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To: Brian Tao <taob@nbc.netcom.ca>
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        FREEBSD-ISP <freebsd-isp@FreeBSD.ORG>
Subject: Re: Cyclades Cyclom-Y PCI multiport serial as console server? 
In-reply-to: Your message of "Tue, 30 Sep 1997 10:58:35 -0400."
             <Pine.GSO.3.95.970930105228.19219F-100000@tor-adm1.nbc.netcom.ca> 
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Date: Wed, 01 Oct 1997 01:31:02 +0930
From: Mike Smith <mike@smith.net.au>
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>     Before I start more troubleshooting, has anyone used the Cyclom-Y
> 16-port PCI serial controllers as null modem ports?

Should be nothing special about this.

>     I note that the cy(4) man page from a May 1997 3.0 snapshot states:
> 
> > BUGS
> >      BREAK is not yet implemented.
> > 
> >      Serial consoles are not implemented.
> 
> 
>     Is there a newer version that does allow me to send breaks to the
> remote side (very important if you're dealing with Sparcs)? 

Can't help here, sorry.  The 'cy' driver is a fairly nasty cross of the 
'sio' driver (for understandable reasons), but the BREAK code is 
specifically commented out.  It's possible that BREAK is not well 
handled by the cd1400 UARTs.

> What
> exactly does "serial consoles" mean in this context?  If it works with
> a modem, I don't see why I can't slap a null modem changer on the
> cable, and use it as a serial console.

It almost certainly means that you can't have the BSD box use one of 
the cy ports as a console.  There's nothing magic about using a port as 
a console on a remote system.

>     I've already modifed /etc/rc.serial to set the ttyc* and cuac*
> devices to "terminal" rather than the default of "modem".  Anything
> else I need to do?

Do you really want the hardware flowcontrol?  You will want to do the 
traditional 2/3, 4/5, 6+8/20 crosses in your cables.