Connecting a Windows CE device to a Macintosh

Connecting a Windows CE device to a Macintosh

Introduction

I bought a Casio Cassiopeia e100 when they first came out. However, as a Macintosh user, I knew that I had my work cut out for me in terms of getting my new Windows CE machine to communicate with my Macintosh so that I could back up my data, load programs, etc.

The e100 came with a connection cradle that plugs into 9 pin serial port on the back of a PC. So, in addition to figuring out how to get the software to work, I had to figure out what cables to use in order to connect the cradle to my Macintosh Powerbook G3 292, which has a macintosh 8 pin serial com port and was running Mac OS 8.6 at the time. Today, most PocketPCs come with a cradle that connects to a computer via a USB port. This makes life much easier.

Also, when I originally connected my Cassiopeia to my Macintosh, Softwindows 95 version 5.0 was the leading Windows emulation software. Today, Virtual PC version 3.0 is available and that is what I currently use. Virtual PC version 3.0 makes connecting a Macintosh to a Windows CE device much easier.

Lastly, when I originally connected my Cassiopeia to my Macintosh, Windows CE Services 2.2 was the software used to connect a Windows CE machine to a PC. Today, Activesync 3.1 is available, which also makes life much easier.

Many, many thanks to Kennita Watson for her wonderful web page describing how she was able to hook up both an older model Cassiopeia and a Philips Velo 1 to her Power Macintosh. She proved Connectix (Virtual PC), Casio (Cassiopeia), and Microsoft (Windows CE) wrong and figured out a way to connect her Cassiopeia to her Power Macintosh. Also, many, many thanks to Seth from Casio support, a fellow Macintosh user who suggested that I do a search at google.com, which is where I found Kennita's Macintosh and Windows CE connectivity web page. Seth also helped me adapt her instructions to my specific hardware/software specifications. If the instructions below don't work for you, click here to see if Kennita's instructions are more appropriate given your hardware/software situation.

The Cables

1. First of all, you will need to figure out if your device has a cradle with a serial connector or a cradle with a USB connector. Then follow either instructions A or B below accordingly.

A. Cables for Windows CE Devices with Serial Cradles:

The cradle for the Cassiopeia E-100/105 has a DB9 (Female) connector attached to hook up to a computer. However, you will need to purchase the following cables to get the Cassiopeia connected to a Macintosh:

Option One:

1. A serial com port adapter, DB9 (Male) to DB25 (Female)

2. A Hayes Modem cable (not a null modem cable), DB25 (Male) to Mini-DIN 8 (Male). (Alternatively, the cable provided with the Casio QV cameras to enable their camera cable to connect to a Mac serial port will work.)

Option Two:

Instead of purchasing the cables listed above, PDA Concepts makes a "WinCE => Mac Cable." I haven't tested this cable yet, but I'd love to hear from those who have. Thanks. Click here for more information about the PDA Concepts cable.

Note: A printer cable does not work, neither does the adapter cable that comes with the Palm Pilot Mac Pac, and neither does the cable provided by Casio to enable their older B.O.S.S. personal organizers to connect to a Macintosh, which is what I now used to use. (Just because a cable might have a DB9 to mini-DIN 8, doesn't mean it will work. To quote Kennita, "Go ahead; it's your time to waste.")

Note: If your Windows CE Cradle has a serial connector and your computer only has a USB port, then you will need to do one of the following:

1. Socket Communications produces a device called a USB Sync Card which you can use to connect a Windows CE Device to the USB port of a desktop PC for synchronization purposes. Click here for more information about the Socket Communications USB Sync Card.

2. Another alternative would be to use a serial-to-USB adapter to connect your existing serial cradle to the USB port of a PC. A company called Keyspan produces a USB PDA Adapter that you can use with a PC running Windows 98. However, I didn't see many Windows CE devices under their supported devices compatability pages.

B. Cables for Windows CE Devices with USB Cradles:

The cradles for the Cassiopeia E-125 and other new Windows CE devices have a USB connection. USB stands for "Universal Serial Bus" port, and they really mean it. Simply connect the USB connector from the cradle into the USB port on the back of your Macintosh.

Note: If your computer doesn't have a USB port and the cradle for your Windows CE device has a USB connector, then you will need to either find an adaptor or buy a Serial cradle from the manufacturor. If you have this particular problem and need some advice, I can make suggestions, but I won't be speaking from experience. If you have this problem and you have solved it, please let me know so that I can post the answer here. Thanks.

2. Connect the cables to the Cassiopeia cradle, but do not connect it to the computer yet.

Set up the Cassiopeia

1. First of all, you will need to figure out if you have (a) an older device that runs Microsoft Windows CE 2.11 and connects to your computer with Windows CE Services 2.2 or (b) a newer unit that runs Microsoft Windows CE 3.0 and connects to your computer using Activesync 3.1. Then follow either instructions A or B below accordingly.

