[comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc] Need **LOTS** of COM ports

srlncnc@badger.dosli.govt.nz (Chris Crook) (05/17/91)

Is there any way of putting more than 4 COM ports onto a PC for a 
bulletin board application.  

Chris

richard@ariel.ucs.unimelb.edu.au (Richard Begg) (05/17/91)

In article <1991May16.205258.4191@dosli.govt.nz>, srlncnc@badger.dosli.govt.nz (Chris Crook) writes:
|> Is there any way of putting more than 4 COM ports onto a PC for a 
|> bulletin board application.  
|> 
|> Chris

It is possible to buy multi com port boards for PCs, these boards have
their own processor to rotate the ports etc.  However they are pretty
pricy, The cheapest one I have seen is an 8 port model which
retails for about $800 in Oz.  Perhaps these things are more
common, and cheaper in the states.  Another option perhaps is
to pick up a cheap PC and turn it into a terminal server, this would
give you another 4 ports, however it would involve a fair
amount of comms programming to get it to work.

-- 
Richard Begg (richard@asis.unimelb.edu.au)
Programmer ASIS/ITS - University of Melbourne

jimh@sequent.com (05/17/91)

In article <665@ariel.ucs.unimelb.edu.au> richard@ariel.ucs.unimelb.edu.au (Richard Begg) writes:
>In article <1991May16.205258.4191@dosli.govt.nz>, srlncnc@badger.dosli.govt.nz (Chris Crook) writes:
>|> Is there any way of putting more than 4 COM ports onto a PC for a 
>|> bulletin board application.  
>|> 
>|> Chris
>
>It is possible to buy multi com port boards for PCs, these boards have
>their own processor to rotate the ports etc.  However they are pretty
>pricy, The cheapest one I have seen is an 8 port model which
>retails for about $800 in Oz.  Perhaps these things are more
>common, and cheaper in the states.  Another option perhaps is
>to pick up a cheap PC and turn it into a terminal server, this would
>give you another 4 ports, however it would involve a fair
>amount of comms programming to get it to work.
The DigiBoard DigiChannel PC-8/Xe I/O Controller was about
$350 and the octicable was about another $50 last time I
looked. This provides 8 lines of serial I/O. I think you can
find much cheaper boards than this. Your best bet is to get
'Computer Shopper' and take a look. I have used the DigiBoard,
however, and it is a very robust board. In the latest shopper,
Computer Discount Warehouse (800) 726-4CDW has the PC/8 for
$424.73 and the PC/4 for $286.10. 
>
>-- 
>Richard Begg (richard@asis.unimelb.edu.au)
>Programmer ASIS/ITS - University of Melbourne


-- 
 Jim Harrie 	Technical Support Engineer
 Sequent Computer Systems, Inc. (503) 578-5778 
 Internet: jimh@sequent.com
 UUCP:	uunet|tektronix|ogicse!sequent!jimh
--

blaise@kira.UUCP (Christopher Blaise) (05/19/91)

From article <1991May16.205258.4191@dosli.govt.nz>, by srlncnc@badger.dosli.govt.nz (Chris Crook):
> Is there any way of putting more than 4 COM ports onto a PC for a 
> bulletin board application.  
> 
> Chris

	Look into a digiboard (name of manufacturer escapes me).  TBBS uses
it exclusively, and the configuration that it recommends (never tried it
with any others), is simply using COM1 and/or COM 2 with different interrupts
for each line/modem...
    
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Christopher Blaise - blaise@emily.uvm.edu   "I just wanna be loved... 
 ]]]]]]]]]]]]]   Fido: 1:325/107	      is that so WRONG?!"	
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------

david@csource.oz.au (david nugent) (05/20/91)

blaise@kira.UUCP (Christopher Blaise) writes:

>From article <1991May16.205258.4191@dosli.govt.nz>, by srlncnc@badger.dosli.govt.nz (Chris Crook):
>> Is there any way of putting more than 4 COM ports onto a PC for a 
>> bulletin board application.  

> Look into a digiboard (name of manufacturer escapes me).  TBBS uses
> it exclusively, and the configuration that it recommends (never tried it
> with any others), is simply using COM1 and/or COM 2 with different 
> interrupts for each line/modem...


Ah.. but the Digiboard is one of those neat devices which can share IRQ's
between different COM ports.  Provided your software understands this, and
perhaps can take advantage of the shared port mask available on the bus,
then you shouldn't have any problems in using them all on the same IRQ.

-- 
 David Nugent                                      Unique Computing Pty Limited
 Communications/PC/Unix Consulting           3:632/348@fidonet 28:4100/1@signet
 Internet/ACSnet: david@csource.oz.au      Uucp: ..!uunet!munnari!csource!david