serial port : Java Glossary

hardware to which you may attach a modem, serial printer or other RS-232C (Recommended Standard 232C) device. The JDK (Java Development Kit) does not come with built-in serial port/USB support. Serial ports are almost extinct, replated by USB (Universal Serial Bus), which is a sort of multi-drop serial port.

• Unbundled Serial port support arrived with the Java version 1.2 javax.comm.SerialPort, aka JavaComm aka Java Communications API (Application Programming Interface). You can read up on how it works in a JavaWorld article. Sun has dropped the Windows reference implementation of JavaComm.
• SerialIO.com has implemented a commercial implementation of JavaComm. They have also created the SerialPort package. It handles various platforms including Linux. It lets you also get at virtual ports. It handles USB and Bluetooth as well.
• The commercial version of PortIO seems to have disappeared.
• JavaWorld article.
• Kevin Timm and Mark are working on a WIN/OS2/Linux serialport class.
• You might think you could solve your serial problem with a USB⇔Serial converter. The catch is Sun has no USB support.
• jUSB handles USB.
• JSR-80 javax.usb as the Java Community Process, was assigned the task of coming up with an official Java USB API. The main class in javax.usb. UsbHostManager. The project appears to have been abandoned.
• JMF supports USB webcams.

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