RS232 7-E-2?? Driving a BetaBrite

[Eeyore]

Tried the " DEFINE SER2_BITS 9 " over the weekend (already had the mode at 24660). It did not seem to help. Not sure what else to try, but I appreciate the advise.

[mackrackit]

Can you send working commands from the PC using a terminal?(hyperteminal or something like it, not the softeware that comes with the device)

If not, then the problem is elseware. If you can not send with a teminal, get a program that monitors the serial port (google serial sniffer, some are free) and see exactly what is being sent between the device and the standard program for the display.

And what about handshaking?

Again, I am not sure about the two stop bits, but that may not be the whole problem.

[mackrackit]

Are you by chance using a usb to serial converter?

I was just play with the 7E2 thing.
Works with a real serial port, but not with a usb converter. (Belkin F5U409) On the same machine.

Same converter works with 8N1.

[Eeyore]

No usb-serial. For experimental purposes, I am going out from a preconfigured "ultimate oem" module, which already has the power, serial, reset, and clock set up. I connect it directly to the Betabrites serial port, passing through a null modem and a m-m adapter.

I want to try out your hyperterm suggestion, but there are 2 problems. First it has been so long since I did anything in a terminal emulator, I am not sure I won't mess that up. For example see the following code in Zeus for PC's (I know, I keep introducing other languages, I apologize, but there is so little code on the net for the BetaBrite)
func main()
Const Ch1 1 'Zues Com Channel 1

'Open the ComPort
ComOpen(Ch1,baud=9600,port=1,parity=2,bits=7,stop= 2)

'Tell the Sign we are ready to comunicate
ComOutput Ch1,chr(0)+chr(0)+chr(0)+chr(0)+chr(0)
ComOutput Ch1,chr(1)
ComOutput Ch1,"Z00"

'Send Priority Text Message
ComOutput Ch1,chr(2)+"A0"
ComOutput Ch1,"Nuts and Volts"
ComOutput Ch1,chr(4)

ComClose Ch1

endfunc

How do I send the ASCII chr(0)'s (5th line) as oposed to the Digits, such as the "Z00"(7th line) in Hyperterm? I know it is a real green question, but I don't recall ever having the need.
My second problem is that I am using a usb-serial adapter for communicating with the pc. However I have not run into the same problem you have with this, as I am able to communicate to the Betabrite from a pc with various programs I have found on the Web.

Thanks again for sticking with the post.