Serial Boards

[Steve Nuchia]

>From article <139 at wobble.UUCP>, by dlu at wobble.UUCP (Doug Urner):
> I'm trying to select a multi-port serial card for my '386 machine.
> One of the board's major responsibilities will be to handle uucp
> trafic through a high speed modem I am assuming that it will have
> to be a "smart" board.

> The OS is Interactive's 386/ix.

I am successfully running at 9600bps on a Bell Tech 386 with Bell Tech's
version of Interactive V.3, using a "dumb" port with a "smart" chip
retrofitted.

If you can replace the scrummy chip with a National NS16550A
I have a driver that takes advantage of its on-chip FIFOs and
performs reasonably.  The driver also includes provisions
for "dumb" multiport card addressing, and deals with a mix
of smart and dumb chips.

I am planning to release a version of the driver (as shareware,
it was an unholy bitch to write) next month but I will send an
advance copy to anyone who needs it to avoid the expence of a
"smart" board.

If there is a groundswell of interest in this I would consider
coordinating a group purchase of the chips - they are not
stock items in your typical parts shop.
-- 
Steve Nuchia	    | [...] but the machine would probably be allowed no mercy.
uunet!nuchat!steve  | In other words then, if a machine is expected to be
(713) 334 6720	    | infallible, it cannot be intelligent.  - Alan Turing, 1947