Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!rex!ukma!dftsrv!mimsy!rlgvax!ccicpg!uis-oc!bob
From: bob@uis-oc.UUCP (Robert J. Mathias Jr.)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: UARTS and Buffers...
Message-ID: <56@uis-oc.UUCP>
Date: 3 Apr 91 03:55:07 GMT
References: <9104010808.AA05643@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Reply-To: bob@uis-oc.UUCP (Robert J. Mathias Jr.)
Organization: Unisys Corporation; Irvine, California
Lines: 11

In article <9104010808.AA05643@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> ST7021@SIUCVMB.BITNET writes:
>Recently someone brushed on two different UARTs, the 16450 and the 16550.
>Can someone give me an idea of what the difference between these two chips
>is? It seemed that what brand you get makes a big difference.
>
The major difference between the 16450 and the 16550A is that the 16550A   
includes a small (16 bytes in each direction) buffer.  However this buffer
is only used if the software turns on the buffering feature.  For a more
complete discusion on PC serial communications, I would recommend reading
in the current Byte Magazine (April 1991), the article "High-Speed Safety"
by Ken Krechmer.