[aprssig] OT RE: usb-serial

[Dave Baxter]

I have often used USB<>RS232 adapters with TNC's Radios, other
industrial stuff, dialup modems, Serial to Fibre adapters (self powered)
all with no problems.

The "Secret" such as it maybe, is to ensure you have the correct USB
device drivers on your system before you offer it the hardware.   Vista
is no different to XP/2000 in that respect, other than not as many
device makers have Vista compatable drivers available, as they do for
XP, though things are improving as time goes buy.  Check your adapter
makers website, if they have one...

If your adapter is using a known chipset (as many do) and you can
identify it from either the packing notes, old drivers, or what the
system discovers about it when you connect it, you could try looking on
the chip makers websites for drivers.  FTDI and Prolific are two that
provide good drivers for all their "generic" products, and will often
work OK with other brand devices that use their chips.

Vista is a pain for other reasons, but USB<>RS232 devices shouldnt be
one of them.

MS in all honesty do not want you to have to buy anything new to use
Vista, why would they? As that would discourage people from "upgrading"
(Their phrase).   Vista does need you to have Vista compatable drivers
though, most XP ones will not work, if they load (some do though..) But
that is down to the device makers, not Microsoft. 

XP is not Vista, Vista is not XP, they are chalk and chese in effect.
Much to everyone's anoyance...
(XP is very similar to W2000 though)

73.

Dave G0WBX

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Chris Rose [mailto:kb8uih at sbcglobal.net] 
> Sent: 30 November 2008 16:25
> To: TAPR APRS Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [aprssig] usb-serial
> 
> I had a HP laptop, bought the HP adapter and drivers, Win XP 
> OS.  Lost the laptop to theft but had the adapter separate 
> from the computer when it disappeared.  Put the setup on new 
> Gateway with Vista.  However, Vista isn't letting me do 
> everything I want with the software, waiting for a 
> patch(AGWPE).  Microsuck doesn't want you to be able to use 
> recently obsolete (XP) devices with Vista, they want you to 
> buy new stuff.
> 
> Chris
> KB8UIH
> 
> --- On Sat, 11/29/08, Ben Lindner <vk5jfk at activ8.net.au> wrote:
> 
> > From: Ben Lindner <vk5jfk at activ8.net.au>
> > Subject: [aprssig] usb-serial
> > To: "VK / ZL APRS Users" <ozaprs at aprs.net.au>, "TAPR APRS Mailing 
> > List" <aprssig at tapr.org>
> > Date: Saturday, November 29, 2008, 3:44 PM Hi All,
> > 
> > I have just  got a usb-serial  cable working under XP that has been 
> > sitting around for many years and has never worked under XP 
> before so 
> > did some searching for drivers and found some and it now 
> works 100%. I 
> > have tested it with a GPS, all good.
> > 
> > /My question is, has anyone used such a cable ( USB-SERIAL
> > ) with a TNC
> > without any problems. /I would be interested to hear any 
> thoughts or 
> > suggestions
> > 
> > regards
> > Ben Lindner
> > VK5JFK
> > _______________________________________________
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> > aprssig at tapr.org
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> 
> 
>