USB Adaptors

I am interested in what USB adaptors are being used when connecting to C-Bus, C-Touch etc. I know Clipsal recommends using the Dontronics adaptor but I currently use a Belkin adaptor and have no problems connecting to C-Bus, C-Touch and Minder.

 

I use HP and belkin, both work fine.

 

USB adaptor

I have tried a U232-P9 adaptor some time ago with no luck, i could only connect via a deck top computer with a serial port. since reading this furum again i read a belkin unit worked. i perchased 1 today, installed and connected. still my lamtop cannot locate the network. i am using a Toshiba satellite running XP, has any one got any suggestions?

 

Make sure the C-Bus software is looking at the right com port - on my laptop it is Com4.

 

Couple of points on this, I'm not a PC nerd but I recall that 2000, NT and XP just keep adding USB vertual ports for every USB device you connect and they only drop them off if you shut down the port before physically removing it removing it, I think Coppo has info on this.

Second point the Dontronics USB-RS232 converter that CIS recommend is capable of connecting to C-bus directly, HomeMinder directly and C-bus via HomeMinder others would do one or two of the options but not all three. If you only need to concider connecting directly to C-bus then pretty much every USB to RS232 converter that was tested did that. Also just about any PC/MCIA to RS232 unit tested did all three (but there is a cost factor)

 

Under WinXP if you remove a USB COM Port the device no longer shows up in the Device Manager so you cant delete it and the Port Number is 'consumed'. There is a way to show these hidden USB Devices that are no longer connected though:

You need to create an Evironment Variable called "devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices" with a value of "1", this will cause the Device Manager to show those USB Devices that are no longer present, then you can delete them.

 

Yes you can do this, however , from a lot of experience with people on training courses and different pc configurations we have seen that you can forcibly set the new USB adaptor to a supposedly "Reserved" com port. Win XP will of course give you a warning disclaimer to say that doing so may create a conflict.

As far as "RELIABLE" we have found this to have varying levels depending on the operator, The DONTRONICS adaptor has reliably worked on repeat occaisions;
-all day ( 6 Hours )
-every day
-during Homeminder and C-Bus training courses. ( 2-3 days long)

In 85% of the cases , any other adaptor that customers have brought to a training course has failed at some stage during the 3 days.

If anyone quotes a USB convertor here , please give some indication as to the typical operating period it is used for , as i am sure all users would prefer RELIABILITY over saving a few dollars.

 

There is an easy way...

XP
You go into device manager and on the menu select "SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES"
and you can then delete it
2000
Add remove hardware "Select remove" "Select hidden devices" and delete "Comm port"

Charles

 

Hi Charlie,

I dont believe this will show non-present USB devices.

 

Just tried removing unused com ports on my laptop running Windows 2000 as described by Charlie and it seemed to work fine. When I reinstalled the USB to 232 converter it found new hardware and installed it to COM4.

 

Perhaps its just WinXP then..

 

Link to a MS article on the issue:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q315539

 

I use a Targus adaptor and has performed flawlessly for over 12 months.
I had to force the adaptor in device manager to com port 2 (originally was installed as Com 5)
Laptop has Windows 2000 installed.

My laptop is used almost daily to connect to numerous serial devices and once i moved it to com port 2 I have had no problems at all.
Also it has TX/RX/Link lights which sometimes come in handy for fault finding comms.

Jason.

 

I have a BAFO (Prolific) USB Serial adapter which works with Minder and V2 install software, it does have a few problems but the main problem is that it does not work with the new Toolkit 1.1.4.
Does the Dontronics work with the new Toolkit 1.1.4?

Using WinXP Sp2 on a Compaq Centrino laptop

Martin

 

Yes, the Dontronics one works with Toolkit.

What do you see when using your existing USB Serial Adaptor with Toolkit?

 

It says it cannot find the network name.
But once today (out of about 20 tries) it found the network, scanned the units and then lost connection.

Sometimes it cannot connect using to minder or V2, but only rarely.

Guess I will have to get a new adapter

Martin

 

Does the Dontronnics work with CTouch ??

Charles

 

At home on my desktop PC I use a Keyspan USA49W USB to 4 Serial Port interface which has so far been *UTTERLY* faultless when used with either PCIs or for programming up mono touchscreens and I also use one of these on my own Sony VAIO laptop when I'm using it for programmng up C-Bus for work - again it has been *UTTERLY* faultless.

I honestly can't praise these keyspan 4 port interfaces enough - they are the mutts nuts!

Phil