New Line Of IBM Communication Controllers

Description

News about the Connectivity and Characteristics from IBM’s 3745 Controller

Main Article Text

IBM continues to be prolific in the area of connectivity. The announcement of a few days ago speaks of a new series of products dedicated to network communication. Chief among these is the new communications controller 3745 which governs 512 transmission lines with an asynchronous data rate of 9.6 kilobits per second and is used to manage connections via dial-up modem. Practically it is an enhanced version of the 3725 controller line which is currently selling at a price ranging between 115 and 143 million (the price of new equipment, however, is not known yet). The communications controller 3745 has 16 channels for connecting with mainframe and 8 transmission lines at 2 Mbit per second intended to manage the high speed phone lines that Sip will make available in the not yet determined future. Each of these lines will have a traffic capacity equivalent to thirty times that of the existing telephone connections. Compared to its predecessor, the 37 45 has a computing power that is quadrupled to that of its predecessor, thanks to the dual cpu, and is able to manage a much higher number of asynchronous lines. Instead, the capacity to connect with Token-ring local area networks remains unchanged. The 3725 and 3745, in fact, have an integrated interface that works with the Token-ring environment and can act as a gateway simultaneously to the mainframe for a quantity of eight rings. Thanks to the combination of Lan links and the asynchronous ports on the same equipment, it is easier to handle contact between the central computer and users in a local or geographic network. The announcement also pertains to three devices: unit 3737, which connects two computers via a high-speed line, (2 Mbps), the 5952 device, which integrates voice and data signals on the same network, and finally an adapter that allows the connection between computers and video terminals that have different interfaces.

Roberto Mazzoni