Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!srhqla!denwa!lambda.com!jim From: jim@lambda.com (Jim Dixon) Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386 Subject: Equinox and HFC Message-ID: <394@icjapan.uucp> Date: 21 Feb 91 00:58:33 GMT Sender: news@denwa.info.com Reply-To: Jim Dixon Organization: Lambda Telecom, Sandy Eggo, CA Lines: 49 Various issues dealing with Equinox Megaport Hardware Flow Control, or the lack thereof. The following is a severe flamage, written by someone who has seriously *never*, *ever* flamed at anyone on the net publicly. I figured I'd save it for a good cause. Well here goes: I can't tell you how incredibly FRUSTRATED I am regarding the issue of Hardware flow control on the Megaport 24 card running under Interactive. I fully understand the issues of the "unusual" connections when you use the "Full modem control" hardware option. No matter how many times someone at Equinox tells me that I'm stupid and don't know my connections from my ---hole, the fact still remains that, I DO, and furthermore am quite good at following instructions in the manual. I have wired 2 separate sites this way. *ALSO*, I'm sick to death of them telling me that they can't imagine what the possible use of Hardware Flow Control could be. What difference does it make. I *REALLY* *HONESTLY* *ACTUALLY* have a valid use for it. Yes, these uses *REALLY* exist out there in the real world! Then comes that really bad part.... I called them wondering what the references to the "rtsflow and ctsflow" termio parameters were, and they thought I had 2 heads. It took them a while to even figure out that Interactive didn't even support these. Then they told me that since ISC doesn't support these, that there is no way to enable Hardware Flow Control under Interactive at all, and besides why would you want it anyway? This sent me right through the roof! I told them that there *HAD* to be a way to do it, or at least be able to add one quite easily. They said that they would check in to it and get back with me. So far, I have heard nothing. BLAH..... Wouldn't it be nice if the card supported CTS flow control by default. Regular serial ports that use UARTs and the like do it. Regardless of *WHAT* software you are using, if you drop CTS, the UART's transmitter will stop sending until you raise it again, independent of software control. Why the h--l can't Equinox do the same thing? The control In pin (whichever one is mapped to the CTS input, by mode) is internally pulled up on the card, so if the CTS flow was enabled, and nothing was connected to it, it would just operate as normal, transparently, painlessly.... it would be wonderful... Ahh, I feel better already... Jim Dixon jim@lambda.uucp or dixon@info.com Lambda Telecom, Sandy Eggo, CA WATS: (800) SIT-ONIT (seriously, call me) Voice: (619) 584-4100 Fax: (619) 584-4114