🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1620@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>, braner@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (braner) writes:
> My friend Richard Furnas has devised a wonderful solution to the
> age-old DCE/DTE dichotomy.
> 
>       A T G G R Q
>     __+_+_+_+_+_+__     <A>  (Acknowledge) handshake signal coming out
>    |  | | | | | |  |    <T>  (Transmit) data coming out of this box
>    |               |    <G>  Ground
>    |               |    <G>  Ground
>    |               |    <R>  (Receive) data going into this box
>    |               |    <Q>  (Query) handshake signal going into this box
>     -----     -----
>          |   |          (looking into the socket from outside the box)
>           ---


I applaud this attempt to make some sense out of the RS232 mess.
(Admittedly, the mess is not RS232's fault -- it was never intended
to be used to connect things which are in the same room. Oh well.)

I'd like to add a thought -- in keeping with the symmetry of the signals,
how about a symmetrical connector? I have seen such things, used mainly
for connecting the lights of house trailers to automobiles. They look
like this (in ASCII graphics!):

           ------------------
          |               Q  |=====
          |               R  |=====    <--- pins
    ------|               G  |=====
    cable |                  ------
    ------|               G        |
          |               T        |   <--- holes here for mating pins
          |               A        |
           ------------------------

To be safe, the driven lines should appear on the sockets, so they can't
short to nearby things. I have shown the signals, and where they should
appear on the connector.

Using this type of connector, there is no need for adapters to connect
extension cables. ANY CONNECTOR CAN PLUG INTO ANY OTHER!

Comments?
-- 
"Network XXIII. Where two's company, and three's an audience." -- Max Headroom

Gerry Wheeler                  {seismo,decvax,ihnp4}!watmath!mks!wheels
Mortice Kern Systems Inc.