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Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!philmtl!philabs!crpmks!garyb
From: garyb@crpmks.UUCP (Gary Blumenstein)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.xenix,comp.unix.i386
Subject: Re: Equinox multi port boards
Message-ID: <1095@crpmks.UUCP>
Date: 5 Dec 89 20:51:59 GMT
References: <458@gallium.UUCP> <134@tiamat.fsc.com> <3323@qiclab.UUCP>
Reply-To: garyb@crpmks.UUCP (The Super User)
Organization: Ciba-Geigy Corporation
Lines: 44

In article <3323@qiclab.UUCP> jamesd@qiclab.UUCP (James Deibele) writes:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>[..]                                   In the meantime, what I remember them
>saying is that the board will do 38.4K output on 24 ports, no problem.  I don't
>about input, and I'm embarassed to say I never even thought of asking (although
>I expect the output to input ratio to be 20:1 or more).  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It's more like 1:1.  The ASIC provides baudrate processing of 38.4K x 24 
channels on output, 38.4K x 24 on input, and a total aggregate baudrate for 
both input and output processing at 38.4K x 48.  In other words, the processor 
handles these baudrates on all 24 channels for both input and output 
simultaneously and with very little cpu overhead because no extra interrupt 
servicing is required.  It's going to be tough to beat that with a stick, let 
alone with some of the other serial boards and drivers out there.
   
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>                                                         The board is made with
>two ASIC chips instead of UARTs, chips that were taken from some design that 
>Equinox did somewhere else (they're supposed to be a big deal in mini telecomm)
>and decided would make a nice design for a board.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

This is what I heard too.  The ASIC was taken directly from thier telecom 
switches.  From what I understand, (and I'm no expert!) the underlying 
philosophy with the data switch market dictates no such thing as claimed and 
delivered baud rates.  In addition, distictions between input and output 
baudrates are simply not made.  Data switches are made to be totally invisible
in the data path when it comes to routing calls to various destinations.  
The application specific processor approach is just an existing design 
philosophy that was finally carried over to the AT bus, multi-serial i/o market.

Another thing I recently learned about the board is that it makes very efficientuse of the bus.  My vendor tested it at 12 mHz, 0 wait states and Equinox rates
it up to 16 mHz.  

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>More when I get my hands on the thing.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I know there are several others on the net who have tried this board and like
it.  I'd be interested in hearing about your experiences with it.  

* * Disclaimer * *   Neither myself or this company has any affiliation with 
                     Equinox whatsoever.
--
Gary M. Blumenstein, UNIX Network Administrator // CIBA-GEIGY Corporation USA
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