From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: from ms-smtp-04-smtplb.ohiordc.rr.com ([65.24.5.138] helo=ms-smtp-04-eri0.ohiordc.rr.com) by speech.braille.uwo.ca with esmtp (Exim 3.36 #1 (Debian)) id 1DDsUV-00038V-00 for ; Tue, 22 Mar 2005 18:08:51 -0500 Received: from [192.168.1.100] (cpe-024-033-004-163.midsouth.rr.com [24.33.4.163]) by ms-smtp-04-eri0.ohiordc.rr.com (8.12.10/8.12.7) with ESMTP id j2MN8mHI016872 for ; Tue, 22 Mar 2005 18:08:49 -0500 (EST) Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2005 17:08:48 -0600 (CST) From: Adam Myrow To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." In-Reply-To: <000001c52eff$d35b6e90$220110ac@jim> Message-ID: References: <000001c52eff$d35b6e90$220110ac@jim> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed X-Virus-Scanned: Symantec AntiVirus Scan Engine Subject: RE: usb ports only on laptop X-BeenThere: speakup@braille.uwo.ca X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." List-Id: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2005 23:08:51 -0000 I've played with USB to serial converters, and the one I have is unreliable in Linux. I have it driving a Power Braille 80, and if too much information comes over the link too fast, Brltty will temporarily lose communications with the PowerBraille. It will eventually regain it, but this is annoying to say the least! It also usually has to try to start about 3 or 4 times before it gets communication with the Braille display. Even in Windows, I usually have to unload and reload JFW to get it to talk to the Braille display. My Dectalk USB is on the real serial port. So, even if you could somehow convince it to work as a module, I don't think you'd get reliable performance out of it. The model is the USA19H converter made by Keyspan. They are one of the more open manufacturers in terms of Linux support, so heaven only knows how bad it would be if using a converter where the drivers had to be reverse-engineered because the manufacturer wouldn't help.