Algorithm (Workflow)

This function, named USBhelp, is designed to assist with USB serial communication on Mac/OSX systems. It is part of the SolidGeometry library and was introduced in version 2.8. The function primarily provides information about connected USB devices and available serial communication ports on a Mac.

Input Parameters

The function USBhelp does not take any input parameters. It operates based on the system it is executed on, specifically targeting Mac/OSX environments.

Algorithm Steps

1. The function first checks if the operating system is Mac/OSX using the ismac function.
2. If the system is Mac/OSX, it executes the following steps:
   • Displays the help text for the USBhelp function using the help command.
   • Executes the system command ioreg -p IOUSB to list all USB devices attached to the system. The output is stored in the variable found, but it is not used further in the function.
   • Prints a debug message indicating that using /dev/tty.* is not recommended for serial port communication.
   • Lists all devices with serial communication capabilities using the directory command dir ('/dev/tty.*').
   • Prints a debug message recommending the use of /dev/cu.* for serial port communication.
   • Lists all devices with serial communication capabilities using the directory command dir ('/dev/cu.*').
3. If the system is not Mac/OSX, the function outputs a message to the standard error stream indicating that the function is only supported on Mac/OSX.

Output

The function does not return any values. Instead, it provides information through the console about the USB devices and serial communication ports available on a Mac/OSX system.

Additional Information

The function references other related functions such as USBsearch and USBpololu, which may provide additional USB-related functionalities.