Serial Port Problems

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Thread Starter

Gregorio Cavazos

Hi everybody,

I want to know if someone of you have bought a laptop early, because here in Mexico, I'm having a little trouble to find computers with serial ports. I've heard that USB converters don't work well.

I want to know if somebody else has the problem, and how did you solved it, I've heard about some PCMCIA adapters but never tried them, Has someone tried them?

Ing. José Gregorio Cavazos C.
[email protected]
 
There has been ongoing discussion on several sites about this issue. Real serial ports are available from Dell (you have to order the PC with the port).
I have purchased NEC laptops recently with serial ports.
The adaptors sometimes work, depends on the brand. Generally I have found Wiretek OK.
PCMCIA serial ports that generally work very well are available from BB Electronics.
 
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Dobrowolski, Jacek

Hi, Look for Toshiba Satellite Pro series laptops.

Regards,

Jacek Dobrowolski, Ms. Sc. E. E. Software Engineer
 
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Robert Dusza

Gregorio,

I have purchased Serial PCMCIA cards by SIIG and they have worked fine. These were to add a second serial port to a laptop.

Bob

Robert J. Dusza, Jr. Project & Technical Support Manager (V) 1-860-647-3219 (F) 1-860-647-3150 E-mail - [email protected] Manchester Water & Sewer Dept. 125 Spring St. P.O. Box 191 Manchester, CT 06045-0191


Gregorio Cavazos wrote:
> Hi everybody,

I want to know if someone of you have bought a laptop early, because here in Mexico, I'm having a little trouble to find computers with serial ports. I've heard that USB converters don't work well.

I want to know if somebody else has the problem, and how did you solved it, I've heard about some PCMCIA adapters but never tried them, Has someone tried them?

Ing. José Gregorio Cavazos C. [email protected]
 
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David Alvarez Quiroga

I do not know about new labtop trends but I am using my old labtop as a protocol analyzer with one serial port from PCMCIA and the own serial port from the labtop and it works fine.

I do not have any experience on USB converters.
 
L
Just started using USB serial adapters and they seem to work OK, you have to make sure there plugged in when you start up your computer or some software won't recognise the adapter.
The Belkin USB adapters seem to work ok there pretty seamless.
 
M
go online, look for cheap computer systems and laptops, you can buy a IBM A20 laptop with serial ports and CD-ROM and everything else for $500 for less, you can get fully loaded, reayd to go full sized PC's for under $300, I have never had a laptop or PC which did not have at least 1 serial port! (ever in 20 years of computing!)

Matt
 
Hi

I have just used IOGEARs USB sirial adapter (model GUC232) to communicate with Modicons Quantum. it seems to work fine.

Akhil
 
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Gregorio Cavazos

Hi all,

First, thanks for the answers, I'm glad that you take care of people with troubles.

Second, I don't know why some of you say that there aren't laptops without serial ports, I was considering about buying a Dell Inspiron, at glance I looked at the inspiron 1100, but no serial ports, then I said, well, it would be better an inspiron 5100, but again, no serial ports, then the inspiron 8500, OK, has one serial port, but it's too big, just because they want Wide screen, I don’t want that big. Then I looked to the latitudes, but again, I found noone with serial ports. There's a pressision model, but too expensive, I didn't look if it has serial ports. Then I decided to look to Toshiba, and I found some models with serial ports, I look at HP and there are also with serial ports, There are Compaqs with serial ports but personally I don't like Compaq computers, but my problem is:

Here in México I go to the stores where they sell computers, and the only computers I have found with serial ports, are Compaqs and has said before I don't like them. There are a lot of HP without serial ports, there are also a lot of Sony Vaio but without serial ports, also there are Toshibas, but the models for sale aren't with serial ports, there are some Acer, but this ones are only tablet PCs.

So, I was considering the option to use a PCMCIA adapter to have serial ports, because I've heard that USB to serial converter has some problems with some PLCs.

There's another way to find computers with serial ports, I can go to buy an used laptop, but I don’t like that idea, because sometimes the battery doesn't work, and maybe another components doesn't work, added to the problem that you are buying an obsolete system.

Ing. José Gregorio Cavazos C. [email protected]
 
...at least in Sony's case, the less expensive port replicator has a serial port available for use. I'm having the same problem. I think I'm going with the cheaper USB to serial cable alternative...

hector
 
u must cange com addrees. is very simple if u using xp or windows 2000,right click in My computer propertis and find device manager than find ports(com & lpt) in Properties
 
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Kirk Robicheaux

I'm also in the PLC/SCADA/EFM world. If your software has any kind of DOS base drivers, you may have problems going with the USB/Serial adaptor due to USB doesn’t support DOS. I've used the PCMCIA adaptor, and it works great with DOS base software communicating with PLCs and Flow Computers. Check out B&B Electronics Website. Last time I checked it’s about $100 to $125.

Kirk Robicheaux
 
I too have problems with a Belkin USB to serial adapter, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, until I restart the computer a few times. Panasonic makes a rigid magnesium cased laptop with built in serial port.
 
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