For those of you who seem to want more than the single serial port on the empeg, seems I've found a possible solution.

http://www.EDASce.com/serialedas.asp

Seems to allow communication to 2 or 4 (based on model) serial ports through ethernet. They have 'drivers' for unix in the form of C source code.

It's not meant for a car application, but that hasn't seemed to stop some other projects I've seen (Airport wireless). I'm slightly behind on sleep right now so I won't try to say anything actually intelligent on the matter. Just wanted to get it posted before I forgot about it ;)

~Blake

Seems to allow communication to 2 or 4 (based on model) serial ports through ethernet. They have 'drivers' for unix in the form of C source code.

Devices connecting serial ports (typicaly 8-16, but there are 128 port models) to various hosts via Ethernet (or other LANs), usually called terminal servers or communication servers are around for more than a decade (and now their main use is as Internet dial-up access points). Their software is optimised for use with telnet, SLIP and PPP protocols initiated 'from the serial side'. However, there is usually a feeture where a certain TCP port at device's address corresponds directly to particular serial port, i.e. whatever we sent to TCP port gets output through serial and vice versa, making it almost trivial to 'serial enable' whatever application one writes on Unix. Also, from there to virtual serial devices on Unix box is relatively short way.

Do you know how much does EDAS unit cost (full-fledged comm servers are not cheap)?

Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
Q#5196, MkII#80000376, 18GB green

I've been looking at this stuff more, and it now seems that it's quite a bit more common that I first noticed ( http://www.bb-elec.com/add_a_port/serial_ethernet.asp), while when I first saw it I thought it was the coolest thing since, uhm, well, the Empeg.

Also, they're rather expensive. 4 port one just linked is 600+, single port is 300+. However, it looks like the cleanest solution to getting more serial ports for the Empeg. Please, if anyone has any other ideas (wether they seem better or not), please let me know. I have ideas for the use of atleast 3 ports already.

Still without rest,
~Blake