VisorCentral.com (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/index.php)
- Communications (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=20)
-- RS232 to cellphone connection (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=5570)

I just got a Sprint PCS connection kit for a Samsung 8500. The instructions say you connect the phone to your Palm device with their cable, a DB9 turnaround and your cradle. It uses the phones modem and no other equipment is needed (like the EFIG Springboard) I was given the connection kit when i bought the phone, so the only cost in this will be the $37 for the cable.

The settings it tells you to use in the Modem Preferences screen are:
Modem=Standard
Speed=14,400
Speaker=Off
Flow Ctl=Automatic
String=AT&FX4
Dial Type=Touch Tone

Now I'm waiting for the Mark/Space cable to connect the phone and the visor. I may just buy a Serial cradle to see if it works, then return it. I'll post again when I actually get to try this out

Jesse

guess what. If you turn off handshaking, you can use your Sprint PCS cellphone with your Visor with the serial cradle (and the Sprint data cable). It seems to work (and you don't need a null modem). I haven't teted this extensively, but it should be consistent. This means that the Mark/Space serial cable should work also. Also means you won't have to wait for the Sixpack or buy an EFIG (unless you need the correct handshaking/voltage for other devices - i.e., GPS, terminal emulation, etc.)

That's great! By using the Mark/Space cable instead of a Springboard, I'll be able to keep my backup module loaded all the time, even when I'm surfing or e-mailing. (I like to back up frequently.)

So when will the Mark/Space cable be available? We're waiting....

The reason that you can communicate to the Sprint PCS cellphone directly with the Visor (through the serial cradle) without handshaking is because the Sprint data cable actually has active circuitry in the DB9 connector! I know this because I wanted to shorten the cable so I took the connector apart. It's a micro circuit board right behind the connector with a Maxim RS232 chip on it that must provide the correct voltages etc required for RS232 communication between the cellphone and the Visor. Seems to work fine with my cellphone, but it doesn't work with my Garmin GPS. Other cellphone types/cables may not have this circuitry and therfore may not work with just the serial cradle.

rmapes,
so you got your phone to communicate with
the serial cradle? so i need to replace
the null modem adapter that came with the
wireless web kit with a different adapter?
-otto

yeah, I connected the serial cradle to the Sprint PCS cellphone data cable with a male-to-male DB9 connector (didn't need the null modem). Make sure to turn off flow control (handshaking) in your modem preferences menu. Also, I called Mark/Space and they said their serial cable will be available in around three weeks.

well it's back to staples for another serial
cradle. i used it WITH the null modem adapter
and couldn't get it to work. perhaps that was
the problem? i'm curious, what email/browser
software are you using? thanks for all your
help b.t.w.
-otto

this is a little off the topic of the thread
here, but related to sprintpcs. it appears
that i can't have both the sprint dialer and
palm desktop (hotsync?) installed at the same time because of com port problems. i use the
usb cradle for the visor and connect the phone to the serial port. when palm desktop is installed, the pcs phone can't be found.
any suggestions? thanx.
-otto

ok, i can run pcs dialer if i close hotsync
on the system tray. it works but i can't
download my avantgo channels with the pcs
phone... oh well,
i suppose i'm asking too much....
anyway, ignore my last post.
-otto

yeah, you don't need the null modem. Also, I use eudora for palm for e-mail and Proxiweb for web surfing (it's free).

Otto, have you tried disabling the serial port in HotSynch? Just right click on the HotSynch logo in the system tray and if "Local Serial" is checked, uncheck it.

funny thing happened... i installed the final
piece, the eyemodule conduit, and suddenly
everything worked fine. go figure. i did
deselect local serial in hotsync just in case.
the only thing that doesn't like the wireless
arrangement is Truesync, which i use with
Yahoo mail/Outlook to sync my calender and
address book. I can live without it - i got
more than enough whizbang going on here!
and rmapes, thanks for the software tips!
-otto

Rmapes' suggestion about connecting via the serial cradle worked for me! I am using a Sprint PCS/Motorola Timeport phone, NO null modem (although I need a m/m conversion plug to connect the two cables)and I turned off flowcontrol on the modem config panel. Hooray - we are wireless!!!!

arghh... i tried to connect to my pcs
phone again with the regular db9 adapter
instead of the null modem. turned of flow
control. still no go. i'm using the samsung
3500 with wireless web kit. i suspect this
may work with some pcs phone/webkits but
not with others. or i'm doing something
wrong. what phone models are people using
with this?
-otto

I have a Sprint PCS qualcomm touchpoint.

