There is always the USB to Serial converter option. I just got a Keyspan USA 19H converter. It connects to a USB port, and has a short cable with a 9-pin male RS-232 connector. There is support for this contraption in Linux, and from what I've read, Keyspan has been very supportive of Linux. I can successfully use Brltty to talk to a PowerBraille 80 via this device once I re-built the kernel to support it. It showed up as /dev/ttyUSB0. I have my doubts about it working with Speakup as a hardware synthesizer, but I'd bet it would work with a Modem, or UPS. They also make multi-port versions. -----Original Message----- From: speakup-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:speakup-bounces at braille.uwo.ca] On Behalf Of Justin Ekis Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2005 5:27 PM To: Speakup is a screen review system for Linux. Subject: Re: speakup and serial hubs? Hi all: What I was hoping for was an external box which could do this trick, but I see that's not realistic at all. I thought I remembered the computers at school having a box that connected to the port and gave you four serial ports. Thinking about it more carefully I now remember it was only a switch box and only one at a time would work. Really bad question, guess I'm out of luck. I don't know that I have any free slots available for a card either and wouldn't feel comfortable installing one if I did. This isn't even related to Linux now so respond off list if you like. Is this something that I could go into a computer shop and have upgraded? Would I perhaps have to get a new motherboard installed or something drastic like that and how much would it cost? Justin On Thu, Jan 06, 2005 at 02:47:30PM -0800, Chris Gray wrote: >Hi Justin: > >Due to the nature of the RS232-C serial specification, there are >complications about having something put together like a serial hubb. >The serial hardware alone takes a fair amount of electronics, the way >way serial ports are implemented through the motherboard doesn't lend >itself to a hubb like you see today with USB devices. It's a creative >question though. > >Before USB, there were lots of board made that attempted to do what you >are suggesting, or variants of that. Enough serial devices still exist >that you might be able to find such a device today. Typically, these >were boards that had 4, or more separate serial ports on them, with a >ton of jumpers to modify IRQ and port addresses. Beware of cards with >connectors that are just nullcross-overs for the same port; those won't >help you. You must have separate, discrete ports and >connectors/jumpers to them. > >whether you can find such a card that's both PCI and affordable is an >interesting question. I called a local, relatively large computer store >here in San Francisco Central Computers, because all this made me >curious and they have fairly decent customer service. >I'm slightly surprised, but It turns out they have a high speed i/o >card with two ports for $19.99 from Vitex, it's even in stock! If they >carry it, I bet you could order something from Comp USA if you've got >the patience, or find something localy or online. > >Hope this helps. > >Chris _______________________________________________ Speakup mailing list Speakup at braille.uwo.ca http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
