[terminated] USB to serial cable for scanner to software/wine - port setup

[doctordruidphd]

I have a scanner (BCD396T) that I am trying to get to work with its programming software (UASD) running under wine. The software runs and operates correctly, but I cannot establish a connection to the scanner. This computer has only USB ports, so I have a USB-to-serial cable. The scannner uses its own USB to serial cable, with its own specialized connector. The software has only COM1, etc. options available; no /dev/ttyUSB#.

lsusb gives the following information about the cable:
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 067b:2303 Prolific Technology, Inc. PL2303 Serial Port

I tried just plugging everything in,. and of course nothing happens. The software cannot see the scanner.

So I guess what I really need to know is how to set up this cable to work with as a COM# port in wine.

[doctordruidphd]

Re: USB to serial cable for scanner to software/wine - port setup

Hello,
Anybody there?

OK, I figured out how to set up a com port in wine, by putting a symbolic link in ./wine/dosdevices, like this:

ln -s /dev/ttyUSB0 com5

The software recognizes that the com port is there, and if I change the baud rate in the software, that change is reflected in the USB port as shown by 'stty ttyUSB0'.
But the software will still not communicate with the scanner. I'm assuming it is a configuration problem.
Any ideas how to get them talking? Seems like we're close.

[dibl]

Re: USB to serial cable for scanner to software/wine - port setup

Yeah, I saw your post, and decided this was a serious problem:

The scannner uses its own USB to serial cable, with its own specialized connector.

I don't know for sure, but I suspect you would need to compare and contrast the standard RS-232 serial cable pinouts versus standard USB pinouts, and then get the pinouts for your scanner (from the OEM's web site, one would hope) and then get busy with your soldering iron to make the special cable that you need. I don't think you can rewire a COM port, nor a USB port, with software -- at least I've never heard of it. I think it's strictly a cable wiring/conversion issue -- that scanner port may well not be standard RS-232.

http://www.lammertbies.nl/comm/info/RS-232-usb.html

http://www.pccompci.com/usb-converte...converter.html

http://pinouts.ru/Slots/USB_pinout.shtml

http://www.aggsoft.com/rs232-pinout-...and-signal.htm

[doctordruidphd]

Re: USB to serial cable for scanner to software/wine - port setup

Hi,
Thanks for your reply.
I already have the necessary cable, and it does work with the software on XP. My major goal here is to dump windows, so I am trying to get all this to work on kubuntu/wine. Shouldn't need any rewiring (I hope).

Some further info -- when I plug the cable in, dmesg spits out the following:
----------------------------

[ 654.080091] usb 2-1: new full speed USB device using ohci_hcd and address 2
[ 654.292622] usb 2-1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
[ 655.154220] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbserial
[ 655.156632] usbserial: USB Serial support registered for generic
[ 655.158131] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbserial_generic
[ 655.158141] usbserial: USB Serial Driver core
[ 655.209722] usbserial: USB Serial support registered for pl2303
[ 655.210252] pl2303 2-1:1.0: pl2303 converter detected
[ 655.245566] usb 2-1: pl2303 converter now attached to ttyUSB0
[ 655.245992] usbcore: registered new interface driver pl2303
[ 655.246001] pl2303: Prolific PL2303 USB to serial adaptor driver

----------------------------
So it looks like kubuntu sees it and knows what it is.
The software under wine sees the com port, and changes the baud rate on ttyUSB0, so that much works, too.
This may really be a wine problem, but then again, maybe someone knows the fix.

[dibl]

Re: USB to serial cable for scanner to software/wine - port setup

What does

 lsusb

show, when the scanner is connected and powered on?

[doctordruidphd]

Re: USB to serial cable for scanner to software/wine - port setup

I am actually still working on this.

lsusb doesn't change when the scanner is plugged in and turned on or off. Detection stops with the 2303 interface.

There is a program written in tcl for controlling the BCD396t. As such, it does not use Wine. Guess what; it works, and works with the usb-serial cable. For any interested, the program can be found at:

http://wonderland.us.com/scanner/bcd396t/

Sadly, there is no edition for the bcd996t.

So it would appear the problem is either still an elusive configuration issue, or something within Wine, and not the cable or linux itself. No one on the Wine forum has anything to say about it, other than that there are problems with Wine and serial communications. Right. The struggle continues . . .

It does appear, at this point, that the problem is with wine and not kubuntu, so there is no reason to pursue it further here. Terminated.