Addressing Common Issues Pertaining USB to RS-232 Adapter Cables

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Addressing Common Issues Pertaining USB to RS-232
Adapter Cables
In the recent years, manufacturers have halted
the production of computers with a RS-232 port
which was quite common in old computers. Now the
only way to connect RS-232 devices with
computers is by using computer adapters
which connect such devices to USB ports.
Thus, a USB to RS-232 adapter is required to make
the connection. More often than not, users face
issues while connecting their RS-232 device with
the computer, in spite of using correct computer
adapters. In this blog, we will discuss the most
common issues regarding the same. Driver
Issues Getting the proper driver installed
to connect your RS-232 device to the
computer is essential to form a seamless
connection. Its one of the most common issues
identified as users face problems while getting
the suitable driver to be installed. Solution
Users must make a note that the driver
should sync to the chip inside the cable and not
the manufacturer (of the cable). It is better
that you choose cables by manufacturers that
use certified driver available with
Windows update. To solve issues with your
computer adapter cable, you will
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require having an internet connection to install
the driver which cannot be automatically
installed. Windows Device Manager also
contains the information regarding your Cables
chip sometimes. So, you can also locate it and
download the correct driver and version of
Windows. Hardware Issues The hardware, as for
every other electronic device, of these
cables can eventually fail with usage. Solution
It is best to consider buying computer adapters
of higher quality, manufactured by trusted
cable companies. Cables manufactured by
these companies last longer, though
eventually you will require a replacement.
The running time depends on the workload
that the RS-232 to USB cable goes through. A
low quality cable will come apart in a short
period of time, sometimes even within a day of
usage. So the solution ultimately is not to
compromise with the hardware quality
of any of your computer components,
whether internal or external. Performance
Issues USB uses a shared data bus i.e. the data
is wrapped up and transferred in form of packets.
One drawback that arises from using USB to RS-232
cables is that the data transfer time
which was almost insignificant when
computers had RS-232 ports. This data transfer
time is lags in performance when huge files are
being transferred.
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Solution Though there isnt any hard and fast
solution which can get rid of the transfer
time, it can be reduced to some level. The
driver of the FTDI chip in your computer
adapter can help in reducing this time. This can
be done by accessing the Latency Timer
field from the Windows device manager.
Keep the setting at 1, for optimal
results. Conclusion Even though new
developments in the technology sector are
considering USB ports for external devices which
typically used to be manufactured with RS-232
ports, it would take a long time for the total
transition. Most of the quality data log
devices stick to RS-232 which implies that
you would be required to continue using
such connections. The issues addressed in
the blog should be helpful to troubleshoot
most of the everyday issues you might come
across while deploying such computer adapters.