USB to Serial adapters and Laptops

[dipakdevare]

You can use branded serial to USB converter like from MOXA or CONTEC . You will comeout of all the problems happended due to low cost converters.

Thanks

Dipak Devare

 

[gilnutz]

Which Adapter Should I Purchase?

Thanks for everybody's input on this, What brand and model of PCMIA to Serial adapter would be recommended?

Thank You Again

Billy

 

[Tharon]

I use a Socket Serial I/O PC Card with great success.

 

[Mickey]

Thanks for everybody's input on this, What brand and model of PCMIA to Serial adapter would be recommended?

Thank You Again

Billy

I think this is the pick of the litter.
http://www.quatech.com/catalog/rs232_pcmcia.php

 

[ndzied1]

"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.

I have you covered with the dusty 24th Edition Machinery's (complete with my own worn out custom tabs) but my "C Programmer's Guide to Serial Communications" is even thicker and can illucidate the stubbornest of foes (are those words real?). For the real geek in you, it even includes huge fold out ASCII chart.

For a quick pin-out reference, I prefer my trusty old "Pocket PCRef" By Glover & Young. My 1994 version has a DOS 6.22 command reference for when I'm feeling nostalgic for a computer I could understand all the part of...

 

[Big John T]

Ok now I'm showing my age... I keep my trusty The PC Technical Source-Book for Engineers, Scientists and Other Serous PC/XT and PC/AT Users 1988 Edition by Industrial Computer Source book within arms reach all the time...

John

 

[ironsj]

Hi guys, I am new here, I was just looking online at the UPort 1110 for $49 and the 1130 for $75, Are these the Moxa brand you suggested? I have tried Blackbox and Tripplite with very poor success. Might be something I am doing wrong. I can hookup but drops off after 3 or 4 minutes. I have a 1774-CP3 usb that works great, got to get an adapter to hook to PLC5s. I have a nul-modem and a male to male hooked to a 9 to 25. What a rig. I know they must make a single plug to do the same thing. But would really like to have a serial to usb that is really dependable. Are the ones I mentioned pretty "top of the line"?

 

[Big John T]

I've never heard of them. The Keyspan is one of the two that AB actually tested and approved. Belkin is the other one. The Keyspan I have tested and will stay on line as long as you want. Just make sure you have all the power settings on your laptop to not go to sleep when plugged in. I've left my Keyspan online for 24 hours with no problem.

John

 

[ironsj]

Thanks John, I just took a look on e-bay, Keyspan runs $35+ and the Belkin are around $10. Think I should go with the Keyspan sence you have tried it.

 

[Big John T]

I bought mine directly from Keyspan http://www.keyspanstore.com/ It cost me $39.

John

 

[ironsj]

Thanks John, I just ordered one, got it $31.60 including shipping from ANT online, Can you post links here? At any rate, thanks for your advice, I hope it works out for me.

 

[paul56]

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.

Dear Fred,
1. I have tried to upload from Mitsu's FX1N to Melsoc Medoc software (DOS) installed on my HP Pavillion Laptop which has no serial ports only USB. I used a BF 810 USB to serial cable from BAFO and the SC09 converter circuit for RS422 to RS232 (uses 75179 and Max202E ICs). On trying to transfer from PLC to Medoc, after 4 retries the software says: No reply from PLC. Any suggestions please?

2. What are the GPP and 'Others' options for on the software? I've tried to download manuals for this software however nothing is sufficiently detailed.

As I can't dump my laptop or job, useful, speedy replies would be very much appreciated.

Regds
Paul

 

[Russ]

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

It will cost you about $40. Pick up a keyspan usb to serial (Compusa sells them). I've used it to communicate via channel 0 to slc 5/03's, 5/04's, and plcs. It works great!
I had to pick up one of the uic modules because the two 5/03's I service don't have the 'pass through' option (ancient firmware), and I needed to add some missing alarms in the panelview. It was highly doubtful that either plant would be interested in upgrading firmware for a subcontractor lol (plus it'd cost a lot more than $250) .
It works great too! I just have to remember to set up linx as a service.

 

[Big John T]

It will cost you about $40. Pick up a keyspan usb to serial (Compusa sells them). I've used it to communicate via channel 0 to slc 5/03's, 5/04's, and plcs. It works great!
I had to pick up one of the uic modules because the two 5/03's I service don't have the 'pass through' option (ancient firmware), and I needed to add some missing alarms in the panelview. It was highly doubtful that either plant would be interested in upgrading firmware for a subcontractor lol (plus it'd cost a lot more than $250) .
It works great too! I just have to remember to set up linx as a service.

I have a Keyspan USB to Serial. Did you not read the entire message???

John

 

[Russ]

I read you initial message (pre-keyspan), but I didn't read the entire thread. I'm glad it's working for you. I've used the autoconfig feature as well without any problems.

It's a shame that AB is not supporting the DH+ through usb or pcm express. They're dropping the ball imo.
The whole backplane route is ridiculous. It screams Siemens to me.