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This article will explain in detail what the terminal in the computer generally refers to. The editor thinks it is very practical, so I share it with you as a reference. I hope you can get something after reading this article.

A terminal generally refers to a computer or computer system, a machine used to allow users to enter data and display their calculation results; some terminals are all-electronic, some are electromechanical, and they are also called terminals, which is different from an independent computer.

A terminal (English: Computer terminal) is a computer or computer system that allows users to enter data and display their calculation results. Some terminals are all-electronic, while others are electromechanical. It is also known as the terminal, which is different from an independent computer.

The terminal is actually a kind of input and output device, which belongs to the peripherals relative to the host computer, and does not provide operation processing function. Early computer terminals were generally electromechanical teletypewriters, such as ASR33. But they are too slow for most applications. In the early 1970s, many computer companies realized that TV input terminals were much better than punched cards and could make it easier for computers to interact with users and generate new applications. The problem at that time was that the memory needed to display a page of text was too large compared to the minicomputer at that time. The speed required to display television signals before the popularity of integrated circuits posed too high a technical challenge to the logic gates at that time. At that time, a company announced that it would produce a $15000 video terminal, which attracted many buyers, but in the end, its engineers decided that the project could not be completed. Another solution is the storage tube invented by Tektronix, which can display the information output to it, but cannot be refreshed.

Early video terminals used special logic gates and did not have their own CPU. One of the motivations for the development of microprocessors is to simplify the complexity of electronic components in terminals. Most terminals have green or orange screens, which are connected to mainframe computers. A typical terminal uses serial data communication such as RS-232 to connect to the host, and IBM uses its own system network architecture protocol to connect its host to the terminal through coaxial cable.

Later, so-called intelligent terminals (such as VT52 and VT100) were introduced. Today, there are still many simulation software for these two terminals. These terminals are called "smart" because they understand escape sequences, can locate the cursor and control the display position. Important non-VT100 terminals are IBM 3270, different Huizhi models and Tektronix 4014. In the 1970s, there were more than a dozen terminal manufacturers in the world, and the instructions of most terminals were not compatible. The most important terminal manufacturers in the 1970s and early 1980s were Digiddo, Huizhi, Televideo, Lear Siegler and Heathkit.

Early IBM personal computers also had a green display, but it was not a terminal. The display screen of the personal computer does not include any hardware that generates letters, and all the video signals are generated in the video card of the personal computer. But using the corresponding simulation program, a personal computer can be connected to the analog terminal of the mainframe computer. Finally, personal computers that use microprocessors greatly eliminate the need for terminals. The Telnet client of most personal computers today provides the most common terminal (general VT100) emulation.

This is the end of this article on "what does a terminal in a computer generally mean?". I hope the above content can be helpful to you, so that you can learn more knowledge. if you think the article is good, please share it for more people to see.

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