[FADCA] USB to Com Port

[wd4sen at bellsouth.net]

Bud, some good thoughts.....and I agree a standard would be the most reliable route to go....
I am not sure just which route to go right now....I can get a com card for some 40 to 60 dollars with 4 ports. The USB hub I already have but need the usb to com port adapter and those are expensive....I do think the $9 ones will cut the mustard. Kengiston ( I think ) is the best on the marked. Thats what I have for my kenwwod at home...
As time gets closer to getting the radios and tnc to connect to the linux box I will do some serious pricing as ARES has no money .......

Charlie (k4gbb) has such a program in the version of Linux he had me down load. It has a script in there to put the tnc in kiss. You might want to talk to him about it, as I am still a new bee with the linux and can not answer your question about it....

thanks
Ray

> 
> From: "bud Thompson" <budt at cfl.rr.com>
> Date: 2006/09/08 Fri AM 06:11:56 EDT> To: "Florida Amateur Digital Communication Association" <fadca at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [FADCA] USB to Com Port
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Chuck Hast" <wchast at gmail.com>
> To: "Florida Amateur Digital Communication Association" 
> <fadca at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 10:03
> Subject: Re: [FADCA] USB to Com Port
> 
> 
> > On 9/7/06, Ray Cook <WD4SEN at bellsouth.net> wrote:
> >> I am getting ready to put up some FPAC switches here in Clay county, I 
> >> have
> >> a computer with two USB ports and a card with 4 more USB ports.
> >>
> >> I need to find some adapters that go from USB to com port.
> >>
> >> I know there are several brands out there, and I have been told some do 
> >> not
> >> work well..so I am relying on your experiences for choices of brands.
> >>
> >> IF you have a source for these adaptors I would appreciate that 
> >> information
> >> too..
> >>
> >
> > I am running a cheap $9 one, it is considered non-standard because it does
> > not support the rs-232 control lines, but under kiss or 6pack those lines 
> > do
> > not appear to be a issue since the system is sending packets to the TNC,
> > in the case of polled kiss or 6pack if the TNC can not accept a packet 
> > because
> > it is full or busy, it rejects the packet until it is ready for it so
> > it has it's own
> > internal flow control. As far as I can see from the kiss protocol there is 
> > no
> > control line support in the kiss code so even if they worked it does not 
> > appear
> > that they would be used. There was the ability to use the CD line in kiss 
> > to
> > signal to the kiss driver that the channel was busy but I was never able 
> > to
> > get it to work in a satisfactory way. 6pack took care of all that as
> > it does it's
> > own handling with control packets between the 6pack device and the 
> > computer.
> >
> > Hey, if the cheap one does not make you happy try the next one up... This
> > is ham radio, we gotta have fun, even with something as mundane as a
> > USB device!!! I have gone through several layers of exchanges before I got
> > what I was looking for, I used to feel guilty about doing exchanges but 
> > some-
> > where along the way I lost it... I guess I learned from my wife who is
> > a fearless
> > exchanger/returner...
> >
> > -- 
> > Chuck Hast  -- KP4DJT --
> >=
> 
> * * *
> 
> If the USB/Serial adapter does not have control lines it might not be 
> satisfactory for simply checking out the TNC with the stock AX.25 EPROM  to 
> be sure it works - using Windows or Linux terminal programs.  Once the AX.25 
> EPROM has been replaced with 6PAC or BPQKISS - it may be difficult to run 
> the TNC through the paces just to check it out to be sure it works okay.
> 
> That brings me to another point:  If it doesn't exist now - we should have 
> some standard terminal program in the Linux mix just for this purpose -to 
> check out TNCs before putting them into service on FPAC.  Another thing that 
> would be good for those TNCs using KISS mode with the AX.25 EPROM 
> (Kantronics XKISS, PK-96 KISS 0$B) is to have an UP routine and a DOWN 
> routine - where those TNCs are put into the proper mode automatically when 
> FPAC starts and returned to terminal mode when FPAC shuts down.
> 
> bud N0IA> 
> 
> 
> 
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