new Dell laptop with real serial port.

[elevmike]

Ok folks, I'm kinda stumpted here.

Specs:
Brand new Dell Laptop w/XP Pro & real serial port (comm 1).
DirectSoft 5. Port setup: COM 1, 9600, odd, 8, 1, none.

I cant seem to establish a link between ANY plc and DS5. The cables & PLCs are ok (works on other PCs). Checked the XP Device Manager, (New computer so cant roll back the driver), checked the DS INI file, all apprears to be in order. No response/link to the PLC.

Looking for ideas.

Thanks, Mike

 

[Ken Moore]

Just guessing, but I bet your new laptop has a dual-core processor. Some of the plc vendor's software has an issue with this, contact Automation Direct and ask them if this is the case with their software.

 

[harryting]

Well, check to see if your serial port works at all 1st. Hyperterminal might work for this or google "rs232 port monitor".

Try connect to another PC using null-modem. See if the data (ASCII) comes through.

 

[jshiepe]

Mike,

I ran into an issue once where the infrared port on my laptop was consuming the same resources that the com port needed. Went into device manager and disabled the infrared port and was good to go. I wasn't using the software you mentioned, but it had nothing to do with the issue.

HTH,
Jeff

 

[Leadfoot]

Something might be using the com port already. I had issues with S7 and my digital camera software hogging the port and resources.


I went into msconfig and turned off all start up items I did not running in the background. made things a bit faster too.

 

[ndzied1]

Testing the Serial Port

In the past I've had to test the Real DB9 serial port on my laptop and used a null modem cable between the DB9 serial port and a USB to serial adapter in the same Laptop.

Then open two instances of hyperterminal. When you type in one window you should see the characters in the other.

You have to establish whether the serial port is working at all or if it is just the DirectSoft that is having a problem.

 

[rdrast]

We have this problem all the time with Dell Laptops.

For some reason, going to the device manager, DELETING the serial port, then hitting 'Scan for new hardware' seems to fix the problem (until the next boot).

Also, of course, make sure that other comms services (RSLinx) aren't running at all.

 

[panic mode]

so far i have used bunch of laptops but never found perfect one, they all had something to complain about.
issues would be bigger or smaller, depending on product. my current Dell is two year old.
the only issues i ever had is metal chips getting into keyboard (i should have been more carefull when
working in the machine shop, one i fixed myself, other was replaced under warranty),
also lost most of rubber feet and one PSU was replaced because cable died after it was coiled over and over.
that PSU is actually still working but at only $45CAD for new one, who wants to mess with it splices in the cable.

the other issue is some of the software, there is always something that can mess things up.
and things that we find most irritating are always something different...

[rant on]
i just installed Siemens Step7, Starter and WinCC flexible... three application and
30 (thirty!) new services loaded at startup and boot up time more than trippled...
this is insane....and it's not even something i use very often...
i guess Siemens programmers must be paid per megabyte of files passed on to customers.
[fant off]

 

[elevmike]

Norm, That sounds like a neat trick, I dont have a USB adapter, but I'll have one in a few hours...

Talked to Dell support. They did a Bios flash, and a few other things. No luck. Now if I try to connect to anything the laptop freezes up.

Apparently I have a bad unit right out of the box. They are sending me a new laptop. Thanks for all the replies.

 

[olias]

Just a wild thought here, but do you have anything else that uses the comm port? Like Linx? That always gets me as I have to disable linx to go online with anything that uses the comm port. Just an idea.

Olias

EDIT: oops, didn't see Leadfoots reply.

 

[Leadfoot]

Go to msconfig and un-check the step 7 stuff. Siemens believes nothing else matters so they hog your resources. I originally had 256m ram and S 7 took up 190 of it at boot up. When I added another 256 the total doubled. I unchecked all Siemens and many other things that are not necessary to daily work and got my speed back. Occasionally I go and "clean house" in msconfig as things like real player and quick time feel the need to boot when you turn on the puter.

After you do the changes and apply them, you gotta reboot. I find it helps to then run disk clean and defrag. An engineer I used to work with told me to do this about once a week. It supprised me just how much junk can build up and clog a computer. When co-workers complain about their puter's acting up, I always tell them about msconfig and house cleaning. The first time might take a couple of hours but on a weekly basis defrag runs quick enough. I usually make sure to do that when I know I do not need my laptop. This one is coming up on 5 years of excellent service.

 

[elevmike]

Dell is sending me a new laptop. (more/other problems popped up when on the phone with Dell Support). In the meantime I picked up a Belkin USB-serial adapter last night and it seems to work fine with the AD stuff. Hopefully the new laptop wont be so buggy...