Recommendations for a serial port card you can actually BUY?

[Jeremy Chadwick]

On Thu, Oct 05, 2006 at 10:19:25AM -0500, Karl Denninger wrote:
> Hi folks;
> 
> Ok, one of my pet peeves is coming around to bite me again.
>
> {snip}
> 
> I know serial I/O is passe for many, but some of us have applications that 
> actually require it, and can't rationally be moved to anything else due 
> to external hardware considerations.

This is in no way flame-bait, nor does it have any negative
implications -- as a fellow SA I'm just curious.

What exactly are you using serial cards for in this day and age?
A serial console server (a la Cyclades TS)?  Or is there something
that's more mission-critical (for lack-of better term).

I guess my question is: what are you using these cards for, and
can whatever the goal is be accomplished by some alternate hardware
(serial-via-USB adaptors/hubs, serial-over-IP, etc.)?

BTW -- I completely agree with you about the cost of these cards,
especially so in 2006.  There is absolutely no justified explanation
for such a card costing US$1500, or even US$500.  These are ICs and
basic PCBs that at most cost US$20 per device -- the profit mark-up
is appalling.

-- 
| Jeremy Chadwick                                 jdc at parodius.com |
| Parodius Networking                        http://www.parodius.com/ |
| UNIX Systems Administrator                   Mountain View, CA, USA |
| Making life hard for others since 1977.               PGP: 4BD6C0CB |