What error message are you getting? If it's "modem not found" it's probably in your modem preference menu. How far does the call get? Does it show up on your cellphone screen as a Data Call?

Is your Web service activated? I think it costs $9.95/mo. Make sure Sprint activated it. Your call won't go through if it isn't activated.

Try it with the null modem.

Also, make sure your ISP is activated with Sprint PCS. As an example, I found out the hard way that the long distance trunks for my ISP weren't supported in a routing database. I would get an error "no carrier" when I was out of state but it would work fine while I was in my state. So I called the dial-in number of my ISP and sure enough, instead of hearing the familiar modem sound, the call would route to a recorded annoncement that said "A12, the number you have dialed is not in service". Sprint finally determined that the CLEC (phone company) of my ISP hadn't input the NNX for my ISP.

experiment with your network preference menu. Make sure you are dialing the correct dial-in number to your ISP. I had to include the area code (note that when the call begins, the screen on your cellphone will say "Data' Call" and shows the number of your ISP that it is dialing).

experiment with your modem preference menu. Make sure to use "other" for country. Try reducing the speed from 14.4Kbps.

Call Sprint PCS customer service for Wireless Web. They are helpful and knowledgeable.

note: while testing using the serial cradle to communicate to my Sprint PCS cellphone repeatedly, I was able to on occasion produce the following error message:

"Serial port already in use". A soft reset didn't help. It turned out that the cradle itself was locked up. Unlocking the cradle from this state is not easy (unless someone has discovered an easy procedure). The solution of course is to avoid this condition simply by always "disconnecting" properly from the end of your data session by following your menu commands. In other words, don't just turn off your Visor or cellphone.

On another note, Sprint is a pretty good choice for wireless web (here in the States) now because they have announced that they are going to CDMA 1x in a matter of months. Although not as good as GSM (which our European counterparts are so fortunate to have - i.e., clarity, reliability, coverage, no roaming required - roaming, b.t.w., is a euphamism for the poor coverage/service forced on the U.S. public by the multiple incompatible standards of greedy vendors hiding behind the "flag of competition"!!! Of course, this is my opinion, I could be wrong), CDMA 1x jumps the Data rate from 14.4Kbps to an eye-popping 144Kbps! This is faster than my desktop at home! WoW - all on my little Visor, and from anywhere Sprint has coverage (which gets better everyday)!

AT&T wireless on the other hand uses CDPD even for its new PocketNet service which transmits at 9600, I believe.

i think that each web kit is very different.
i even did a hard reset and tried every combination of settings. i got a variety of
errors sometimes and sometimes nothing at
all. not once was there a flicker of recognition on the phones lcd. also tried
both null modem and db9. i'll try sprint
support again, but for now i would urge folks to
avoid the samsung 3500 if they want to use
their visor with sprint pcs.
thanks for the help, though rmapes!

just a note:
i have talked to very knowledgable folks
at sprint pcs wireless web tech support
in the past.
however, in my last call none of the
people working (including the manager)
had ever heared of the handspring visor.
i only found this out after recieving a
very pat (almost condesending) answer to my questions and gently persuading the operator
to investigate a little further.
just a warning. i've had this trouble with
handspring as well. why on earth a company
would hire people for tech support that are
so clueless is beyond me.
-otto

here's a thought: take your Visor in to a Sprint PCS store and hook it up to a Qualcomm Touchpoint that they have activated with for wireless web. If it still doesn't work then something other than Sprint PCS is probably wrong.

quote:

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Originally posted by rmapes:
following error message:

"Serial port already in use". A soft reset didn't help. It turned out that the cradle itself was locked up. Unlocking the cradle from this state is not easy (unless someone has discovered an easy procedure).

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