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Single Com Port issue affect BlueTooth?


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Topic: Single Com Port issue affect BlueTooth?

WorldCTZen
Member

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Not so sunny, San Diego, CA
Posts: 51

So, PalmOS can only deal with one port fiddling with data at any given time.. Either the 'serial' port or the IRport.. Anyone have a clue whether this uniport issue will also apply to modules? When Bluetooth (finally) becomes available, will using a Stowaway kill wireless capability? If the bluetooth is enabled, will beaming be impossible (for those times when you have to transfer data with someone who didn't sell their soul the instant BT became available..)
Any ideas?

02-23-2001 07:01 AM

Toby
Member

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

quote:
Originally posted by WorldCTZen
So, PalmOS can only deal with one port fiddling with data at any given time.. Either the 'serial' port or the IRport.. Anyone have a clue whether this uniport issue will also apply to modules? When Bluetooth (finally) becomes available, will using a Stowaway kill wireless capability? If the bluetooth is enabled, will beaming be impossible (for those times when you have to transfer data with someone who didn't sell their soul the instant BT became available..)
Any ideas?

I would think they'd do like the modems and include a second com port built in.

02-23-2001 02:00 PM

potter
Member

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: SW Virginia
Posts: 290

Most Palm devices have only one UART that can drive the serial port or the IR port. (This UART is actually built into the Dragonball processors.) However the oldest Palms, the 1000, 5000, Personal, and Professional, when upgraded to PalmOS 3.0, by replacing their removable memory card, would actually have two UARTs. The original UART attached to the serial port, and a new UART on the memory card that drives the additional IR port. Thus for these devices it is possible to use the serial port and the IR port at the same time.

This said, it all depends on how the hardware is implemented. For the Visors I see no indication that the UART is attached to the springboard, and thus a Bluetooth springboard would have its own UART. Thus one should be able to use the IR or serial port at the same time as the Bluetooth. Just still not the IR and serial port at the same time. Now how Palm Computing will implement Bluetooth in their new devices I do not know. All three may share the same UART, or they may add another. We will have to wait and see

02-23-2001 05:07 PM

Froggie
Member

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 16

Hi,

I have noticed that when I use my Mistrel, and try to attach a serial device i get a message saying the the serial port is in use...Does this mean that the Minstrel does not have its own port?

Anil

02-23-2001 05:58 PM

potter
Member

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: SW Virginia
Posts: 290

quote:
Originally posted by Froggie
I have noticed that when I use my Mistrel, and try to attach a serial device i get a message saying the the serial port is in use...Does this mean that the Minstrel does not have its own port?

I assume you mean a Minstrel-S. Hmm, that would infer that I am mistaken. The internal UART has no connection to the springboard slot, so that does not seam correct.

Probably this is a software issue. Maybe the Minstrel replaces the standard serial driver with it's own, instead of defining a new device. However, I thought I heard of several people using a Minstrel with a keyboard.

02-23-2001 08:07 PM

Froggie
Member

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 16

You are right... I can use a keyboard, however not other serial devices...is the keyboard a "real" serial device? I mean the keyboard is not a bi-directional connection.

I would love to find a solution..

Anil

02-23-2001 08:19 PM

potter
Member

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: SW Virginia
Posts: 290

quote:
Originally posted by Froggie
You are right... I can use a keyboard, however not other serial devices...is the keyboard a "real" serial device? I mean the keyboard is not a bi-directional connection.

The keyboards are real serial devices, in that they use the serial port and no the USB port. But they are only mono-directional. My assumption at this point is that it is a software issue. But I cannot comment further. We have reached the end of my knowledge. Sorry.

02-23-2001 08:41 PM