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From: jcp@ciba-geigy.ch (Joseph C Pistritto)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: Printing on X-terminals
Message-ID: <9007161447.AA01592@zit.cigy.>
Date: 17 Jul 90 02:02:27 GMT
References: <9007121725.AA21248@expire.lcs.mit.edu>
Sender: daemon@athena.mit.edu (Mr Background)
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 26

Just briefly, let me put in my 2 pfennigs worth in favor of some
mechanism in the X protocol to utilize manufacturer provided local
RS-232 connections attached to the X terminal.

I use X in a process control application, where the X terminal
may be located anywhere in a plant relative to where the server
is, and sometimes hundreds of meters away.  The cost of running
distinct RS-232 out to each location is non-trivial, (I already
have the Ethernet strung everywhere for other reasons, so the
cost of using it is not high).

In many of our applications, there is ALWAYS a character printer
provided for every operator position, (for alarm messages, etc.),
so the RS232 from the X terminal is very handy.  Certainly standardizing
the way of accessing it among manufacturers would be A Good Thing.

In addition to printing, by the way, the other handy application we
have is for doing RS-232 input, usually from authentication devices
like card or barcode readers.  Once again, standardization, (and the
ability for 'standard programs' like xterm to be able to use the
device) would be handy.
                                        -jcp-
--
Joseph C. Pistritto (bpistr@ciba-geigy.ch, jcp@brl.mil)
 Ciba Geigy AG, R1241.1.01, Postfach CH4002, Basel, Switzerland
 Tel: +41 61 697 6155 (work) +41 61 692 1728 (home)   GMT+2hrs!