Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!yale!cmcl2!arizona!joel
From: joel@arizona.edu (Joel Snyder)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.att
Subject: Re: standards and ATT
Keywords: RS-232
Message-ID: <7787@megaron.arizona.edu>
Date: 11 Nov 88 23:49:53 GMT
References: <851@sceard.UUCP> <4576@boulder.Colorado.EDU>
Reply-To: jms@mis.arizona.edu (Joel Snyder)
Distribution: na
Organization: U of Arizona MIS Dept, Tucson
Lines: 18

To the user who said that RS232 doesn't say anything about
connectors: wrong.  

Since 1985, EIA-232-D (the revision of RS-232-C) has had a
section, Interface Mechanical Characteristics, which defines
the connector, the sex, the dimensions of the pins and
even the drilling of the holes.  The only thing it doesn't
specify is the finger clearance, which is in a non-integral
annex (ie, ignore if you want).  

RS232 is probably the single most mis-interpreted standard, and
the 1985 revision clears up almost all of the myths about it.
Any responsible manufacturer should be using this, but the
largest probably won't (what is that weird thing on the back
of my mac?).

Joel Snyder, U of Az MIS Dep't, jms@Mis.arizona.edu
(also, DECUS standards representative for Data Comm/Networks)