feasability of converting a serial device to usb.

R

Ryokurin

[H]F Junkie
Joined
Aug 14, 2001
Messages
10,560
This is just a shot in the dark, but i've been wondering this for a bit. You know how you can go and create serial devices such as ir receivers, or switches that use serial ports and such? has anyone engineered anything where you could use a USB port instead? Yes, im aware of the circuitry that is needed for this, im just wondering if its even feasible.
 
just find a USB-serial cable that allows you to use it as a normal com port. i know there are some of those around.
making your own device for a specific application would be hard, expensive, and would only serve that single purpose.
 
since usb is a serial decive converting to usb from seriel isnt all that difficult.
 
Just pick up a serial to usb converter cable from a store for cheap. They run for as low as $10-$15 and emulate a com port.

-Mike
[edit]ex: Heres a cheap WRONG one from compgeeks [/edit]
Sorry, I didn't read all the notes on that cable, yeah fork over the extra cash and get one that emulates the com port
 
NOTE: This cable is not recognized as a standard COM
Click to expand...
no that one would not work. it NEEDS to be recognized as a standard com port for it to work in most software.
since usb is a serial decive converting to usb from seriel isnt all that difficult.
Click to expand...
clearly you have not researched into the matter. in fact it is quite difficult if you were going to do it by hand. dealing with designing your own drivers, SMT components, and a whole lot more.
 
The usefulness of that cable depends on what software you plan on using with it, along with the device used. If the program properly asks Windows for a list of serial ports, then there should be no problem using it. If it decides it wants to talk directly to port 0x3F8 or whichever serial port (COM1-4), then you're SOL. Under XP, devices can't talk directly to serial ports anyways...

What are you trying to convert?
 
i know the Palm serial/usb cables from kensington or whoever will emulate a real com port... a lot of them do they use them with GPS's all the time for net stumbling
 
fat-tony said:
The usefulness of that cable depends on what software you plan on using with it, along with the device used. If the program properly asks Windows for a list of serial ports, then there should be no problem using it. If it decides it wants to talk directly to port 0x3F8 or whichever serial port (COM1-4), then you're SOL. Under XP, devices can't talk directly to serial ports anyways...

What are you trying to convert?
Click to expand...


what I was thinking of doing was simple things such as a ir port for a remote. it was for an htpc that has two normal serial ports however one is internal and the other one is tied up because its connected to my cable box to allow the pc to change the channel. I was thinking about making a usb device so I could use a device I made allready if it was cheap. Anyways, it probably will be more than 40 dollars so I might as well buy a usb ir-blaster instead.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top