2 serial devices on an Ipaq

[TimB]

I have been using a DGPS receiver for some surveying work on my Ipaq 3970 and have noticed that two seperate programs can run simultaneously using two GPS recievers - the surveying software with the DGPS plugged into the serial port at the bottom of the Ipaq and Ozi Explorer using my EmtacBT on Com8 using bluetooth.



My question is: I want to use the DGPS plugged into the bottom serial port as well as a laser range finder which also needs a serial port. I am told that I can do this easily with a splitter box, albeit quite expensively.

Am I right in assuming that an expansion jacket (PC or CF) into which I could plug a serial lead would also use the bottom port, thus not gaining anything. Or does an expansion jacket coupled with a CF or PC card serial lead create an extra serial conection so two cable devices can run!



Sorry if this sounds a daft question to those who know, but I don't own a jacket to see if it covers up the bottom port!



Tim

[Dave]

The expansion sleeves don't use the bottom serial port, but it is a serial port but the connector is much wider. You would have to find the pin-outs and wire one up to this, it wouldn't be easy, and fairly expensive. In theory they both work at the same time, but I don't know if there's any voltage differences.

[trafcam]

You could add a CF sleeve, and get a CF serial port adapter - a quick google for 'compact flash serial port' gave quite a few options. First company I looked at seemed to have a range of devices, and specific mention of Pocket PC, so that would probably do the trick. Also there are PCMCIA serial port adapters available, so you could get a PCMCIA sleeve and use one of those.

[TimB]

Thanks both



I am not sure what Dave means by rewiring but I have now seen that expansys sell a DUAL ruggedised PC or CF card serial adapter (made by socket) so presumeably I could pay the little bit extra for the dual one, buy the expansion jacket and still have two serial ports. It wouldn't need the bottom port then anyway I presume?



Tim

[trafcam]

Sounds about right - the card would give you two extra COM ports as well as the bottom port which would still be COM1.



I think Dave was referring to wiring the second port directly onto the expansion connector that the jacket uses, which would require either hard-soldering directly onto the pins, or finding the large connector somewhere.

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