[NTLK] Connecting a Newton to an iMac with Griffin iPort

From: Chris Wright (soapytwist_at_macunlimited.net)
Date: Wed May 19 2004 - 04:59:51 PDT


 
This is just to post some observations, should anyone search the archive in
need of help.

I had a Rev. B iMac from new and very soon after bought the Griffin iPort,
essentially a board containing a serial port and an extra monitor port that
fits in the iMac 'mezzanine' slot. Eventually I have upgraded the iMac to a
G3 600mhz with Firewire running Panther, but somehow got sucked back into
Newtons (OMP, 120, eMate, and a 2000 on the way). Griffin told me the serial
port was unsupported under OSX so I'm extremely glad that I got a Newton to
work with it. Here's how:

  

In OS9: make sure the iPort is switched to serial (it hogs the IR port
output).

In OSX: I've had intermittent success with both Escale and NewtSync, but
withthe following proviso - for some reason the power that USB devices draw
seems to stop the serial port functioning and leads to NewtSync hanging
completely. So unplug all non-essential USB devices (basically just leave
thekeyboard plugged in!).

Escale: set listening to "serial" and in the advanced prefs choose "default"
for the port and the slowest speed possible. Package installing works but
synchronising always hangs (I back up in OS9 at present).

NewtSync: set NewtSync to listen on "irda" (as the iPort is using this
outlet). On the Newton connect via "serial". Sometimes this doesn't
recogniseto begin with. My workaround is to change listening to "modem", try
to sync, cancel, and then switch back to "irda" - it usually picks up the
connection second time around. Apart from that I have the same bugs as
everyone else!

  

NewtTen: tried getting this to work, but failed even though the program sees
the serial port separately from the irda port. Escale essentially performs
this function for me anyway.

  

Please note that this has all been tried with an eMate - I'm so relieved
whenit connects at present that I haven't been brave enough to try another
Newton OS. I'm just happy to have my eMate sitting alongside my iPod next to
my iMac. I guess I just can't get enough of Apple gear that starts with
lowercase letters!!

  

Regards

Chris Wright______________________________________________This email was
sentonline by macunlimited.netThe UK's mac dedicated service provider

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