Willsy Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Has anyone tried the HDX system using a USB serial convertor as the PC serial port? 99% of laptops today do not include a serial port. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmusr Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I use a USB to serial converter to connect my TI/nanoPEB to a PC using CFHDXS1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Has anyone tried the HDX system using a USB serial convertor as the PC serial port? 99% of laptops today do not include a serial port. Ymmv, the cheaper ones are usually not so good.. I know Owen used one with his TI and it worked ok if you plugged it in a few times.. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 From my experience, most of these USB-to-serial adapters are based upon a family of chipsets from Prolific. If the device's brand drivers do not work properly you can usually grab the reference drivers from Prolific's web site. Now, some of the older Prolific chips do not have support for anything newer than Windows XP BUT Windows Updates is really good at filling that gap. Of course, as usual, YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Has anyone tried the HDX system using a USB serial convertor as the PC serial port? 99% of laptops today do not include a serial port. I use a USB to serial converter on my HDX unit : << PHOTOS HERE >> Must be signed in to access photo gallery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Look Ma, no wires... (I wish) Do any of you Uber programmers know what would be involved in getting the HDX to work with a WiFi bridge? Right now I have my HDX going through a USB converter into the PC, but I wonder if the HDX program on the PC could be 'updated' to work with any computers built-in WiFi. This would eliminate cables, cords and the big one... forcing one to tether their TI near their PC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsy Posted March 14, 2014 Author Share Posted March 14, 2014 Do any of you Uber programmers know what would be involved in getting the HDX to work with a WiFi bridge? A better way would probably be a serial to BlueTooth converter. You could run one on the PC and one on the TI and I think it would work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 A better way would probably be a serial to BlueTooth converter. You could run one on the PC and one on the TI and I think it would work. That's an interesting option I had not thought of. My PC has Bluetooth built-in, but the only thing I've used it for is sending video's and photos to my phone. (one at a time). My biggest concern would be distance, as Bluetooth signals do not seem to travel very far and if I pull this off the PC and TI will be on opposite ends of the house. I'll do some experimenting on my next day off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsy Posted March 14, 2014 Author Share Posted March 14, 2014 Most bluetooth systems (on pc's) are implemented over virtual serial ports. So whatever you send to the bluetooth serial port gets transmitted. I don't know about handshaking and how that works. I presume it would work although with some increased latency perhaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Sounds over-complicated two pc's two ti's two serial cables wifi on the pc's shared directory for ti files Couple XP pc's can be had probably for free Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Most bluetooth systems (on pc's) are implemented over virtual serial ports. So whatever you send to the bluetooth serial port gets transmitted. I don't know about handshaking and how that works. I presume it would work although with some increased latency perhaps. Sure enough! I checked my PC and the Bluetooth is 'COM3'. So if I went this route, I'd just have to re-assign the port used for the HDX program on the laptop. I'd like to hear if anyone tries this, and if works, how far away you get from the host computer. Pairing has been an issue for the only device I've tired, my cellphone. I don't know if the cellphone is locked down or what, but so far the only thing I've been able to do is to send photos or videos to it, one at a time, using a file transfer program. I've been unable to get stuff to go the other way, so I'm a little reticent to spend the money until I know for sure someone else has had success. Sounds over-complicated two pc's two ti's two serial cables wifi on the pc's shared directory for ti files Couple XP pc's can be had probably for free Greg That would indeed work, but I have a dual motivation here: 1) To physically UNTETHER my TI from the PC and physically move it into another room away from the other computers, while still maintaining HDX and Internet functionality. 2) I have space issues, more PC's and cables is exactly what I'm trying to avoid. At least I'll be able to go wireless with the Lantronix/WiFi Bridge arrangement for Internet access, because I'm REALLY, REALLY hoping to see that TI Web Browser succeed. My plan is to drill a couple of holes on the back of the P-Box (behind the disk drives), mount the Lantronix directly to the box and then really shorten the RS-232 cable and then plug in an Ethernet Bridge. My problem is, I'm don't have the skills to make what is always 'just out of reach', like: 1) A PEB CARD - An HDX WiFi Card! - or - 2) A PEB CARD - Wifi, but that could also interface with the local network, read files directly without need of a special program. Why? Because when I put a USB memory stick in my WiFi Scanner/Printer turns it into a file server, and I would have no need to have a computer on all the time. I'd be able to download programs directly off the internet and put them there, and the TI could access them, even when the main box is shut down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMole Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Sure enough! I checked my PC and the Bluetooth is 'COM3'. So if I went this route, I'd just have to re-assign the port used for the HDX program on the laptop. I'd like to hear if anyone tries this, and if works, how far away you get from the host computer. Bluetooth typically tops out at about 10 meters; line of sight (that's roughly 30' for you metrically challenged folk out there). So physically putting your TI in another room is more than likely not an option using bluetooth. I stick with my original remark regarding HDX and basically all those windows wares out there: if we would just port the utility software for all this stuff to Linux, we'd all be able to run all of it on a single 30$ raspberry pi neatly tucked away inside the PEB instead of cobbling stuff together using bridges, dongles, doohickeys and thingamabobs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 wouldn't to lanTronics devices do the same thing 1 on the PC one on the TI? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 I stick with my original remark regarding HDX and basically all those windows wares out there: if we would just port the utility software for all this stuff to Linux, we'd all be able to run all of it on a single 30$ raspberry pi neatly tucked away inside the PEB instead of cobbling stuff together using bridges, dongles, doohickeys and thingamabobs... You're right! That works for me! The Pi would be able to access the network, and if it automagically boots up with the server program running, it WOULD be the perfect solution. If it ever comes to pass, you can bet I'll pop for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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