zapmk;
Well, if it was me, I would get myself a simple wireless ethernet bridge and a linksys NSLU2 "Slug".
Put Linux on the Slug, get an USB to rs232 adapter cable and have the slug use the wireless bridge to access it from the LAN. I don't do the wireless to the Slug but the wireless bridge looks like a "wire" to the Slug.
I can even pass on the perl script I use to pull data from my Mate.
It pulls raw data that ends up looking like this:
0,01,00,00,126,119,00,02,000,01,260,008,000,040
Each field corresponds to a data value from the FX inverter itself thats passed to the Mate then to the Slug via the RS232/ USB interface.
Very low power.
You cannot use an ethernet hub or other ethernet gear other than a Cat5 cable to connect the mate to its devices. They do not play well together and Outback says it will kill the mate.
Just a few thoughts.
Good Luck with it!
Tom