On Sun, 9 Feb 2025, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote: > > I was about to ask if anyone ever built a "Parallel Modem" - but I searched > > around first, and lo and behold, Microcom did ! (v.fast / v.34 era, c. > > 1996) > > I don't know what "parallel modem" would mean. Can you explain?
In the simplest case I can certainly envisage delegating the input and output shift registers to an integrated external modem unit talking some kind of protocol (which could be Hayes even at the software level) to the host computer over a parallel port, just as printers used to, some even offering the choice between a parallel and a serial connection. A UART could then be integrated within the external unit, or skipped altogether, just as it used to be the case with "winmodems" where all the modulation/demodulation stuff was done directly by the host CPU and sent or received to or from the modem chipset just for DCA/ADC conversion, such as with sound cards (the MC'97 codec standard was developed exactly for this purpose, complementing AC'97 for audio devices). Maciej
