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USB -> Serial Drivers for Smartphones ???
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USB -> Serial Drivers for Smartphones ??? Luminoso 03-27-2007
Posted by Luminoso on March 27, 2007, 9:06 am
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 I'm contemplating a project where a SmartPhone will read
and write to RS-232 data-acquisition devices. HAS to be
a phone - not a PDA or laptop.

Problem - most phones no longer come with an RS-232 port, just USB.
Likely there will be NO 232 ports in next years models.

Potential solution - use USB->232 adaptor.

New problem - a DRIVER to create a virtual serial port I can
twiddle using VisualStudio C#.

Are there drivers for turning a USB port on a SmartPhone into
"old fashioned" serial ports ? None of the makers of the adaptors
I saw mentioned making drivers for phones, only for laptops/desktops.
These have about zero chance of running on a SmartPhone.

Yes, a FEW of the devices I'm interested in connecting to CAN
be had with USB interfaces, but again the only drivers offered
are for laptop/desktop systems and they insist you buy THEIR
special interface programs (which don't do what I want to do)
that only run on full 2K/XP systems. The only "maybe" option
is the bluetooth route, maybe ... but since that's "new" it
comes at a premium price.

Any information about USB<->232 drivers for SmartPhones or tricks
to get around the issue will be GREATLY appreciated. I'm not sure
where to start here and even Google hasn't been of much help.

please reply to group


Posted by Scott Seligman [MSFT] on March 27, 2007, 12:13 pm
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 luminoso@everywhere.net (Luminoso) wrote:
>
>I'm contemplating a project where a SmartPhone will read
>and write to RS-232 data-acquisition devices. HAS to be
>a phone - not a PDA or laptop.

Have you considered using a serial-port to bluetooth adapter? Might
not work for your situation, but I'd imagine this is an easier route
than trying to create (or get) USB drivers.

--
Scott Seligman [MSFT]
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties, and confers
no rights.

Posted by Luminoso on March 27, 2007, 5:11 pm
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On 27 Mar 2007 09:13:48 -0700, "Scott Seligman [MSFT]"

>luminoso@everywhere.net (Luminoso) wrote:
>>
>>I'm contemplating a project where a SmartPhone will read
>>and write to RS-232 data-acquisition devices. HAS to be
>>a phone - not a PDA or laptop.
>
>Have you considered using a serial-port to bluetooth adapter? Might
>not work for your situation, but I'd imagine this is an easier route
>than trying to create (or get) USB drivers.

Yes, I located a number of them - the BrainBoxes model
looks pretty good.

HOWEVER ... We've probably all had problems with Bluetooth.
Difficulty in making connections, connections that get dropped
and won't re-establish until you do something drastic, that
kind of thing. In my project, the phone and data device will
live together out in a field somewhere - nobody there to
press <Control-Alt-Delete> per-se. Now it may be an issue
I can resolve in software, drop and re-acquire the device
in order to renew the association as needed, in which case
things would work out OK.

But a hardwired link to a hardware port is always there
short of lightning-strike ...


Posted by Norman Diamond on March 27, 2007, 11:03 pm
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> On 27 Mar 2007 09:13:48 -0700, "Scott Seligman [MSFT]"
>>
>>Have you considered using a serial-port to bluetooth adapter?
>
> HOWEVER ... We've probably all had problems with Bluetooth.
> Difficulty in making connections, connections that get dropped
> and won't re-establish until you do something drastic, that
> kind of thing. In my project, the phone and data device will
> live together out in a field somewhere - nobody there to
> press <Control-Alt-Delete> per-se.

Just to comfort you, it would be worse if someone could press
<Control-Alt-Delete> on a Smartphone.


Posted by Luminoso on March 28, 2007, 10:39 am
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On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 12:03:21 +0900, "Norman Diamond"

>> On 27 Mar 2007 09:13:48 -0700, "Scott Seligman [MSFT]"
>>>
>>>Have you considered using a serial-port to bluetooth adapter?
>>
>> HOWEVER ... We've probably all had problems with Bluetooth.
>> Difficulty in making connections, connections that get dropped
>> and won't re-establish until you do something drastic, that
>> kind of thing. In my project, the phone and data device will
>> live together out in a field somewhere - nobody there to
>> press <Control-Alt-Delete> per-se.
>
>Just to comfort you, it would be worse if someone could press
><Control-Alt-Delete> on a Smartphone.

Possibly ...

I'm almost suprised there ISN'T a C-A-D on every Winders-Anything
based device. :-)

Anyway, Bluetooth connections sometimes drop and it's a pain
to re-establish the association. A mere annoyance under most
circumstances, but a real problem in an "embedded" sort of
design that needs to operate on its own for long periods.

Still, if BT is all there is ...


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