pc serial ports

Hi all.

I recently purchased a new pc .. with only USB Ports... I have bought several usb to rs232 converters but I still cannot connect to our Plcs (PLC5 AB)

Does anyone know of a brand of USB to RS232 cable that I can buy..??

If you try to connct to PIC port you need 1747 UIC.

there is not usb converter which match PIC.

http://www.keyspan.com/products/usb/USA19HS/

What PLC5 do you have. Some do not have sreial ports.

I have successfully used Omron CS1W-CIF31 (RS232C to USB Converter)with SCL5/03 (RS232C port, Ch0, DF1 Protocol, 1746-CP3 cable)

SVN

I had one of these and it always seemed to work good for me. I have tried a couple of USB to serial converters and on somethings they would work and some they would not but this always seemed to work no matter what it was.

http://www.bb-elec.com/product_family.asp?FamilyId=23&Trail=2&TrailType=Top

One of the Allen Bradley tech notes refers to a Belkin F5U103 as the only serial to USB converter that has been tested and recommended by AB. I have since purchased one and have used it with Micrologix processors with no problem.

I've had some luck with USB to RS232 adapters.

The required voltage range for RS 232 is very forgiving at -3 to -25v for a mark and +3 to +25v for a space. The problem is that the USB conversion uses the 5 volt supply in the USB port. This is ok for short range, but you won't have the range that a standard RS 232 port will have; typically using a + and - 12 volt supply. Some adaptors require separate power supplies with optical isolation, I suspect you will have better luck with these if you have to go anywhere near the 50ft maximum on 232.

This is a more expensive way to go about it, but you could always purchase a PCMK card and a pcm5/b cable.

that's how i hook up to the PLC5's with my laptop since i have no serial ports.

Is it a desktop or laptop PC?
For a desktop go with a PCI card like this
For a laptop use a PCMCIA card like this
I found both with a quick google search "PCMCIA serial port card"
or "PCI serial port card". They should be pretty cheap ($35-100)

USB - serial

Some of converters does not work. One work for sure. I tested on my new laptop. HAMA. www.hama.com .It is cheap one. Be sure to install drivers what they provide instead of windows drivers.

By the way mostly problems are in drivers because chip of converter is the same in most of cheap drivers.

Ramunas

Hello Porky.

Like Mickey asked for in post #3, is the PLC5 a "classic" PLC5/10, PLC5/12, PLC5/15 or PLC5/25 ?
If this is the case, then there is no serial port to connect to. What looks like a serial 9-pin SUB_D port is actually a DH+ port.
If the PLC5 is an "enhanced" PLC5/11, PLC5/20 ... then there is a 25-pin SUB-D port to connect to.
You need to check that the dip-switches on the CPU are set for RS232 and not for RS422 or RS485.
The serial online cable needs the following pins connected:
9-pin PC --- 25-pin PLC5
RXD 2 --- 2 TXD
TXD 3 --- 3 RXD
GND 5 --- 7 GND
And then in RSLinx you have to carefully set the same serial parameters as set in the PLC5 program for CH0.
With a USB/serial adapter you cannot count on that the autoconfigure function works. Sometimes it does, sometimes not.

I think that you can actually select just any USB/serial adapter as the DF1 protocol is quite forgiving. I have a cheap model that works well.
Try to search for "USB serial" as there was a quite comprehensive thread some time ago.

I have been using a TripLite Adapter.

I have used it on 504,s 505', Compact and Control Logix.
It even worked with a SST Profibus card for the SLC.

http://www.sjgreatdeals.com/trpu209000r.html