Perhaps for the sake of raising interest, I'll add a few concepts that 
might refute "old is obsolete."

First, all the appropriate interest in I2C == TWI (Two Wire Interface) 
has obscured the fact that RS232 can also be a TWI (Three Wire 
Interface). The fact that it is asynchronous, bi-directional, and with 
line drivers that run at a car battery voltage are assets computer 
elitists shouldn't snub.

The internet isn't the only reason Amazon succeeds. Tons of physical 
product movement is highly automated. I'm the rough equivalent of the 
first Bush president who was confused by grocery store bar code readers. 
I'll never learn how ignorant I am.

I realize modern commodity computing is now videos, music, social media. 
No RS232 needed. But I hope I've challenged a few "conventional wisdom 
axioms" that prevent innovation. According to some energy and 
infrastructure advocate claims, 10's of $trillions will be spent 
re-inventing a new world. Linux and simple local communication will matter.

Iznogoud wrote:
> I do what I can to help and it is no big deal. People have helped me too.
>
> I had downloaded that page long ago, it turns out. I love the ASCII timing
> diagrams.
>
> There is a funny mode story. In the 90s, when we had dial-ups, a friend changed
> his password to the name of his newly-born daughter. He would dial in and then
> the connection would drop. Then he realized that as the password was being
> negotiated the modem would hangup because the name started with the leters:
> "ath". This took him days to find, and I thought it was weird that the modem
> still thought it was negotiating commands after it had established connection.
> No, I am not sorry that those days are over!
>
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