Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!bloom-beacon!bu-cs!dartvax!eleazar.dartmouth.edu!stevel
From: stevel@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Steve Ligett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: 16450/16550 UART question
Keywords: UART
Message-ID: <14819@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>
Date: 3 Aug 89 17:28:22 GMT
References: <21200@hodge.UUCP>
Sender: news@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU
Reply-To: stevel@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Steve Ligett)
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Lines: 20

In article <21200@hodge.UUCP> jdm@hodge.UUCP (jdm) writes:
>Three questions:
>
>    1) Could someone explain the difference between the 8250, 16450,
>       and 16550 UARTs?

...
I'm not a UART expert, but I have an application note from National
Semiconductor titled "A Comparison of the INS8250, NS16450 and NS16550A
Series of UARTs".  Application Note 493.  The introductory pragraph says:

National currently produces seven different versions of the INS8250 UART.
Functionally, these poarts appear to be the same, however, there are
differences that the designer and purchaser need to understand.  For each
version, this document provides a brief overview of their distinct
characteristics, a detailed function and timing section, a discussion of
software compatibility issues and the AC timing prarmeters.

Steve Ligett       steve.ligett@dartmouth.edu or
(decvax harvard linus true)!dartvax!steve.ligett