USB to serial adaptor.

Might have been more useful to give one of these many others, then, with a slightly less negative collection of poor feedback concerns.

It is always best to look and examine the negative feedback. I think bracketing of all the negative ones as being merely a "few awkward sods" might lead to disaster if the OP wants the adaptor in a hurry, given what some of them have been consistently writing.

Indeed, although it can be hard to predict in advance which will be which. I went through three finding one that worked well enough. The first looked ok, but its serial port emulation was not good enough to convince my wacom software to work with a serial graphics tablet through it. The second worked ok, but the drivers would randomly blue screen windows from time to time. The last is based on the prolific chip set and seems to work without crashing anything. It does have a habit of reinstalling the COM port at an ever higher number each time you move it from one USB port to another though.

Looking around the Arduino projects etc., FTDI chips are popular for this class of problem

That's what the Maplin one I've just bought uses. Said on the box no driver needed for Vista or XP. CD supplied with drivers for everything else. They lied - it wouldn't work on Vista. Eventually found their site and got a driver. Works just fine now.

That's what I need it for. And a Tech Edge wideband sensor. The old laptop running '98SE wouldn't run the Tech edge software - and locked up frequently with MS. So I had to remove the MS and take it into the house to sort things out on the desktop.

Don't suppose you know anyone running an MS on a bog standard Rover V-8

No, I can't help with that. I've built mine (for a pinto for now, probably moving over to a zetec or duratec in the next couple of years), but don't plan to install it 'til after Christmas (I can't afford the other bits at the moment as I'm out of work, although I'm due to start again in the next couple of weeks and then I've too many other things to do first).

SteveW

Unfortunately from other posts it appears that Dave needs this for an engine management system. Laptops with real ports are becoming rarer and the desktop's not much use when you want to tune an ECU on the road.

SteveW

Hmm, memories of doing that in a freind's Westfield a few years back - interesting trying to talk and bugger with the system whilst practically flying down country roads :-)

That was with an old Gateway 2000 laptop though and IIRC Windows 3.11 (possibly '95). Probably too much to ask for a Linux version of the management software I suppose, so that at least it could be run on older stuff...

cheers

Jules

In case you're using Vista, be warned that some of them don't come with Vista drivers. You may find a driver on the internet, but check with your retailer before you buy.

I got this one from an Amazon marketplace retailer for < £7.50 back in May

I'd probably build a 12V powered machine using a Mini-ITX board, and bolt it into the car!

Dave Plowman (News) submitted this idea :

Whilst both are serial, they are not even close to compatible - they need complex electronics to do the translation. Not all work as successfully as some, but your mileage may vary depending on what you are using it for.

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" wrote

They are active devices with electronics but can be purchased for a lot less than £20

Example: £2 including postage from ebay

I tend to use Maplin on as a last resort and expect to pay 2 or 3 times the price that can be found elsewhere.

Hmm, car electrics seem to be pretty noisy, even modern ones - it'd be interesting to know how people who've tried that have got on. (plus, I think every vehicle I'd ever owned has ducked below 12V with everything running anyway)

Hmm, do they come with PCMCIA slots these days? Fuzzy memory's saying that's essentially PCI in a small form-factor, so doubtless RS232 cards exist which will give you a genuine serial port rather than a wodge of USB bollocks and a software headache...

(do you have photos of this Rover online anywhere? I went through a whole P6 era but never screwed around with SD1s, which I think yours is...)

cheers

Jules

I think we've gone past traditional PCMCIA into the era of the Expresscard.[1]

For those, there are serial adaptors, such as:

Also, for some serial kit I have to work with, no USB-serial converter has yet been found to work. Reasons are unclear as the people who have tried are remote and we cannot see what they are doing.

Lots of people seem to do it. The regulator actually takes it all down to

See here:

and here:

PCMCIA is not USB, it predates it.

That is USB as expresscard has both parallel bus and USB.