[BC] RS232 / USB adapter suggestions?

[Chris Gebhardt]

Bill Sepmeier wrote:
> 
>> Or at the very least a USB connection.  Serial ports are few and far 
>> between on laptops these days.
> 
> 
> Speaking of the lack of conventional (read: obsolete) serial ports on 
> laptops ... anyone know of a good RS-232 to USB adapter cable / driver 
> package?  Cheap?  I bought one for $5 or so on ebay and the chinese 
> software drivers won't load and run correctly ... so much for that $5.
> 
> (Yes, I'm trying to interface with several solar PV driven high-power 
> inverters that use a LAN (not IP, natch', something proprietary!) to 
> communicate with each other and their ;ittle controller, and then 
> provide RS-232 to ... my laptop which has no RS-232 port. And yes, I've 
> spoken to the manufacturer about getting aboard the IP train ... to 
> date, none of them have!  Progressive, huh?)

You can find several generic models, all of which will plug and play in 
WinXP, for peanuts.  They work very well and turn the USB port into a 
"ComX" port.  We use them for serial interface to machines at our 
datacenters from the laptops, and they work great.

This is the one I personally carry:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812107108

-- 
Chris Gebhardt
VIRTBIZ Internet Services
chris at virtbiz.com | (866) 4-VIRTBIZ