Hyperterminal is a terminal emulator program, it is free to download for Windows. It gives you a basic interface like just having remote fast. This is how you talked to TIII and TIV controllers before IMS. The settings are 1200 bits per second, 8 data bits, parity= none, flow control=hardware. Just plugging in with Hyperterminal and resetting the CPU will run the confidence test.
One other thing you might try is breaking off pin 4 of your 25 pin cable or adapter. This would only work if everything else was fine but you just couldn't talk to the controller.