Decision Data 3596 C1013A Amber CRT Terminal IBM AS/400 5250 Compatible VDT

Decision Data 3596 C1013A Amber CRT Terminal IBM AS/400 5250 Compatible VDT

The Decision Data 3596 is a standalone CRT video display terminal (VDT) manufactured by Decision Data Computer Corporation. This unit carries ordering number C1013A and features an amber phosphor CRT display. It connects to a host system via a 25-pin parallel interface on the rear panel and sits on an integrated tilt/swivel desktop base.

Specifications & What's Included

• Brand: Decision Data Computer Corporation
• Model: 3596
• Ordering Number: C1013A
• Display: Amber phosphor CRT
• Form factor: Desktop with integrated tilt/swivel base
• Rear interface connector: 25-pin D-sub / Centronics-style parallel port
• Rear connectors also include: round DIN connector and IEC AC power inlet
• Housing color: Beige/cream
• Terminal only — no host cables or accessories included

Applications

Decision Data Computer Corporation produced IBM-compatible terminals through the 1980s and early 1990s, offering drop-in replacements for IBM 3196 and 5250-series displays used with IBM midrange systems including the AS/400, System/36, and System/38. These terminals communicated with the host via a twinaxial or parallel coax interface and rendered the character-based 5250 data stream that IBM midrange platforms relied on. The 3596 dates from that era of IBM-compatible terminal manufacturing, when third-party vendors like Decision Data competed directly with IBM's own display offerings by providing compatible, often less expensive, workstation terminals for business and industrial data-entry environments. Though the underlying IBM midrange platforms have largely given way to modern systems, legacy AS/400 (IBM iSeries / IBM i) installations still exist in production today, and 5250-compatible terminals and their replacements remain in use for maintenance and support of those systems.