Trying to come up with a serial port...
 

Does anyone know if the little connector with gold pads area near the battery compartment provides any sort of serial port? I would like to have a non-wireless RS-232C serial port (at least transmit and receive data lines) to be able to control an Icom PCR-1000 computer controlled receiver.

Thanks and best wishes to all!

Re: Trying to come up with a serial port...
 

You can use a BT->RS232 adapter, but they can be pricey.

If you really *require* non-wireless, then I guess I don't know the answer so I'll leave it up to someone else :)

Re: Trying to come up with a serial port...
 

Hmm....I would say go for the BT-to-RS232 as suggested above.
I know they've become popular of late for network admins to be able to wirelessly reprogram/reflash layer-3 switches, routers, modems, etc.
But I don't know how the N800 would interact with something like that.
Hacking will probably have to be done.

Another way around it would be to have a small computer setup next to and plugged into the receiver while running a small webserver that can host some small web pages for control. Or you can just SSH into the computer over wi-fi and run it all from the command line. Or use VNC to remotely control the PC.

Re: Trying to come up with a serial port...
 

description
http://fanoush.wz.cz/maemo/n770-internal-pinout.jpg
pinout on device
http://fanoush.wz.cz/maemo/n770-inte...t-location.jpg

Best is probably to buy any usb data cable for mobile phones, they contain serial to usb converter. Google for FBUS data cable. For real RS-232 you would need converter http://sodoityourself.com/max232-ser...vel-converter/

Re: Trying to come up with a serial port...
 

Also check
http://maemo.org/community/wiki/howt...elcompilation/
Chapter 'Serial Console'

Re: Trying to come up with a serial port...
 

Cool. I was wondering what those were for! (Assumed factory diagnostics.)

You might also consider a USB to Serial adapter (which are extremely common nowadays). Somewhere -- oh yeah, HERE -- there are instructions on how to turn your 770 into a USB host, allowing it to access peripherals like keyboards, thumb drives, and (maybe?) USB to serial adapters. (I would think that would expose itself as a regular serial port, whatever /dev/??? that translates to.)

Keep in mind that you must supply 5v to the USB cable somehow. There are a few cables out there you can purchase (like those for mini external hard drives) that allow you to inject power, or you can just splice your own. If you can solder, you will have no problem.

Good luck, and let us know if you go this route. I'm curious to see if it exposes itself as a serial port. I would also like to see if it would work with a serial OBDII scanner and that maemo-based OBD software.

Incidentally, I have one of those USB to dual-PS2 adapters, and although I didn't hook a mouse up, hooking up a PS2 keyboard worked perfectly.

Re: Trying to come up with a serial port...
 

If a serial converter uses the Prolific PL2303 chip, I'd put money on it working with the 2.6 kernel used by the 770.

I'm also working on getting a Bluetooth > Serial module working...I work for a company that sells them. More for experimenters though, it's a pin header device with 3.3V logic and costs about $60. Anyway I've gotten it to show up in "hcitool scan" and played with some pairing and rfcomm binding, but not quite there yet.

A cable that started in a mini-USB plug and ended with a 9-pin RS232 port would be useful, especially if it had a molded in compartment to hold some AAAs. Wonder how long a couple of lithium coin cells would power a converter like that....many RS232 converters have an openable shell and possibly enough extra space for some coin cells. Actually the one sitting on my desk does...and it has a USB B plug. Now all I need is a mini-USB to B cable.

Re: Trying to come up with a serial port...
 

For that matter, you are dealing with a serial port, so don't you have 5v right there??
http://pinouts.ru/SerialPorts/Serial9_pinout.shtml
Batteries not necessary!

Re: Trying to come up with a serial port...
 

In case I might have stumbled upon something interesting:

http://www.roalan.com/Bluetooth%20Wi...0Converter.htm

I truly have not the foggiest idea whether this fantabulous contraptation would work with an Internet Tablet though.

Re: Trying to come up with a serial port...
 

assuming you can make a usb to serial interface work, how do you send data to it ? does it appear as /dev/tty or what ?