[DSP-10] Virtual PC Serial Port Problem

[Courtney Duncan]

   I've recently come into posession of a fairly late model Mac PowerBook
   G4  and  have  installed Virtual PC on it so as to run various amateur
   radio programs that are Windows or DOS only.  Most sound card programs
   work  fine, for example.  It's pretty suprising how well it all works.
   However....
   Using  a  Keyspan USA-19HS USB to serial adapter, I am able to use all
   of  my  serial-port  wielding programs except DSP-10.  Even that seems
   nearly to work.
   Here's what works:
   Reading and writing an IC-T81A from ICOM software.  (90s)
   Reading  and  writing  a  TinyTrak3  APRS  box using Byonics software.
   (recent)
   Talking to a Kantronics K-1 (86 vintage) via Packcom or Xtalk.  (80s)
   These last are old and clunky, yet work just fine.
   Also,  I  can  talk  to  the EZ-Kit Lite using Xtalk in local mode  It
   gives it's boot message legibly and multiple times and says "you type"
   and responds to commands like '$$$' with the beep and report, etc.
   But,  when  I  try  to  load  UHFA  using the EZ-Kit Lite Monitor host
   program  in Windows, it seems to start, but after all too short a time
   says,  "Time  out  waiting  for  EZ-LAB  to  complete operation", then
   shortly  the  serial  port  stops  sending.   This  is after maybe ten
   seconds.   Normally  it  takes thirty or so to load.  I've messed with
   the timeout value in the configuration file to no avail.
   Also,  when  I  load  it from my old PC, then boot Virtual PC into DOS
   mode and try to run 'uhfa 1' it does something similar, the host tries
   to write stuff, but then stalls and eventually gives up.
   It's  like  there  was  some  handshaking  thing  going  on  or,  more
   precisely,  not  going  on.   I've  tried  all  of the various Keyspan
   handshaking options (CTS/RTS etc.) with no change in behavior.
   So,  I've  tried  a lot of stuff but just can't get the EZ-Kit Lite to
   take code.  Oh, once I did succeed at the DTMF demo and switched it on
   and  off  several  times  before  exiting, so proper communications is
   possible,  but  I've never been able to repeat even that.  Needless to
   say,  my  life would be complete if I could somehow get DSP-10 working
   with this laptop.  We could go on the road!
   Has  anyone ever had serial problems with an EZ-Kit Lite, or otherwise
   have   any  clue  as  to  what  might  be  going  on  (Virtual  PC  or
   otherwise...)?
   Courtney, n5bf/6