[amsat-bb] Re: New Macs

[Nick Repin]

I'm having a very positive experience with an Intel Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro
which I've had for a couple of weeks. All the Virtual Machine (VM) stuff
'just works' under Parallels Desktop (www.parallels.com). It really is a
universal run time platform when special hardware peripherals are not a
factor. Parallels is a third-party app that lets you create and maintain
VMs containing guest OSes, and to selectively connect VM peripherals to
the host hardware peripherals (or software emulations thereof).

I'm running WinXP, Win98, FreeBSD and SuSE Linux on this machine in
addition to Mac OS X, and with no appreciable speed penalty in the VMs. In
fact the Windows apps seem more responsive than on some new Windows
workstations that we have at work. Now I can run my obsolete apps, ARRL
Windows based apps, and my favorite Mac OS X logger and Sat software on
the one platform.

I'm running MacDoppler Carbon on OS X with rig control USB-Serial adaptor
(2303 chipset) to a Kenwood TS-2000. That is all seamless. For that reason
have no Windows Sat programs on the system, but on the strength of your
post I thought I'd at least see if could connect the Windows COM port to
see through the USB-Serial adaptor to external hardware. I can confirm
that it works.

In addition to Parallels, you need a small freeware app SerialClient from
http://eudyptes.com/SerialClient.php to hook the USB device to a temporary
file. Parallels then connects that file to the COM port that Windows sees.
Windows thinks it has standard COM hardware. I was able to connect to
terminal configuration on my Sat Trak IV from Windows Hyperterminal. A
nice little side benefit is that SerialClient gives you a real time view
of the serial streams for debugging.

I'd imagine (hope) there will be similar solutions for the parallel port
using USB-Parallel adaptor.

Hope this helps,
-Nick
VK2ZTY


>From: Richard Lawn <rlawn at uarts.edu>
>Date: 25 November 2006 01:00:39
>To: <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
>Subject: [amsat-bb]  New Macs
>
>
>Anyone tried using the new Intel based Mac computers to run PC Sat programs
>such as SatPC32 and Nova? Just curious and if so how the serial and possibly
>parallel ports are handled, if at all.
>
>Rick
>W2JAZ
>
>Richard Lawn, Dean
>College of Performing Arts
>University of the Arts
>215-717-6125