No Serial Port
 

I was wondering, is there any way to download a program from a computer with no serial port. Is there any kind of adapter for USB-to-serial or something of that nature? Or perhaps a PC card? Or am I just out of luck? Any help on this would be appreciated. My team has 5 notebooks available for use, but only one (a circa-1996 Pentium 90 with no battery) with a functional serial port.

USB to Serial
 

Maybe these products will work,

http://www.keyspan.com/products/homepage-Serial.spml

I don't know how well they work, becuase I never used them before.

Thanks for the help. This was sortof what I was looking for.

That's the method Parallax recommends for programming on Macs, so I'd think it would work with PC also.

The only (as far as I know) way to program a BASIC Stamp on a Mac is via VirtualPC or an equivalent running the Windows BASIC Stamp Editor. That is the way Parallax shows to do it.

Yeah, but you have to use the same type of adapter to get a serial port on a Mac because they are USB/Firewire only.

Right, that was my point. You use the Keyspan adapter w/ VirtualPC to program a BASIC Stamp on a Mac. So, naturally, the adapter will work in Windows.

Does parallax specifically recommend the keyspan converter? (I couldn't tell rbayer's post).

I've just been doing some research on USB to serial converters, and it seems that many people can't get the keyspan ones to work with anything, and thier support is non existant.

For programming another microprocessor that I work with, a cable from FTDI is the only one that works, in the version that doesn't specifically support a usb to serial converter (IE it is the only one that is able to do a good enough job fooling the software). Most other ones work in later versions of the software, except Keyspan. The only place that I have been able to find the serial converter to buy online is http://www.rabbitsemiconductor.com/p...le/index.html, although there are other places that sell it over the phone (or are in australia).

Hope this helps, and let us know what you find that works. :)

Here is Parallax's "Stamp on Mac" pdf.
It says specifically to use the Keyspan adapter.

If you do a Google search for "USB DB9", you'll find many places to get various adapters. They even have a USB to PS/2 adapter. I wish I would have seen that sooner, I would have picked up a legacy-free Abit AT7 mainboard instead of the EPoX 8K3A+, seeing as I can't live without my old IBM 'buckling spring" PS/2 keyboard. The EPoX is a great board, regardless, though.

Definitely let us know how it all turns out. I hope to get a Mac laptop in the future and will need to be able to program a BASIC Stamp and other embedded controllers with it.

What a hoot.

I was horrified when I realized that I might have to get a PC laptop to program for my team.

Looks like I was wrong. The adapter you mentioned works REALLY well with virtual pc... meaning I don't need a pc.

w000000000000000t!

Oh yeah, now to get the powerbook 17" :D

Just to let everyone know, I bought a Keyspan Mini Port Replicator, and I can now program on my new laptop. I think I'm gonna take my old adapter and smash it with a hammer...

I have a legacy-free sony vaio notebook (SRX77... very small, very light, very cool). For xmas I had one thing on the top of my list... a USB to serial converter. I haven't tried it on the innovation first controller yet, but I own a basic stamp and I have successfully programmed it. I bought it off www.usbstuff.com/serial.html. It's the blue one close to the top of the page. Only $40.

USB to Serial Adapter
 

I've heard that some USB to Serial adapters (RS-232C on DB9 connector) don't work and some that do work.

I think it's time that IFI and Parallax switch over completely to USB or Ethernet or actually provide an adapter that works.

I've a friend that is testing a whole batch of them and will tell me which one he likes for his business. In my business, I'm still dealing with RS-232 stuff.

If any of you find an adapter that works, post it here. I'll probably cave in and try to find an older laptop anyways.

The trick is to avoid the "PDA adapter" (USA19Q, US$37 list) from Keyspan and get the "high-speed serial" (USA19QW, US$57 list) adapter from that company. The PDA adapter was translucent blue, the serial, translucent black(?)

The documentation for the hssa talks about the delay in getting a "Stop Sending" from the target device back through the USB/Windows interface, a delay of about a millisecond. "At 9600 bps, this is only a character". they say, but at higher speeds, perhaps 100 characters that are potentially sent and forgotten by the host, but never heard by the target device.

The adapter is, after all, only a software/hardware simulation.

North of the Border -----
The Parallax site has a serial adapter (not the Keyspan) for sale for US$22, but UPS International 'service' costs US$44, making the "inexpensive" part cost about Can$100 TNIP. A local dealer, CompuSmart, sells the Keyspan USA19QW for Can$80 TNIP.

USB to Serial Adapter
 

The one my friend is going to order is from Dontronics (http://www.dontronics.com/usb_232.html ) and I'm going in for a couple with him.

Apparently, it seems that the ones using the FTDI chips are the good ones.

Given what's available you can roll your own adapter from the evaluation kit.