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From: elg@killer.UUCP (Eric Green)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.atari.st,comp.sys.cbm
Subject: Re: Amiga and MIDI
Message-ID: <2560@killer.UUCP>
Date: 24 Dec 87 05:04:09 GMT
References: <467@gethen.UUCP>
Organization: Bayou Telecommunications
Lines: 30

in article <467@gethen.UUCP>, farren@gethen.UUCP (Michael J. Farren) says:
> In article <2267@tekig4.TEK.COM> brianr@tekig4.UUCP (Brian Rhodefer) writes:
>>If only all the originators/promulgators of RS232 had just one neck,
>>and I could get my hands around it....
> 
> There is an RS-232 standard.  You can get it from (I think) the American
> National Standards Institute.  I've got a copy somewhere around here
> myself.  In that standard, everything having to do with an RS-232 interface
> is defined, carefully, from the rise times of the signals to their meaning
> to the pins and connectors they are supposed to go to.  

Unfortunately, even if you adhere completely to the standard, half the devices
in the world still won't talk to you without a breakout-box or cable
switching. When the only devices extant were computers and terminals, that was
no big deal, but tell me, how about hooking up a terminal concentrator/network
node to printers, computers, terminals, .... We're talking BIG-time troubles
here, we're talking about cabling nightmares to end all nightmares, even if
the standard IS followed (and it usually isn't -- e.g. a switcher which
arbitrarily decides to ignore an outgoing line if certain transitions don't
occure at certain times, and a network node which refuses to give the switcher
those transitions -- thus FUbaring things horribly.).

I hated having to mutilate my cable to flop RxD and TxD when I hooked up an
Amiga to a C-64 to transfer files at 9600 baud (yes, there's some magic
involved :-).

--
Eric Lee Green  elg@usl.CSNET        Snail Mail P.O. Box 92191       
{cbosgd,ihnp4}!killer!elg            Lafayette, LA 70509             
"There's someone in my head, but it's not me...." -PF