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Date:      Thu, 13 Nov 1997 23:31:09 -0500
From:      "Gary T. Corcoran" <garycorc@idt.net>
To:        Stefan Molnar <stefan@exis.net>
Cc:        Ross Potts <rpotts@med.osd.mil>, freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: modems
Message-ID:  <346BD40D.87E7F05@idt.net>
References:  <Pine.LNX.3.95.971113142806.32733B-100000@sailfish.exis.net>

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Stefan Molnar wrote:
> Ross Potts wrote:
> > Now I want to use a modem on FreeBSD at home.  Before I started leaning over to
> > this OS, I tried Linux.  Then I heard that they would not take winmodems.  On my
> > Compaq Presario, that is apparently what I have(no jumpers!).  That and the
> > stupidly easy setup in FreeBSD made me change over.
> 
> It is not the lack of jumpers makes the winmodem suck, it is the lack of
> a UART chip.  The UART chip is being emulated in software.

Actually it's not the 'UART chip' that's emulated in software, it's the
'controller' microprocessor (often a Z-80).  That is, it's the chip that
interprets the 'AT' commands and controls the datapump (DSP) which is emulated
in software.  Generically, they're known as 'controllerless' modems.

Nevertheless, they only come with Windows drivers to emulate the controller,
and won't work in *any* Unix environment, including FreeBSD.

Gary



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