@ Everyone
Re: Serial terminal.
Thanks!
I had heard / read about a "serial terminal" window in the Arduino IDE, but what I read left a lot to be desired - how to make it work, is it done automagically, etc. So, (if I am understanding all this correctly), unless I "do something different" - whatever that is - any requests, via sketches software, hardware, or whatever, to use a "serial terminal", (using the built-in serial libraries?), automagically get routed through the USB interface to the IDE's serial terminal window. Right?
While we're on this topic. . . (a bit off-topic, I apologize) . . . I just noticed on both my Uno and Mega boards that there are two pin-connections labeled "TX" and "RX", (on the Uno), "TX-0" and "RX-0", (on the Mega). (I had my Uno hidden under a Seeed servo/DC Motor shield - so I did not really notice this until now.) Do these run "in parallel" with the USB "serial" interface, or are they programmatically different?
Example: I have a 16x2 serial display board that I bought with the other Arduino "toys" I picked up for myself. It would be interesting to send, (at least), some status/display information to that display while the Ethernet board, (or some other shield, for that matter), is running.
You know, I used to be knee-deep in electronics and micro-controller electronics head first. ( 
) but I've been away from it for a LOOONG time. (since the mid '90's. . .) This Arduino stuff is really getting me all excited about this stuff, all over again! For which I thank all of you.
What say ye?
Jim (JR)