gnupic: USB programmer and - serial ports.
Subject:
USB programmer and - serial ports.
From:
"Paul B. Webster" ####@####.####
Date:
9 Jan 2005 21:51:56 +0000
Message-Id: <1105307509.2865.38987.camel@dads.webstermed>
On Thu, 2005-01-06 at 17:36, Jerry Zdenek wrote:
> Laptops are getting very hard to find with serial ports. Just looking at
> Dell, only one model actually has a serial port on it. I'm just hoping
> that when my current one breaks, I still will be able to buy a new
> laptop with a serial port.
Of course, the question is *why* would anyone, apart from a hardware
developer in the rare instance, require a serial port?
Looking at the primary uses of the serial port, serial mice no longer
exist, and laptops generally no longer even provide for a PS/2 port
either. Serial modems are not "required" as most laptops include a "MMX
modem", and of course, ADSL or "cable" users require an Ethernet
interface, which is now standard on laptops.
I do have other equipment that uses a serial interface, such as
glucometer interfaces, old camera and pocketbook cables, but these
(being "3-wire" anyway) should certainly be equally amenable to
USB-serial "dongles". And looking in the local haberdashery/ sewing
shop yesterday, the (proprietary) "card" interface for the embroidery
machine appeared to be a USB interface already. Of course, most such
things are all totally proprietary and quite useless for ongoing
development anyway.
An interesting aside: One of my recently acquired and higher-spec
(900 MHz - it was second-hand as are most I use now) machines suddenly
developed total failure of the keyboard controller - that is, both
keyboard and mouse. Looking at the options, most cheap and
"professional" - that is, durable and without the "space cadet" keys -
keyboards in the shops are still PS/2 interface.
However, mentally kicking myself that I had not bought a "spare"
USB-PS/2 dongle for (AUS)$18 at the markets last time I went, after an
hour of research of the shops in the main street/ shopping mall, I found
one at the new "games" shop for $27, and the computer was back
"on-line".
One "moral" of this story - make absolutely sure that BIOS USB support
is enabled as an option in every machine, lest the motherboard become
unusable in such a situation if any hardware needs to be changed - as it
of course will (hard drive).
--
Cheers,
Paul B.
