[Xastir] problem serial/USB stick and Xastir

[Kristoff Bonne]

Hi,


For a ubuntu netbook (acer aspire one), I bought a cheap serial-to-USB 
stick (company = "digitus", lsusb says this: "Bus 003 Device 002: ID 
0403:6001 Future Technology Devices International, Ltd FT232 USB-Serial 
(UART) IC").

It shows itself as "/dev/ttyUSB0" on my box (ubuntu 10.06 netbook release).


However, I have a strange problem.
- When I use minicom to connect to my TNC2 using that USB device, all 
works OK "device = /dev/ttyUSB0, setting = 9600/7/E/1"

- However, when I try to use it with Xastir I get all kinds of rubbish 
on the input.

The packets input gives this:
  1:TNC-> 5SxECH=     ws OFF
  1:TNC-> c5d:BA
  1:TNC-> ON
  1:TNC-> ZWx>PEVERYjLxc5d:?    ad
  1:TNC-> c5d:ONen\KY>APUI+rJmN

Some text is readable (e.g. the "ON" and "OFF" messages, and a lot of 
the numbers), but not all of it. Anycase, xastir does not recognise it 
as valid APRS-messages.

Also note that what it sends seams to be OK as when I start up xastir, 
or do "Transmit now!" in the Interfaces menu, it does send something.


The serial port setting is exactly the same as when using minicom (which 
does work OK): 9600 7E1.


I tried this with another PC (HP laptop) which does have a normal 
serial-port (something that is becoming rare :-) ), with ubuntu 10.06, I 
have the same problem:

- minicom works OK (both with the normal serial port and with the 
USB-stick)
- Xastir with the USB-stick gives rubish
- Xastir with normal serial port works OK.


Is anybody familiar with a "known issue" with Xastir about this?

I'm not sure what to think about it.
As it seams to work OK for minicom, I doesn't look like a driver problem.
But as it does work OK in xastir using the 'normal' serial port and not 
using the USB-stick, it doesn't like like a problem for Xastir neither.


Perhaps, it's a bug in the driver that somehow gets triggered when using 
Xastir and not when using minicom. (perhaps some different in opening 
the serial port? Or a "ioctl" that is different.

If needed, I can post the result of the "open" and "ioctl" calls in a 
"strace" I took of both programs.




Cheerio! Kr. Bonne. (ON5ARF ex. ON1ARF)