Subject: IBM Thinkpad 380ED serial port issues
To: None <port-i386@netbsd.org>
From: Ross <wolf_fire@ithink.net>
List: port-i386
Date: 10/14/2001 14:36:18
Greetings,

I have a Thinkpad 380ED running NBSD 1.5.2.  There are 2 built in serial 
ports and one 3com 562D/563D modem/ethernet combo card in it.  The first 
serial port, com 1, is the interface for the Infrared port. The second is the 
standard 9 pin port in the back.  Com 4 (or com 3 in BSD) is the PCMCIA modem 
combo.

My problem is this:  I originally bought the laptop in order to interface it 
with my Autostar telescope controller from Meade.  The serial port 
communicates fine under windows with the autostar.  On NetBSD I've tried to 
run the Autostar with XEphem (v. 3.4) with no success.  Their is no 
communication and I don't really know which serial port NetBSD is seeing, 
since during boot there are only 2 showing up, one being the modem in the 
combo card.  I don't care about the IR interface, but there is no way that i 
can see to disable the IR interface in BIOS to see which port the kernel is 
"seeing".  To be honest, the BIOS menu on this laptop seems mostly useless 
other than choosing a boot device.  "Idiot proof" I suppose which means it's 
also geek proof :(.

I'm using the stock laptop kernel, but i've also tried with enabling the PNP 
type serial port interfaces and recompiling which didn't help either.

Does anyone else own a 380ED here and can guide me with proper settings for 
the serial ports, or know if there are any other issues with this model?  
Everything else works perfectly, video, sound, ethernet.  Just weird stuff 
with the serial ports.  Too bad the Autostar doesn't interface via ethernet 
:(.

Thanks in advance,
Ross