No Serial Ports on Notebooks

No Serial Ports on Notebooks

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Subject Author Date
No Serial Ports on Notebooks Randy Mass 07-02-2007
Posted by Randy Mass on July 2, 2007, 9:52 pm
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Hello All,

I don't imagine that I'm the first to realize that most new notebooks
arrive lacking a standard rs232 port.

I've tried usb to rs232 converters with very limited amounts of success
(they definately don't like legacy software, if they sniiff DOS walking
across the street three blocks away they just have a fit).

Some manufacturers will provide a notebook with serial ports but you
usually have to buy a model that's far above (in price) their mainstream
models.

I've done a little research and I believe a pcmcia card with a serial
port should function like a normal serial port. Most seem to advertise a
16550 serial chip on the pci bus, just like if it was onboard.

Anyone else run into this and already slain a dragon that I'm now facing??

Thanks
Randy

Posted by Mark Leuck on July 2, 2007, 10:58 pm
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> Hello All,
>
> I don't imagine that I'm the first to realize that most new notebooks
> arrive lacking a standard rs232 port.
>
> I've tried usb to rs232 converters with very limited amounts of success
> (they definately don't like legacy software, if they sniiff DOS walking
> across the street three blocks away they just have a fit).
>
> Some manufacturers will provide a notebook with serial ports but you
> usually have to buy a model that's far above (in price) their mainstream
> models.
>
> I've done a little research and I believe a pcmcia card with a serial
> port should function like a normal serial port. Most seem to advertise a
> 16550 serial chip on the pci bus, just like if it was onboard.
>
> Anyone else run into this and already slain a dragon that I'm now facing??
>
> Thanks
> Randy

See if a docking station will work, they usually have those ports and aren't
too bulky



Posted by Matt Ion on July 3, 2007, 1:47 am
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Mark Leuck wrote:
>> Hello All,
>>
>> I don't imagine that I'm the first to realize that most new notebooks
>> arrive lacking a standard rs232 port.
>>
>> I've tried usb to rs232 converters with very limited amounts of success
>> (they definately don't like legacy software, if they sniiff DOS walking
>> across the street three blocks away they just have a fit).
>>
>> Some manufacturers will provide a notebook with serial ports but you
>> usually have to buy a model that's far above (in price) their mainstream
>> models.
>>
>> I've done a little research and I believe a pcmcia card with a serial
>> port should function like a normal serial port. Most seem to advertise a
>> 16550 serial chip on the pci bus, just like if it was onboard.
>>
>> Anyone else run into this and already slain a dragon that I'm now facing??
>>
>> Thanks
>> Randy
>
> See if a docking station will work, they usually have those ports and aren't
> too bulky

That's an idea... sometimes also known as a "port replicator". Most
will be specific to your model of laptop, but there are some
USB-connected versions that may work as well.

The PCCard version should work more like a "real" port, though.

Posted by CWatters on July 3, 2007, 4:11 am
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> I've done a little research and I believe a pcmcia card with a serial
> port should function like a normal serial port. Most seem to advertise a
> 16550 serial chip on the pci bus, just like if it was onboard.
>
> Anyone else run into this and already slain a dragon that I'm now facing??
>
> Thanks
> Randy

Yes. A PCMCIA card will normally work but not if the software on the PC has
been written to interface directly with the serial port on a PC.



Posted by Roland More on July 3, 2007, 10:02 am
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Many vendors that use serial ports for the alarm downloading software
recommend specific brands of USB to serial converters. I use Keyspan Brand
USB to Serial converter on many applications.

Dell makes laptops with Serial ports that aren't too much higher than
regular ones.

> Hello All,
>
> I don't imagine that I'm the first to realize that most new notebooks
> arrive lacking a standard rs232 port.
>
> I've tried usb to rs232 converters with very limited amounts of success
> (they definately don't like legacy software, if they sniiff DOS walking
> across the street three blocks away they just have a fit).
>
> Some manufacturers will provide a notebook with serial ports but you
> usually have to buy a model that's far above (in price) their mainstream
> models.
>
> I've done a little research and I believe a pcmcia card with a serial port
> should function like a normal serial port. Most seem to advertise a 16550
> serial chip on the pci bus, just like if it was onboard.
>
> Anyone else run into this and already slain a dragon that I'm now facing??
>
> Thanks
> Randy



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