[SOLVED] Getting 6 Port Serial Card To Work

[twodogs]

Does anyone have experience with the Syba SY-PCI15001 serial card with the Netmos 9865 chipset? I installed the Linux driver but nogo. Then I found this post

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1663575

where a guy got it working in Ubuntu, but nojoy with his instructions either.

[MANDINGO]

I have a dozen of those cards and spent sometime back when getting them to work, think i did but so flaky that i scrapped the use of those cards

Dont recommend

Thanks
Mandingo

[twodogs]

Any serial cards to recommend? The plans for my complete system currently call for at least five ports. I picked the Syba card because it said it supported Linux and I like the DB9 connectors on the card (rather than the octopus arrangement)
1. Denon amp
2. TV
3. Insteon
4. Security
5. Sprinkler

I'm trying to follow the rules. Tschak says to avoid usb-to-serial cables (http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=10862.0).

John

[twodogs]

This is turning out to be MUCH tougher than I thought. I've received a few emails from MOSCHIP including one with a new version of their driver that locked up my system until I booted into recovery mode and uninstalled the driver. It's strange that I don't see many posts here talking about serial cards. It seems like much of the functionality of LinuxMCE hinges upon the ability to connect the core to various media and home automation devices. Is everyone using USB connections or USB/RS232 adapters? I thought serial adapters were problematic.
Anyway, here is the makefile supplied by MOSCHIP. I think there is a problem in the "install" section midway through the file. It's basically trying to modprobe the drivers at startup by running a script called "mcs9865" copied to init.d. The problem is that mcs9865 is not a script - it's just a text file. When it tries to run, it SNAFUs the system. Below find the makefile and the mcs9865 file (these two lines are the entire contents of the file). Maybe someone can tell me how to fix this. Or what card to buy. I'd be very thankful.

John

Makefile

Code: [Select]

KDIR:=/lib/modules/$(shell  uname -r)/build/

DEBIAN_VERSION_FILE:=/etc/debian_version
DEBIAN_DISTRO:=$(wildcard $(DEBIAN_VERSION_FILE))

obj-m +=mcs9865.o
obj-m +=mcs9865-isa.o

default:
$(RM) *.mod.c *.o *.ko .*.cmd *.symvers
$(MAKE) -C $(KDIR) SUBDIRS=$(PWD) modules
load:
insmod mcs9865.ko
unload:
rmmod mcs9865

install:
cp mcs9865.ko mcs9865-isa.ko /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/kernel/drivers/serial/
depmod -A
chmod +x mcs9865
cp mcs9865 /etc/init.d/
ifeq ($(DEBIAN_DISTRO), $(DEBIAN_VERSION_FILE))
ln -s /etc/init.d/mcs9865 /etc/rcS.d/Smcs9865 || true
else
ln -s /etc/init.d/mcs9865 /etc/rc3.d/Smcs9865 || true 
ln -s /etc/init.d/mcs9865 /etc/rc5.d/Smcs9865 || true
endif
modprobe mcs9865
modprobe mcs9865-isa

uninstall:
modprobe -r mcs9865
modprobe -r mcs9865-isa
rm /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/kernel/drivers/serial/mcs9865*
depmod -A
rm -f /etc/init.d/mcs9865
ifeq ($(DEBIAN_DISTRO), $(DEBIAN_VERSION_FILE))
rm -f /etc/rcS.d/Smcs9865
else
rm -f /etc/rc3.d/Smcs9865
rm -f /etc/rc5.d/Smcs9865
endif

clean:
$(RM) *.mod.c *.o *.ko .*.cmd *.symvers *.order *.markers
$(RM) -r .tmp_versions

mcs9865

Code: [Select]

modprobe mcs9865
modprobe mcs9865-isa


[coley]

I've used moxa boards in the past, on linux and dos back in the day, had rj45 connectors with adapters though.

-Coley.

[twodogs]

I've got all six new ports up and running. See the tutorial if you'd like to try this card.

http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Serial_Card_%28Syba%29

Twodogs

[Aviator]

Thanks for this Twodogs, I've just ordered one of these cards from ebay.