USB to Serial adapters and Laptops

[Big John T]

I know we are all familiar with the laptop and no serial port problem. I have been fighting it for a while. I could get almost no connection through RSLinx with my laptop and a ratshack USB to serial thingy. I have the better one comming today. I spent 2 hours the other night removing all the **** programs on my new laptop that the manufactures stick on there. It made a huge improvement in my connection to a PLC via RSLinx. I was able to stay on line with the PLC for 5 to 10 minutes at a time. Next I will do a clean install of XP to see if that improves it any more. Then a clean install of 2000 Pro, If that don't fix it Dude I'm getting a Dell with a serial port!

It makes me wonder if there is some configuration settings that will improve it more???

Just thought I'd share this with you...

John

 

[TimWilborne]

I use an old Belkin F5U103 and have not had any issues connecting to devices through RsLinx except DH-485 devices. There is probably a newer version of this adapter.

The issue with DH-485 is that it requires hardware switching which USB to serial adapters do not support. For this I have a 1747-UIC which is a USB to DH-485 adapter that replaces the old 1747-PIC. It supports both RS-232 and RS-485

 

[Big John T]

I have the 1747-UIC for DH485 but most of the time I need DF1. If I change the user port to DH485 then no one else would be able to communicate with it... I can't even remember when I used DH485 last. Now that you brought up data highway I do need to have DH+ from time to time for SLC 5/04 processor and my laptop does not have the slot for the PCMK card, I have an "Express" slot that is useless. Is there any other way to connect to DH+ or a SLC5/04 processor besides a compaclogix backplane with a DH+ card and an ethernet card?

Thanks
John

 

[Paulus]

I use an old Belkin F5U103 and have not had any issues connecting to devices through RsLinx except DH-485 devices. There is probably a newer version of this adapter.

Hello Big John T,
I, like TWControls have used a Belkin F5U103 without any problems whatsoever, albeit not using AB, but Omron PLCs, so I reckon the thing must be pretty good at what it does!

 

[Psymon]

I use a Belkin F5U409 that I got at Staples for $30. Actually I was so ticked off when I was on a job site that the crappy Dynex one from Best Buy kept disconnecting me from the SLC I was working on that I left and drove the 80 some mile round trip to get the Belkin one. It's about twice as big as the other one but about a million times better.

 

[Big John T]

I've ordered the Keyspan adapter so we will see if it makes any difference today.

Thanks
John

 

[SeanLee]

I use a Polific CP-US-03 and have never had problems.
I did notice that sometime my usb wirless mouse would interfior
would unplug that and would work again.
Make sure you only use one brand of USB to serial because some brands drivers will attach themselves to a com port and to change to a different brand you need to go to the Regisrty and delete the other Adaptor

 

[Big John T]

I have both the Belkin and the Keyspan now to test...

I'll be sure and delete the ratshack drivers.

I'm thinking a clean install of XP is in order...

John

 

[ToolGuyFred]

If that don't fix it Dude I'm getting a Dell with a serial port!

Don't assume that will fix the problem. A couple of years ago I had an issue with a mitsubishi system and my new laptop. The laptop was an HP/Compaq with a serial port. My comms were fine talking to a Q-series through an E-series HMI in transparent mode. Tried the same thing with an older A-series system and no dice. Could connect direct to the programming port with my new PC and in transparent mode with my old PC. The eventual cure? Used a USB to serial converter and it worked fine with both the A and Q-series systems in transparent mode.

I have used four different USB to serial converters, all successfully with A-B, Omron and Mitsubishi gear. So long as you go into device manager and view the hardware to see which port is assigned to the converter, things seem to work just fine.

 

[Big John T]

There is no assumtion that the Dell will work as I borrowed the plant engineers Dell laptop to finish the programming when I got to the testing stage as my laptop would only stay on line long enough to download sometimes... With his Dell with a built in serial port and my AB null modem cable I stayed on line all day with out any problems...

Thanks for the heads up... Don't you just love communications.

John

 

[ToolGuyFred]

Thanks for the heads up... Don't you just love communications.

I have a book on my office shelf called "RS232 Made Easy". I smile every time I read that title.

 

[Ken Roach]

"RS232 Made Easy", that's Martin Seyer's classic; I have one right here by my desk too, next to my dusty copy of Machinery's Handbook 24th Edition.

Seyer's book is excellent when you want to do a reality check for yourself about pin assignments and DCE versus DTE definitions.

The Machinery's Handbook is a lot heavier, and I occasionally use it to smack people who insist that DH+ is RS422.

I am a big fan of the Keyspan HS19 USB/RS232 converter. It has never failed me, and even includes some nifty diagnostic utility tools.

 

[Big John T]

I can't wait to get my Keyspan USA-19HS installed. It's small and comes with a purdy USB cable and blinky lights. The tools included is a line monitor and data trace... and works on Linux!

I'm doing a clean install of XP just to be sure all the unwanted programs and undocumented features are removed...

John

 

[Big John T]

Just an update the Keyspan has been online with a 5/03 for over an hour!!! What a difference from the ratshack cr*p adapter...

I'm leaving it on all weekend...

John

 

[ChuckM]

I have the Belkin adapter and one of the adapters Automation Direct sells. Between the two of them, thus far I've connected to most everything I've had to try.