Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 16:49:36 +0800 From: Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com> To: Ken McGlothlen <mcglk@serv.net> Cc: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Serial port overload! Message-ID: <19971211164936.37896@lemis.com> In-Reply-To: <199712110211.SAA19859@ralf.serv.net>; from Ken McGlothlen on Wed, Dec 10, 1997 at 06:11:35PM -0800 References: <199712110211.SAA19859@ralf.serv.net>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On Wed, Dec 10, 1997 at 06:11:35PM -0800, Ken McGlothlen wrote:
> So I have an HP LaserJet 6MP, a PostScript printer. It has two Centronics-
> style parallel ports (the normal B, and the smaller C connector) and one
> Macintosh 8-pin DIN connector, which I assume is a serial connector. The
> parallel ports are bidirectional, but FreeBSD doesn't support those yet. And
> the two serial ports on the FreeBSD box are already taken up: one serial mouse
> (I couldn't get a bus mouse to work), and one modem.
>
> Hence, my request for advice. I could try to get a bus mouse to work, but I
> was unable to last time, and I'd hate to waste my time with that, especially as
> I also want to eventually add a UPS to the FreeBSD box, and the basic problem
> ---not enough serial ports---would just come back.
It looks as if you think you will have to run your 6MP on a serial
link. This is a Bad Idea. The 6MP does PostScript, and it transfers
data across the parallel port at up to 50 kB/s (500 kb/s). You can't
do this on a normal serial link. And anyway, it works fine on the
parallel port. I have one, and it just plugged in and ran. I'm
sitting next to a 5MP (essentially the same machine) with my laptop,
and that works fine too.
> So I'm considering getting one of those Boca six-port things, or STB four-port
> things. Unfortunately, I don't know if I have any IRQs left over (not being
> that versed in PC hardware), and I haven't seen *any* RJ45->8-pin DIN
> connectors. Has anybody already run into this situation? If so, how did you
> resolve it, and what's your current configuration?
What I would suggest is:
1. Connect your LaserJet to the parallel port.
2. Figure out why your mouse doesn't work on the PS/2 port, and fix
it.
3. If you're still short of ports, get an internal modem next time
you need to upgrade the speed, and set it as sio2. Then you'll be
able to free up one of the existing ports.
In summary, I don't see that you have any reason to buy more hardware
at the moment.
Greg
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?19971211164936.37896>