[Voyage-linux] Alix 3D3 and using RTS/DTR signals on RS-232

[Jon Meek]

A USB - RS-232 interface should work for almost anything (not for NTP
with GPS PPS due to USB latency).

You might want to choose the USB serial port adapter that has support
built into Voyage Linux. The FTDI chip family is one choice.

Jon

On Sun, Jul 1, 2012 at 12:20 PM, Rajarajan Rajamani
<r.rajamani at gmail.com> wrote:
> I am trying to use an X10 home automation dongle (C17a, also known as
> firecracker) on the serial port. This device is driven via the RTS/DTR
> pins on the RS232. I have been using this dongle for many years on a
> FreeBSD box and wanted to use it on the 3D3 but could not make it work
> using both Voyage Linux and NanoBSD. There no errors reported and the
> sequence of ioctl system calls (using strace/truss) are the same
> between the working system I have (on a desktop running FreeBSD) and
> the Alix 3D3 (with both Linux/FreeBSD)
>
> Later on going over all the details of the serial protocol/pins, I
> noticed that in the data sheet for the 3D3 it says that due to
> limitations of the AMD CS5536 companion chip, only RXD / TXD are
> available for software and handshake signals cannot be observed or
> controlled.
>
> Further it shows the RTS/DTS pins to be always active.
>
> Does this mean (for sure) that I cannot use the pins to talk to the
> CM17A device ?? Is there any workaround for this - which I doubt.
>
> Any hints would be appreciated.
>
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