Re: [Linux-7110-psion] Mouse on the netBook's serial port - more information

[Edward R. <edw...@ti...>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brian Dushaw" <du...@ap...>
To: <lin...@li...>
Sent: Sunday, August 08, 2004 11:21 PM
Subject: [Linux-7110-psion] Mouse on the netBook's serial port - more
information


> I made an inquiry to the XTM people requesting more information about what
the
> actual circumstances were when they burned out a serial port trying to use
a
> serial mouse on it.  The reply is next, followed by my original inquiry.
Their
> warning is the only reason I've not tried a mouse on the netBook's serial
port.
> They were using a Series 5, so other than a general warning, I'm not sure
> their experience is particularly relevant.
>
> Has any one out there taken their netBook apart to the point where they
can
> tell what the serial line driver chipset is?

I'll try and have a look some time this week. My netbook died and had the
fairly common symptoms of the green light coming on when plugged into the
charger but not actually doing anything. I figured out that this was due to
a blown surface mount fuse on the motherboard, but my netbook worked for a
while and then died when I was making the bridging of the fuse permament,
and it died for good. I have a replacement board now, which was aquired from
someone who had the same problem as me, which I have repaired. However, the
new board will not recognise my 'Personality module' - I just get a blank
white screen whether the module is in or not. It is a malaysian netBook
ROM - has anyone tried putting one of these in a normal netBook? I think I
either need a normal module or another new motherboard.

Anyway I now have a spare netBook motherboard which is damaged anyway to
check out hardware related stuff. I have discovered a fair amount about the
power supply on the netBook from figuring out how to repair it, and still
have the CF stuff I did before - however, this is mostly not very helpful. I
plan to check out the infra red conections as well as the serial port ones
and then the pin out of the memory expansion slot, although there are spaces
on the motherboard which can accept an extra two chips (this is only an
extra 16MB though - 48MB total).

Anything else anyone wants checked out that I might be able to have a go at?
Could someone also point me in the direction of finding the pin-out of the
Psion serial port? Any ideas on why my Psion refuses to read my ROM module?
The only large difference I have noticed between the two motherboard is that
the programmable CPLD has been replaced with a different one - no longer a
philips chip but a Xilinx one (I believe they bought part of philips
range) - it is a different chip - in a different position not present on the
first motherboard. But there is a space where the chip from my old
(malaysian) motherboard could be placed hinting at a revision change. I do
not know which is the newer board however, and dont know enough about the
netBooks booting to be able suggest why it will not boot my module.

Regards,

Ed Robbins.

>
> With wireless and VGA out possible, the PCMCIA serial card is a little
> awkward...  And even touch screen won't help with a VGA out display.
>
> B.D.
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Sun, 8 Aug 2004 22:23:19 +0100
> From: NB Info Tech Support <su...@nb...>
> To: Brian Dushaw <du...@ap...>
> Subject: Re: Mouse on a netBook
>
> Well, I know that it was a Psion 5 class machine (can't remember which
> model) that we fried, not a netBook.  It is possible that the netBook uses
a
> different driver chipset, but you would need to investigate that.
>
> I am less certain about the mouse, but it is likely that it was a
Microsoft
> mouse.  As it happens, the Microsoft serial mouse I have here has power
> consumption figures written on it - it claims 14 mA from each of
(notional)
> +12v and -12v, (by driving one modem line high and one low, presumably),
> which sounds like more than you can sensibly draw from a PC, never mind a
> netBook!
>
> There are netBook hardware hackers out there who have taken the netBook
> apart; you should hook up with someone who has looked inside the box and
can
> tell you what the line driver chipset is.  With that information in hand,
> check the web site of the chip vendor for current capability, and see if
it
> can drive enough current.  If so, it might just work!  Caveat:  I'm not
sure
> it was the line drivers that died on our machine.  It is possible that the
> DC-DC converter in the voltage pump for the drivers is actually what gave
> up.  I'm sorry, but it wasn't sufficiently interesting to us to persevere
> with the experiments... you obviously have a more pressing project; the
> question being, is it worth sacrificing a machine to find out?
>
> Regards,
>
>     NB Info Support Team
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Brian Dushaw" <du...@ap...>
> To: <su...@nb...>
> Cc: "Brian Dushaw" <du...@ap...>
> Sent: Sunday, August 08, 2004 12:25 PM
> Subject: Mouse on a netBook
>
>
> > Dear XTM support people,
> >
> >    Some time ago, we had a brief exchange about the use of a mouse
> > on a Psion.  The issue was using Windows 3.0 in XTM and the lack of a
> > mouse driver - here is your original reply:
> >
> >   "One thing we tried, and you must NOT try, was plugging a serial
> >    mouse into the RS232 port.  Since the serial mouse draws power
> >    from the RS232 port, it pulls a LOT of current from the plug,
> >    and we burned out the serial port on a Psion playing with it... :-(
> >    The good news is, it actually worked, right up to the bit where
> >    it burned out!"
> >
> >    I am writing to press you for a little more information about
> > the use of a mouse on a netBook.  The motivation is that we have
> > recently ported linux and X windows to the netBook, and it would be
> > awfully convenient to be able to use the netBook's serial port for
> > a mouse.  For a discussion of linux on the netBook see:
> > http://www.openpsion.org/howtos/netbook_new/t1.htm
> > (where there is a short discussion of XTM, though in the context of
> > ELKS and a poorman's linux!) But because of your reply above, I am
uneasy
> > about even trying to use a mouse on the netBook.  I don't want
> > to burn out the serial port.  The questions I have are:
> >
> > (1) When you tried this were you using a 5, 5MX, Series 7, or netBook,
> > and do you suppose the type of machine would make any difference?
> > I should think the netBook would be a little more beefy than the 5MX.
> >
> > (2) What type of mouse were you using when the serial port burned out?
> > I ask because the power requirements of mice vary significantly - I
> > have one PS/2 mouse that draws 100 mA at 5V (Logitech optical) and
> > another PS/2 mouse that draws   10 mA at 5V (Logitech marble mouse).
> > [Unfortunately none of my serial mice gives the power spec, so unless
> > I measure it, I am still in a guessing world.]  But if you had
> > happened to be using a mouse drawing 1000 mA, I might be a little
> > more bold with trying things...
> >
> > Any other advice or suggestions?
> >
> > I have been using a PCMCIA serial port card so far, to great effect.
> > This actually works fine, but it uses the one PCMCIA slot on the netBook
> > that might otherwise be used for e.g., a wireless connection, or VGA out
> > card.  AND incidentally, the PCMCIA card could probably be used with
> > XTM/Windows 3.0 to drive a mouse on serial port B, but I havn't tried
> > it yet (if ever...).
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > B.D.
> >
> > %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
>
>
>
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