Customer Reviews

Virtual Serial Port Cookbook

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Book has many error and author makes no attempt to have an errata page on his web site. Pardue suggests that you type in all the code to learn how his terminal program works, but then leaves out a critical function (pg 49 "GetCom(0);), so the code won't work. He does give all the source code on the CD, but that defeats his primary primary concept that you learn by doing. Since more than half the book is a listing of his source code, I would expect it to at least be accurate.

Once again Joe Pardue ("C Programming For Microcontrollers") shows his wry sense of humor and expertise in embedded systems and programming. This time he has produced a breadboard oriented USB interface (using the FTDI R232R chip) which this book examines with code examples in C# and VB.Net (both available free from Microsoft). The interface can act both as a USB based RS232 virtual port and as a 12 bit general purpose interface with several bells and whistles. Drivers for both types of applications are free, and currently the interface is available for $20 (smileymicros.com).

This book does not teach the ins and outs of USB (you'll want Axelson's book for that). It is application, not theory, oriented, and as such contains fully coded applications. There are also several simple hardware experiments to illustrate the power and techniques needed to use the interface.

This book is a decent intro on the PC side. However, I was hoping to see examples and explanations from the microcontroller as well since that's generally where the FTDI part tends to be used more often. Please note that I did not buy this book. The review is based on the free 6 chapter version.

I emailed the author seeking a solution to the USB disconnect problem of virtual serial ports. His answer was that it has never happened to him. I asked if he'd every pulled the plug while his application was communicating over a virtual serial port. He tried it, his programs (and others) locked up. I received no follow-up beyond that information. No intent to help address the issue which I consider to be very serious and important. I think the problem should at least be mentioned and/or recognized as an issue since it is about Virtual Serial Ports.

In reading through the 6 chapters I have, the book gives a decent overview of how to use the .NET SerialPort object. The writing style is light and readable. I do really like that it gives different options of how to hookup the FTDI device using available parts.

The book does focus on the use of the FTDI part, but a lot of the topics are applicable to legacy serial port functionality as well as virtual serial ports.

The author does have a typo about how to spell Schmuck... :-0

This book is simply written by a someone who has had heaps of down to earth practical experience. At the moment I have not got the time to do a detailed analysis of the book, but if you are some one who wants get a good introduction to virtual serial port communication this book is written in a fun style that make it a pleasure to read. Go buy it its fantastic value. Alan Mainwaring

I have enjoyed reading your book so far and really like your sense of humor. As an EE myself, I was looking for something just like this for USB communications. The book is great!