Return-Path: Received: (qmail 20404 invoked from network); 19 Dec 2001 14:57:43 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO warrior.services.quay.plus.net) (212.159.14.227) by excalibur.plus.net with SMTP; 19 Dec 2001 14:57:43 -0000 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal Received: (qmail 22316 invoked from network); 19 Dec 2001 14:57:32 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO post.thorcom.com) (212.172.148.70) by warrior.services.quay.plus.net with SMTP; 19 Dec 2001 14:57:32 -0000 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 Received: from majordom by post.thorcom.com with local (Exim 3.33 #2) id 16Gi3O-0004si-00 for rsgb_lf_group-outgoing@blacksheep.org; Wed, 19 Dec 2001 14:50:42 +0000 Received: from e24.nc.us.ibm.com ([32.97.136.230] helo=outside) by post.thorcom.com with esmtp (Exim 3.33 #2) id 16Gi3M-0004sd-00 for rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org; Wed, 19 Dec 2001 14:50:41 +0000 Received: from southrelay01.raleigh.ibm.com (southrelay01.raleigh.ibm.com [9.37.3.208]) by outside (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id IAA10698 for ; Wed, 19 Dec 2001 08:47:00 -0600 Received: from usa.net (ss4.bld.socks.ibm.com [9.14.4.69]) by southrelay01.raleigh.ibm.com (8.11.1m3/NCO v5.01) with ESMTP id fBJEnlS53030 for ; Wed, 19 Dec 2001 09:49:47 -0500 Message-ID: <3C20A8C3.36F3AD6E@usa.net> Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 15:48:35 +0100 From: "Alberto di Bene" X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.78 [en] (Windows NT 5.0; U) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org Subject: LF: Re: long haul QSO's References: <7D653C9C42F5D411A27C00508BF8803D55C66D@pdw-mail-r1.dstl.gov.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Precedence: bulk Reply-To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org X-Listname: rsgb_lf_group Sender: Talbot Andrew wrote: > [...] > So let Windoze just drive the serial port as it seems to still be able to do > (how long will that last ?) and use a PIC to turn the 8 bit words into > useful functions. > [...] I am afraid the biggest threat for serial comms is coming not from Bill, but from laptop manufacturers... I have recently seen laptops of the low end of the price range which didn't have a serial port... in the sake of pennies saving, I suppose... In this moment the most sure bet seems to be that on the printer port... which moreover gives the 8 bit words without resorting to a PIC, though some logic glue will nevertheless be required. 73 Alberto I2PHD