[comp.sys.dec] VS2000 serial line problem

jkh@smegma.UUCP (Hose Head) (01/29/88)

I was thinking of buying a Vaxstation 2000, but the problem with
the serial lines is starting to really give me hives. In short,
the SILO is turned off on all 4 ss ports when you're running
the microvax 2000 as a vaxstation. Why? Because buffering the
mouse (which uses one of the ports) input would be a bad idea.
Unfortunately, turning it off for the only other usable (for
communication) port is a real lose because th CPU gets interrupted
on every character. Run a 2400 baud modem and LOSE BIG! I can't
even imagine what would happen if I used a telebit trailblazer.

Question: I don't expect that there's any way to easily turn
SILOing on for that port or dec would have already done it. 
Is there no way out of this problem? Is the VS2000 a loss
for those that wish to communicate to the outside world?

I guess I could get a microvax II, but I hate the speed
of the QVSS. The scrolling makes me seasick.

Any suggestions? How about a way of using the network port
to talk to some other weird form of serial driver box that
packetizes stuff? Anybody make something like this cheap?

Please reply to:

			jkh@violet.berkeley.edu
			hplabs!dana!jkh
			ucbvax!jkh

But not to all three...

awp8101@ritcv.UUCP (Andrew W. Potter) (02/05/88)

In article <176@smegma.UUCP> jkh@smegma.UUCP (Hose Head) writes:
>... Run a 2400 baud modem and LOSE BIG! I can't
>even imagine what would happen if I used a telebit trailblazer.
>
I have a 2400 modem connected to the modem port on my VS2000 and seem
to run with no problem...I have the port fixed at 9600 Baud and let
the modem speed match.  (I get a small amount of data compression
with MMP).  Things run peachy.   I even experimented with
ASYNC decnet over the port at full 9600 baud.  It seemed to be
no worse than a DZ port on a 780.

Another way you can connect to your VS2000 is via LAT.  That also works
like a champ and is quite efficient.


Andrew W. Potter                         Email: awpsys@ritvax.BITNET
Systems Programmer                              awp8101@ritcv.UUCP
Information Systems and Computing
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester NY, 14623 (716) 475-6994