Connecting Ethernet device to serial port

[motorollin]

By the way there is practically no documentation about what is actually happening "behind the scenes", which is why we don't know how to replicate it. That's why we're having to "reverse engineer" it piece by piece.

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moto

[Speelgoedmannetje]

The datasheet must have all the data you need to use that thing.

[motorollin]

Yes, it has all the information you need to use it via the HomeSeer interface, but no information which is useful for developing your own interface.

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moto

[bloodline]

motorollin wrote:

Bloodline, you reckon it's quite simple to set up a virtual COM port under OS X. I have Googled it but can't find out how. Would you mind pointing me in the right direction?

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moto

What you need to do is set up a loopback device... I used to use them all the time before we had Rewire and Core Audio/Network MIDI.

It craetes two COM device on the system that are actually conencted so that you put data in to one and it pop out the other... then you connenct one end to your Terminal and the other end to the MultiCOM software.


-Edit- If you can't do it in software... use two serial ports on the Mac and put a Null Modem cable between them... Einfach!:-)

[Speelgoedmannetje]

motorollin wrote:
Yes, it has all the information you need to use it via the HomeSeer interface, but no information which is useful for developing your own interface.

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moto

Ehm, I don't really know what kind of device you use, and what kind of software you use. But I've got the idea you don't have the right datasheet. A normal datasheet should describe every single bit a programmer and  needs to know. Maybe it also has an SDK which you can use (which makes things much easier).

[motorollin]

bloodline wrote:
What you need to do is set up a loopback device... I used to use them all the time before we had Rewire and Core Audio/Network MIDI.

It craetes two COM device on the system that are actually conencted so that you put data in to one and it pop out the other... then you connenct one end to your Terminal and the other end to the MultiCOM software.

Do you know how to do it with serial ports in BSD? (Will Google loopback devices in the meantime)

bloodline wrote:
-Edit- If you can't do it in software... use two serial ports on the Mac and put a Null Modem cable between them... Einfach!:-)

That's the fall-back option :-)

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moto

[motorollin]

BTW just soldered up a serial cable and connected a PC running a terminal to the Mac Mini via its USB serial port. Ran Multicom and configured it to bridge the USB serial port to the IP address and port of the RFXCOM, typed a command in to the terminal emulator on the PC and it worked! Soooooo Multicom works as a redirector. Just need a virtual serial port or an additional USB one to loop back and we should be set! :-D

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moto

[motorollin]

Got another USB serial port and created a serial port loopback. I then pointed my test Applescript at one of the ports, and told Multicom to redirect the other one to the IP and port of the RFXCOM. Sent a serial command from my Applescript and....... it worked :-D I also knocked up a listener app which can detect commands coming back the other way and act upon them. So I now have total control over the RFXCOM from Applescript!

Anyone every used socat? It's a redirector which supports pty ports, so I believe I can use it to create a software loopback. The syntax looks extremely complicated though, and I don't really know what I'm doing!

Thanks for all the help so far :-)

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moto

[bloodline]

motorollin wrote:
Got another USB serial port and created a serial port loopback. I then pointed my test Applescript at one of the ports, and told Multicom to redirect the other one to the IP and port of the RFXCOM. Sent a serial command from my Applescript and....... it worked :-D

Had you ever doubts?!?! ;-)

Now can we please figure out a way to get my damn PowerMac going :-D

[motorollin]

bloodline wrote:
Had you ever doubts?!?! ;-)

Of course not! Ok, well maybe a bit :-P It's an interim solution IMO. We need bidirectional control, which due to the way the RFXCOM works requires two separate connections on different IP ports. That means we need two serial interfaces, so two serial loopbacks, and therefore four serial ports! If I can get it working with socat then I will be very happy as it will be an entirely software solution.

bloodline wrote:
Now can we please figure out a way to get my damn PowerMac going :-D

BUY A KEYBOARD! :-P

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moto

[bloodline]

motorollin wrote:

bloodline wrote:
Had you ever doubts?!?! ;-)

Of course not! Ok, well maybe a bit :-P It's an interim solution IMO. We need bidirectional control, which due to the way the RFXCOM works requires two separate connections on different IP ports. That means we need two serial interfaces, so two serial loopbacks, and therefore four serial ports! If I can get it working with socat then I will be very happy as it will be an entirely software solution.

A software solution is totally possible... I'm pretty sure you can use pipes or something... I foget how this all works on Unix...

But since the hardware solution proved it would work, I'm feeling quite satisfied!

bloodline wrote:
Now can we please figure out a way to get my damn PowerMac going :-D

BUY A KEYBOARD! :-P

To that sir, I say bum!

[motorollin]

bloodline wrote:
A software solution is totally possible... I'm pretty sure you can use pipes or something... I foget how this all works on Unix...

I'm waiting for a reply on a Linux forum where I asked for help with the syntax for socat. Hopefully that will do the trick!

bloodline wrote:
But since the hardware solution proved it would work, I'm feeling quite satisfied!

Yeah, it's great that we finally got it working! At least now I can get the Applescript to a level where it can replace Homeseer, and then it's goodbye Parallels :-D

bloodline wrote:
To that sir, I say bum!

Hmm, not really sure how to respond to your bum...

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moto

[motorollin]

Done it :-D Here is the syntax for socat:

socat GOPEN:/dev/ptyp0 TCP:10.0.1.93:10002

Then I configured my app to send the commands to /dev/ttyp0 (the other side of the pty) and it worked! :-D

Cheers guys!

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moto

[bloodline]

:-D

We rule, except when it comes to doing something simple... Like getting an old PowerMac up headless...

[motorollin]

bloodline wrote:
:-D

We rule, except when it comes to doing something simple... Like getting an old PowerMac up headless...

Well we don't even know whether that is working. The autorun VNC CD was a great idea, but obviously not much help if the OS isn't up!

When's your birthday? I'll get you the bloody VGA adapter! ;-)

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moto

[bloodline]

motorollin wrote:

bloodline wrote:
:-D

We rule, except when it comes to doing something simple... Like getting an old PowerMac up headless...

Well we don't even know whether that is working. The autorun VNC CD was a great idea, but obviously not much help if the OS isn't up!

When's your birthday? I'll get you the bloody VGA adapter! ;-)

:lol: But the point is I don't want an adaptor! It's all about not having to get any adaptors to support legacy ports... The challenge was there... we failed.