[BRLTTY] usb to serial problems

[Elias Oltmanns]

Daniel Dalton <d.dalton at iinet.net.au> wrote:
> On Tue, 29 Apr 2008, Dave Mielke wrote:
>
>> [quoted lines by Daniel Dalton on 2008/04/29 at 17:45 +1000]
>>
>>>> Didn't the BrailleNote come with a serial cable?
>>>
>>> It did, that is what I have been using with ttyS0, but how does that help
>>> with a usb to serial connection?
>>
>> Because it's performing the very same function.
>>
>> I'm confused, though. If you're using the cable that came with the BrailleNote,
>> and if the converter has a male serial port on it just like a PC with a serial
>> port would have, then why do you need the adapter? Please put together a full
>
> Well, I'm currently trying to get it working on my old box with a serial 
> port, since when my new box is up and running it won't have a standard 
> serial port on it.
> Therefore a usb to serial is required.

Of course, but it's the adapter, not the converter, that causes some
confusion here. See below.

>
>> list of all serial ports (on the converter, on the BrailleNote), and of all the
>> connectors (the two ends of the cable and both sides of the adapter), stating
>> which are male and which are female.
>
> Braille note serial: male
> Serial end of usb_to_serial cable: male
> USB end of cable: standard usb connection

So far, that sounds all very sensible to me.

> Adapter: Both ends female to connect the two males together (to
> connect the male on braille note to male on serial_to_usb cable)

This adapter is precisely what Dave was referring to before and I'm
worried too. You should be able to connect the BN without the adapter.
Presumably, the cable which has been delivered with the BN has female
connectors on both ends, so you can (and should) use this cable instead
of the adapter. Or did I get you wrong somewhere?

Just consider this: Your old box had a native serial port built in. So,
the situation was this:

Braille note serial: male
Computer serial: male

Regarding your new box together with the USB->serial converter, you are
in a very similar situation:

Braille note serial: male
USB->serial (serial end): male

Just make sure to use the identical cable to fill the gap in both cases.

[...]
> So am I better off finding an add on ebay and asking you guys if it will 
> work?

Unless I got hold of the wrong end of the stick in the first place, you
can't tell whether the converter really is to blame before you have
tested the above.

Hope that helps,

Elias