Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!att!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!wuarchive!swbatl!texbell!uhnix1!uhnix2!uace0
From: uace0@uhnix2.uh.edu (Michael B. Vederman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Double Click's New MultiPort card
Keywords: double click, serial io, atari st     The June/July issue of ST EXPRESS magazine has an ad from Double
Message-ID: <827@uhnix2.uh.edu>
Date: 8 Aug 89 15:44:40 GMT
References: <448e5c73.14a1f@gtephx.UUCP> <817@uhnix2.uh.edu> <189@swituc.UUCP> <44e3d740.14a1f@gtephx.UUCP>
Reply-To: uace0@uhnix2.UUCP
Organization: University of Houston
Lines: 112

In article <44e3d740.14a1f@gtephx.UUCP> covertr@gtephx.UUCP (Richard E. Covert) writes:
>In article <189@swituc.UUCP>, pmb@swituc.UUCP (Pat Berry) writes:
>> In article <44c0b061.14a1f@gtephx.UUCP>, covertr@gtephx.UUCP (Richard E. Covert) writes:
>> > 	Is there any chance that DC PORT will be redesigned to add hardware
>> > RTS/CTS?? I am not interested in buying such a product until it does include
>> > hardware RTS/CTS.
>> 
>> I echo Richard's sentiment... the board would be of no use to us without
>> properly functioning RTS/CTS lines.  We also use US Robotics HST modems.
>> 
>> -- 
>> Pat Berry KN7B
>> pmb%swituc.uucp@arizona.edu
>> KN7B @ WB7TLS.AZ packet radio
>
>
>	At one point DC SOFTWARE stated that RTS/CTS could be 'added' to their
>DC PORT pc board. I guess that this means kludging up a p[c board by adding
>chips, jumpers, etc. I, for one, don't wat to buy a hacked up pc board. And the
>idea of paying extra for hardware RTS/CTS seems kind of strange, almost like 
>paying extra for the 1488/1489 RS-232 line drivers. I mean, RTS/CTS seems to be
>a basic,fundamental, part of the serial port design, and leaving it out makes me
>wonder where else DC SOFTWARE scimped to save money.
>

1)  *ALL* DC-PORTs are guaranteed to be from defects for a period of ONE YEAR
    after purchase.  Let's see you get that from anywhere else!
2)  A hacked up PC Board?  Unless you call a couple of jumpers hacks, then you
    don't know...  You can have two choices if you want rts/cts, you can go
    without dcd/dtr and get rts/cts, or we can add a daughter board to add
    rts/cts to the existing board.
3)  SKIMP?  If you went to manufacture one of these babies, then you'd know
    that we designed it to keep cost down, and within the reach of most people.
    Since we are not a large company (actually college students) and we do not
    have endless cash flow, we went with the needed components to get our
    hardware working with the majority of software existing.  We do not skimp!
    Our boards are 100% certified working, and carry a one year guarantee.  Our
    drivers work as advertised, and all our customers thus far are satisified,
    in fact, several are upgrading to the five line version.
	
>	All in all, if DC SOFTWARE had asked before committing to a final pc
>baord, they would have KNOWN that hardware RTS/CTS is a requirement, and not
>just an afterthought. Heck, all of the FoReM ST BBSes are just crying for a
>working TOS with hardware flow control. The USR 9600 HST modem will xfer data
>at 14400 baud if you have hardware flow control. And just ask US Robotics about
>sells of the USR 9600 HST mdoem!! IT IS HOT!!!

You mean we should have asked you!  As far as the USR modem is concerned, we
admit that it will FLY with rts/cts, but it is not a requirement for it to
work, and the *majority* of people out there do not own them, nor do the
majority of BBS out there have them.

As far as FoReM is concerned, we tried working with Matt Singer to get an
update to FoReM to support DC-PORT and make FoReM multi-user.  He never said
nor expressed any concern about the rts/cts lines.  He has our port now, ask
him what he thinks on the matter!

>
>	So, I repeat, sell me a clean, nicely layed out, pc board DC PORT with
>hardware RTS/CTS, with software drivers that also support the hardware RTS/CTS
>and you will have one BIG market. If DC PORT worked at 38.4 KBPS with RTS/CTS
>you would have FoReM/USR owners begging for DC PORT.
>
>	I guess to summarize, I think that RTS/CTS should have been part of the
>basic design of DC PORT. I do not want to buy a DC PORT that was hacked up to 
>support RTS/CTS. And DC SOFTWARE needs to provide system software drivers, which
>run on all version of TOS, to support the RTS/CTS signals. If DC SOFTWARE could
>do this, then the DC PORT would be a smashing success. Until then, I will withold
>ordering one myself.

In other words, one sale to you is a 'smashing success'?  Why don't you spend
some time and money on a market survey, and determine whether or not the ST
market can handle a higher priced expansion port!  We are selling them as fast
as we can make them, and have not had one returned, nor have we had any
dissending comments.  We have made special order versions, and have done our
very best (considering our limited financial backing - read 'shareware
contributions') to come out with a product that fills *most* peoples needs.

Our driver does *work* with ALL TOS versions, and works as advertised.

I assume you are speaking from experience with DC-PORT, and have actually seen
one close up, and have actually voided someone's warranty by opening the case!

You have no idea how much we would charge for the version which supports
rts/cts, since you never called or wrote to ask, and as I stated twice before,
*ALL* DC-PORTs come with a ONE YEAR warranty.

Why don't you speak to us in person to find out how easy we are to work with,
rather than getting 'modem-mania' and flaming our product (which I am sure you
have never seen) on the net.

And, by the way, we are working on a DC-PORT II, as well as another hardware
product, DC-TALK.

Give us a call, and see if it is as easy to flame us on the phone as it is on
the net!


>
>	Thanks for the forum to discuss this product.
>Richard (gtephx!covertr) Covert

Thank you!

- mike vederman


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