Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!sequent!muncher.sequent.com!jimh
From: jimh@sequent.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: Need **LOTS** of COM ports
Message-ID: <1991May17.152231.13592@sequent.com>
Date: 17 May 91 15:22:31 GMT
References: <1991May16.205258.4191@dosli.govt.nz> <665@ariel.ucs.unimelb.edu.au>
Sender: news@sequent.com (News on Muncher)
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.
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In article <665@ariel.ucs.unimelb.edu.au> richard@ariel.ucs.unimelb.edu.au (Richard Begg) writes:
>In article <1991May16.205258.4191@dosli.govt.nz>, srlncnc@badger.dosli.govt.nz (Chris Crook) writes:
>|> Is there any way of putting more than 4 COM ports onto a PC for a 
>|> bulletin board application.  
>|> 
>|> Chris
>
>It is possible to buy multi com port boards for PCs, these boards have
>their own processor to rotate the ports etc.  However they are pretty
>pricy, The cheapest one I have seen is an 8 port model which
>retails for about $800 in Oz.  Perhaps these things are more
>common, and cheaper in the states.  Another option perhaps is
>to pick up a cheap PC and turn it into a terminal server, this would
>give you another 4 ports, however it would involve a fair
>amount of comms programming to get it to work.
The DigiBoard DigiChannel PC-8/Xe I/O Controller was about
$350 and the octicable was about another $50 last time I
looked. This provides 8 lines of serial I/O. I think you can
find much cheaper boards than this. Your best bet is to get
'Computer Shopper' and take a look. I have used the DigiBoard,
however, and it is a very robust board. In the latest shopper,
Computer Discount Warehouse (800) 726-4CDW has the PC/8 for
$424.73 and the PC/4 for $286.10. 
>
>-- 
>Richard Begg (richard@asis.unimelb.edu.au)
>Programmer ASIS/ITS - University of Melbourne


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 Jim Harrie 	Technical Support Engineer
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