PC serial (RS-232) port support and setup

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Closetalk Support
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Joined: 30 Jan 2012, 12:10

PC serial (RS-232) port support and setup

Post by Closetalk Support »

Modern PC:s do not have built-in serial (RS-232) ports anymore. There are two ways to get serial port support on a modern PC:
  • By using an USB-RS232 adapter. This is usually the only way for laptops although there are PC-card adapters available, most often very expensive
  • By using a PCI or PCI-express serial port adapter card. This is the best and recommended way for desktop computers although USB adapters also work with desktops
USB-RS232 adapters can ususally be found at well-supplied computer part retailers. PCI adapter cards commonly requires a more specialized dealer/retailer.

A faulty installed adapter and operating system drivers is a common installation problem, here follows a few recommendations:
  • There are a lot of low quality "no-name" adapter manufacturers on the market, always choose an "established" manufacturer for the adapter. To check if a manfufacturer is "established", visit their web site and see if they update their drivers regularely, that is usually a sign of quality
  • Only use an adapter that has support and drivers for the exact operating system version, i.e. do not use Windows 7 or 8 drivers for Windows 8.1
  • Always follow the installation instructions carefully. A common mistake is to connect the USB adapter before installing the drivers, this may result in Windows rejecting the adapter which must be corrected manually using Windows Device Manager
  • Keep the drivers updated. This is especially important if the operating system has been upgraded, e.g. Vista to Windows 8, or is new (Windows 8.1)
  • With Windows 8 and especially Windows 8.1, make very sure that the adapter is still supported and has updated drivers! As an example, older ATEN USB-RS232 adapters are supported on Windows 8 but not on 8.1
  • After installation and before using the serial port, open the Windows Device Manager to verify that the adapter has been installed correctly and to note what COM-port number it was assigned, this is important for the Close Talk PC software configuration
By following these recommendations most problems with serial ports will be eliminated.
Best Regards
Close Talk Support
http://www.closetalk.se http://www.close-talk.com

All posts are believed to be fully accurate for a normal system, instructions and procedures should be followed in detail. If in doubt, please ask for clarifications. Close Talk Conference System makes no guarantees that information posted here will not cause other direct or indirect problems due to unforeseen circumstances and will not accept liability for events including but not limited to data losses, system downtime, missed deadlines, etc. It is assumed that the customer has and is taking professional precautionary actions suitable for their own system and user environment to prevent such losses.

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