[WriteLog] RE: USB to serial (Brian Comer)

[Brian Comer]

I have full control of an FT100 radio through the W5XD keyer but no
keying operation. The USB to serial port adaptor is Dell accessory
specifically for this computer and supported by them. 

73 Brian KF6C
  


Brian Comer wrote:
> I believe I have the same problem with my new DELL INSPIRON 5100 which
> has no serial port. The keyer does not use the serial port as a true
> serial port and as such USB to serial adaptors do not work.
> 73 Brian KF6C
============ 
> We discovered that XP will NOT support a USB to serial port adapter if
> the computer has no serial port of its own to start with. There must
be some
> way around this, but we couldn't find one and we returned the Vaios.
> 73, Al AD6E
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While I haven't tried XP, there has to be some problem other than the
USB Serial adapters here. The adapters have their own hardware and
software, and a computer, no matter what type it is, obeys without
question if it is in proper operating order. It simply is not able to
make arbitrary decisions on its own. ( although I wish mine did what I
meant, not what I typed ):>)

I have pointed this out before, and it applies especially to DELL,
that the O/S on these machines is NOT the OEM version which you might
purchase. It is a proprietary O/S made
specifically for DELL, and as such, may very well have support for
serial ports removed from the O/S.

I've seen the XP OEM for sale for as low as $79. Hate to suggest it,
but if I owned one of those machines, I would reformat the disk, and
put the OEM on.

Just a thought..

73
Ed
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