Gene Heskett wrote:
Unforch, the hardware side is only half of the story, the handshaking to assure
good data is the other half, and that can get fairly complex too as it appears
there is more than 1 interpretation of the '7-wire' protocol now so widely used
with the db9 connector cuz even that leaves 1 empty pin. The RI is rarely
connected or used, although some modems may have exerted it back in the dim
reaches of time 2 decades ago.
You can still buy external modems that support the RI line. This
line was transmit only on the modem, and receive only on the
computer (or other equipment) end. It is used where you do not want
the modem to auto-answer, but you still want to have full
communications with it. For example, you want to be able to use it
for outgoing calls, but only answer incoming calls at specific times
or specific conditions. Other then modems, I don't recall the RI
line being used.
Now, when it comes to handshaking, the biggest problem I have run
into is when one side is set to use hardware handshaking, and the
other end is set to use software handshaking. This can be a BIG
problem with some USB to serial converters, because not all of them
support the hardware handshaking. I have also run into one or two
that do not appear to do any buffering, so they are like using a
16450 UART, and at higher BAUD rates, tend to lose data.
Mikkel
--
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for thou art crunchy and taste good with Ketchup!