Thread

mac modem>pc serial, getting the SE online

mac modem>pc serial, getting the SE online Networking 14 posts Dec 12, 2012 — Jan 6, 2013

#1 Wed, 12 Dec 2012 - 23:30

Part 1.

Today I started a project that will be the "Hard Way" to get the Macintosh SE on the internet.

For this part of the project, I have created a serial (or null modem) cable.

I have butchered a Macintosh printer cable for its connector housing, and a generic Sega controller for its cable, that actually has all 9 wires.

(I had a serial cable but after stripping it down, it only had 3 wires. The Macintosh cable didn't have all 8 wires either.. That's why I only got to use its connector.)

Had to use the multimeter and a battery to test which color wire went to each pin.

Wasn't hard at all.

Above, these are how the wires need to match up from one end of the cable to the other. On the Mac end, looking at the cable, just do it backwards. My diagram shows the back of the computer.

The connector is ugly but it works and goes in and out pretty smooth. The middle pic above is a test fit before I finished the connector off.

Now that took me a few hours to take my time and make sure I got it right. The real "Hard Part", for me at least, is going to get the appropriate software onto the Macintosh. Using this cable will allow the Macintosh to "Dial-in" to a linux/unix computer with a serial port, running PPPD.

I will post more when I get it working, in Part 2.

Thanks for looking! :I

) Citations:

This post by LOOM (thank you!) viewtopic.php?f=8&t=18596#p188514

This pinout website http://www.allpinouts.org/index.php/Macintosh_to_PC_Null_Modem

Some ideas from here http://www.ccadams.org/se/serial.html

#2 Thu, 3 Jan 2013 - 20:54

OK. Been experimenting with different software.

Mk.558 's guide has been very useful.

Also have been toying with Bbraun's Serial Disk viewtopic.php?f=29&t=19729

No success on any front yet.

I have tried this both with the SE and the Plus.

I thought my home made cable may just not work, but I get the same result using one I spent a little-too-much-for as well.

Here's what I've tried so far.

System 7.01

MacPPP v2.0.1

MacTCP v2.0.6

I don't have Ethernet in the chooser?

So on that front I was a bit confused.

I also tried connecting ZTerm to Hyperterminal on a windows machine

ZTerm to CAT on linux.

No real response on either of those also.

#3 Thu, 3 Jan 2013 - 21:13

Could the problem be lower level on the mac hardware; as in the serial components themselves?

#4 Thu, 3 Jan 2013 - 21:18

Assuming that you made your null modem cable correctly, the following link should help to at least test your connection with a linux box.

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/opensource/learn-to-use-a-serial-console-on-linux/157

#5 Thu, 3 Jan 2013 - 21:32

Hmm.. well I can't seem to get it right on either of my compacts.

I also am using a cable I purchased off the internet along with the home made one with the same result. The USB> Serial works as far as I can tell because it let me hyperterminal>hyperterminal between two pc's.

#6 Thu, 3 Jan 2013 - 21:42

I am not well versed in the more esosteric principles of null modem cables but you could try using a PhoneNET box. There's only two wires...if you could find out what wires are critical, then it could be just a cake walk.

Why? Simple -- if you saw the LocalTalk section of the Guide, I have there an RJ-11 tool and some RJ-11 jacks. All you'd need then is either RJ11 cable to your DE-9 port or run the DE-9 cable to the RJ-11 jack.

I don't know how many people have that kind of tool these days though.

Have you seen this post?

I would say I would like to know how to transfer files via OS X with a serial USB method. Apparently you only need two pins, so yeah.

Actually now that I think about it, a MacMasterNullModemCableHack™ would be nice: you'd have one end with USB, mini-DIN-8 and DE-9, and the other with DE-9 and mini-DIN-8 connectors. Then you could link just about anything together. USB serial data transfer to a 512K? Sounds good to me.

At any rate, once the hardware is set up right, assuming it is set up right, the rest is all wrangling with software.

EDIT: If you do get such a neat setup going, then I could be easily coaxed into adding an entire new section to the Guide: Serial Data Transfer. I'll have to work out details since I like plenty of details and easy to follow steps (unlike Linux ;D "Just install via the repos, configure and you're done" yeah right*) so I'd have to demonstrate OS X, Classic OS, Linux and I'll probably just demo Windows XP.

(*: Not that my Guide is particularly easy to follow, but...)

#7 Thu, 3 Jan 2013 - 22:38

Thank you for that link.

Right now I am trying macbook > macplus

usb > serial > serial

zterm to zterm

no luck... hmm I will keep trying.

#8 Fri, 4 Jan 2013 - 01:06

its going to be easier to go straight from USB to RS-422.

RS-422 is duplex RS-485. the FTDI232 chips support RS-485/422 transceivers.

#9 Fri, 4 Jan 2013 - 07:44

Would you happen to have a modem available for use on both ends? I was going to attempt what you are trying until I read about building a simple "phone line simulator" to bring up the proper voltages to the modem, allowing an old 33.6 Global Village Teleport to talk to a generic Windows softmodem on a cheapo Acer laptop from 2007. Zterm works nicely with pretty much anything on Windows, allowing file transfers with relative ease.

This more or less explains everything: http://www.jagshouse.com/modem.html

#10 Sat, 5 Jan 2013 - 02:49

FWIW, USR Courier modems can be configured for leased-line access - meaning connect the two modems together directly with a phone cord and they'll establish a link. No additional hardware/software required. You can find them pretty cheap on eBay. There are Mac modem cables which have Mini-DIN8 on one end and DB-25 on the other which would be perfect for this.

http://www.usr.com/support/doc-popup-template.asp?url=faqs/analog/leaseline.html&loc=unst

#11 Sat, 5 Jan 2013 - 18:03

My only issue is I can only use what I have at the moment. All I have to connect the compacts to the future is the USB > DB9 Male Serial cable, and the DB9 Female to DB8 Male cable.

#12 Sun, 6 Jan 2013 - 07:25

I'll be doing this tomorrow to see if I can read anything out of the serial port

#13 Sun, 6 Jan 2013 - 13:41

FWIW, USR Courier modems can be configured for leased-line access - meaning connect the two modems together directly with a phone cord and they'll establish a link.

That would be handy for setting up a 1:1 connection between different rooms in the house, if they both have phone outlets (and thus, thanks for the tip. Good to know). But for connecting two serial ports that are right next to each other, it's a bit redundant.

Have you seen this post?

Thanks for digging that one up: I've stickied it now. I'm trying to find another one that was particularly useful and when I do I'll post it here. /eta/ That was the one I was thinking of. xx(

#14 Sun, 6 Jan 2013 - 18:03

mac modem&gt;pc serial, getting the SE online

mac modem>pc serial, getting the SE online