE_KEY (usually the Ctrl-B key sequence) is pressed during a connection. Options: Any valid file name. The first 18 characters display in the Modify Menu. Default: capture
v	VT100 The local console emulates a DEC VT100 terminal so DEC VT100 codes can be used with the remote system. With the VT100 flag off, the local console functions like a workstation. Options: On or off Default: Off Note: No keys on the console keyboard are remapped. In addition, some DEC VT100 codes, such as 132 columns, double-height and double-width lines, origin mode, and graphics characters generated from a 10-key keypad, are not supported.
w	write Routes incoming data to the capture file (specified by the name flag) as well as to the display. The write command functions like the CAPTURE_KEY key sequence during a connection. Carriage return and line-feed combinations are converted to line-feed characters before being written to the capture file. In an existing file, data is appended to the end of the file. Options: On or off Default: Off
x	Xon/Xoff Controls data transmission at a port using the Xon/Xoff protocol, 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: On or off Default: On Note: If you use a variable value with any flag other than the name flag, the following error message displays: 828-003 not 'command-name' command is not valid. Enter the first letter of a command from the list on the menu. This error message indicates either an incorrect letter was entered or a value that is not valid was included.

Examples

To display the Modify Menu, enter the modify subcommand at the command prompt on either ATE main menu:
```
m
```
The Modify Menu displays.
To modify settings from the Modify Menu, enter the appropriate flag at the command prompt at the bottom of the Modify Menu:
- To toggle the values of the linefeed flag, at the prompt on the Modify Menu enter:
```
l
```
  The value of the linefeed flag is switched to the alternate setting.
- To change the name variable to schedule, at the prompt on the Modify Menu enter:
```
n schedule
```
  Any data saved is now put into the schedule file.
To bypass the Modify menu when using the modify subcommand, type the m subcommand (the modify subcommand abbreviation), followed by the appropriate flags, at the command prompt on either ATE main menu:
- To toggle the values of the linefeed and echo flags, at the prompt on either ATE main menu enter:
```
m l e
```
  The values of the linefeed and echo flags are switched to the alternate settings. Display the Modify Menu to view the current settings of the flags.
- To change the name variable to schedule and toggle the values of the write and Xon/Xoff flags, at the prompt on either ATE main menu enter:
```
m n schedule w X
```
  Any data saved is now put into the schedule file, and the values of the write and Xon/Xoff flags are switched to the alternate settings. Display the Modify Menu to view the settings of the flags.

perform Subcommand

p [ Command ]

The ATE perform subcommand allows the user to issue workstation operating system commands while using Asynchronous Terminal Emulation (ATE). Issue the perform subcommand from the ATE Unconnected or Connected Main Menu. Command specifies a valid workstation operating system command.

Examples

To issue a workstation operating system command, at the command line of the ATE Unconnected or Connected Main Menu, enter:
```
p 
```
ATE prompts the user to enter a command. ATE executes the specified command. After the command finishes, ATE displays the menu from which the perform subcommand was issued.
To specify the command to be executed, at the command line of the ATE Unconnected or Connected Main Menu, enter:
```
p cat mystuff
```
ATE executes the cat command, which displays the mystuff file. After the cat command finishes, ATE displays the menu from which the perform subcommand was issued.

quit Subcommand

The ATE quit subcommand exits the Asynchronous Terminal Emulation (ATE) program. Issue the quit subcommand from the ATE Unconnected or Connected Main Menu. Issuing the quit subcommand ends the ATE program and displays the command prompt.

Example

To exit the ATE program, from the command line of either ATE main menu, enter:

The ATE program ends and the command prompt displays.

receive Subcommand

r FileName

The ATE receive subcommand enables your system to receive a file from a remote system. The ATE receive subcommand is issued from the ATE Connected Main Menu.

The ATE receive subcommand uses the xmodem file transfer protocol, which enables your system to receive data from a remote system, a block at a time, with error checking. The remote system must be set to send the file before your system can receive. Use the xmodem command with the -s flag on the remote system to enable the remote system to send the file. Then issue the receive subcommand. FileName names the file where the received data is stored.

Example

To receive a file sent from the remote system, at the command line of the ATE Connected Main Menu, enter:

r myfile

The data is received from the remote system and is stored in the myfile file.

send Subcommand

s [ FileName ]

The ATE send subcommand sends a file to a remote system. Issue the ATE send subcommand from the ATE Connected Main Menu once a connection is established. The ATE connect subcommand establishes the connection and prepares the remote system to receive files.

The send subcommand uses the xmodem file transfer protocol, sending data to a remote system, a block at a time, with error checking. Issue the xmodem command with the -r flag on the remote system to enable the remote system to receive the file. Then issue the send subcommand. FileName names the file to send to the remote system.

Examples

To send a file to a remote system, at the command line of the ATE Connected Main Menu, enter:
```
s
```
ATE prompts the user for the name of the file to send to the remote system.
To specify a file to send to the remote system, at the command line of the ATE Connected Main Menu, enter:
```
s mystuff
```
The mystuff file is sent to the remote system.

terminate Subcommand

The ATE terminate subcommand ends an Asynchronous Terminal Emulation (ATE) connection to a remote system and returns to the ATE Unconnected Main Menu. Issue the terminate subcommand from the ATE Connected Main Menu.

Example

To terminate the current session, from the remote system login screen, press the MAINMENU_KEY (usually the Ctrl-V key sequence). When the ATE Connected Main Menu displays, enter:

A terminate signal is sent to the remote system, the session ends, and ATE displays the Unconnected Main Menu. Now issue other ATE subcommands or exit ATE.

File

/usr/lib/dir

Contains the default dialing directory.

Related Information

The ate.def file format contains ATE default values.

ATE Overview in AIX Version 4.3 System User's Guide: Communications and Networks describes the ATE program, its menus, and its control keys.

How to Edit the ATE Default File in AIX Version 4.3 System User's Guide: Communications and Networks explains how to permanently change ATE defaults.

ATE Overview for System Management in AIX Version 4.3 System User's Guide: Communications and Networks discusses tasks involved in managing ATE and lists the aspects of ATE that can be customized.