New FS-Plugin: Serial transfer to other PC or Palm

[ghisler(Author)]

2aziemer

I found the following instructions in the Palm communications forum on escribe.com:

If you connect to a Sony or an Handspring device, you must use the hotsync
creator id which is: 'sync' and, in that case, you must be shure that
hotsync is not running and waiting to catch the USB communication or else
you'll get a crash as the two application will try to connect to the same
USB channel.

I have now uploaded a new plugin sertransplg to my site which contains this change. You can find it again here (plugin and source):
http://www.ghisler.com/serial.htm

Please try it! The program for the device is unchanged.

[aziemer]

2Ghisler

Hmm, there must be more to this than the "sync" id... it still doesn't work
What about the ROM version > 4.00 and the v2 serial handler? My OS is 3.5.2, thus only the "new v1" handler is in use.

Andreas

[ghisler(Author)]

I didn't find any information in which version of PalmOS this should work and in which not. But according to several sources, the handspring devices do NOT implement the v2 functions, so calling them would crash your device. Therefore it's better not to call them. Sorry, I cannot help you. We will have to wait for a user who has a Handspring device, and who is knowledgable enough to modify my sources so they work with his device.

[aziemer]

We will have to wait for a user who ... is knowledgable enough to modify my sources so they work with his device.

OK, I couldn't leave this sitting on me

Here's the solution, working on (at least my) handspring vidsor edge.

http://totalcommander.a-z-e.de/filepc2pda.zip and
http://totalcommander.a-z-e.de/filepc2pda_src.zip

The part on the Total Commander side is unchanged.

Andreas

[aziemer]

For Handspring users one important thing to mention here again:

Don't forget to close Palm Desktop's HotSync before trying to connect!!! or else at least HotSync crashes...



Andreas

[ghisler(Author)]

2aziemer
Nice, thanks a lot! I will merge your changes into my code (which I have modified in the meantime to support more than one flash card).

Don't forget to close Palm Desktop's HotSync before trying to connect!!! or else at least HotSync crashes...

Hmm, my plugin should close HotSync now if it is running. Maybe the Handspring hotsync has a different name? Could you please check this, e.g. with the "Proc" plugin? Currently my plugin uses the following code to detect a running HotSync tool:

BOOL HotSyncRunning()
{
return FindWindow("KittyHawk","HotSync Manager")!=NULL;
}

[Jon Canale]

I just tried the latest filepc2pda (7/1/2003) in my Visor Deluxe (os 3.1H3)and got a system crash, both in and out of the cradle.

[aziemer]

2 Ghisler

The "KittyHawk" detection was not implemented in the source I had (from 16.06.2003)...
I downloaded the current sources a few minutes ago, and it works, but it is not closing hotsync, only detecting it.
BUT when it detects hotsync, it is already too late! Why? Because a user normally clicks the connect button on his PDA before opening the network neighbourhood connection, and thats it... In this moment you cannot close the hotsync manager anymore, you have to first abort the connection on the PDA!

So the message box should read something like this:

[face=courier]
Hotsync tool found active:
1st - click "Abort+Disconnect" in FilePC2PDA
2nd - close the hotsync manager
3rd - click OK
[/face]

I can't think of a way to really solve this problem, but at least the user is warned!

BTW.: It seems, the special handspring USB code ('sync' ID) in sertransplg is not needed, as for me it works in both modes!


2 Jon Canale

On which side did the system crash? On the PC side, or on the PDA? If on the PC side - read above... If on the PDA side, when exactly did it crash?

Andreas

[Jon Canale]

The latest filepc2pda crashed immediately upon launching the program on the PDA. I got a "Fatal Error" - the OS crashed, but I retained all of my data (soft reset). The previous versions did not crash, but did not seem to do anything, either (i.e., no connection).

