*BSD News Article 15954


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From: lessen@axion.bt.co.uk (Lee Essen)
Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.questions
Subject: [NetBSD] 16550 UART
Date: 12 May 1993 09:59:34 GMT
Organization: BT Laboratories
Lines: 61
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <1sqhq6$lbd@zaphod.axion.bt.co.uk>
NNTP-Posting-Host: jammy.axion.bt.co.uk

I'm running NetBSD 0.8 and after suffering lots of silo overflow messages I went
out and bought myself a 16550 based serial card. I've got it setup and COM3
0x3e8 and IRQ 5.

My system has got an AMI bios so when you boot the machine it reports serial 
ports at 3f8, 2e8, and 3e8 (or something like that, basically COM1, COM2 and
COM3).

NetBSD recognises all the ports and detects the fifo on com3.

I can do something like....

		cat < /dev/com2 &	# this is COM3
		echo at > /dev/com2

...and watch a response of OK.

BUT!! If I try to use kermit or tip...

	set line /dev/com2		# works ok
	set speed 19200			# works ok, have tried 38400 and 9600
	c				# works ok

	as soon as I type something the disk does something quick and the
	machine comes to a complete freeze (dead!).  BUT NOT EVERY TIME!! 
	SOMETIMES IT WORKS (about 10%)

I then have to hard reset my machine!

Things I have noticed...

	I can use the card under dos and windows (although they don't make use
	of the FIFO)

	If I install CGD's com drivers and define COM_IGNOREFIFO then it works
	(starting to look like a FIFO problem??)

	When booting the port is recognised by the AMI bios, I can let it boot
	dos and then soft reset (CTRL-ALT-DEL) and it's still recognised. If
	I boot NetBSD and once it's up, fastboot the AMI bios only reports
	COM1 and COM2.

Is this a buggered board or has anyone else seen this?

If it is buggered, can someone recommend a supplier in the UK (I got this one
from Demon Ltd - and although I may have blown it up myselft I'de like to try
a different one!)

If it's not buggered, what the hell can I do?? I've just bought a fancy V32, V42,
V32bis, V42bis (and every other V you can imagine) FAX modem and I want to use
it a high speed (without SILO overflow!)

When are bde's com drivers going to make it into NetBSD?? (Has anyone done this?)

Thanks in advancccccccc%$^#$$$$#

com2: silo overflow
last message repeated bloody hundreds of times!


Lee.