Digital Cat and Elan MIra A3 USB connection

[Terrie]

Hi Everybody. I just got a Mira and I was wondering if anyone uses the USB connection from their Mira to their laptop to do realtime? I tried connecting mine with no luck. But when I connected with the serial port, it worked fine. So I guess my question is do I need to be on CaseCatalyst to have the privilege of hooking up with the USB cable, or did I simply do something wrong? And I am currently on Digital Cat software (version DC-3). Thanks in advance to anyone who responds!

[Gina DiLuzio]

I got my Mira last year and I'm on DigitalCAT too. When I got my writer, I told them I was on DigitalCAT and they sent me the adapter for my realtime cable (the purple adapter), which is for the non-Catalyst users, which is the serial port. But I do have an adapter on the other end that is USB. I'm not sure if this gives you any insight or not. I've been using that setup for years. I think you have to have the Catalyst software to use the USB connection on the Mira.

[Terrie]

Yes, that did help. Thank you. I guess that explains why they gave me the purple adapter too. lol!

[Glen Warner]

Hi, Terrie.

Gina is right: If you want to use JUST USB to connect your writer to your laptop, you have to be using either Case Catalyst or Eclipse ... and the only reason it works with Eclipse is because Advantage Software reverse-engineered Stenograph's USB communications protocol ... and they only did that because Stenograph wouldn't give/sell/lease it to them.

Since you are on digitalCAT, if you buy a USB adapter from Stenograph, they will sell you the Keyspan adapter ... which DOES NOT WORK with digitalCAT and any Stenograph writer (works fine with the ProCAT Flash, though).

Hope this message doesn't reach you too late (I'm writing this off-line). If, by chance, it does, and you have to return the adapter and they complain, have the sales person read the 20SEP09 update on my (cheap and sleazy) website ... or, to make it easier, have him/her search for "Keyspan" on the main page.

Good luck ... and enjoy digitalCAT!

--gdw
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"For a Good (steno) Time ...."
http://www.cheapandsleazy.net