Re: Age of Reason BBS

[kevin@hackaday.com]

On Friday, August 3, 2012 2:38:37 PM UTC-5, Lon Seidman wrote:
> On Thursday, August 2, 2012 8:06:31 PM UTC-4, Moose wrote: 
> 
> > If anyone else is interested in BBS's (and there's quite a few here ;), and is thinking of setting up a BBS, Synchronet is great and free web BBS software that is telnet-able: 
> 
> > http://www.synchro.net/
> 
> > 
> 
> > http://wiki.synchro.net/resource:doors
> 
> > 
> 
> 
> 
> I have an extra Apple IIe and an older CFFA sitting around. I am totally up for setting up an Apple II telnet accessible BBS. I've been having a really tough time getting the serial interface working though.  I have a USB serial adapter for a PC that is just not talking with the IIe's serial interface properly.
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone have any pointers or hardware I can look at to get this thing up and running?

USB serial devices are seriously hit and miss with real RS232 equipped devices, might be better off getting a ~20 buck PCI card with 2 serial ports and a printer port ... though those can be sketchy as well

What I have encountered in most usb serial products that dont work is the thing is running off of 3.3 volts to avoid having to shift the voltages from a 5 volt part (USB signals are ~3v with a 5v power). 

Heck I even got a USB to TTL serial device based on a microchip MCP2000 that claimed total 5 volt compatibility out of the box, set to 3v and would not work with any of my 5 volt embedded systems. Remove a regulator, patch a couple wires and it works fine for those, but what a pain in the butt, boiled down to misunderstanding ... now elevate that to +- 12v inverted signals and ...