Axim Serial Communications

[Keith Layton]

This may be somewhat redundant, but I have not found a simple answer for this question...

Can the Axim X5 connect to async devices (routers, switches, etc.) over serial connection to the built in port? i.e. using the Dell (or any other) serial cable and some terminal software. I am not referring to sync.

If yes....

...What cables are available, and what is the best software for the job.

Ideally I would like to have the same software package support telnet/ssh and async, but I am open to suggestions for seperate packages.

Any help appreciated!

Keith

[Sven Johannsen]

Yes it can do that. It is a bit different than most other PPCs though. The AXIM appearantly does not have an RS232 driver built in. The signals at the connector appear to be TTL. Dell sells a serial cable that has the TTL to RS232 driver in it. There have ben some issues involving various serial peripherals that do not supply an RS232 signal to the cable end which initiates the converter. There are documented work arounds involving spoofing the converter by looping back some control signals, so mechanically and electrically it should work. Keep in mind that the cable is designed to hook up to a serial port on a PC, so it is in essence a null modem cable.

As far as software, I like vxHPC at www.cam.com.