Serial Ports, DTR and RTS/CTS

[David Marks]

I want to connect 3 modems (actually NIU ports, but they LOOK and ACT like
modems) to our 4D/70GT (soon to be a 4D/340VGX).  We have the 6 serial port 
expansion interface, but those ports don't support DTR for detecting presence
of a connection; an attribute we require.  Ports 1-4 support DTR, but 2 and 3
are dedicated to the Buttons & Dials Box and the SpaceBall.

Questions: 
1.  Can the Buttons & Dials Box and SpaceBall be moved over to other ports
(5-10) which don't support DTR?

2.  Does the 6 serial port expansion interface for the 3xxVGX support DTR?

3.  Does it cost more than $5.00 of parts to support DTR (and the like) on a
serial port? (If not, why not provide that support on ALL serial ports, or
at least make it an option?!)

4.  Is there any reason to put a dumb terminal console on port 1 versus any
other port?

5.  Can stty be used to configure a port for RTS/CTS hardware handshaking?  
I've seen the net traffic on how to get it through a program, but I'd like to
avoid writing stty2.c  ...

Thanks

Dave Marks
Rome Laboratory
marks at aivax.radc.af.mil