Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!mcvax!ukc!stc!imtec!russell From: russell@imtec.co.uk (Russell Brown) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems Subject: Re: RS-232C Message-ID: <635@imtec.co.uk> Date: Tue, 18-Aug-87 06:48:39 EDT Article-I.D.: imtec.635 Posted: Tue Aug 18 06:48:39 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 22-Aug-87 01:41:24 EDT References: <192@caeco.UUCP> <2849@phri.UUCP> <1102@gilsys.UUCP> <2853@phri.UUCP> Reply-To: Russell Brown Organization: Imtec Computers Ltd, Peterborough, England Lines: 42 Summary: What happened to S5/7?? In article <2853@phri.UUCP> roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith) writes: > > With all that in mind, I think what we need is a new standard which >implements hardware handshaking, smaller connectors, etc....... I agree whole-heartedly that we need a new simple interconnection standard for async serial devices - he says whilst buried under a pile of 25/15/9way male and female connectors with bits of wire flying everywhere :-). However I fear that we (the industry) are much too conservative to adopt such a sensible thing (unless IBM does it's normal trick of dictating to the rest of us :-) The CCTA (the U.K. Governments Central Computer & Telecoms Agency) came up with a new simple standard called S 5/7 based on DIN type connectors. The basic cable had a ground, data in, data out, handshake in and handshake out - all thats needed for your average cable. The 7 bit of the S 5/7 meant that two additional lines for Data carrier detect were implemented. The bottom line was that a simple 5 wire cable could connect anything to anything or a 7 wire for the more exotic devices. Two possible types of cable rather than the mess we live with now. Well what happened to this I hear you ask? As far as I can remember the only company to fit an S 5/7 connector was Thorn EMI - there was of course no connection between this and the fact that they were receiving CCTA backed funding :-) As I said, it needs something like IBM fitting a new standard to something like the PC. Looks like we're stuck with good old RS232 and all its permutations for the forseeable future - rats! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Russell Brown | Voice: +44 733 234433 | | Imtec Computers Ltd. | UUCP: ...!mcvax!ukc!{inset,stc}! | | 18 Manasty Road, Orton Southgate | imtec!russell | | Peterborough, Cambs, PE2 0UP, UK | EMAIL: russell@imtec.co.uk | ------------------------------------------------------------------------