# Controlling USB-RS232 interface **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [September 4, 2006, 2:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/controlling-usb-rs232-interface/67442 "2006-09-04T14:43:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 2:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/controlling-usb-rs232-interface/67442/1 "2006-09-04T14:43:58Z")
Before reverting to C, et al, can I use Ruby to do this? I have a ccd camera which has a 4 pin serial interface (pwr, gnd, txd, rxd). I have a board that provides a 9-pin rs232 connector which is used to interface to it. I want to control it with a notebook (Toshiaba Satellite) which has no rs232 ports and 3 USB-2 connectors. I have a USB-R232 (9-pin male) cable which can connect to the camera board. The cameral comes with a canned gui frontend app which interfaces to the camera and allows you to take pictures at different resolutions, but is basically just to verify that the system is working. I can only run this software on my old (circa 1999) desktop because it has a serial connector and the software is hardwired to use COM1. It’s a simple windows program that I’m runnning under Win 98, and can also run under Linux (PCLinuxOS) using WINE. So I can take pictures and verify that the camera works under different resolutions under both OSes. I need to access the camera and take full control of its features and functionality. Thus, I need to fully control the command interface to the camers, which requires sending/receiving commands (6 byte codes) and receiving images. This requires controllnig the rs232 interface to the camera. So, can anyone provide or direct me to code for controlling an old rs232 serial port and a new USB-RS232 serial connection? Thanks in advance. Jabari ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 2:44pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/controlling-usb-rs232-interface/67442/2 "2006-09-04T14:44:03Z")
Hello On 9/3/06, removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > USB-RS232 serial connection? > The driver for your usb-serial adapter should make it appear as a > standard serial port to your applications. If you searched the web for ruby and serial ports you should have found some of the earlier discussions on the topic such as this: [http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/msg/1f72a79dd9760dc1?hl=en&](http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/msg/1f72a79dd9760dc1?hl=en&) I would first try to use the real serial port to test the communication. The USB-RS232 adapters tend to be less compatible than the good old hardware for some reason. Thanks Michal ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 2:44pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/controlling-usb-rs232-interface/67442/3 "2006-09-04T14:44:06Z")
Do the contents of the following thread help: [http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/browse\_frm/thread/21d9ef82f56346a/1f72a79dd9760dc1?lnk=gst&q=serial&rnum=1#1f72a79dd9760dc1](http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/browse_frm/thread/21d9ef82f56346a/1f72a79dd9760dc1?lnk=gst&q=serial&rnum=1#1f72a79dd9760dc1) Or do any of these search results help: [http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/vframe.rb?key=serial+port+programming&cginame=namazu.rb&submit=Search&dbname=ruby-talk&max=50&whence=0](http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/vframe.rb?key=serial+port+programming&cginame=namazu.rb&submit=Search&dbname=ruby-talk&max=50&whence=0) ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 2:44pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/controlling-usb-rs232-interface/67442/4 "2006-09-04T14:44:06Z")
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote: / … > So, can anyone provide or direct me to code for controlling an old > rs232 serial port and a new > USB-RS232 serial connection? AFAIK as to Ruby, all such serial interfaces and their drivers, of the old and new varieties, are platform-specific. You will have to make system calls to get the results you are after, and the calls will vary by platform.