DH+ on a Notebook without a PCMCIA Slot.

I'm finally upgrading my old Notebook but it looks like the new Notebooks currently out are almost all without PCMCIA slots (most have PC Express slots but those are incompatible). This leaves me unable to use my 1784-PCMK card for DH+. Has anyone found a solution to this dilemma? I don't believe that A/B has a USB DH+ solution yet either. I've looked at some external PCMCIA to USB adapters but they all specify that they are either only for use with PCMCIA Memory Modules or for use with PCMCIA WiFi adapters.

Steve

Get a Dell dude, primarily a D series Latitude: http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/latit_d630?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04There are others like HP that still offer what may be needed.

We just had a thread recently about the same subject.

It's Here

Basically, it sounds like your only other option for connecting to a DH+ network is to use PLC hardware as a bridge (for example, a 1756 rack with power supply, ethernet card, and 1756-DHRIO card).

Dude get a Dell!

John

I called Dell and they said that they no longer ship ANY notebooks with PCMCIA slots. I pointed out that the Tech Specs for some of their current notebooks indicated support for Type I/II PCMCIA cards but they said that that was outdated information.

Haven't priced these but...

I haven't used or priced these but they look promising.

http://www.protocolconverter.com/products.html

LeoK

dbrsystems said:

I haven't used or priced these but they look promising.

http://www.protocolconverter.com/products.html

LeoK

Click to expand...

FYI: Prices
http://www.factorycomm.com/pkv3500dhdf1.html

No, I have not used it.

Dell Latitude 600-series PCs have built-in RS232 ports as well as PC Card slots. We buy them by the dozens.

Since Dell is a direct-only company, any sales rep who says that the website info is "outdated" is full of it. He or she likely only gets their commission on consumer units, and would have had to send you to a different salesperson for business-class units.

To keep on using PCMCIA Type II cards like the 1784-PCMK, 1784-PCD, and 1784-PCC, a PC like the Dell Latitude 600-series is your only choice.

I have seen customers migrate to the 1770-KF2 clones from protocolconverter.com, but I can't support those myself.

I was in the market for a new laptop this past spring and ended up buying the Dell Latitude D820 because it had a serial port and PCMCIA slot. I use the PCMK card almost daily to connect to both SLC5/03 and SLC5/04 processors and I also use my PCD card every couple of months.

I questioned my Rockwell Sales Manager about how I will communicate to these PLCs in the future when I can no longer get a PCMCIA slot and he didn't have an answer. He said nothing is currently in the works that he is aware of.

P.S.
The new Latitude I got has a PCMCIA slot and an Express Card slot.

Oh, I just checked the Dell website and the Latitude D830 still has the PCMCIA slot along with the Express Card slot and serial port. Seems like the way to go.

I've got a Lenovo T60, great machine IMO.

They are still selling them with a PCMCIA slot. No serial port though.