Usb To Serial Convertor

[Adi]

Is anyone of these better than the other or both equal?

Thanking you.

[Guest rjbsec]

Seem to remember previous threads highlighting problems with usb converters and recommending card to serial - either this one or close relative.

http://rswww.com/cgi-bin/bv/rswww/searchBr...mp;cacheID=ukie

[Adi]

Thanks Roger, i seem to remember a post on here about the usb problem but couldnt find it.

Ive seen them for a lot less than 90 pound, i know you get what you pay but if there is nothing to them wouldnt a 'cost effective' one do?

[Guest rjbsec]

Thanks Roger, i seem to remember a post on here about the usb problem but couldnt find it.

Ive seen them for a lot less than 90 pound, i know you get what you pay but if there is nothing to them wouldnt a 'cost effective' one do?

I haven't used it either Adi, my Toughbook has a serial port fortunately, but I do remember that some others had pcmcia to serial and were having problems getting them to work, the RS one was recommended as one that "did what it said on the tin" so to speak - maybe others have experiences with cheaper options.

[Cubit]

I use a standard USB-RS232 adapter, paid about a tenner a couple of years ago. bought it from

http://www.directusbstore.co.uk

Use it all the time on my laptop and nevere had a problem. I have heard the odd story/rumour that the pc/laptop itself can be a cause of problems with the adapters, but personnally i'm not convinced.

Andrew

[arfur mo]

hi all

i to use a generic pc card to serial (bought off ebay for about 8 quid), never fails to work and has so proved far more reliable than the usb versions.

pc cards are closer to the PCI bus architecture, someone infinantely more knowledgeable than me in pc matters said it is all due to IRQ problems (that much of the older software demands to use) will not always work with usb converters.

hope it helps

regs

alan

[mjw]

Is anyone of these better than the other or both equal?

Thanking you.

I brought a USB to RS232 converter from (i think maplin) a couple of months ago it was a lot less than

[Guest]

must say though RS232 is'nt that reliable and it never has been

It's infinitely more reliable than USB though.

[Drew]

The main problem with both PCMCIA and USB to RS232 converters is that the Com port will often be numbered something random like com25. Some software will allow for a com port number this high and some won't. All software that uses com ports will get in a tangle if this number changes when you plug in the adaptor - or a bluetooth module, infra red device or something similar. The numbering issue can be sorted out, but it's fiddly.

Cheap adaptors (both USB and RS232) are like cheap anything - they may or may not work as expected. We have seen both sorts affected by a particular bit of lazy engineering - the voltage levels of the signals are 0 to 5V rather than the specified -12 to +12V. This causes erratic behaviour which is great fun if you are playing with some electronic bits for a hobby, but not so good in a professional setting.

Brainboxes (click here) seem to take their standards quite seriously and I have found their stuff to be reliable.

USB does work - it's a brilliant standard. There are many cheap USB devices out on the market which are poorly designed, so they (rather than USB) are the non working component. The advantages are numerous, including speed, no port numbering to worry about and no separate PSU for the peripheral. It's no good as a data transmission protocol over a longer distance, though.

[Cubit]

Another issue to be aware of, for those who prefer the card solution. New laptops are starting to appear with an ExpressCard slot instead of PCMCIA slots. These are not interchangeable AFAIK.

I don't suppose it's an urgent issue...unless Santa was good to you this year and left a nice shiney new laptop under the tree.