From: crunch@netcom.com (John Draper)
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 92 01:23:48 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Rander
Message-ID: <9211140920.AA01475@netcom2.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Tom Jennings writes:

>Using serial ports is probably not a good idea on PC clones. The IBM
>hardware design limits a machine to two ports comfortably, four
>practical maximum. Any machine that uses telecomm. (BBSs, etc) will
>have to consume the serial hardware, and will interfere with whatever
>you have to do.

>A good choice would be a parallel port, ie. a printer port. The IBM
>design allows 4 or more easily, and rarely do you see a pclone with
>more than two printers attached. If there isn't a spare port
>available, Fry's sells printer adapters for $19.95. Late-model printer
>adapters are 8 bit in and out, and are capable of Ethernet speeds.
>The parallel port uses standard busy/done and TTL levels.

I already thought of that,   but it would make it difficult to 
work on other platforms.   Tom also writes:

>A simple driver could simply have say 10,000 bits, and continuously
>overwrite the oldest (wrap around the buffer...)

This was (and probably still is) my overall intention.