[aprssig] convert serial weather data to tcp socket

[Tyler Allison]

I've been beating my head against a wall doing google searches for the
last 3 hours and find nothing of use under $300.

Instead of asking for a solution I figure I'll throw out my issue and see
if anyone has an idea and then throw out a few ideas myself at the bottom.

I have an Oregon Scientific WMR-968 Weather Station currently hooked up to
a Linux box running the wx200d software.  This is all fine and dandy and
works like a charm.

I want to replace the Linux server, since it does nothing but convert
serial weather data into something I can get via a TCP port from a remote
webserver. Seems like a waste to power a complete desktop to do nothing
but run a weather deamon that simply translates serial data and spews it
out when you connect to a specific port.

Does anybody know of a way to take serial output from a WMR-968 and make
it available via a tcp port WITHOUT installing any 'virtual serial'
drivers? I found plenty of serial-to-ethernet devices but they all
required installing a driver on the client to create a 'virtial' serial
port. Not an option since I cant require a driver be installed on all the
clients.

What would be great is to be able to connect to say...port 8888 and have
the device spew serial data over the TCP session.

Another option might be to take the WMR-968 data, run it through a device
to convert it to an APRS weather data packet and make that available via
TCP port 8888

I know I COULD connect the WMR968 up to a radio and transmit the weather
data on APRS but I am unable to hit a reliable IGATE in my area with even
50watts of power so my only option is to go ethernet.

Ideas?

Thanks,

-Tyler