More than 4 com-ports and Ms-dos 5.0 ???

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2 total messages Started by Mika Suoranta Tkkk Tue, 27 Oct 1992 16:11

Author: Mika Suoranta Tkkk
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1992 16:11

36 lines
1823 bytes

 
        MORE COM-PORTS??
 
        Does anyone know how one could possibly have
        more than 4 Com-ports in one computer? I've an 286
        machine running under Ms-dos 5.0 and as far as I
        understand the operating system sets the limit.
        
        I have to connect:
        1)      printer (my printer doesn't have parallel)
        2)      mouse
        3)      telephone modem *)
        4)      packet radio modem
        5)      RTTY-modem
                
                *) this goes to an expansion card slot but
                still takes one interrupt address
 
        Could there be some special device driver which would
        permit more ports in expansion cards? I don't quite
        like the idea of a big switch  for some external
        devices -  even if I don't have to have all of them
        connected and running the 
 
                thanks,
                                Mika OH1NZQ



   ----------------------------------------------------------------------
   Mika Suoranta, Leirikatu 11 SF-20360 Turku, Finland tel +358-21-382637
   Graduate Student, Turku School of Economics,   Ham Radio opr om OH1NZQ
   Internet e-mail addresses  MSUORANTA@FINABO.ABO.FI (read almost daily)
   Occasionally used: ap538@cleveland.freenet.edu & msuorant@jybox.jyu.fi
   ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Re: More than 4 com-ports and Ms-dos 5.0 ???

Author: fred j mccall 575-3539
Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1992 01:45

25 lines
1621 bytes

In <1992Oct27.161147.2784@abo.fi> MSUORANTA@finabo.abo.fi (Mika Suoranta Tkkk) writes:

> 
>        MORE COM-PORTS??
> 
>        Does anyone know how one could possibly have
>        more than 4 Com-ports in one computer? I've an 286
>        machine running under Ms-dos 5.0 and as far as I
>        understand the operating system sets the limit.

The limit is primarily hardware set.  However, there are special
multi-port boards (with their own drivers) that will allow more than 4
COM ports by using the same IRQ for the entire card and then letting
the card arbitrate the ports (for example).  I've seen both 4 and 8
port cards.  These are generally used by folks running large
multi-line BBS systems (for example).  Some of the makers of these
boards are folks like Digiboard and Stallion (two names that occur --
there are a lot of others).

-- 
"Insisting on perfect safety is for people who don't have the balls to live
 in the real world."   -- Mary Shafer, NASA Ames Dryden
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fred.McCall@dseg.ti.com - I don't speak for others and they don't speak for me.

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