From: jonb@specialix.co.uk (Jon Brawn) Subject: Re: Linux and Multiport com boards Date: 8 Jul 1992 12:22:15 GMT
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doug@owl.isis.org (Douglas W Murray) writes:
>I am planning to install Linux on my system here, but have one device that
>I would hate not to be able to use which is my DigiBoard PC/8 multicom port
>board.
>The question: Would anyone have a suggestion (decent that is...) on how
>or what should be done if I want to get my DigiBoard working with Linux?
>I do have the need for 5 com ports and I dont really know if there might
>already be someone out there that has looked at this or not.
I am currently putting together a Linux development system from odds'n'sods
around the office. I will be doing development work on device drivers
for Specialix Intelligent Serial I/O products. These will be the SI and the
XIO. When I have finished the drivers I will release them (for free, of
course, under the usual Linux copyright) for general release. I will also
*try* to persuade the powers-that-be that we can do a special deal for
Linux users, but no promises.
SI - the original Specialix product. Host card has Zilog Z280 to look after
the uarts & some of the cooking. Much more inteligent than dumb uarts.
Consists of a host card, a 37 way link cable, and upto four 4 or 8
port terminal adaptor boxes. From 4 to 32 ports per host card.
XIO - like SI, but has intelligent UARTs. The ``new'' version of the SI
technology. Consists of a host card, a 37 way link cable, and upto
four 8 port terminal adaptor boxes available in either 8 x DB25 RS232,
7 x DB25 RS232 + DB25 Parallel, or 8 x RJ45 RS232 styles.
From 8 to 32 ports.
The SI and XIO use clever interrupt management to minimise the overhead
imposed on the OS due to interrupts.
More information as & when I get started.
I could also do a RIO port - RIO allows upto 128 ports per host card - but
I suspect that that might be overkill for the Linux environment at the
moment.
(PS: If you want more information about Specialix Products, then email
sales@specialix.co.uk)
-- Jon Brawn, Specialix International, jonb@specialix.co.uk ``Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing'' - von Braun