Re: No Serial Ports on Notebooks

["Roland More" <NoSpamroland@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Many vendors that use serial ports for the alarm downloading software
recommend specific brands of USB to serial converters. I use Keyspan Brand
USB to Serial converter on many applications.

Dell makes laptops with Serial ports that aren't too much higher than
regular ones.

"Randy Mass" <randy@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:138jav3sd9o9i88@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Hello All,
>
> I don't imagine that I'm the first to realize that most new notebooks
> arrive lacking a standard rs232 port.
>
> I've tried usb to rs232 converters with very limited amounts of success
> (they definately don't like legacy software, if they sniiff DOS walking
> across the street three blocks away they just have a fit).
>
> Some manufacturers will provide a notebook with serial ports but you
> usually have to buy a model that's far above (in price) their mainstream
> models.
>
> I've done a little research and I believe a pcmcia card with a serial port
> should function like a normal serial port. Most seem to advertise a 16550
> serial chip on the pci bus, just like if it was onboard.
>
> Anyone else run into this and already slain a dragon that I'm now facing??
>
> Thanks
> Randy