[aprssig] Re: Serial port to USB question

[Doug Ferrell, KD4MOJ]

----Original Message-----
From: aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org
[mailto:aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org]On Behalf Of Stephen H. Smith
Sent: Saturday, September 03, 2005 10:20 PM
To: TAPR APRS Mailing List; victorf at windreader.com
Subject: [aprssig] Re: Serial port to USB question

 Serial-to-USB converter "dongles" vary wildly in how faithfully they
emulate a real serial port.  Especially how they emulate (or don't emulate!)
the hand-shaking lines of a real serial port since these lines don't exist
in USB. Some will work only with some programs, others with nearly all.
The Belkin converters are especially notorious for poor compatibility and
have been repeatedly blasted on this list,  the UIview mailing list and the
MixW list.

Some of the variables involved are:
o     What IC chipset is the cable based on? [Doug Ferrell] (cables are
based on a chipset?)
o     What IC chipset is used for the USB ports on the PC?
o     Are the PC's ports USB 1.1 or 2.0?
o     Are you going directly into a PC's USB "root port" or through a USB
hub or splitter?
o     What operating system (Win 98SE, Win2K or WinXP) are you using?[Doug
Ferrell]  --< he is running XP
o     What patch or service pack level is your OS at?
o     How many other USB devices are in use at the same time?
o     Does the application depend on accurate handshaking or does it only
require the basic RXD/TXD/Gnd three-wire serial hookup?  [This often drives
sound-card-interface users to despair since the serial port's handshaking
lines are used for Radio PTT, CW keying, Receiver squelch detect, etc. ]
{snip the rest of the message}

[Doug Ferrell]


   Sorry but the bottom line, his USB to serial is working.... Vic stated in
his message that saw the data in Hyperterm. USB-SERIAL is working. So we are
now down to configuration for APRSPoint. Service packs,."root ports", IC
Chipsets are a moot point for this particular setup.



....DOUG
KD4MOJ

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