jeff millar wrote:
> "Serial port for remote control"!? We did enter the 21st century quite a
> while back.
Yes, I think so.
> The Alpha 9500 needs to replace the serial port for remote control with
> USB.
>
> * Very soon PC's won't even have a serial port
> o It's called "legacy free", introduced about 2 year ago
I have access to a range of *desktop* computers from < 1 year old to
about 20 years old. The two interfaces they *all* have in common is
RS-232 and 10-base-T ethernet.
Some have USB, but not all do. Some have SCSI, but no all do. Some have
IDE, but not all do.
But they *all* have RS-232 and they *all* have ethernet. Apart from
death and taxes there is not a lot you can predict, but I suspect USB
will soon be gone. I doubt it will last as well as RS-232 or ethernet has.
> * Serial ports run at 1% the speed of USB
Speed is not always an issue.
> * USB's fast enough to display peaks in realtime, like Icom-7800 display
I don't know what the amp displays, so can't really comment. If RS-232
is limiting performance then there would be an argument for changing,
although you can run a lot faster than 9600 on RS-232 anyway.
I suggest ethernet might be a better option than USB.
> * USB supports plug and play
> o much less setup required
Also a lot harder to debug when things go wrong.
> o Plug it in and it starts operating
If you are lucky.
> * USB's more scalable
> * PC's only have one or two serial ports, very difficult to add more
It is not hard to add more.
> * All USB cables fully shielded twisted pairs, much less EMI
The signals are faster, so the cables must be better screened.
> * USB based microprocessors available that support software upgrades
> via USB
Yes they are available, but it is certainly not clear that USB is the
interface you should desire on something that you expect to last.
You probably don't care if you buy a printer, scanner, camera etc, as
when they go wrong you will throw them out and buy a new one. But
perhaps with an amp you will not have to throw it away.
--
David Kirkby,
G8WRB
Please check out http://www.g8wrb.org/
of if you live in Essex http://www.southminster-branch-line.org.uk/
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