# Problems with serial connections

**URL:** <https://bristlemouth.discourse.group/t/problems-with-serial-connections/291>\
**Category:** Dev Kit Support\
**Created:** [March 3, 2024, 12:20am UTC](https://bristlemouth.discourse.group/t/problems-with-serial-connections/291 "2024-03-03T00:20:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gherlein](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/bristlemouth.discourse.group/gherlein/32/116_2.png) [@gherlein](https://bristlemouth.discourse.group/u/gherlein)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 12:20am UTC](https://bristlemouth.discourse.group/t/problems-with-serial-connections/291/1 "2024-03-03T00:20:39Z")

</div>

If I use “python3 -m serial” and connect to the 0 interface it works as described - but the docs say to use the 1 interface. When I do that I get bad data as if there is binary in the output. I am powering the board from the spotter, by the way, using the smart mooring connector so it has the full long length of cable. However, I get the same results when powering from the wall adapter.

— Available ports:  
— 1: /dev/ttyACM0 ‘Bristlemouth - TinyUSB CDC’  
— 2: /dev/ttyACM1 ‘Bristlemouth - TinyUSB CDC’  
— 3: /dev/ttyS0 ‘n/a’  
— Enter port index or full name: 2  
— Miniterm on /dev/ttyACM1 9600,8,N,1 —  
— Quit: Ctrl+] | Menu: Ctrl+T | Help: Ctrl+T followed by Ctrl+H —  
�ò�␂␀␄␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀��␀␀␁␀␀␀0␀␀␀��␂␀�␀␀␀�␀␀␀33␀␀␀␁␀␀-�m,��`␀␀␀␀i␑��␀␀␀␀␀␀␀�b�␛-�m,�␃␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␁␐�␐�␀i?t␀␀␏␁␁spotter/fprintf␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␌␀5␀hum_temp.logtick: 48186, rtc: 0, hum: 40.852257, temp: 21.363562 0␀␀␀��␂␀�␀␀␀�␀␀␀33␀␀␀␁␀␀-�m,��`␀␀␀␀f␑��␀␀␀␀␀␀␀�b�␛-�m,�␃␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␁␐�␐�␀f� ␀␀␎␁␁spotter/printf␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀?␀hum\_temp | tick: 48186, rtc: 0, hum: 40.852257, temp: 21.3635620␀␀␀�␁␃␀�␀␀␀�␀␀␀33␀␀␀␁␀␀-�m,��`␀␀␀␀p␑��␀␀␀␀␀␀␀�b�␛-�m,�␃␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␁␐�␐�␀p�7␀␀␏␁␁spotter/fprintf␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␌␀<␀pressure.logtick: 48197, rtc: 0, temp: 21.359171, pressure: 1009.015259 0␀␀␀�␁␃␀�␀␀␀�␀␀␀33␀␀␀␁␀␀-�m,��`␀␀␀␀m␑��␀␀␀␀␀␀␀�b�␛-�m,�␃␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␁␐�␐�␀m%�␀␀␎␁␁spotter/printf␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀F␀pressure | tick: 48197, rtc: 0, temp: 21.359171, pressure: 1009.0152590␀␀␀�␜␃␀�␀␀␀�␀␀␀33␀␀␀␁␀␀-�m,��`␀␀␀␀v␑��␀␀␀␀␀␀␀�b�␛-�m,�␃␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␁␐�␐�␀v��␀␀␏␁␁spotter/fprintf␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀	␀E␀power.logtick: 48204, rtc: 0, addr: 67, voltage: 0.004800, current: -0.000250 0␀␀␀�␜␃␀�␀␀␀�␀␀␀33␀␀␀␁␀␀-�m,��`␀␀␀␀s␑��␀␀␀␀␀␀␀�b�␛-�m,�␃␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␁␐�␐�␀s��␀␀␎␁␁spotter/printf␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀L␀power | tick: 48204, rtc: 0, addr: 67, voltage: 0.004800, current: -0.0002500␀␀␀�$␃␀�␀␀␀�␀␀␀33␀␀␀␁␀␀-�m,��`␀␀␀␀v␑��␀␀␀␀␀␀␀�b�␛-�m,�␃␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␁␐�␐�␀vh␎␀␀␏␁␁spotter/fprintf␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀	␀E␀power.logtick: 48206, rtc: 0, addr: 65, voltage: 23.840000, current: 0.006000 0␀␀␀�$␃␀�␀␀␀�␀␀␀33␀␀␀␁␀␀-�m,��`␀␀␀␀s␑��␀␀␀␀␀␀␀�b�␛-�m,�␃␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␁␐�␐�␀s��␀␀␎␁␁spotter/printf␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀L␀power | tick: 48206, rtc: 0, addr: 65, voltage: 23.840000, current: 0.0060002␀␀␀��␂␀�␀␀␀�␀␀␀33␀␀␀␁␀␀-�m,��`␀␀␀␀i␑��␀␀␀␀␀␀␀�b�␛-�m,�␃␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␁␐�␐�␀iM|␀␀␏␁␁spotter/fprintf␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␌␀5␀hum_temp.logtick: 50186, rtc: 0, hum: 40.902271, temp: 21.370152 2␀␀␀��␂␀�␀␀␀�␀␀␀33␀␀␀␁␀␀-�m,��`␀␀␀␀f␑��␀␀␀␀␀␀␀�b�␛-�m,�␃␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␁␐�␐�␀f�(␀␀␎␁␁spotter/printf␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀?␀hum\_temp | tick: 50186, rtc: 0, hum: 40.902271, temp: 21.3701522␀␀␀�␁␃␀�␀␀␀�␀␀␀33␀␀␀␁␀␀-�m,��`␀␀␀␀p␑��␀␀␀␀␀␀␀�b�␛-�m,�␃␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␁␐�␐�␀p�>␀␀␏␁␁spotter/fprintf␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␌␀<␀pressure.logtick: 50197, rtc: 0, temp: 21.371092, pressure: 1009.005249 2␀␀␀�␁␃␀�␀␀␀�␀␀␀33␀␀␀␁␀␀-�m,��`␀␀␀␀m␑��␀␀␀␀␀␀␀�b�␛-�m,�␃␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␁␐�␐�␀m,␀␀␀␎␁␁spotter/printf␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀F␀pressure | tick: 50197, rtc: 0, temp: 21.371092, pressure: 1009.0052492␀␀␀�␜␃␀�␀␀␀�␀␀␀33␀␀␀␁␀␀-�m,��`␀␀␀␀v␑��␀␀␀␀␀␀␀�b�␛-�m,�␃␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␁␐�␐�␀v��␀␀␏␁␁spotter/fprintf␀␀␀␀␀␀␀␀ ␀E␀power.logtick: 50204, rtc: 0, addr: 67, voltage: 0.004800, current: -0.000250

