Re: [coldsync-hackers] Palm USB protocol.

["David A. Desrosiers" <hacker@gnu-designs.com>]

> But there was no specific documentation on the protocols used over the
> USB pipes.

	Nor will it ever be, at least... not by Palm.

	HotSync(r) is a patented, copyrighted product by Palm, involving
several (proprietary) protocols to communicate with the Palm hardware. You
gain access to these through the APIs provided by Palm in the Conduit
Development Kit. The SDK also has some information to use as well, but the
protocol itself, as well as the means by which it communicates with the
device, will probably never be publically documented, unless Palm has a
pretty drastic change of mission/vision.

	That being said, it's not a "USB protocol" at all, it's still very
much serial over a USB connector, with enough protocol logic to be
transmitted over a USB hardware interface. You gain the speed by sending
more serial traffic over a "wider" port than RS232 serial.

	I am not supporting their decision or their locked-down lack of
documentation on this, and as anyone knows, nobody has fought more for the
free use of these devices than me, but my breath is running out from asking
them hundreds of times in various forums, in person, personal email, at
their yearly Palmsource conference, etc.

	Word is (take it as rumor) that OS5 will now contain a very tightly
keyed protocol-per-device specification. If your conduit doesn't register
itself with the HotSync Manager, and the HotSync manager cannot authenticate
your device, you get nothing. Thanks to Palm again for making it hard to
believe in them.

	I remain hopeful that this is just a rumor, but I've heard
variations of it three times already from different people who are on the
OS5 discussion list (I cannot find mention of this list anywhere except that
all three mention it exists, and is very closed).



/d


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