Serial-USB

Joe
Joe Junior Member
in AMX Hardware
It's been a while since I've had to think about this, but I've been looking at new, inexpensive laptops and it seems that most of them don't have a serial port. I remember way back that the USB-Serial adapters did not work with Netlinx Studio, but I'm not sure if anything has changed since. This would be for basic setup of IP in a master so I can then use ethernet to do everything.

Thanks.

Joe
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Comments

  • vining
    vining X Member
    Wow, you haven't been looking at laptops for a while cuz I stopped finding DB9 serial jacks about three laptops ago.

    I've been using an ATEN USB to serial bridge for years w/o any problems.
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  • B_Clements
    B_Clements Senior Member
    Dell still sells laptops with a DB9 connector. Mine is a Latitude D820.

    The USB to Serial adaptor proven to work with Studio is made be Keyspan.
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  • vining
    vining X Member
    B-Clements wrote:
    Dell still sells laptops with a DB9 connector. Mine is a Latitude D820.
    Was that a build option or a standard feature?

    The ATEN GUC232A I use is made by IOGear.
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  • LegacyUser
    LegacyUser
    A DB9 serial port is standard on the Latitude D8xx and D6xx series. My D810 has one too.
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  • bano
    bano Senior Member
    Joe wrote:
    It's been a while since I've had to think about this, but I've been looking at new, inexpensive laptops and it seems that most of them don't have a serial port. I remember way back that the USB-Serial adapters did not work with Netlinx Studio, but I'm not sure if anything has changed since. This would be for basic setup of IP in a master so I can then use ethernet to do everything.

    Thanks.

    Joe

    I use the keyspan usb to serial adapter....works perfect.
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  • John Gonzales
    John Gonzales Junior Member
    I'm also using a Keyspan USA-19HS with Windows Vista with no problems.

    --John
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  • Marc Scheibein
    Marc Scheibein Junior Member
    Other idea would be a PCMCIA RS-232 card. They have a real UART chip, so it is a real RS-232.

    Our experience is that a USB-Serial is working for simple things like terminal, but runs into problems i.e. for firmware downloads or diagnostics. This we found is caused by the fact that some USB-Serial adaptors are not capable to transmit and receive the same time (simple test: short TX and RX and check what's coming back...)

    Other laptop with real RS-232 is from Acer Travelmate 6460 series (I applied the 6465 as my new notebook from our IT - hope I get it :-)).
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  • Thomas Hayes
    Thomas Hayes Junior Member
    I had nothing but problems with my USB-serial interface so I got an unit that plugs into the same slot as my DVD player, works great !! All I need to do now is remove it if I need to use the DVD.
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  • DHawthorne
    DHawthorne Junior Member
    I'm using the Keyspan as well; but once in a blue moon if I try to download from a device (like a Lutron system) at high speeds, I'll get a blue-screen crash. If I lower the baud rate when that happens, it's fine.
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  • GSLogic
    GSLogic Junior Member
    I had problems with the USB converter but since getting the PCMCIA RS-232 card, it works great..
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  • ryanww
    ryanww Junior Member
    I have a couple like this:
    http://www.usbgear.com/computer_cable_details.cfm?sku=USBG-4&cats=199&catid=199%2C461%2C106%2C1009%2C601

    I have used them for a couple years, and I have yet to run into a time when they did not work. I have ran it at 115.2 kilobaud a few times as well and it has worked flawlessly. They are also cheap which is nice. It is any of the ones that use the FDTI chip for 232.

    Ryan
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  • RVance
    RVance AMX Engineering
    I'm trying to capture IR codes with an IRIS and IREdit using a USB to serial adapter. Anyone have any tips or tricks for this? IREdit keeps giving me this error message: "Error getting com ports. Received the following error message: Unknown error occurred." and when I hit "Send" on the IRIS the nd led flashes at me. I have the IO Gear GUC-232A, and it works find loading code and IR files. I also have a Radio Shack USB to Serial adapter, but it seems pretty flaky, it keeps timing out when transferring large code files and ir files. I also have a Micro Innovations USB610A, but I can't find a free driver online for it, so I haven't had a chance to test it.

    Thanks!
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  • B_Clements
    B_Clements Senior Member
    Signed MS Drivers

    Make sure your adaptor has Windows drivers that are Microsoft XP signed and tested. I once had a cheap adaptor that only had 98 and NT drivers. It never did work properly so I ended up buying the Keyspan adaptor.
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  • Prodigal
    Prodigal Junior Member
    I've got myself an Asus with a RS 232 on it.
    It's an Asus Z91F

    Don't know if it was a limited edition or whatever tho. But Asus sometimes does Laptops with 1 conector optional, where you choose what you'll get there.

    Had any luck at all with Serial-USB adaptors.
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  • VLCNCRZR
    VLCNCRZR Senior member
    serial port solution

    Hey Joe,

    When I got my newest laptop (6 months ago), I was able to locate
    a dual-serial port card for the ExpressCard-34 size format.

    The card is made by SIIG Inc.

    It is a CyberSerial Dual ExpressCard.

    Having 2 active serial ports comes in very handy.
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  • Daniel Tehan
    Daniel Tehan Junior Member
    Serial ports

    IBM has a plug in device that goes in the same slot as your CD/DVD drive on a Thinkpad. All of our service techs got them and say they are really nice, works just like a hardwired port, DOS prompt and all.

    I have a Keyspan, haven't had it fail on me yet.
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  • kbeattyAMX
    kbeattyAMX Junior Member
    vining wrote: »
    Wow, you haven't been looking at laptops for a while cuz I stopped finding DB9 serial jacks about three laptops ago.

    I've been using an ATEN USB to serial bridge for years w/o any problems.

    I purchased an ATEN USB to serial but the master keeps going offline when I use it. I fiddled with the transfer buffers and now I can't seem to get it to work. I'm sure there is something I'm not doing right. It runs a console window just fine and RealTerm works. Model UC-232A
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  • vining
    vining X Member
    I'm pretty sure that's the one I'm using (label is gone) and have never had any problem.
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