Dingdongler

Hi

I have an AV gadget at home that has a RS232 port for updating firmware and tweaking via your PC. I need to tweak via my PC. It comes with a RS232 to serial cable to do this with.

My PC does not have a serial port and the manual says in that case buy a USB to serial adaptor.

This is confusing me. Does that mean I plug the RS232 cable into the gadget, then attach the other end of that cable (serial part) to my serial to USB cable adaptor and then plug into PC??

Can't you just buy a RS232 to USB cable??

Thanks

LostUser

Yes, you plug the usb-serial adapter in to your USB port, then plug a serial cable in to the usb-serial adapter and the other end in to the device with the RS232 port.

Ant

Pop to your local maplins they'll have them there.

acstua

iTrader: (1)

ive had varying luck with them
with some things ive found one cheapy one to work and another not etc
they generally all seem to have the same chip in them anyhow nowdays

JackClark

Get one from Keyspan, they always work, others are flakey at best.

Dingdongler

Thanks.

Jack, the manual also says that they recommed 'Keyspan'

Nobody has answered my other question though, why can't you have one cable with the RS232 at one end and USB at the other. Why is this two cable technique needed?

Thanks

Dingdongler

Also, why can't I use a RS232 to RS232 cable? My PC has a RS232 port as does the AV gadget.

jpor

iTrader: (1)

Can't you just buy a RS232 to USB cable??

When you say you have a RS-232 to serial cable. Is it a 9-pin RS-232 to 25-pin Serial cable (Also a RS-232). If this is the case and the PC already has a 9-pin connection on it then I would just buy a straight through 9-pin to 25-pin converter plug so you can plug this into your PC. Plenty on E-bay.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-Serial-Modem-Cable-DB9F-DB25M-RS232-1-80m-lead-/200567054886?pt=UK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL&h ash=item2eb2ba6226

john_s

iTrader: (1)

Make your mind up!

RS232 port is a serial port.

Ant

Dingdongler

Sorry I maybe confusing the issue.

Please look at this and then click on 'owners manual'. On page 8 you will see the back panel of AV gadget that shows two ports marked 'rs232'.

http://www.lyngdorf.com/content/view/21/45/

This is what I need to connect to my PC. They have provided me with a cable that fits these ports on one end and the other end has the big connector you see on this image

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur...ed=0CDEQ9QEwAQ

My PC will not accept this big connector.

My question is why can't I get a cable that has the same male part on each end, because my AV gadget has a port that accepts it as does my PC

Thanks for helping

albob

it isnt just a simple case of a cable with two different ends -- there are some electronics involved!!

http://www.eleccircuit.com/usb-to-se...dapter-rs-232/

JackClark

If your PC has the right port you don't need the adaptor, just the cable, buy that first you need it with a USB serial adaptor anyhow.

Dingdongler

Ok, I'm getting myself into a muddle, not helped by the fact that I've misunderstood what the rs232 connector is.

Could someone please click on this link, then click owners manual. On page 8 is the back panel of the device. What kind of ports are they that are marked '7'?

http://www.lyngdorf.com/content/view/21/45/

Thanks

Saint AAI

When you say the PC has an RS232 connection the same as your new device, it sounds like your talking about the modem input on your PC not a serial port. The port on your device looks like an RJ-11/12, the port on your computer will probably be a 9 pin D-Sub male not an RJ-11. You will need an RJ-11 to 9 pin D-Sub female connector. Something like this. You will need to know the pinout though to wire the connector up properly.

Serial port on PC looks like this with IOIOI wrote next to it:


If the connection your refering to on your PC looks like this, it's the modem connection:



Edit: Found this http://system.s2gstore.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1746/.f

To answer your question, the ports on the device are RS232 serial ports. However they use RJ-11/12 connectors.

Dingdongler

Saint, sorry if I'm being thick but are you saying that though the device uses what looks like a modem connection (ie RJ 11/12) it is actually a serial port and so I CAN'T just connect it to the modem connection on my computer?

PS, I don't have a connection like the first pic you gave ie 10101 only the modem connection and USBs.

Thanks again

hodgy0_2

the confusion is because people are mixing technologies and terms

i.e they are confusing connector types with signaling technology (although the term USB is confusing in itself)

but I think Saint has it correct

the basic point is you need the correct signaling technology required bt the end device -- then look at the cable and connectors needed to deliver it

if you dont have the correct connectors (on either end of the cable or device) you will need either an adapter -- which simply modifies the physical connector or a converter which modifies the signal (and usually the connector to USB)

Saint AAI

Yeah, the cable will fit, but it is a serial connection on the device and a modem on the PC so won't work. Looks like you are going to need a USB to serial interface and an adapter for one end of your cable to turn it into a 9 pin D-sub. You could chop one end of your cable and solder on the D-sub connector to use with the USB-Serial interface.

Edit: Just read one of your earlier posts. Looks like you already have the cable with RJ-11 on one end and 9 pin D-sub on the other. You just need the USB to serial interface.

You should have a cable that looks something like this:



So all you need is one of these:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...8WX5RQ2N33BXZK

boxst

No help at all, I'm just reminiscing about RS232 ports. I haven't heard about those for years. I used to wander around with a cross-over cable to play games connecting two PC's together.

Perhaps Spitting Image can explain it all? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDlj0jBtYmQ

Dingdongler

Thanks mate, all makes sense now. I'll order one today