[ct-user] Help: Multi-port serial board

[Sante - IK0HBN]

Hi everybody,
sorry for cross posting, but my future choice should relate all 3 programs, 
so doing a "common choice" is a must for me. It seems that this tread is 
quite common lastly.

One step back: last year my computer went broken, so a new machine was 
scheduled to be bought. I choice an AMD Athlon+ but the motherboard does 
not have ISA slot, so my ISA Multi serial port had been retired. I asked 
someone an alternate and I found reliable here in Italy the MOXA brand who 
has several models and a warranty has assured.

I ask you to give a look at their home page to see if the choice board 
could fit my needs. I reported below the exact link to their page and the p 
2 models are:

MOXA C128 TURBO SERIES ( the most expensive, more than double against the 
other)

MOXA SMARTIO C168H/PCI (more affordable, but slower in speed, I mean).

Even the available pins are shown, even if I do not know the needed ones...

I should use the Serial card with WRITELOG  using "the TRUE FSK" with the 
little 2 transistors interface I used till old computer got broken. I read 
that a 5 bits signal has required to do the job, but it seems that both the 
cards have that feature.

My need is also CT. Now my new OS is Windows XP and I read somewhere that 
DOS has gone for ever, but it seems that both cards have ALSO driver for 
pure DOS, so may be a boot disk into that old OS could help me in running 
CT, or otherwise CTWIN should be used.

Beside FSK/PTT generation, I should link even rotor, radio, tnc's, in few 
words all the stuffs we regularly use in our shack.

My doubts are also for the SINGLE IRQ SHARING that both the cards use. Is 
it compatible with CT and WL?

Any help in resolving the debate? C128 or Smartio C168? The links will 
bring you exactly to the technical informations for both the card.

Another possible choice to do before the purchase: Moxa sells also several 
CONNECTION OPTION, you could link the board with OCTOPUS CABLE or use a BOX 
with all the 8 DB25 connectors in good shape. I'd like using the last 
option, so to keep computer away as possible from the radio, as the fans 
are very noise ( AMD needs more cooling), what do you think about?

A box with the feature of a surge protection is available but it costs more 
than double versus the box without it. Their references numbers are:

Octopus cable: OPT8c

Box WITHOUT surge protection: OPT8b  ( I mean that DB25 are better with 
male connector, so to avoid re-doing all the cabling into the shack)

Box WITH surge protection: OPt8s (221 Euro...-))) !!

Below all the link needed. As I'll get your response, I'll order one of them.
Thanks for your help and support.
Ciao
Sante

http://www.moxa.com/product/intelligent/C218.htm#2  (Intelligent multiport)

http://www.moxa.com/product/smartio/C168H.htm  (Smartio multiport)

http://www.moxa.com/product/opt/opt.htm#1   (cable connections)