USB to RS-232 Serial Adapter Advice

Hi,

I have a friend that has an LX Colibri (the older model without a USB
connector) and he is having a tough time getting it connected to his new
laptop. The manual I found online for the laptop does not show it having a
PC Card (PCMCIA card) slot or an ExpressCard slot.

I have had the best luck connecting to soaring instruments using either a PC
card serial port or an ExpressCard serial port.

I have not had any real success using a USB to RS-232 Serial adapter cable.
However, I have seen postings on this newsgroup from glider pilots that have
found USB to serial adapters that work well for them.

Please let me know if you have found a USB to Serial adapter that works well
for you with soaring instruments. Please include the make and model #.

Thank you,

Paul Remde
Cumulus Soaring, Inc.

We are using a Keyspan USA-19HS USB to Serial adapter with an LX7000
computer to download flights. Haven't had any issues with a variety of
different PC's and seems to work with Windows XP and Vista.

-Kevin

I mainly use a Iomega GUC232A adapter, but I also have an EasySync ES-
U-1001-R10. The main difference between the two is that the Iomega
uses aProlific PL2303 chip, while the EasySync uses a FT232RQ chip.

I've always been able to connect to RS232 devices with either adapter,
under both Win98SE and XP Pro. Can't be positive, but I think the keys
a

1. follow the instructions and install the driver FIRST before
plugging the adapter in, and
2. use Device Manager to change the adapter's Com port to something
between Com 1 and Com 4.

Hope this helps.

-John

On Feb 23, 12:55 pm, "Paul Remde" wrote:
Please let me know if you have found a USB to Serial adapter that works well
for you with soaring instruments. Please include the make and model #.

On Feb 23, 10:03*am, KevinFinke wrote:
We are using a Keyspan USA-19HS USB to Serial adapter with an LX7000
computer to download flights. Haven't had any issues with a variety of
different PC's and seems to work with Windows XP and Vista.

-Kevin

I use the same adapter to connect to an LX 7000 - no problems. I use
SeeYou to connect, rather than the LX software which is kind of
klunky.

9B

Forgot to mention that a USB-Serial adapter will ONLY work if the
program on the PC is written for Windows. A program written for DOS
will go straight to the hardware, which doesn't exist when you use a
USB-Serial adapter. To get the hardware for DOS programs, you need
something like a PCMCIA to serial adapter.

-John

On Feb 23, 1:16 pm, jcarlyle wrote:
I mainly use a Iomega GUC232A adapter, but I also have an EasySync ES-
U-1001-R10. The main difference between the two is that the Iomega
uses aProlific PL2303 chip, while the EasySync uses a FT232RQ chip.

I've always been able to connect to RS232 devices with either adapter,
under both Win98SE and XP Pro. Can't be positive, but I think the keys
a

1. follow the instructions and install the driver FIRST before
plugging the adapter in, and
2. use Device Manager to change the adapter's Com port to something
between Com 1 and Com 4.

Paul,

I don't have make, model & serial numbers with me (I can get those to
you later), but all three of the USB-RS232 adapters I've used had one
trait in common: the PC would *think* they were working properly, but
without the manufacturer's driver installed (go figure). But with the
driver(s) installed, they always worked flawlessly.

I know one is the aforementioned Keyspan.

2NO

On Feb 23, 10:35*am, jcarlyle wrote:
Forgot to mention that a USB-Serial adapter will ONLY work if the
program on the PC is written for Windows. A program written for DOS
will go straight to the hardware, which doesn't exist when you use a
USB-Serial adapter. To get the hardware for DOS programs, you need
something like a PCMCIA to serial adapter.

-John
[snip]


I could not resist the ONLY in caps. That would be only EXCEPT if you
run Windows (or even real MS-DOS) within a VMware virtual machine with
the USB-serial adapter running on the host OS. Then the software in
the virtual machine won't care and cannot tell there is a USB adapter
involved.

I use a Keyspan USA-19HS on my MacBook Pro and can connect Windows
running in a VMware Fusion virtual machine to this device on the Host
OS. Software in the virtual machine will see a standard UART physical
interface and cannot tell there is a USB adapter involved so should
work fine with MS-DOS or Windows applications. It has worked for the
serial apps I've tried to a C302. Virtual is the new physical.

Darryl

I stand corrected! What I was trying to do was to try and prevent
someone not as well versed as you to buy a USB serial adapter, plug it
into Windows running as the sole OS, and then wonder why his DOS
program wouldn't talk to his SN10. Naturally, there are many ways to
skin a cat - especially if you are a computer expert.

-John

On Feb 23, 1:54 pm, Darryl Ramm wrote:
I could not resist the ONLY in caps. That would be only EXCEPT if you
run Windows (or even real MS-DOS) within a VMware virtual machine with
the USB-serial adapter running on the host OS. Then the software in
the virtual machine won't care and cannot tell there is a USB adapter
involved.

On Feb 23, 11:07*am, jcarlyle wrote:
I stand corrected! What I was trying to do was to try and prevent
someone not as well versed as you to buy a USB serial adapter, plug it
into Windows running as the sole OS, and then wonder why his DOS
program wouldn't talk to his SN10. Naturally, there are many ways to
skin a cat - especially if you are a computer expert.

-John

On Feb 23, 1:54 pm, Darryl Ramm wrote:

I could not resist the ONLY in caps. That would be only EXCEPT if you
run Windows (or even real MS-DOS) within a VMware virtual machine with
the USB-serial adapter running on the host OS. Then the software in
the virtual machine won't care and cannot tell there is a USB adapter
involved.



Your advice was great. My expectation is that many users have problems
with USB adapters, even with plain Windows apps. And many of those
users will give up because dealing with Windows device management is
too hard and they did not realize they probably needed to load
drivers.

In Mac land, the Keyspan is one of the few (only mainstream?) USB
adapter that has driver support. It works but has a few bugs (The
Keyspan driver can panic OS X if I do unnatural things to the device
at very high baud rates, much faster than any flight computer can
talk. It has never failed in normal use). I have notes on using this
and debugging general serial port things that I keep meaning to finish
and post on my blog.

Darryl

(Who remembers writing MACRO-11 and FORTAN code to talk to DHV11
serial muxes on RT-11. And is now feeling old.)

On Feb 23, 2:07*pm, jcarlyle wrote:
I stand corrected! What I was trying to do was to try and prevent
someone not as well versed as you to buy a USB serial adapter, plug it
into Windows running as the sole OS, and then wonder why his DOS
program wouldn't talk to his SN10. Naturally, there are many ways to
skin a cat - especially if you are a computer expert.

-John

Warning, further confusion posted above...
* ILEC SN10 software includes versions for 32-bit Windows
AND 16-bit Windows/DOS.
* DOS versions of SN10 and many other programs run great
under "simulated" DOS, including:
- DOSbox (runs your ILEC software on a Mac with no Windows)
- PC emulators that run on PDAs (as above)
- etc.

For PCs, we recommend Belkin USB-to-serial adapters, as
Belkin drivers have fewer bugs, exist for 64-bit windows, etc.
Many adapters will only function correctly at certain settings,
which *might* be what you need - or not.

For Mac, we recommend Keyspan.

Many adapters have drivers for only one OS (ie, Windows
or Mac), so you have to be a bit careful !

Hope this helps,
Best Regards, Dave "YO electric"