[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: Debian Squeeze; Does this look like a Driver Issue?



Martin McCormick wrote:
> I plugged a USB dongle-style serial converter in to a Debian
> Squeeze system and did generate a ttyUSBx port.

Sounds good.  And the syslog messages you included also looked as if
this was successfully identified.  So...  What is the problem?

> The device it is connected to is not responding at all

What have you tried?  Please tell us exactly the commands you ran and
show any error messages verbatim.

I usually use 'minicom' as a simple to use, point and shoot, serial
communication program.  I would fire it up and see if I could talk to
the device with it.

A great many serial port problems are due to a mismatch of serial port
protocols.  For example if the speed is incorrect then it will have
the appearance of not working at all when it is simply a speed
mismatch.  The smallest detail can completely prevent communication.

> though it does work fine on Windows systems and I suspect it is a
> driver issue due to the behavior both under c-kermit and
> communications software meant to use a serial port and talk to the
> device on the other end which happens to be a two-way radio.

Huh?  What?  Huh?  Obviously whether it is a radio or a toaster
doesn't matter to the serial port it is connected to.

Please tell us what program you are trying to run and what problems
you are seeing.  Don't paraphrase like in the above description.

> 	It looks like that maybe the correct driver for the USB
> device can not be found so it is trying some sort of default
> mode as a last resort. Here are the syslog messages. What
> exactly does noserial do?

What makes you think this?  You didn't post any information that gave
me any indication of that.  What you posted looked okay to me.

> 	I think there is a DC voltage sent from the radio when
> it is present as the comm software immediately complains when

What comm software?  'minicom'?  Something else?  Don't keep us
guessing.

> the device is not present and then waits to time out when it is
> present but that is the only thing different between the
> connected radio and a brick. Log follows:

If the radio is using non-standard use of CTS/RTS/DTR/DSR/DCD then a
standard driver might not work with it.  You might need to hack the
driver for nonstandard usage.  But this is possible.  But it needs
some programming knowledge.  Or you might simply need to disable
hardware flow control.

But please give us something to work with.  You are not saying what
program you are trying to run.  It is impossible to guess.  There are
so many to choose from.  It could be anything.

> Dec  6 20:58:58 wb5agz kernel: [1671016.001397] usb 4-2.3: new full speed USB device using ohci_hcd and address 5
> Dec  6 20:58:58 wb5agz kernel: [1671016.112378] usb 4-2.3: New USB device found, idVendor=067b, idProduct=2303
> Dec  6 20:58:58 wb5agz kernel: [1671016.112393] usb 4-2.3: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
> Dec  6 20:58:58 wb5agz kernel: [1671016.112405] usb 4-2.3: Product: USB-Serial Controller
> Dec  6 20:58:58 wb5agz kernel: [1671016.112414] usb 4-2.3: Manufacturer: Prolific Technology Inc.
> Dec  6 20:58:58 wb5agz kernel: [1671016.113082] usb 4-2.3: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
> Dec  6 20:58:58 wb5agz kernel: [1671016.115558] pl2303 4-2.3:1.0: pl2303 converter detected
> Dec  6 20:58:58 wb5agz kernel: [1671016.148702] usb 4-2.3: pl2303 converter now attached to ttyUSB8

UP to this point it all looks very reasonable.  I don't see any
problem.  Using device number 8 is a little unusual.  Usually the
first device would be 0.  You have nine serial ports on your machine?
Wow.  That is a lot.  But it could also be that in troubleshooting
this you have simply wedged up eight of them already and that it has
now reserved those and you are now up to ttyUSB8 as the current device?

> Dec  6 20:58:58 wb5agz NetworkManager: <debug> [1354849138.962875] nm_hal_device_added(): New device added (hal udi is '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/usb_device_67b_2303_noserial').
> Dec  6 20:58:58 wb5agz NetworkManager: <debug> [1354849138.984126] nm_hal_device_added(): New device added (hal udi is '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/usb_device_67b_2303_noserial_if0').
> Dec  6 20:58:59 wb5agz NetworkManager: <debug> [1354849139.039770] nm_hal_device_added(): New device added (hal udi is '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/usb_device_67b_2303_noserial_if0_serial_usb_0').

This is the scariest thing I have seen.  But by itself doesn't mean
anything.  As a serial device it is probably still functioning okay.

If I want to test that a serial port is working then I will connect to
a known working device.  I like to use a null-modem cable to connect
two computers together.  Then I have access to the data on both sides.
But using a device such as a cisco router or any other device with a
serial port that is known working is also good.  Then you can verify
that your serial port program is functioning.  Then switch over to the
device that you really want to interface with.

Bob
cul es 73 de kf0uw

Attachment: signature.asc
Description: Digital signature


Reply to: