Subject: SE/30 serial port access
To: None <port-mac68k@netbsd.org>
From: Andrew Robinson <awrobinson@home.com>
List: port-mac68k
Date: 07/21/2000 08:35:40
This is a preliminary and poorly thought out question. I apologize for that.
Basically I want to know about accessing a PC-type serial device through the
serial port on a SE/30 running NetBSD.

Because of roof repairs at work, the company's weather station is sitting in
my backyard right now. It has a radio link to a receiver with a PC-type 9
pin D serial connection. At work, that serial connector is connected to an
HP Apollo workstation and the station readings are gathered by a tcl script.

I have a couple of 9-pin D to 8-pin Mac serial adapters for my digital
camera and Palm Pilot. Can I use one of those to connect the weather station
radio receiver to my SE/30? Is there anything special about accessing the
serial port in this way? If so, would some kind soul point me to a reference
on how to set it up.

I figure with the tcl script to gather the data and a web server, the SE/30
running NetBSD becomes a low-cost way of putting local weather on my home or
work intranet.

Thanks!

Andrew Robinson