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USB - RS232 Adapter Driver Issues

post #1 of 11
7/12/04 at 7:58pm
Thread Starter 
I'm trying to get some hardware to work that can only use a DB9 connector. So, I bought a USB - RS232 connector on ebay, which works fine, physically at least. But my software acts like nothing is hooked up, even though when I plug the USB converter cable in, the plug and play bubble says everything is fine. So, I looked through the device manager, and there's a yellow exclamation point next to the "Serial" icon, under the "Non-Plug and Play Drivers" category. I have no idea what this means or how to fix it. My software is looking on COM3 for the hardware; I don't even know how to figure out what my computer is assigning COM3 to, because in device manager under the "Ports (COM & LPT)" heading, it only lists LPT1.

Help?
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post #2 of 11
7/12/04 at 10:05pm
I have to use one of those abominations when I console into routers and crap. I have in my device list a COM1 and LPT1 when I insert the adapter it comes in as COM4 or 5 depending on which usb port it is plugged into. If you don't have the COM1 I'd try checking the bios and see what it says about ports. BTW what are you attaching to and what adapter are you using? Mine uses a prolific chipset in it. I have the drivers if you need them. Oh yeah I use the port that is the farthest away from the firewire but still on the same row it is on. In that port it always comes in as COM4. Some older aps don't support more than COM3.
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post #3 of 11
7/13/04 at 12:35am
Thread Starter 
Firstly, when I plug it in, it says 'USB Serial Device" on the taskbar, which makes me think that it's looking at the serial drivers, which have some kind of error when I look at device manager.

My software is capable of looking at COM ports 1-4, but the only one that isn't greyed out is COM 3, which must mean something. How do you tell where your adapter comes in? Where in the BIOS can I check that? I poked around a bit just by pressing F2 at startup, but I couldn't find anything.

In device manager, I don't get a listing for a COM anything at all.

I'm trying to connect my paintball gun to my computer in order to program the board, something that I've done on my old laptop with a DB9 connector on it already.

Can you check in your device manager and see if your "Serial" has an evil yellow exclamation icon on it, and if not, what drivers it is using?

Thanks for the help so far!

BTW, I have no idea what chipset this thing is, it's just a silver cable with the 2 blue ports, came without anything else in the box, $10 on ebay :-/
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post #4 of 11
7/14/04 at 2:02am
Sorry got busy with work.
Ok first off my device manager doesn't show a "Serial" just...
Ports (COM & LPT) under that it shows as being either COM 4 or COM 5 depending on what usb port it's attached to. can you post a screen shot of your device manager for me maybe that help clear up my confusion. I'll post up some from mine tomorrow if I have time. I haven't even been in the office since monday morning, and won't be till thursday or friday. Oh yeah I'm on my desktop right now so those wouldn't help any.
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post #5 of 11
7/14/04 at 2:10am
Thread Starter 
To get it to show "Serial" you have to go to View and then Show Hidden Objects in the device manager.

So, if you have nothing plugged into your USB ports, does device manager give you a listing of COM ports, or just the LPT port? When I plug the cable itself in, I don't get a listing at all, which is why I think it's a driver issue, despite the supposed "plug and play."

What did you want a screenshot of, specifically? Don't worry if you've got other things to do, I'm not in any particular rush (yet)
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post #6 of 11
7/14/04 at 11:34pm
I just looked at my device manager showing hidden devices again nothing that shows as just serial. I have the USB portion and ports. nothing else even remotely related to serial. My on board modem is at IRQ 17. When I plug in the adapter it comes in as: Prolific USB to Serial Comm Port (COM4). In the Ports entry. Does it look like this http://www.serialio.com/products/ada...al_WinDesk.htm that's what mine is. Oh yeah machine do you have?
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post #7 of 11
7/15/04 at 12:42am
Thread Starter 
Based on your suggestions, I got my computer to recogize the cable, in that it now shows up on the Ports list, and I can change the port, etc. However, my software still won't recognize my paintball gun, although it WILL recognize the port that I have enabled for the cable. I have a 5690 3.2ghz, only a couple months old.

Tomorrow I'll give it a shot with the same cable and software on a different computer with a built in serial port.

I'm still thinking it's an issue with that Serial driver. It's under the "Non-Plug and Play Drivers" section when you view hidden, just under a couple remote access drivers. My brother, who has almost the same model, says he also has the yellow exclamation mark. Maybe it's a more general issue?
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post #8 of 11
7/15/04 at 12:16pm
I would give up if I were you, I tried several brands to log into my car, but none worked. To save yourself the trouble, just borrow one or buy the PCMCIA adapter.
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post #9 of 11
7/15/04 at 12:23pm
Thread Starter 
So, none of the usb adapters would work for you but as soon as you tried the PCMCIA it went fine? What brand did you choose?
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post #10 of 11
7/15/04 at 3:52pm
OK I know the 8790 doesn't need one of these but I happen to have one I used with my Sony Vaio. It's the ATEN USB-Serial Converter. I plugged it up and XP found it loaded the drivers and away it went. Maybe the adapter your using isn't 100% XP.
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post #11 of 11
7/15/04 at 4:30pm
I use this one on my 5690 it works without a hitch. I use it for a GPS, but it assigns it's own com port with the Belkin Software.

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProdu...oduct_Id=91042


Edit 1 - It shows up as "Belkin Serial on USB Port (Com4) in the port settings in device Manager.
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