Multi-Port Controller

[Steve Merchant]

A long time ago I wrote about looking for a multi-port controller to use 
for contesting.  I ended up buying the FlexPort Serial Board Model 42, 
the same unit AB6FO wrote about recently.  It gives you four 
16550-type UART serial ports capable of working on IRQs 3 through 15 and 
on any of eight addresses.  It also has two bidirectional LPT ports -- 
these can only work on IRQs 5 or 7, the bidirectional option is 
selectable, and there are two addresses available for the LPTs.  The unit 
is made by Quickpath Systems, Inc., in Fremont, CA.

The tech support department consists of a man named Ping who is very 
knowledgeable and extremely patient and helpful, esp. when shooting 
mysterious symptoms in aging computers (like mine), reported by aging 
operators (like me.)

The bottom line to this note is I can't make this unit do what I want it 
to in my machine because of com and lpt ports which are integrated into 
the mother board, and which take up IRQs and addresses, even if they're 
not in use.  To make matters worse, it doesn't look like I can swap the 
old uarts out for 16550s.  Rats.

If anyone is interested in a good deal on the Quickpath unit, e-mail me 
at the address below.  It's brand new and has only been used for a couple 
of days of very intermittent testing.  Thanks.

73, Steve  N4TQO
merchant@crl.com 

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