A. Setup for Windows CE Devices running Microsoft Windows CE 3.0

1. Close all applications on the Cassiopeia

Touch "Start," then "Settings." Touch the "System" tab. Touch "Memory."
Touch the "Running Programs" tab. Touch "Stop All." Click "OK."

2. Set the Connections Properties.

Touch "Start," then "Settings," then "Connections."
Touch "PC." Make sure that "Automatically synchronize when serial cable is connected, using:"" is checked and then select "57600 Default" from the list. Click "OK."

3. You can now turn off your Windows CE device for a while.

Note: If you are using a Windows CE device that runs Microsoft Windows CE 3.0 and you are using Softwindows 95 version 5.0, then do the following:

1. Close all applications as outlined above.

2. Create a New Connection as outlined above, except select "19200 Default" instead of "57600 Default."

B. Setup for Windows CE Devices running Microsoft Windows CE 2.11

1. Close all applications on the Cassiopeia

Touch "Start," then "Settings," then "System." Touch the "Task Manager" tab.
Select an item listed under "Running tasks:" Touch the "End Task" button. Repeat until there is nothing listed under "Running tasks:" Click "OK."

2. Set the Connections Properties.

Touch "Start," then "Settings," then "Communications."
Touch the "PC Connection" tab. Make sure that "Enable direct connections to the desktop computer" is checked and then touch "Change Connection..." Select "`Serial @ 57600." Click "OK." Click "OK" again.

3. You can now turn off your Windows CE device for a while.

Note: If you are using a Windows CE device that runs Microsoft Windows CE 2.11 and you are using Softwindows 95 version 5.0, then do the following:

1. Close all applications as outlined above.

2. Create a New Connection.

Touch "Start," then "Programs," then "Communication," then "Connections."
Double-click "Make New Connection." Type in a name (e.g. Macintosh-Cassiopeia), and make sure that "Direct Connection" is selected. Touch "Next>."
Select "Serial Cable on COM1:"
Touch "Configure..." If the "Port Settings" tab is not selected, then touch it. Set the Connection preferences to "19200," "8," "None," "1," "Software." Make sure that the bottom three options under "Terminal" are not checked. Click "OK." Click "Finish."

3. Set up your unit to use your new connection.

Touch "Start," then "Settings," then "Communications." The "Communications Properties" window will appear.
Touch the "PC Connection" tab. Make sure that the "Enable direct connections to the desktop computer" is checked.
Touch the "Change Connections..." button. Select the name of the connection you just created (e.g. Macintosh-Cassiopeia). Click "OK." Click "OK" again

Set up your Windows Emulation Software on your Macintosh

1. First, you will need to figure out which Windows emulation software you are running on your Macintosh. Then follow either instructions A or B below accordingly. (If you do not have emulation software, then I highly recommend Virtual PC 3.x. However, since I used to use Softwindows 95 version 5.0, I also include instructions for that software.)

A. Setup for Virtual PC version 3.0

1. Launch Virtual PC 3.0. (If you haven't already installed Windows CE Services 2.2, Activesync 3.0, or whatever software is included on the CD-ROM that came with your device, now would be a good time to do so.)

2. Figure out whether you will be connecting with a Serial Port or a USB Port. Follow instructions a or b below accordingly.

a. Setup for a Serial Port

Choose the Edit menu, then Preferences... (Note: You might have to hold down the Command key to allow the Edit menu to become visible at the top of your screen).
Choose "COM 1 Port" under "Current PC Settings."
Under "COM 1 Port Settings" (to the right), choose "Mac Serial Port:" and then select the serial port that you wish to use (e.g. "Printer-Modem Port" for a Powerbook).
Click "OK."

b. Setup for a USB Port

Choose the Edit menu, then Preferences... (Note: You might have to hold down the Command key to allow the Edit menu to become visible at the top of your screen).
Choose "COM 1 Port" under "Current PC Settings."
Configure the USB Port to use the USB Port that you intend to connect your computer with the device's cradle. (Sorry that I don't have more specific instructions here, but I don't have a computer with USB, so I can't speak from experience here.)
Click "OK."

B. Setup for Softwindows 95 version 5.0

1. Disable AppleTalk to free your Printer Port (Modem/Printer Port on a Powerbook) or USB port.

Click the Apple menu, then Chooser. Make sure that AppleTalk Inactive is selected. Close the Chooser.

Note: you may need to restart your Macintosh with the extensions off anyway (hold down the shift key while the Macintosh starts up) since the fact that the Chooser says that AppleTalk is inactive does not necessarily mean that it is really inactive.

