Networking & Communications

Serial Port

Linking Starting From Serial To Fiber Optics

Computer Technology Woes and Solutions

 

Both USB and RS232 are serial ports and they do have pretty much the same function. They are both used to connect various pieces of equipment to our computer. Back in the day when USB was fairly new to the computer world, every computer had that D-shaped port on the back, the RS232 port. So, frankly, there was no need for a converter cable from one port to the other.

 

Unfortunately time passes and trends in our computer technology tend to go along with the changes that life goes through as well. Nowadays, when customers purchase a brand spanking new computer, it will surely come with a lot of USB ports but most likely won't have an RS232 port anywhere.

 

Many people have seen the versatility of the USB port. People think of it as a plug that can be used for almost any device, which is really the true meaning behind the name of the port being called "universal."

 

The rather unfortunate discomfort for folks who still use devices that uses the old RS232 port or cable is that they can't plug their device to the new computer they just bought. Talk about a bad out of the box experience. This can be a real pain for those who own a GPS and a new computer without the serial port on the back that has 9-pins on it. Fortunately, nowadays, we do have a USB to RS232 converter cable.

 

Features

 

This new converter cable has a lot of great features that users can benefit from. Of course it allows users to connect their GPS to the new computer but there's more to it than what we normally would expect. For instance, this converter cable is usually designed to be heavily shielded. This feature will help eliminate any form of data loss.

 

This converter cable is actually more than just a cable. It is in fact a piece of electronics since it has a prolific chip adapter. Take note that it takes more than just to solder both USB and RS232 ports onto a cable and voila. This cable converts signals and provides connectivity between a computer and any device that has an RS232 connection such as serial printers, POS, some pocket PC models, some models of digital cameras, PDS, modems, and ISDN TAs.

 

With the electronics that come along with this converter cable, anyone's serial port expansion problems can be easily solved. These converter cables have a lot of industrial applications. It is also quite usable for remote access as well. Any application that would require one to use a high speed and low com port will find this cable pretty useful.

 

Reminder

 

Life isn't as simple as it seems and that also is true in our computer technologically boosted world. To think that a USB to RS232 converter cable alone will magically solve all serial expansion problems is equivalent to getting blind sided. Remember that everyone is trying to solve both a hardware issue and a software issue as well.

 

People may have an adapter cable that fits but they will surely require a piece of software that works. Take note that some manufacturers do not support certain operating systems, such as Windows Vista for instance. Before you purchase one of these converter cables, make sure to read the documentation that comes with it. Make sure that the software that comes with this piece of hardware supports whatever it is installed on the computer at home.

About the Author

I've been involved with personal computers in general and in particular networking for a long time.  I realize it may sound pretty lame, but talking about stuff such as canbus adapter and <a href="http://www.easysync-ltd.com/category/131/usb-to-ethernet.html">USB to Ethernet converters</a> get me excited.

How do I access the serial port on my computer with C# and control a microcontroller?

I am using Visual C# in vista and I would like to know how to access the serial port to control LED's on a microcontroller. I would like something basic to get me started.

You're going to need to write your own driver with something more powerful than C# -- C and some assembly. Google "Microsoft DDK" or "Windows Driver Kit". Once you have the driver, you can access it with C#, VB, VC++, etc.

You can also use pre-written drivers (by buying a kit and using the one they supply)

test serial port