Re: 1-wire to USB converter that can use 1820s directly

["Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Robert L Bass <sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote

>> Its clearly a lot cleaner to use one of the existing USB ports
>> than to need to add another PCI card to support serial ports.

> On one of my older machines we had need of eight serial ports
> for a bunch of terminals and various other I/O devices.  I forget
> the brand (it was quite a few years ago that I did this) but I
> installed a PCI card with an RS485 port.  To this I connected
> a port expander with 16 RS232 (convertible to RS485 but I
> didn't need that) ports.  The operating system was THEOS
> though the kit came with a driver disk for Windows as well.

Done that myself in the past.

Its clearly a lot cleaner to use one of the existing USB ports
than to need to add another PCI card to support serial ports.

And that approach isnt even feasible with a laptop.

> The entire system was extremely simple to set up and use.

Nothing like as simple to setup and use as a commercial
USB/1-wire converter/adapter if that will do the job.

> The hardware ran 24/7 for many years without a hitch.  We
> sold the business and the computer system with it six years
> ago.  To the best of my knowledge it's still running today.  I
> wish I could say the same for some of my other PC equipment.

Likely a commercial USB/1-wire converter/adapter
would be just as reliable.

>> Serial ports done that way arent that easy to support in VBA
>> either, support for non standard serial ports is pretty poor.

> Anything is easy if you know how.

Some things arent.

> I don't write code but folks I work with develop software for
> industrial PC's and they don't seem to have much of a problem.

They likely arent using VBA in access or excel.

> I'm not trying to belittle your skills, friend.  But
> I think you're unnecessarily constricting your
> project by ignoring other possible solutions.

I'm not ignoring them, I considered them and decided that
its clearly a lot simpler and cleaner to use a commercial
USB/1-wire converter/adapter if that will do the job.

And that approach has rather more future too.

> FWIW, some of the alarm system configuration
> software I regularly use requires a serial port and
> will not function at all using a USB-serial converter.

Yep, some systems are notorious for not working well with those.

> Some of the other software functions perfectly with either type.
> What I'm trying to say is that nothing is 100% better or worse.

No news to me. What I care about is whether the simple and clean
approach of using a commercial USB/1-wire converter/adapter
would work. No evidence currently that it would not.

> On another note, I haven't followed this thread very closely so
> forgive me if I got it wrong but did you indicate you plan to use
> telco cables (the flat "satin" stuff) to wire up this system in
> multiple rooms?

Nope. I did say that I plan to use RJ11 extension cables
cut in half with an 1820 soldered to the cut ends in a star
configuration, not in multiple rooms, maybe a couple of
clusters. Certainly not the 'satin' type of conductors tho.
I've already checked that the extension cables I can
get cheaply and easily just use normal stranded wire.

> If so, I'd strongly advise you to reconsider. That's an
> area where I have extensive knowledge and hands-on
> experience. You really don't want to try to use that
> kind of cable for permanent wiring of any sort.

It clearly works quite adequately for phone extension cables.

And I have used something similar for the basic phone service,
tho again, not 'satin' wire, just solid wire in a twisted config
in a round cable, usually used for internal phone wiring, but
in my case its on the floor from the point of connection of
the phone service, down thru much of the house, and its
been working fine for decades now. I did that as a quick
and dirty approach when the built in phone wiring failed
and I was too lazy to work out where it had failed with
poor access to the ceiling because its a flat roof.

I've been using that for DSL fine for quite a few years now.

> More importantly, you don't want to
> run it through walls (code violation).

I dont give a damn about codes. I physically built the entire
house, did all the electrical wiring, illegal in my country, and
got a licensed electrician to claim he had done that.

> It's a royal PITO to splice,

Yep, which is why I use the stranded wire form instead.

> does not take well to being stapled in place

I dont ever do that.

> and is not robust enough for anything other than it's intended purpose
> -- as a flexible cord to plug telephones into nearby wall jacks.

> If that is not your intention, ignore the above paragraph.  :^)

Too late |-)