Subject: From: Date:

Re: [ECS] byterunner report Ingo Sun, 23 Aug 1998 08:02:24 +0000

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Reddy,

I have used Digi with quite some success, but under Windows NT (and not
for ECS). One drawback is that it might break your bank; Digi is
significantly more expensive than the other cards some people mentioned
here.

Check out http://www.dgii.com.

Another option is Equinox. Somewhat cheaper than Digi and less features
but still very capable.

Both Digi and Equinox' main target market is terminal servers and
dial-in access for companies, but they really have regular serial ports.
One of their products will not use a single IRQ or even slot in your
machine because it connects through Ethernet (TCP/IP), and comes with a
driver to make the it look to the operating system as if it was regular
COM ports. Or you can use Telnet or a simple TCP/IP connection to the
port. The whole thing is extremely versatile.

The Digi port server comes with 16 ports (I believe 4 and 8 ports are
also available), and can be expanded up to 64 ports.

But again, be sure to verify that all that is supported under 95 or 98
or whatever you are using as well as under NT!

Ingo

William Biggs wrote:
> 
> Thanks Wayne,
> 
> I checked out www.byterunner.com and it looks like using the shared IRQ for
> all 8 ports is easier for Win95 than it is for DOS for their cards.
> 
> It would bug me a little bit if I needed to run a program like their
> "fossil.exe" to load the drivers. Gives you the idea that the stuff is
> becoming obsolete. (I'm not kidding...they really named it fossil !).
> 
> I've made the decision to migrate to ECSW soon. Does anybody have a source
> for PCI serial cards ? Or something that uses USB to access serial devices ?
> 
> Reddy
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Wayne <waynew@magicnet.net>
> To: ecs-list@vancouver.ml.org <ecs-list@vancouver.ml.org>
> Date: Saturday, August 22, 1998 4:22 PM
> Subject: [ECS] byterunner report
> 
> >  I have kinda gotten the ByteRunner (model TC-800-S5-8) 8 port serial card
> >to work with ECS (dos still version 3.3).  It now shares IRQ3 among 4
> serial
> >ports.  It does seem to require the use of the x00 driver from the
> >byterunner web site for IRQ sharing.  Tha board docs are kinda weak, but
> the
> >board seems very configurable, based on the number of jumpers on the board.
> >  My problem has been getting ports 5-8 working.  I ran out of time (and
> >patience) so I will pick it up another time.
> >  But at least I am back where I was before one of my ports failed on my
> old
> >4 port card, possibly due to lightning.  The byterunner uses socketed UARTS
> >(16550 on mine), so I hope it will be easier to repair, if needed.  My old
> >card was surface mount stuff, so no way to swap a blown driver chip.
> >  I believe that this board would be pretty easy to set up and use for ECSW
> >folks.
> >
> >c'ya,
> >Wayne
> >
> >   waynew 'at' magicnet 'dot' net,   Orlando, FL
> >   http://www.magicnet.net/~waynew
> >
> >

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