Tandy 200: Properly Setting Terminal Settings
The Tandy 200 is largely similar to the Tandy Model 100 and 102, but just like its flip top screen, its TELCOM program differs featuring a seven digit string to configure its terminal unlike its siblings which have a six digit code.
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Humans, I build this site for you, whatever way you get your connection strings, using a chatbot or by visiting this humble site, I hope you are enjoying your old Tandy.
For reference, this is my usual setting at 1200 Baud over RS232, the additional options after the first comma are optional to set and unnecessary for most communication: 58N1DIN
Parameter Syntax Example: M7E1ENN,O,10 pps
Communication Parameters Value Parameter Description M Connector Selects the serial interface connector mode 7 Word Length Character length set to 7 bits E Parity Parity check method set to Even 1 Stop Bit Set to 1 stop bit E Stop / Start Stop/Start framing mode enabled N Control Code Control character processing setting N, Line Feed Line feed auto-wrap / handling flag O, Originate / Answer Mode set to Originate 10 pps Dial Type Rotary/pulse dialing speed set to 10 pulses per second
Parameter Settings
Connector Settings Setting Code Interface Baud Rate M Phone Built in modem 1 RS-232 75 baud 2 RS-232 110 baud 3 RS-232 300 baud 4 RS-232 600 baud 5 RS-232 1200 baud 6 RS-232 2400 baud 7 RS-232 4800 baud 8 RS-232 9600 baud 9 RS-232 19200 baud
Word Length Setting Code Description 6 6 bits 7 7 bits 8 8 bits
Parity Setting Code Description I Ignore parity O Odd parity E Even parity N No parity
Stop Bit Setting Code Description 1 1 stop bit 2 2 stop bits
Stop/Start (XON/XOFF Handshake) Control Setting Code Description Start E Enable Start/Stop Characters Stop D Disable Start/Stop Characters Reset this only if you need to change start/stop control
Control Code Filtering Control Setting Code Description Control Code Filter N Normal Control Code Filter I Ignore all control characters except for carriage return and line feed. If you are receiving strange characters from the other computer, set this parameter to “ignore.” If you are not receiving the control characters you need, such as a tab or a backspace, it may be because you have this parameter set to “ignore”—Set it back to “normal.”
By setting this parameter to “ignore”, TELCOM will ignore all 32 ASCII control codes (Codes 0-31) except for the carriage return, line feed, XON, XOFF and tab codes. It will not, however, ignore other strange codes a computer may send you, such as sequence codes (the codes following, for example, the escape code) or ASCII extension codes (Codes 128-255).
Line Feed Control Setting Code Description Line Feed N Carriage Return Line Feed I Carriage Return/Line Feed Reset this only if you are having problems with line spacing.
If the lines you receive are displaying on top of each other, set this parameter to “I.” If lines you receive are displaying double-spaced, set this parameter back to “N.”
Computers differ in the codes they use at the end of lines. Some use only the carriage return code at the end of lines; others use both the carriage return and line feed codes. Set to “I”, TELCOM adds a line feed code to the end of each line that it receives.
The line feed parameter affects only the lines that TELCOM receives. TELCOM does not have a way of adjusting the lines that it sends.
Originate/Answer Control Setting Code Description Originate/Answer O originate Originate/Answer A answer If using the built-in modem, make sure this setting is opposite from the other computer. Otherwise, no transmission will take place.
The RS-232 ignores the originate/ answer setting, so if using the RS-232, you do not need to be concerned with this parameter.
Dial Type Control Setting Code Description Dial Type 10 pps slow pulse dialing Dial Type 20 pps fast pulse dialing Dial Type T tone dialing Reset this only if you want to change TELCOM’s autodialing method.
Index
Tandy 200 TELCOM Reference Manual (PDF)
Created: October 4, 2026