[Trlog] Serial Port Gone!

[kd4d@comcast.net]

Hi Steve:

Nope, we're applying band-aids!  :-)  I think we're looking at
an interesting evolution here...look at the WinKEY (an external
device that solves the CW keying problem under Windows)
and the SCK-II (which incorporates a voice keyer), and ....

It appears the external devices are getting smarter and smarter.
I expect them to become full-fledged computers shortly, running
"embedded" operating systems (probably DOS or Linux) and 
communicating with our Windows boxes over ethernet!  :-)

There are still a lot of PC-104 format PC's with lots of I/O
capability used in embedded devices.  Once these devices
get that smart, we've come full circle and might as well add
logging functions to the external devices!  Or, the "gee whiz"
features of Windows interfaces will be compelling and we'll
have a laptop + one of these black boxes communicating over
ethernet.  We won't be doing CW keying, voice keying, rig
control, or anything else from the Windows boxes in a few years
if these external devices keep getting smarter and smarter.

Just my guess as to what may happen!  :-)

73,

Mark, KD4D



> This is slightly off-topic, but Dale's posting started me thinking and asking 
> questions ...
[...]
> How are folks dealing with newer PC's that have only USB interfaces and few (if 
> any) PCI expansion slots ?  [...]
> 
[...] Win-Test and EZMaster come to mind, 
> although I see that TLF (a Linux-based TRLog clone) now supports USB.
> 
> Hopefully, someone will tell me I'm off my rocker, and there are answers to 
> these issues for TRLog.
>