Quick question: any way to split a serial port for 2 rs232 receiving components without having to use an active device? It's kind of an emergency for a weekend install - was hoping I could just get the ports from Radio Shack and solder two wires from each terminal to go to two ports....Or as an alternative, anyone know if the Sherbourn T100 tuner has discrete IR codes for power?

If you dont need bi directional control you can just make a Y cable , I have done this a few times with RTI control systems, worked great, not sure how durable it would be with other setups, but it would be worth a try

It would depend on other factors as well, for instance do the two devices use the same baud rate etc..

Had to do thiss once with a bucnh of Pioneer plasmas in a call center install. Essentially was a "star" network scheme where a single RS-232 port controlled 4 plasmas in a one way scenario.

Xantech makes a device called the RS2321x8 router...
It has 4 RS232 outs, and 4 rs422 outs, and you can trigger any of those ports to be connected back to the input port for 1-way or bidirectional communications.

I couldn't even find it on their site, but it is on page 49 of their catalog if you want to DL the PDF file...
[Link: xantech.com]

It works like the RT-8 IR router, a system command sets the routing, and then you follow with the commands.