> I did get my hands on an old service manual, and it says that 'A'
> means (among other things) that the machine is looking for the
> keyboard and monitor. The machine does have a keyboard and monitor
> connections on the back. 
>
> Any way around this? Or do I have to buy a monitor and keyboard?
> Which monitor and keyboards will work? Perhaps a ds2100 keyboard
> with adaptor? Sigh.

I don't have this machine so I wouldn't know, but at least on *some* of them
you just connect pins 8 and 9 together on the DB9 serial connector to tell
it to forget about the monitor/KB and talk to the VT220.

John Wilson