Sorry I wasted everyone's time and my own. Thought this would be REALLY easy, but in the time I've spent trying to figure it out, I could have driven 90 minutes to the nearest hobby shop and done as GRJ suggested. Would have been a lot more fun, too,
I just wanted to be able to type something like
>echo jay > com3
except instead of sending the letters jay, send three letters (characters) corresponding to the binary information that needs to be sent to the Command Base (something like ■☺∟). No bueno.
I know the serial port is connected to the Command Base, because when I use a serial monitor app, I see a string of bits appear when I plug in the Command Base. But when I try to send 3 bytes to the Command Base, I get nothing. No red light flicker on Command Base, no indication anywhere that any communication is happening.
Not trying to rule the world here, just trying to blow the **** horn! Don't need a Java program (or C++ or whatever) with several classes and hundreds of lines of code.
Maybe the Command Base is as bad off as the CAB1 was, but I just can't see it. When I give power to the track with no Command Base, the loco sounds fine. When I give power to the track with the Command Base turned on, I get no sound (but I do have lights).
I've got a ton of papers to grade and a two tests to prepare for Monday, so I was really hoping this would be fun and quick and simple. No, no and no.
There is a ton of great info in that Arduino thread, just nothing that helped me.
Thanks for all the input.
