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Xref: sserve comp.os.linux.development:19260 comp.os.linux.misc:29553 comp.os.386bsd.questions:14404 comp.os.386bsd.misc:4068 sci.electronics:83968 Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development,comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.386bsd.questions,comp.os.386bsd.misc,sci.electronics Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!bunyip.cc.uq.oz.au!munnari.oz.au!news.Hawaii.Edu!ames!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!swrinde!news.uh.edu!uuneo.neosoft.com!bonkers.taronga.com!peter From: peter@bonkers.taronga.com (Peter da Silva) Subject: Re: 16550 detection Organization: Taronga Park BBS Message-ID: <Cyp2ws.MIq@bonkers.taronga.com> References: <CMETZ.94Oct30051603@itchy.inner.net> <TYTSO.94Nov2113942@dcl.mit.edu> <jonkCyo2Au.239@netcom.com> Date: Thu, 3 Nov 1994 14:00:28 GMT Lines: 24 In article <jonkCyo2Au.239@netcom.com>, Jonathan Dale Kirwan <jonk@netcom.com> wrote: >This means I must set the internal serial board (if using an external >modem) at rates of 57.6k or better to keep up. It is hard to ask for >common users to understand the need for 16550 chips (or CPU-based >serial cards) in order to use a modem. Better for them to save the >$10 to $15 extra charged for 16550-based boards and to spend it on >a $75 14,400 bps internal modem. Even with a 16550, the 16 bytes >that it buffers (even though it should interrupt in 8) only provides >about 2 to 3 milliseconds of latency. The internal boards all provide >enough buffer to get by, mostly. From what you're saying it sounds like you're talking about a DOS/Windows environment where 2-3 milliseconds latency is a big deal. If you'll take a peek at the newsgroups line, you'll see that the discussion is crossposted to (and started in) the 386BSD and Linux groups. We've also had a lot worse luck getting internal modems that work worth a damn. We used to have a bunch, I don't know what brands, but they've all been replaced by Sportsters by now, because they just wouldn't sustain a connection (or in some cases connect at all). Finally, external modems make great external fuses for minor power surges over the phone line. I'd rather not have that plugged into my bus.