[NTLK] Serial help needed--keyboard and otherwise.

From: Bruce E. Durocher II (bedii_at_qwest.net)
Date: Thu Apr 22 2004 - 09:18:29 PDT


        O.K., I am still working on putting together a clamshell case
including keyboard for my Newton (with some able assistance from Doug
Parker of Newtway fame: he may be able to make a custom cable that
makes the whole process easier) and it's progressing slowly but surely,
i.e. my friend the sculptor (<www.kimgrahamstudios.com>, she needs the
plug) is finishing up a "hurry-up" commission and should be able to
give me a hand shortly. I am looking at doing a second version of the
case, however, which would hold my old Microwriter AgendA chord
keyboard/PDA since I really like typing one-handed and my handwriting
is bad enough to even give the Newton fits when I'm jotting things down
at speed. This leads to a software question.
        The AgendA is set up to print serially with the settings of 1200 baud,
8,none,1, hardware. Can you tell me what programs would be best to
dump this into the Newton? In addition there is some method of kicking
the AgendA into a serial keyboard mode so I can type directly from it
to another serial device: I can't find my big manual, but I suspect
that it's some software patch I'll need to download from some DOS
machine into the AgendA. (I'll worry about how to get it into the
AgendA from the Newton or the Mac later.) Should I try using a
Stowaway driver with this or what?
        In addition the AgendA has one of the *damndest* serial connectors
I've ever seen. (It has flat pins and looks just like this: = = = = =
=) I hate to cut into the cable (it's four feet long) because I don't
know where I'll ever find one of those connectors again. The other end
has a DB-25 connector for old-style DOS boxes: are there still adaptors
to allow Mac/Newton serial cables to plug into such a thing?
        If I had the cash I'd just get the modern keyboard-only version
<http://www.cykey.co.uk/> and try to flatter someone here into figuring
out how to make a Newton handle what it's sending via I.R., but I don't
have a big budget and *do* have an AgendA already.

Bruce E. Durocher II
bedii_at_qwest.net

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