Laptop with built-in RS232 serialport

[Gomez_]

This is the one I use, never had any issues.

http://amzn.com/B002LITGA4

 

[GaryS]

Real Ports will always be preferable over USB if they are available. and Windows still supports them ports 1-4 were hardware defined years ago but the manufactures are already getting away from them and they are getting increasingly harder to find and usually on older PC's. there will come time when you just cant get them anymore.
all I am suggesting is for you don't have a real port try to reconfigure what you have.
also try different adaptors some work where other don't I have found some will not work with Rockwell software others will

 

[Rockfordmfg]

Why not use a VirtualBox? Software is free and you set it up to route the USB to any COM port. I use a DOS VirtualBox for some really old Mitsubishi and GE controllers and it works great. Only had to find a way to get the software on 3.5" disks to USB so I could load them on the VirtualBox and then get a cable.

 

[LadderLogic]

Well. I have been using this Omron dongle for years and am yet to see something it would not work with. I mean, one can download to an older Quickpanel using Quckdesigner serial link! Not every USB-to-serial converter can handle that!

It is a bit pricey. But this is for work, not for fun.

https://www.ia.omron.com/products/family/1426/

 

[diat150]

And here is your answer...



imo, greatly preferable to just have the real thing and know it works. Even if you have the real thing sometimes you still spend time trying to arrive at the correct settings.

the reality is that you are going to pay a real premium for a embedded serial port. I use the keyspan 95% of the time, the rest falls on the other 2.

The great thing is having multiple ports is real useful when needing to communicate to more than 1 serial device simultaneously. also, when your onboard serial port gets zapped, you will be in a bind.