But if I try to use any other serial terminal at all I get varied results. With either minicom or tio or screen I get output from the dev kit but it does not respond to “help” or bm commands.

All of this is from a linux host (running Debian). There is something really strange happening across the serial port on the dev kit.

Has anyone else seen this? I suspect I am going to have to break out my sniffer connection and see what exactly is going across the wire.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vsowa12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@vsowa12](https://bristlemouth.discourse.group/u/vsowa12)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 9:54pm UTC](https://bristlemouth.discourse.group/t/problems-with-serial-connections/291/2 "2024-03-05T21:54:32Z")

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Hello!

The guides were initially written for Mac, and we are in the process of including details specific to Linux users.

On Mac the bristlemouth nodes show up as:

 ![Screenshot 2024-03-05 at 12.05.45 PM](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/bristlemouth/original/1X/64a2f7ea19e74864930293318e51d06069f29928.png)

In the guides we refer to devices ending with `1` based on this part of the port description:  
`/dev/cu.usbmodem00006A2926A71`. It looks like on Linux, the port description is different and I would recommend always connecting to the Bristlemouth port that appears **first** in the list, so in your case `/dev/ttyACM0`.

The second port is for packet capture(pcap) over USB to wireshark. It streams all of the nodes Bristlemouth tx/rx packets. This means anything that we send to/receive from the ADIN2111 is streamed to this USB port. This second USB port will not take in any inputs.

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**Author:** ![MalcolmA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@MalcolmA](https://bristlemouth.discourse.group/u/MalcolmA)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 5:09pm UTC](https://bristlemouth.discourse.group/t/problems-with-serial-connections/291/3 "2024-03-14T17:09:44Z")

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Hi, I’m using windows and after properly attaching the devkit and running “python3 -m serial”, the available ports were the following:

 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/bristlemouth/original/1X/34a9684434be45b9a2bff0b101540a68a7bca412.png)  
all the hardware and physical equipment used here worked perfectly on a groupmate’s mac, so I think this is a windows issue. Do you have any solutions to this, or which port to select?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vsowa12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@vsowa12](https://bristlemouth.discourse.group/u/vsowa12)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2024, 4:49pm UTC](https://bristlemouth.discourse.group/t/problems-with-serial-connections/291/4 "2024-03-15T16:49:42Z")

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Hello and welcome @MalcolmA!

On windows it won’t display the same port information as on mac. So you should use the first `USB Serial Device` that shows up in your list. In this case that looks like `COM7`.