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From: woody@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (Bill Woodcock)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: Modems with non-RS232 interface (was Re: V.32bis questions)
Message-ID: <14846@darkstar.ucsc.edu>
Date: 22 Apr 91 20:15:24 GMT
References: <1991Apr21.032236.21724@netcom.COM> <cs352a41.672247174@zaphod> <1991Apr22.032122.4425@netcom.COM>
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        > (Somebody) wrote: Design it as an internal card
        > with DMA--ie, it would take a very strange RS232
        > port to support such high speeds, and the
        > processor would be completely taken over by it, so
        > wouldn't it make sense to have the modem work like
        > a disk drive and deposit data directly to memory?
     
        > (Greg Andrews) responded: Of course it's possible,
        > and may even be desirable.  There may even be
        > modem manufacturers working on models with
        > interfaces like the one in your second item.
          
        > One caveat is that the modem would be
        > completely incompatible with all of the tty
        > drivers and other comm software that already exist
        > for the computer the hypothetical modem is
        > installed into.  The modem manufacturer would in
        > effect move into a similar market position as a
        > multi-port board manufacturer, and have to provide
        > drivers for the modem.
               
        > So far, most modem makers haven't wanted
        > to tackle that last requirement because their
        > expertise is mostly in hardware design rather than
        > systems software design.  Doesn't mean it can't be
        > done though.
    
    I'm certainly far from the best person to be pointing this  out,  but:
    There  are  several  Macintosh-market  modem manufacturers with modems
    shipping or under development that use "alternative"  interfaces  with
    Macintosh Communications  Toolbox  driver  software.  It's designed to
    make connections between comm software and physical  connections  more
    independent and  modular, and works pretty well.  David Fagan of Pacer
    was talking about PacerTerm, just such a comm product on here about  a
    week  and  a  half ago; Apple has had a CTB version of MacTerminal out
    for quite some time now, and Software Ventures has  shown  off  a  CTB
    version of  MicroPhone at the last two MacWorld Expos.  The CTB itself
    can handle throughput up to Ethernet speeds, since there are  lots  of
    network-related "tools" or modules, as well as the telecom ones.
    
    As  far  as  modems  and hardware, there are ADB-bus based modems from
    Global Village, there are several  NuBus  models,  there  are  Shiva's
    network resident shared modems, and there are a profusion of multiport
    serial cards, as was pointed out earlier.
                         
                            -Bill Woodcock
                             BMUG NetAdmin

________________________________________________________________________________
bill.woodcock.iv..woody@ucscb.ucsc.edu..2355.virginia.st..berkeley.ca.94709.1315