jstarr@ANAD.ARPA (James Starr Network Control Branch USAISC Anniston) (08/25/87)
The RS-232C standard is undoubtedly the most corrupted and bastardized standard in the world. In fact the only thing I have not seen changed is the physical size of the connector, the pin spacing and pin 7 being signal ground. Here at Anniston we have a wide varity of computers, data communications equipment and protocol converters. It is unbelievable what vendors have done in the name of RS-232C. Without a breakout box to see what is going on we would have been lost. Most of our host use X-ON X-OFF flow control but we have many that use RTS - CTS as flow control. A slow speed printer connected to a higher speed data circuit, for example. When the printer buffer is full it drops CTS to the host port/comm port. The host stops sending data until CTS is high again. DTR and DSR play no role in this flow control method. This flow control "protocol" is used in async as well as sync circuits. Vendors who corrupt the RS-232C standard (or any other for that matter) should be sentenced to two years of making special cables to interface bastardized ports. Jim Starr
aad+@andrew.cmu.edu (Anthony A. Datri) (08/25/87)
You haven't seen the connector size change? I have. I've seen db9's and even stranger things from ibm.
koko@uthub.UUCP (08/26/87)
In article <8708251509.AA21532@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, jstarr@ANAD.ARPA (James Starr Network Control Branch USAISC Anniston) writes: > > > > The RS-232C standard is undoubtedly the most corrupted and bastardized > standard in the world. In fact the only thing I have not seen changed > is the physical size of the connector, the pin spacing and pin 7 being > signal ground. > Unfortunately, RS-232C is a recommended standard, and not a mandatory, enforced one. This means that you can either use it or not use it. However, many people have interpreted the term recommended standard to mean one which can be changed at will. Hence they have made arbitrary changes and additions but still call it RS-232C. Maybe they should call it modified RS-232C. Nonetheless, I agree with you wholeheartedly that RS-232C has been widely abused. > Here at Anniston we have a wide varity of computers, data communications > equipment and protocol converters. It is unbelievable what vendors have > done in the name of RS-232C. Without a breakout box to see what is going > on we would have been lost. > > ... > > Vendors who corrupt the RS-232C standard (or any other for that matter) > should be sentenced to two years of making special cables to interface > bastardized ports. > > > Jim Starr Actually, vendors who implement a modified form of RS-232C and still call it RS-232C should be sentenced to criminal prosecution. (I was once told that someone believed that the RS in RS-232C stands for Radio Shack! :-)
dave@astra.necisa.oz (Dave Horsfall) (08/31/87)
In article <8708251509.AA21532@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> jstarr@ANAD.ARPA (James Starr Network Control Branch USAISC Anniston) writes: > >The RS-232C standard is undoubtedly the most corrupted and bastardized >standard in the world. In fact the only thing I have not seen changed >is the physical size of the connector, the pin spacing and pin 7 being >signal ground. Ahem. I guess you're referring to the DB-25 connector here, not the electrical standard. The PC's and clones use DB-9 connectors, and the Mac's use 5-pin DIN. I think... I've also seen DB-15's used too. >Vendors who corrupt the RS-232C standard (or any other for that matter) >should be sentenced to two years of making special cables to interface >bastardized ports. Isn't that "cruel and unusual punishment" ?? -- Dave Horsfall (VK2KFU) ACSnet/CSNET: dave@astra.necisa.oz NEC Information Systems Aust. ARPA: dave%astra.necisa.oz@seismo.css.gov 3rd Floor, 99 Nicholson St JANET: astra.necisa.oz!dave@ukc St. Leonards NSW 2064 AUSTRALIA UUCP: {enea,hplabs,mcvax,seismo,ukc}!\ TEL: +61 2 438-3544 FAX: 439-7036 munnari!astra.necisa.oz!dave
peter@sugar.UUCP (Peter da Silva) (09/03/87)
> >standard in the world. In fact the only thing I have not seen changed > >is the physical size of the connector, the pin spacing and pin 7 being > >signal ground. > electrical standard. The PC's and clones use DB-9 connectors, and the > Mac's use 5-pin DIN. I think... I've also seen DB-15's used too. There are a lot of multiport boards for the PC that use what appear to be 6 pin phone jacks. -- -- Peter da Silva `-_-' ...!seismo!soma!uhnix1!sugar!peter -- U <--- not a copyrighted cartoon :->
sl@van-bc.UUCP (Stuart Lynne) (09/05/87)
In article <631@sugar.UUCP> peter@sugar.UUCP (Peter da Silva) writes: >> >standard in the world. In fact the only thing I have not seen changed >> >is the physical size of the connector, the pin spacing and pin 7 being >> >signal ground. >> electrical standard. The PC's and clones use DB-9 connectors, and the >> Mac's use 5-pin DIN. I think... I've also seen DB-15's used too. ^^^^^^^^^ Actually they use 8 pins. (Pinout available on request, here or in comp.sys.mac.) >There are a lot of multiport boards for the PC that use what appear to >be 6 pin phone jacks. ^^^^^ Bell Technologies ICC card (.5MB, 80186 etc) uses six RJ45 jacks, these each have eight "pins". They use the same standard as AT&T with their 3BXXX line of computers. The design limitation for six ports seems to be the number of these jacks they could fit on the spine of an AT style board. Perhaps giving modem handshake, and going to a six line jack would allow for eight ports. -- {ihnp4!alberta!ubc-vision,uunet}!van-bc!Stuart.Lynne Vancouver,BC,604-937-7532