Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!rpi!masscomp!peora!tarpit!bilver!jwt!john
From: john@jwt.UUCP (John Temples)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: Suitable serial card for H/S modem
Message-ID: <1991Feb17.183849.14395@jwt.UUCP>
Date: 17 Feb 91 18:38:49 GMT
References: <6804.27BA1B22@zswamp.fidonet.org> <1991Feb17.005550.4894@cc.helsinki.fi>
Organization: Private System -- Orlando, FL
Lines: 18

In article <1991Feb17.005550.4894@cc.helsinki.fi> tmottonen@cc.helsinki.fi writes:
>    I have an Orchid memoryboard with serial port, and it says  "(c) WDC'89"
>    and "WD16C550JM" on the chip next to the port. Is this a Western Digital
>    16550 ? And what's the wierd catch ?

Yes, that's the Western Digital 16550.  And I don't know what the
weird catch is.  I am using one to drive a Wyse terminal at 38.4
kbaud with a 16550-aware driver, and I've never had a single problem.
I also drove a Telebit with one for a few days, and again, no
problems.  I have seen numerous posts stating "I have *heard* the WD
chips have problems" or "the WD part is based on the old NS 16550, so
it will cause you problems."  But I have yet to see anyone actually
say "I had problems with a WD 16550 that went away when I replaced it
with a NS part."  I'm not saying the chip doesn't have problems; I
just haven't seen any myself, nor have I seen anyone claim to have
had any problems.
-- 
John W. Temples -- john@jwt.UUCP (uunet!jwt!john)