The first time I launched the program on the PDA, the Visor was in the cradle, but I had not pushed the hotsync button. Immediately after that reset, I took the PDA out of the cradle and then launched the program. Same thing - soft reset

[ghisler(Author)]

2aziemer
It seems that Jon Canale's handspring device does not support the usbLibSrmDriverIDDesktop parameter. Maybe it's not defined for PalmOS 3.1? Or maybe FtrGet() does not exist on PalmOS 3.1? Could you check this in the Handspring documentation?

The "KittyHawk" detection was not implemented in the source I had (from 16.06.2003)...
I downloaded the current sources a few minutes ago, and it works, but it is not closing hotsync, only detecting it.

Yes, sorry my mistake. The problem is that the plugin is inactive while you don't try to open it.

BUT when it detects hotsync, it is already too late! Why? Because a user normally clicks the connect button on his PDA before opening the network neighbourhood connection, and thats it... In this moment you cannot close the hotsync manager anymore, you have to first abort the connection on the PDA!

Yes, but my plugin should at least not try to connect. Btw, does the Handspring side of my connection tool crash when hotsync is running?

2Jon Canale
Does your Visor Deluxe have an USB or serial connection to the PC?

[Jon Canale]

My Visor Deluxe uses the USB connection on Windows 2000.

But to remind you, even out of the cradle, launching the app on the Visor brought an immediate system crash. Previously, I could launch filepc2pda and set options, but with this current version the immediate crash prevents that.

Is there some settings file from the previous version that I should blow away on the Visor?

[ghisler(Author)]

I have now installed the Visor ROM and tested the problem with the Palm emulator. The problem was that the Visor Deluxe does not even support the function SrmOpen to open the port! I'm now using SerOpen. Please re-download the palm side tool (filepc2pda) and check whether it still crashes or not. Please also report what error messages are shown, and please try to connect to it from the PC too!

[Jon Canale]

Filepc2pda no longer crashes Visor Deluxe, but still nothing happens. PDA screen indicates ROM 0x03103000, "Using old Handspring USB library", "No card file system installed!". I quit Hotsync before issuing connect command on PDA and before trying to link with Total Commander. I also remembered that I have a small desk accessory where I can clock up the processor - I reverted to default clock speed and still no luck.

I'm assuming if this were to work correctly, that Total Commander will show a list of files on the PDA? Maybe the obvious thing is the message, "No card file system installed!". Is this utility just for moving files on Springboard cards?

[ghisler(Author)]

Filepc2pda no longer crashes Visor Deluxe

Ah, that's good news!

"Using old Handspring USB library"

Very good, so opening the uSB port seems to work!

"No card file system installed!"

This is no problem - you will still be able to upload and download databases (main memory).

Now about the PC portion:
1. Do you have the Palm Desktop installed? It does NOT work with software from Handspring, just with the original Palm desktop.
2. If you have this, can you hotsync with it?
3. If yes, did you close the HotSync tool in the system tray before trying to access the device with my plugin? Please also make sure you have the latest plugin, I made some changes recently.

[Jon Canale]

Perhaps I am not understanding how this tool is supposed to work??

I first EXIT (ie, quit) the HotSync application from the icon in the tool tray. So it is supposedly not running any longer. I DO NOT have Palm Desktop running (I do have a Handspring version installed, version 4.0.1). I start the PDA application, then click the Connect button on the PDA, then switch to Network Neighborhood in Total Commander, then double-click the Serial Port line in TC, make sure USBh is selected, then click Connect. I expected the files on the PDA to show up in the file display panel in TC, but nothing happens.

I have the latest version sertransplg installed, 20030620, and the latest filepc2pda, 20030706.

So it sounds like this may all be because I have the Handspring sync files installed, and not the Palm versions? (Since the HS hotsync files supported USB long before Palm, maybe I won't be gaining anything anyway. I may be missing the point for the development of the plugin, which may have been to improve USB sync'ing on Palm's devices only???)

So I don't want to waste your time if I am misusing the plugin's design intent.