[ale] USB -> serial cables and such

Pete Hardie pete.hardie at sciatl.com
Thu Sep 26 12:58:59 EDT 2002


Sean Kilpatrick wrote:
> On Thursday 26 September 2002 12:20 pm, Pete Hardie wrote:
> 
>>So if I have a USB->Serial cable, plugged into a USB port on a Linux box,
>>the camera needs to support the USB storage protocol?  I was going under
>>the impression that the device would appear as a serial device, just
>>happening to use the USB medium.....
> 
> 
> Uh, no, not exactly.
> Nearly all digital cameras today come with a cable to hook the camera
> directly to a USB port -- and a Firewire cable is available for most.
> On my box, the standard confusion is between USB & SCSI -- and I don't
> begin to understand what the OS is doing.
> Now, IF the camera understands the protocol, THEN getting to the data
> is relatively* easy. IF, as is more likely the case, the camera does
> _not_ support this protocol, THEN you will need a Linux driver (specific
> to your camera) to access the camera directly. In that case, you will
> be better off getting a memory card reader that _is_ supported with
> Linux drivers.  As far as I know, these cameras _only_ understand
> USB/Firewire protocols -- the serial interface is alien to them.

Ok, I think I see where the confusion is - the camera I have *does* have a 
serial port connector and gphoto does handle it as a serial device - what I want 
to do is plug camera to serial interface cable, to serial:USB cable, to USB 
port, and download images.  I do not have a camera using USB (for now).

In short, I have a bunch of serial devices, and 1 serial port, and I'm trying to 
find out if serial:USB converter cables and a USB hub will allow me to connect 
all the serial devices at the same time.

[parenthetically, cfowler has pointed to multi-port serial boards, which I had 
previously been unable to find for a low enough price.  If that avenue pans out, 
  then I don't need the serail:USB path]



-- 
Pete Hardie                   |   Goalie, DVSG Dart Team
     posting from, but not     |
	speaking for:             |
Scientific Atlanta, Digital Video Services Group



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