XP woes

Thanks. Tried it and the prog still crashes out. Probably have to get a cheap laptop with a genuine COM1

You must go to the com and lpt ports node, in the devices list (inside control panel -> system -> hardware), right click in properties, click in 'port configuration' (I think it is called so in the english version of XP, because I have the spanish version), and then click in the 'Advanced Options' button. You will see a control to set the comm port number.

Regards

"Dirk Bruere at Neopax" escribió en el mensaje news: snipped-for-privacy@individual.net...

Dirk Bruere at Neopax ?????:

You can edit some parameters in the registry

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\Enum\\ACPI\\PNP0501

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\Enum\\Root\\*PNP0501

(for w2k,xp)

I'm using a PCMCIA device that supplies two ports at COM5 and COM6 and I'm not particularly inclined to keep buying bits of kit on the offchance that one of them will work. I've got a feeling that none of them will in the end and it's just more wasted money.

Currently I've had to port the s/w to an ancient tower system with 2S+P where it works OK.

If you are using a USB to serial converter, then many programs will fail to work. The converter buffers serial data and feeds it through when polled by the USB, which messes up the timing of a lot of serial software. To make it worse, each converter has a different buffering strategy and the Windows drivers vary in quality.

However, there is one brand of USB-Serial converter chip which is in stable supply and available in a number of brands of built up adapter. Just switching to this chip can fix a large percentage of problems.

see

We tailor our comms code to work on this adapter only and sell our customers the specific adaptor. Of course a hardware UART com port works great too, so not every customer has to buy the adapter.

Roger Lascelles

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I forgot to mention : USB - Serial converters will fail if your computer is unwell or heavily loaded, because USB is polled. Depending on your setup, it might be asking too much to play a video, surf the net *and* use the USB-Serial converter all at the same time !

Win2000 and WinXP are OK in our experience.

The Win98, WinME family have such poor USB performance that we gave up using the converter. For example, hold down the mouse button and USB traffic stops !

Roger Lascelles