🚀 go-pugleaf

I'm working on a system based on a Tandem TXP equipied with the FTM
Module (Fault Tolerance Module) produced by SII Corporation.
This computer receives data from many Compaq PCs 386 / 25 MHz
equipied with a communication card produced by METRABYTE
Corporation (Rev. 8902) providing the PCs a 38.5 kbits/sec
transmition rate.

The links between the Tandem and the PCs use the RS-422 Standard.

The PCs work under SII's INL (Interface News Layout) software.

The problem is that one or two times a day on each PC
a spontaneous disconnection appears and forces us to reboot
the PC (of course loosing all our non-saved work).
These events occur too frequently (something like 2 times a day
on 15 machines = 30 times a day !!) to be considered normal crashes.

So my questions are:

 - 1 - Has someone heard of or been faced with similar problems?
  Users of SII products may perhaps be able to give me information
about that. I've heard that the Newspaper "Tyrolian Zeitung"
had the same problem of spontaneous disconnections, but I don't
have any details.

 - 2 - Could it be a problem with the METRABYTE card? (mainly
because we have Compaq PC and not IBM so the BIOS is perhaps
not 100% compatible). If someone has got any information on how
to test that card I'd really be interested. Perhaps someone
knows if this card works fully OK even with a non-IBM machine.

 - 3 - The length of our RS-422 connection is 95 meters.
May it be a problem of electromagnetic noise on the cable
causing loss of data and thus a disconnection.  Is a length
of about 100 meters too important when transmitting with RS-422?
Should we use a special cable ?

 - 4 - If someone working for SII, SIUK or even SIF reads this,
could he please give me an E-mail address where I could get
general information on SII products and technical support.

Thank you for your help. 

-- 
+-----------------------------+-------------------------------+
| Dimitri Komatitsch          | E-mail: komatits@inf.enst.fr  |
+-----------------------------+-------------------------------+
| Organization:                                               |
|    Ecole Nationale Superieure des Telecommunications        |
|    46, rue Barrault                                         |
|    75013 PARIS                                              |
|    FRANCE                                                   |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| " And God found a Maxwell's book, and there was light... "  |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+