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From: bruce@ccavax.camb.com
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.sys.cisco
Subject: 2 v.35 won't fit on small box
Message-ID: <32254.26ecffbd@ccavax.camb.com>
Date: 11 Sep 90 19:16:11 GMT
Organization: Cambridge Computer Associates, Inc.
Lines: 30

In the interest of being able to use a small (and MUCH less expensive)
cisco box, but to also use a dual port serial line card, we opted for
the rs-422 interface. It would be 'nice' if a wide selection of CSU/DSUs
all came with the rs-422 interface, but they don't.

I suspect that some clever cable pinning might well have solved the problem,
but a 'no-brainer' solution presented itself in the RAD catalog. This
was an rs-422 to v.35 cable with conversion circuitry buried in one of
the connector shells. At $150, this was an 'ouch', but certainly a lot
cheaper than buying a larger cisco box just to cater to fat connectors.

First, I would like to ask if there is some obvious simpler solution I missed,
and then I would like to suggest that cisco could have been a bit more
considerate in their packaging and design. 

Some vendors simply use a vanilla DB25 connector for everything, and depend
on different cards or even simply switches or jumpers internally to convert
from one standard to another. They DO use non standard pinning for some of
the leads, and a short well documented cable is available to make the 
transition to the desired connector, but many users will have custom cables
made to the full length needed simply by FAXing a copy of the cable's print
or even referencing the original manufacturers print #, as most cable houses
have vast libraries of such prints and do this sort of thing daily. Even
a small quantity (1 even) of such cables is often DRAMATICALLY cheaper
from one of the good cable houses, and the customer should be free buy that 
sort of thing where he pleases. 

cisco's packaging cost me needless money and hassle.
I wonder what cisco suggests for someone in the position I was in? Do they
even care about such issues?