[c-nsp] Serial lead

[Wil Schultz]

On Mar 29, 2011, at 6:41 AM, <Christopher.Marget at usc-bt.com> <Christopher.Marget at usc-bt.com> wrote:

>>> but when connected to a FreeBSD laptop it does send break so it must be a
>>> driver limitation
>> It's a while since I've looked to be honest, so it's probably my shonky
>> memory there. Certainly, I've not found a way using the PL2303 and
>> driver that I am (which is a kext file downloaded of them interwebs -
>> the driver I had with the device didn't have any OSX drivers on at all)
>> using to send break using either Terminal.app or iTerm.
>> 
>> If anyone is using a driver under OSX, could you let me know what it is?
>> Googling didn't seem to bring up anything other than the one I'm already
>> using.
> 
> PL2303 *can* send a break.  Inability to send break under OSX is a driver limitation (last time I checked, anyway).
> 
> There's a terminal emulator that can work around this, however:
> 
> Zterm, by dave alverson.
> 
> It has a "send break" feature that quickly sets the interface down to 300 (or so) bps, then prints a single NUL character to the port.
> 
> "break" is a voltage-high framing error.  High voltage for too long.
> 
> Binary zero in RS-232 speak is high voltage.  NUL (zero) is a series of high-voltage intervals.  A series of 300bps high-voltage bits will look like a framing error to a 9600bps Cisco console.
> 
> Same result as a break!
> 
> You enable the feature within zterm with a shell incantation that updates a zterm configuration file.  The details escape me.
> 
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I suppose now that the subject has been brought up, are there any "newer" terminal emulation programs than Zterm or using screen through Terminal.app?

I've been using ZTerm for... *gasp*... close to a decade, which seems to be about the last time it was updated. :-)

With Lion (10.7) right around the horizon, and the fact that Rosetta will (likely) be gone entirely from Lion, it's about time I got around to looking for an alternative for old reliable. Preferably with the ability to send a break, heh.

-wil