Re: [NTLK] How does it work? (was Re: Newton Print Pack)

From: Victor Rehorst (victor_at_newtontalk.net)
Date: Fri Mar 26 2004 - 07:42:19 PST


Marcus Andree S. Magalhaes wrote:
> Well, from the perspective of "hardware", it still seems to be a
> somewhat standard serial/parallel converter. Don't we need to use
> the serial dongle? So it should have as RS-422 (or RS-232) on one side
> and an EPP output on ther other end.

It's not that simple. How does it know how to convert RS-232 to parallel?
There's no such thing as a "standard" conversion. So the microcontroller
embedded into the converter will only convert when it recieves data conforming
to whatever protocol was defined. Which, since it isn't a standard, is
subject to change. The software (in this case, the PrintPack2 driver on the
Newton) knows how to speak this protocol, but after the Newton was cancelled
the later models of converters were changed and became incompatible.

-- 
Victor Rehorst - victor_at_newtontalk.net - chuma_at_chuma.org
NewtonTalk list administrator - http://www.newtontalk.net
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