The solution is independent of the operating system (DOS, XENIX, SCO UNIX, NETWARE, etc.) and of the (character) applications executing in the PC.
The principle of EPIS operation is based on analyzing signals destined for the PC's video buffer, converting them into VT340 data streams (support for colour and special, extended ANSI characters), and transmitting to the automation system. This function does not affect the PC's screen output at all. EPIS quarantees the native PC (console) application look and feel during emulation through the automation system, assuming that the system is capable of interpreting VT340 data streams. This is by far superior to using protocol converters (if at all possible) which tend to support only a small subset of the protocol - typically VT100 with no extended ANSI characters.
Keyboard input generated by the automation tool is converted by the board into internal PC keyboard signals and is treated by the receiving operating system and/or application as if it were entered directly from the PC's keyboard. To provide full flexibility, the original keyboard can remain attached to the PC and its signals are processed unchanged. What is even more important, EPIS allows the operator of the automation system (or the autoreply script) to use all keys and their combinations on the keyboard, not just a subset corresponding to the keyboard of the terminal emulated by the protocol converter. The hexadecimal values of the characters that EPIS can receive from by the automation tool, with corresponding keystrokes which it generates to the housing PC are listed in the key codes translation table.
The transmission speed between the automation tool and the board can be
set
to 9600 19200 28800 or 57600 baud. EPIS represents a module which
is fully transparent to the housing PC. Performance and other
characteristics of the PC are unaffected.