Lee's Funnies
DL-232 - A New Standard
by Dave Lyons
(CompuCenter Iowa: JoeApple; CompuServe 72177,3233)
I may never understand how the designers of the RS-232
"standard" for serial communication managed to use 25 wires
where only 3 are really necessary. Maybe they made a deal
with the companies that make cables, connectors, and switch
boxes ... I just don't know.
Well, I thought of a few things that the RS-232 standard
lacks, and since there are already so many extra signals, a
few more can't hurt anybody, right? Heck let's go for 50-pin
connectors and cables and add the following new signals.
(Just to make sure this isn't compatible with any old
equipment, all OLD signals are moved up one pin number
(Carrier Detect becomes 9 instead of 8, etc., and pin 25
goes to pin 1).
Pin Name Description
26 XCAT Should be connected to chassis of devices.
Used with the next two signals, this
provides protection against cats who haven't
learned not to walk on floppy disks or
serial equipment. This signal should supply
about 2000 volts (at a VERY low current
level; wouldn't want to HURT the cute little
thing, just teach it not to walk on anything
in the computer room).
27 CATGND Cat ground. Used with pin 26. This signal
should be connected to another part of the
chassis or the tabletop.
28 CTD Cat detect.
29 SD Self-destruct. This signal causes the
device to destroy itself.
30 SDACK Self-destruct acknowledge. Acknowledges
that the device has destroyed itself.
31 VADIC This signal indicates to a computer that the
device on the other end is a modem that uses
VADIC protocol. (Note: CompuCenter Iowa
users should jumper this signal to SD and
then buy a decent modem.)
32 STBITl Stutter bits. With pin 33, sets the number
of "stutter bits" (0 to 3 of them) to be
included before each byte transmitted. This
may reduce the number of people who feel
inferior to computer equipment by showing
them that computers have problems
communicating with each other.
33 STBIT2
34 CABR Cable ready. It's not enough to know that
the Data Set is ready (DSR) and the
Data Terminal is ready (DTR). We also
also need to know that the CABLE connecting
them is ready.
35 GRR Gremlins ready. Not everybody knows it, but
there are little green guys inside most
modern computer equipment. Most of the time
they sleep, but other times they cause
trouble. The next 6 signals are for dealing
with gremlins.
36 220A Used with pin 37, supplies 220 volt power
for the gremlins' air conditioning. On hot
days when gremlins can't sleep, applying
power to these pins may solve your problems.
37 220B
38 ll0H 110 volts, hot side. When the 220 volt
power doesn't help and gremlin problems
persist, use this with pin 39 to supply 110
volts for the gremlins' TV and video game center.
39 110N 110 volts, neutral side.
40 MOON Indicates the phase of the moon. Sometimes solves
mysterious problems.
41 LHI Pins 41 through 45 can be used to implement
the "like" protocol when the normal RTS/CTS
protocol isn't enough. This one means "Like
HI" and is used to establish a connection.
42 LHTY2 Like HI to You Too. Acknowledges pin 41.
43 LLTT Like Listen To This. Requests permission to
send data.
44 LOK Like OK. Grants permission to transmit data.
45 LWOW Like WOW. Acknowledges receipt of data.
46 HEY Pins 46 to 50 may be used to implement the
"Eighties" protocol when RTS/CTS and "Like"
protocols won't do the job. This signal is
similar to RTS (Request to Send).
47 NP No Problem. Acknowledges HEY.
48 HUH? Signals that data was not received correctly
(possibly wrong number of stutter bits).
49 YEAH Acknowledges data received.
50 KMG365 Like YEAH, but for avid Emergency One fans.
That makes 50! Let's hear your suggestions for MORE serial
signals. Maybe we can get l00 and REALLY make the cable
manufacturers happy.
http://www.primepuzzle.com/leesfunnies/dl232.htm
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