[Chris_Elston]

I've got a weird problem with communication with the CMUCAM.

I've got a DELL D820 Laptop, Windows XP PRO, and a "real com port". COM1 to be exact.

I loaded NI 8.5 today on my laptop for the first time and loaded up the CMUCAM GUI software from 2006.

When I try and do frame grabs or tracking, the serial communications to the camera times out randomly. It's quite annoying...I dunno why it does this.

We have an OLD, OLD Dell Optiplex desktop machine, Windows 2000 Pro, and I can connect to the CMUCAM no problems, no serial port time outs at all.

But I am getting these serial port time outs on my laptop.

I've done the following:
1. NI 8.5 (from the KOP 2008)
2. NVISTA (serial port driver is installed) from the KOP 2008
3. I have a "real" serial port, no USB>serial garbage here
4. I set my serial port in PORT/LPT to 115,000
5. I tried three different cables, and the shortest one I could find, about 10 feet
6. I unconnected the TTL PWM while I am connected to the DB-9 port on the CMUCAM.
7. I am running Windows XP PRO, not vista...
8. I can talk to the camera all day long, and track data on the camera with NI 8.5 loaded on a slower machine.

Why would my new Dell D820 Laptop drop serial communications all the time?

IS there some timeout setting I can adjust somewhere so it won't timeout so quickly? Thanks