Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 2

Does anyone know of such a beast? Pacific Neotek makes a cool one for the Palms, but have no plans to make any Visor hardware. That cable is invaluable for programming routers, switches, etc, basically anything with a standard serial port on it.

My Visor is way cool, but I've lost some functionality that was very important to my efficiency.

Thanks for any info!
DY

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 3

Good Question! I'm holding off buying a Visor for just that reason!
It almost seems like the Visor is a little too early or a little too late on the scene. There're now lot's of very usefull add-ons for the III/IIIx, not so many for the V, and if it's not a Springboard then not for the Visor. I can't imagine anyone making a Serial Port Springboard just so we can program routers...

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 32

Personally, I would love to see a serial port springboard so that I could use my existing GPS as they do with the IIIx. Had I researched this more before, It might have made me reconsider getting a visor altogether although having 8 meg for $250 is nice too.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Posts: 35

Now I'm not quite sure this would work, but couldn't you take the serial cradle, remove the cable, and add a null modem adapter to be used with the visor?

Just a thought

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Signing off,

C. Russell
[email protected]

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 2

I checked out the standard USB cradle with just that in mind. It looks like I would end up with a big ol' circuit board to carry around. It would probably work, but it's not quite the small, elegant solution I was hoping for. Thanks for the thought!

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Columbus In USA
Posts: 18

You all will be happy to know that there is a snap-on Visor hotsync cable. It's only USB, though. I have one that I was checking the conncetor on for a potential product, but I still don't have my Visor yet.

Don

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Columbus In USA
Posts: 18

Sorry to everyone.

I just re-read the post question and you are looking for the serial cable. I guess it doesn't exist as yet.

Don

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 10

Though a serial Springboard is possible, I thought that OS 3.1 had the old Serial Manager, thus it's a bit hard to specify which port you're speaking to.

So if the springboard is made, it's going to have its own terminal program because the apps currently out on the market won't know how to talk to it. Though it might be able to make a Hack that routes things properly...

However, if you're dealing with serial devices at 9600bps with no hardware handshaking, you can probably get by with Handspring's serial cradle (and whatever null modem you may want). That's provided that the device you're connecting to provides voltage/power to some other lines so that the cradle's signal converter can work.

In other cases, if it's really TTL serial, often you don't really need to have a complete signal converter, but you may be able to communicate by merely inverting the TxD and RxD lines of the Visor (probably with some hardware but maybe with some low level programming).

-mark

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Southfield, Michigan
Posts: 5

Visor offers:

Cradle Cable
------ -----
USB X X
Serial X Nope

Why is that? What's the big deal? I agree - the little telnet programs are too handy and why buy/develop a whole Springboard if all we need is a little cable?

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 32

According to this thread, the Visor is physically different and would not be compatible with existing applications. ( http://discussion.visorcentral.com/...TML/000099.html )

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 40

I've actually signed up to be a Handspring developer, and I thought I'd share this bit of info with you all.

I emailed the Developer's Tech Support division, and asked them if it is possible to acquire individual connectors for the visor at the bottom (where the cradle will connect). The reason why I asked is not only am I interested in building a serial adaptor cable I'm also interested in programming a TI calc/CBL unit with my visor.

Below are parts of the reply that I got from them (very promptly, BTW, these guys knew what they are doing - if only if shipping is this way as well! )

(Paraphrased

The supplier that provide connectors and platics for the visor connectors, cables and module is ATL. They have factories in Taiwan, China, as well as a few places.

I am not too sure if they will do engineering samples / individual orders, but we can definately look into getting a group together and ordering parts en-mass.

The other option that he suggested was to buy a USB hotSync cable and remove the connector. Pricy, and as a poor college kid that is beyond my capabilities (I'm already living off rotten potatoes and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches financing this damn thing!).

If you have good electronic skills, you should be able to hack together a cable without much of a problem. There is some mention that the visor uses 3.3V logic levels, instead of regular 5V TTL logic level, and in the cradles there are actually electronics (probably resistors and some form of amp) to shift the logic states to make sure it works properly. I'll bug the EE folks on my floor (I'm a Chem major by training).

Miles from Developer Support really knows his stuff. If anyone is interested in building serial port based stuff, email me in private and I'll forward you a copy of what I have so far.

-=- SiKnight

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Texan in Calgary for a while
Posts: 1361

I'll post this as news when VC is back up, but according to an email from HS, the demand for a serial cable is not high enough. If enough customers need a Serial Cable, HS will consider making one.

Let them know at <A HREF="http://www.handspring.com/feedback_product.asp"" TARGET=_blank>http://www.handspring.com/feedback_product.asp"</A>

BTW, the USB cable is 6'.

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James Hromadka
VisorCentral.com
Personal Website: http://www.geocities.com/jehromadka