Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!pacbell!pacbell.com!ames!ucsd!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!batcomputer!mha From: mha@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Mark H. Anbinder) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.comm Subject: Re: Multiple serial port cards for Mac II? Message-ID: <10523@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> Date: 10 Jul 90 15:51:26 GMT Reply-To: mha@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (Mark H. Anbinder) Organization: Baka Computers, Inc. - Ithaca, New York Lines: 48 In article <10511@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>, I wrote: > I'm trying to find a NuBus card for the Mac II that offers multiple > serial ports. It seems that SuperMac's Comm card no longer exists. > Is this true? Lots of people have responded with requests for any information I find, so here it is! Thanks to Leonard Rosenthol and Jerome Jahnke, and a couple of other helpful people, for sending information. The SuperMac CommCard has reverted to its developer, Paul Campbell, and is now the Taniwha CommCard, available from Taniwha. It's the same card, and it comes with drivers for MacOS and A/UX 1.x and 2.0. Other cards are the Hurdler series from Creative Solutions Inc., in 2 port and 4 port configurations; and a four-port card from Tara Systems. Leonard has used the Taniwha and the Hurdler, and prefers the Taniwha. He has not seen the Tara but hears that it is a good one. Jerome offered the following explanation of how the Mac handles the extra serial ports: "Normally, the ports have a driver which allows you to call them with a syntax similar to opening the 4 serial ports on the Zilog chip (2 in and 2 out) These are opened with an OpenDriver toolbox call (".AIn",".AOut",".BIn",".BOut") AIn and AOut is the modem port and BIn and BOut are the Printer Port. ".CIn",".COut" will be the first port on the card. This line will return the refNum of the input for the 1st modem on the card "OpenDriver('.CIn',anyRefNum)". Once you have the refNum you use it as you would use the Modem or the Printer Port. When there is more than one card installed things can get a bit tricky, but normally they will follow alphabetically from lowest NuBus Card Slot to Highest. "What the Comm Toolbox will do is work all the lowlevel Device Driver calls, so that you will not have to." Leonard also added that he has three multiport cards in his computer, for a total of ten ports, and he uses MicroPhone II to talk to them all and do separate tasks on each all at the same time. Enjoy! -- Mark H. Anbinder ************************* mha@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu BAKA Computers * ******* ...!batcomputer!memory!mha 200 Pleasant Grove Rd. H: (607) 257-3480 ****** Ithaca, NY 14850 W: (607) 257-2070 ***** Memory Alpha BBS 607-257-5822