Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!naitc!karl
From: karl@naitc.uucp (Karl Denninger)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386
Subject: Re: which multiport i/o cards pass this test?
Summary: We're fighting with Equinox on this one; they MAY fix it.
Message-ID: <1990Aug22.144925.14333@naitc.uucp>
Date: 22 Aug 90 14:49:25 GMT
References: <1990Aug21.180653.615@cti-software.nl>
Reply-To: karl@naitc.naitc.com (Karl Denninger)
Organization: None!
Lines: 53

In article <1990Aug21.180653.615@cti-software.nl> pim@cti-software.nl (Pim Zandbergen) writes:
>
>Hi netfolk,
>
>I am currently looking for a multiport I/O card to replace
>Specialix, because the Dutch distributor has stopped importing them.
>
>I have evaluated some cards but lots of their drivers have trouble with
>correctly handling modem control. This prevents them from working
>with the intelligent modem feature in HDB UUCP:
>	"ttyxx,M" in Devices  means open with O_NDELAY set
>	and "\M" and "\m" in Dialers means set and clear the CLOCAL flag.
>
>The problem is that with these drivers, the O_NDELAY flag
>cannot be properly cleared when carrier detect is not present.

You bet.

>I have noticed this problem with the stock ISC asy driver,
>with Specialix drivers older than release 3.03, with the
>Equinox Megaport 1.8.2 driver (a pity, I like this
>card) and the Chase Research AT8+ 4.02a driver.
>
>In fact, the only working drivers I have seen are the Specialix 3.03
>and the PORTS and EPORTS drivers for the AT&T 3B2.

Add to that anything Xenix; SCO did this one correctly.

>Rather than evaluate every card on the market myself I would
>appreciate very much if you would run my little test program
>and mail me the result.

The Equinox board will work correctly IF you have something else on the port
also (ie: a getty).  It will NOT work if you are only dialing out, which is
a real problem!

We have worked around this bug (and yes, Equinox, it IS A BUG -- READ THE
TERMIO MAN PAGE UNDER CLOCAL!) but they haven't managed to fix it despite
over 6 months of yelling and other coercion.

Continental Computer knows about it too, I'm on the phone with them all the
time and they aren't getting anywhere with Equinox either!  And considering
that CCS is one of the larger Equinox distributors, I'm not holding my
breath for the change.

Perhaps if we all screamed loud and long at Equinox, they'd get it fixed.
It really is the only wart left on the product; we've been banging on them
for quite some time to get the nasties out of the driver, and with that sole
exception it works GREAT.

--Karl Denninger
karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM
kdenning@nis.naitc.com