Xref: utzoo gnu.misc.discuss:3085 comp.misc:12549 comp.dcom.modems:9719 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!cbmvax!grr From: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins) Newsgroups: gnu.misc.discuss,comp.misc,comp.dcom.modems Subject: Re: hayes lawsuit Message-ID: <21544@cbmvax.commodore.com> Date: 14 May 91 10:29:15 GMT References: <1991May13.044909.3617@netdev.comsys.com> Reply-To: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins) Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA Lines: 23 In article tmb@ai.mit.edu (Thomas M. Breuel) writes: > In article <1991May13.044909.3617@netdev.comsys.com> alex@netdev.comsys.com (Alex Huppenthal) writes: > If you can think of uses prior to the mid-1980's of timeouts or timing > to transmit out-of-band commands or data to a computer or communications > device, please drop me a note... The closest example I can think of is the way DEC timingsharing systems used to handle paper tape input. Normally all keyboard input would be echoed, but entering a "tape" command would turn off echo and enter a binary transparency mode, then send an x-on character to start the teletype tape reader. As long as the reader would transmit a character regularly, the line would stay in the special mode. As soon as the reader hit the end of tape or was interrupted, then the system would timeout and switch back to normal interactive echo. Whether or not this is complementary to using timeouts for a guard band... I believe this feature was common to various DEC timesharing operating systems in the 1978-1972 timeframe - TSS-8, RSTS, PDP-10 Monitor. -- George Robbins - now working for, uucp: {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr but no way officially representing: domain: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com Commodore, Engineering Department phone: 215-431-9349 (only by moonlite)