RS232/com port connection issues

Hi All,

new member and hoping you guys have the answer!!!

Im working on a Lauer HMI PCS 090 plus and Allan Bradley slc503 PLC setup thats all working fine.

I have a the PCSprowin 8.0 thats fine and connects using my really old laptop via the standard onboard com port. No connection issues.

I have a newer laptop that has no onboard com port as is the norm.

I have bought 3 different usb com port adapters, even a belkin and none communicate with the PCS.

Now i have a new PCMCIA card com port adapter and still the new laptop gets the same response, "PCS does not reply, check com port".

well after hours of changing settings, roll back of XP sp3 to sp2 as that is what the old lappy uses, still no connection.

All settings are the same in device manager.

HELP!!!!!!

yours with crossed fingers for a reply

Gavin.
15.17
08/05/12

I'm not familiar with your HMI, but do any of the USB adapters work with your SLC5/03?

Do you know the comm port the USB adapters have taken?

ive tried changing the com ports. they by default took 3 and 4 which is fine in the lauer sofware as you can select from 1 to 4.

Ive not tried to connect direct to the plc as yet. simply changing text on the hmi screen. ive done this with the old laptop and the pcs733 serial cable as you should. im pretty pc literate and thinking the "virtual" com port via the pcmcia has a different protocol as opposed to the standard onboard serial com port.

Hi all,

I have the samme problem.

It's the first time I use a lauer panel and i'm trying to know how it works.

I am working on a lauer HMI PCS 090 plus and siemens S7 PLC.

I have installed the PCSPROWIN 7.3 on my laptop (Dell latitude E6500 with windows XP) that has no onboard com port.

So I used an usb rs232 adapter to be able to connect the PC to the PCS with the PCS733 cable. And my laptop gets the same response "PCS does not reply, check com port".

I didn't know if the problem was the PCS733 or the usb adapter. So I tried with a Desktop computer (windows xp) via the standard onboard com port, and I have no connection issues.

Did you find a solution with the usb adapter ? Do you know what is the problem with it ?

Thank you.

solution!!!!!

Hi Airine,

after many many hours/days/weeks and about 4 USB com port adapters, all the settings you could imagine i have worked out the solution.

Here it is!!!

USB adapters or 'com port replicators' will not work with the lauer PCS software.

They say this USB adapter will work and im sure they will with other software like Allen Bradly as i've bought a specific one for that, but not with PCS prowin.

How to get it to work!!!

Purchase a laptop with a genuine com port

or

Purchase a genuine docking station for your laptop that has a com port. 9 pin d type and not USB.

As soon as i 'docked' the docking station or laptop port replicator as HP call it, it recognised straight away just like my 15 year old laptop does with a com port as they used to be. Lucky i didn't throw it away!

The software is now classed as old and obsolete and was not written with USB ports in mind.

An actual com port connected rather than a 'software/virtual/USB' will work with standard settings on your com port as it was before you no doubt tried to get it working. MS windows factory settings in other words.

I got a genuine HP docking station for £11 plus post (used).
Cheap and actual solution.

Hope this helps.

Gavin.

Thank you a lot !!!!

This really helps me. I have been searching for about 2 days before I saw your post this morning.

I will try with the docking station when I get one.

Thanks again.