[DECtalk] dectalk external question

[Jayson Smith]

Hi,
Assuming the ports on the back of your DECtalk are female, that is, they do
not have pins showing, you would need a 25-pin male to 9-pin female.  These
cables were in common use not too long ago when external modems were being
used, most modems had 25-pin female serial ports.  As to whether you need a
null modem cable or adaptor, I can't say as I don't know how the serial
ports in the DECtalk are wired, but I would tend to think not.  A null modem
cable or a null modem adaptor is needed in some instances, especially when
hooking two computers together.  There are two different types of serial
equipment.  Normally when two serial devices are connected properly, each
device's Receive line is connected to the other device's Transmit line.
When you try to hook up two devices of the same type without a null modem
cable or adaptor, the transmit lines and the receive lines are connected to
themselves.  That is like two people trying to communicate over a telephone
by talking into the earpiece and listening to the mouthpiece.  In short,
absolutely nothing is accomplished by so doing.  A null modem adaptor is put
at one end of the cable to switch the pins around in these instances, or a
null modem cable can be used which is already wired thus.  Usually the only
time this is an issue is when you are trying to hook up two computers.
Jayson.

----- Original Message -----
From: "hank smith" <hanksmith4 at earthlink.net>
To: "DECtalk Discussions" <dectalk at bluegrasspals.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 4:42 AM
Subject: Re: [DECtalk] dectalk external question


> what kind of cable do I need to make this thing work with a computer?
> is there such a thing as a 25 mail to 9 pin femail?
> I'll be damned if I can find one of things I was told to look at a null
> modem cable but that is just for internet connections i thaught
> its interesting though that you mentioned interfacing this thing with
phone
> lines thing things looks like a computer but no ports for a keyboard or
> anything its really big some what long etc.it has a fan inside it to.
> anyways if any oe has used one of these things please get back to me.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jayson Smith" <ratguy at bellsouth.net>
> To: "DECtalk Discussions" <dectalk at bluegrasspals.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 12:58 AM
> Subject: Re: [DECtalk] dectalk external question
>
>
> > Hi,
> > You have one of the old DECtalks.  I've never seen one of these so don't
> > have connector info, but I've heard Speakup under Linux can use these so
> > if
> > you ever want someone to take it off your hands...
> > Anyway, you're wrong, any connector with pins or plugs showing is a
male,
> > any jack or serial connector without pins showing is a female.  The
phone
> > jacks, as I understand it, are not used for connection to a computer.
> > These
> > old DECtalk units could interface with a phone line to give callers
spoken
> > information, provided you had or could write the appropriate software.
I
> > think they could even do menu-based stuff, E.G. "For the song of the day
> > press 1, for the DECtalk demo review of the day press 2, for your
current
> > account balance press 3, to use a time machine to make it so that
Digital
> > would never have even thought of selling DECtalk press 4, etc."  Thus,
> > probably the reason that DECtalk versions to this day have touchtone
> > dialing
> > commands.
> > Jayson.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "hank smith" <hanksmith4 at earthlink.net>
> > To: "DECtalk Discussions" <dectalk at bluegrasspals.com>
> > Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 11:56 PM
> > Subject: [DECtalk] dectalk external question
> >
> >
> >> hello I have a dectalk external its before the express
> >> it is running firmware 1.8 when you turn it on it has test touchtones
> > before
> >> it says
> >> "dectalk version 1.8 is running"
> >> anyways I am having trouble finding out what exact cable I need to hook
> > this
> >> up to a computer to use with a screen reader
> >> it has 2 phone jacks one with a phone simbol and the other with a minus
> > buy
> >> it
> >> btw I just had a custom cable made a mmj cable and it isn't the one
that
> >> goes off to the side
> >> the other 2 ports it has are one port that says
> >> comm
> >> the other port has a square buy it
> >> these are 25 pin think its femail its the port with the pins showing.
> >> anyways what cable do I need to have custom made to interface this
thing
> >> with the computer to use it as a external synth?
> >> I am going to be returning the mmj cable and I need to tell the folks
> >> what
> >> kind of cable I need.
> >> any help  is so so greatly appreciated.
> >> thanks
> >> hank
> >>
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> >
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