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Path: utzoo!utcs!lsuc!dave
From: dave@lsuc.UUCP (David Sherman)
Newsgroups: net.dcom
Subject: Re: Can anyone recommend a port sharing device?
Message-ID: <1128@lsuc.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 25-Feb-86 14:11:01 EST
Article-I.D.: lsuc.1128
Posted: Tue Feb 25 14:11:01 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 25-Feb-86 15:10:06 EST
References: <112@graffiti.UUCP>
Reply-To: dave@lsuc.UUCP (David Sherman)
Distribution: net
Organization: Law Society of Upper Canada, Toronto
Lines: 23

In article <112@graffiti.UUCP> bruce@graffiti.UUCP (Bruce Jilek) writes:
>Does anyone know of a device that will allow a computer with a 
>limited number of serial ports support a larger number of devices
>by allocating ports based on a first come first served basis?

Sure. These switches are commonly available, though they're not
as cheap as one might expect. The ones I've seen have the smarts
to allow you to choose what machine to connect to, as well as
allow you to support lots of devices non-simultaneously on one machine.

Two which I know of are the Gandalf PACX and the Develcon Develswitch.
These are both Canadian products: Gandalf is in Ottawa and Develcon
in Saskatoon, Sask. (thought they both have U.S. sales offices).

At the time I was looking at these (we just ended up getting more
and more ports on our Perkin-Elmer 3220), a "small" one was in
the $12,000-$16,000 (Cdn) range. They're likely somewhat cheaper now.

Dave Sherman
The Law Society of Upper Canada
Toronto
-- 
{ ihnp4!utzoo  pesnta  utcs  hcr  decvax!utcsri  } !lsuc!dave