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5250

5250 refers to IBM’s family of display terminals and the associated 5250 data stream used to interact with IBM midrange computers, notably the AS/400, System i, and their successors. The term covers both the hardware display stations with keyboards and the software implementations that emulate these devices to communicate with a host system.

The 5250 protocol was developed for IBM midrange systems beginning in the late 1970s and became the

Connectivity for 5250 devices has evolved. Early installations used dedicated networks and IBM-supplied communication channels, often

Legacy and relevance: While newer interfaces and graphical user environments have reduced reliance on traditional 5250

standard
terminal
interface
for
AS/400
and
related
platforms
through
the
1980s
and
1990s.
It
supports
a
structured
screen
layout
consisting
of
fields
and
attributes,
enabling
data
entry
and
form-style
interaction.
Terminals
typically
provided
24
lines
by
80
columns
of
display
and
included
a
set
of
function
keys
(such
as
PF1–PF24)
to
trigger
host
actions.
over
SNA
or
Twinax
links.
With
the
growth
of
TCP/IP,
5250
data
streams
are
commonly
transported
via
Telnet-based
emulation
(TN5250),
allowing
PC-
or
mobile-based
emulators
to
connect
to
IBM
i
hosts
over
standard
networks.
Modern
systems
may
also
integrate
5250
emulation
into
web
or
terminal
server
environments.
screens,
the
protocol
remains
in
widespread
use
in
IBM
i
environments.
Many
business
applications
continue
to
rely
on
5250-based
workflows,
and
TN5250
and
emulator
products
continue
to
provide
access
to
IBM
i
data
and
applications.