2. Launch SoftWindows 95. (If you haven't already installed Windows CE Services 2.2, Activesync 3.0, or whatever software is included on the CD-ROM that came with your device, now would be a good time to do so.)

3. Choose the Serial Port (or the USB port if that is what you intend to use to connect your computer to your device's cradle) for SoftWindows to use as COM1.

Click the Setup menu, then Softwindows 95 Setup...
Click the Serial Ports button. Under COM1:, choose Use Printer Port (Printer-Modem Port if using a Powerbook with a combined port). Choose Connected to Another Computer. Click "OK." (I'm not sure if Softwindows 95 version 5.0 and/or later versions support USB, but if you intend to use USB to connect your computer to your device's cradle, then hopefully this will show up as an option here.)
Restart Softwindows.

4. Set System port information.

Click Start, then Settings, then Control Panel.
Double-click System. Touch the Device Manager tab.
Double-click Ports (COM & LPT). Double-click Communications Port (COM1).
Touch the Port Settings tab. Set the values of the fields to 19200, 8, None, 1, Xon/Xoff.
Touch the Advanced... button. Turn off Use FIFO buffers (requires 16550 compatible UART). Click "OK." Click "OK" again.
Double-click Modem. Double-click Serial cable on COM1.
Touch the Modem tab. Set the Port: to Communications Port (COM1), and the Maximum Speed to 19200.
Touch the Connection tab. Set the Connection preferences to 8, None, 1.
Touch the Port Settings… button. Turn off Use FIFO buffers (requires 16550 compatible UART). Click "OK."
Touch the Advanced... button. Turn on Use flow control, and select Software (XON/XOFF). Click "OK." Click "OK" again. Click "OK" yet again.

Setting up Activesync/Mobile Devices and connecting

1. First, you will need to figure out whether your device came with Activesync or Mobile Devices as the program that you will run on your Windows emulation software in order to connect your device with your computer. Then follow either instructions A or B below accordingly.

A. Setting up and Connecting with Activesync 3.0

1. Launch Activesync (There should be a shortcut to Activesync on the SoftWindows or Virtual PC desktop). (There should be a shortcut to Activesync on the SoftWindows or Virtual PC desktop).

2. Choose Mobile Devices' COM port.

From the Mobile Devices menu, click the File menu, then click Connections Settings.
Make sure "Allow serial cable or infrared connection to this COM port:" is checked and make sure that "COM1" is selected (or choose the appropriate choice for connecting with a USB port if that is what you will be using). Click "OK."

3. Making the Connection.

Close Activesync and shut down SoftWindows/Virtual PC.
Launch SoftWindows/Virtual PC.
Launch Activesync. You should see a message telling you that nothing is connected.
Turn on the Cassiopeia.
Plug the mini-DIN 8 into the printer port (Modem/Printer Port on a Powerbook) or plug the USB wire into the USB port.

4. A window should immediately appear on your device stating that communication is happening. Shortly thereafter, the windows described in the "Establishing a partnership" section of your device's User's Guide should appear.

You're off and running!

B. Setting up and Connecting with Mobile Devices 2.2

1. Launch Mobile Devices (There should be a shortcut to Mobile Devices on the SoftWindows or Virtual PC desktop). The message "Waiting for a mobile device to connect..." should appear. If not, one of the previous steps has been performed wrong, so quit the program and go back and check your work.

2. Choose Mobile Devices' COM port.

From the Mobile Devices menu, click the File menu, then click Communications...
For the Port, choose Serial cable on COM1 (or choose the appropriate choice for connecting with a USB port if that is what you will be using). Click "OK."

3. Making the Connection.

Close Mobile Devices and shut down SoftWindows/Virtual PC.
Launch SoftWindows/Virtual PC.
Launch Mobile Devices. You should see the same messages as before (i.e. "Waiting for a mobile device to connect...").
Turn on the Cassiopeia.
Plug the mini-DIN 8 into the printer port (Modem/Printer Port on a Powerbook) or plug the USB wire into the USB port.

4. A window should immediately appear on your device stating that communication is happening.
Shortly thereafter, the windows described in the "Establishing a partnership" section of your device's User's Guide should appear.

You're off and running!

Troubleshooting:

If your device is trying to connect as your SoftWindows/Virtual PC is starting up, then it means that you already have the serial/USB wire from the cradle plugged into your computer. Make sure that you hit "Cancel" on the screen of your device and remove the cable until the appropriate time.

If it doesn't work, try restarting the Macintosh with extensions off. If that doesn't work, disconnect the cables, reset your device, and try reconnecting. Also, you might want to follow other troubleshooting instructions in the manuals. The Help menu on Mobile Devices or Activesync can also be useful.

If it still doesn't work, you might have slightly different hardware and/or software than mine and try modifying these instructions accordingly.