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From: rogerj@theory.tn.cornell.edu (Roger Jagoda)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans
Subject: RS232 reference/breakout-box guide
Message-ID: <1990Dec14.161318.16321@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>
Date: 14 Dec 90 16:13:18 GMT
Sender: rogerj@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Roger Jagoda)
Organization: Cornell Theory Center
Lines: 39

Fellow netters,
 
 Sorry to interrupt this greast discussion about Novell, 802.3, etc., but
 I want to interject a problem here that some of you probably have dealt
 with over these years and may be able to help with. Despite the fall
 of workstation prices and PCs, we still have a lot of uses for dumb
 ASCII terminals over RS232 lines...also modems via that same route.
 SOOOOoooo, we make use of TCP/IP terminal servers (this campus uses
 ANNEX from Xylogics, but there are others...opinions?). Anyway, the
 question is that there are no real manuals for RS232. To learn TCP/IP
 most of us read Commer's Book (an EXCELLENT reference!). 

 So my question, has anyone come across or used or found a good RS232
 reference that explains how to use a breakout box and what it means
 to "set DTR high" or "follow RTS signals"? It's unfortunate, but
 especially with data collection equipment, most experiments only
 allow for RS232 interfacing, not TCP/IP (when was the last time
 you called up National Instruments and looked into a board with
 an 802.3 interface that supports sockets, ftp, telnet, etc.). It's
 really unfortunate, but I guess we're stuck with RS232 for a while.
 Besides, aren't there times when you just want to log in and check
 your mail or messages....or faxes....well, you get the idea.

 Thanks in advance! Naturally, I will re-post the book/ref list if
 there's anything worthwhile in the response.


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Roger Jagoda					-- A wise man adapts
Laboratory for Plasma Studies		himself to a changing world.
Cornell University				-- A foolish man tries
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roger@ionvax.tn.cornell.edu			    him.	
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Roger Jagoda                          -- My employers don't even like paying
Cornell University                         me, let alone accept responsibility
fqoj@cornella.cit.cornell.edu              for anything I say or do! --