laptop without serial port support?

[nieder]

Hello All,
I am a recent hire at a new company.  Job requirement is to support existing equipment on the floor plus construct new.  The problem is some of my older PLC's have only serial port data link.  Today, it is harder and harder to find a new laptop with a built-in serial port.  USB and ethernet are not always an option.  Does anyone have experience with expresscard serial port adaptors and communications with PLC's -- Koyo, etc..?  Adaptor card such as Cyber Serial Express Card 1 port.  Any problems with directsoft finding serial interrupts through the expresscard?  Thank you.

[Greg]

nieder, I have no directly related experience with the "Cyber Serial Express Card," however, if the driver for the card makes the port act like a COM port, then DirectSOFT will not have any problems with it. DirectSOFT doesn't "know" it is talking to a USB versus a COM port versus an adapter card (made to act like a COM port)... it only "thinks" it is talking to a COM port.

[bartb103]

I've used several adaptors, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. Cyber serial worked sometimes. Belkin usually worked. Hardest is DOS based software such as TISoft2.
Finally gave up and bought a Dell that still has a serial port, it always works.

[Greg]

We list the USB-to-serial adapters we've tested in DirectSOFT FAQ0011:

http://www.hosteng.com/FAQFiles/DirectSOFT.htm#FAQ0011

If that link doesn't work:

• Goto http://www.hosteng.com.
• In the left pane, under Support, click FAQs.
• Choose DirectSOFT as the product.
• Scroll down to FAQ0011.

[Harvey]

one thing I found with usb to serial is the usb port has to be com port 1 or you will not be able to attach.

[Greg]

Harvey, this is technically not true. It may be true on your PC and your particular USB-to-serial device, but we have plenty of customers using USB-to-serial devices on COM ports other than #1. We also tested DirectSOFT here and as long as the COM port is not used by anything else, you can use COM ports of all numbers (e.g. COM8, COM23, etc.) as long as these COM ports are enabled in the DS500.INI file.

[franji1]

fyi...
Rel 5 supports up to COM199 (that's a lot of com ports)

[ATU]

I tried several PCMCIA cards and the best luck I've had is SIIG.  They are probably one of the most expensive, but never had a problem with older software. The only problem is with the modular Plug connector, the strain relief broke off.