Simplicity, flexibility, and affordability are what most PC users look for in computer interfacing equipment, and that's just what this money-saving guide offers.

Jeffrey Hirst Johnson shows how to turn any IBM PC or compatible computer into a high-performance data communications system-not by installing expensive, special-purpose boards and peripherals, but by taking advantage of the serial and parallel ports that come with the computer. This book features circuit designs and instructions for building a wide variety of portable plug-in devices that allow fast, effective data communications whereever and whenever needed... and at a fraction of the cost of installing sophisticated networking systems. Johnson includes all of the ready-to-use software routines necessary to implement the hardware, along with information on data formats and reates, cabling and connectors, and troubleshooting.