Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: SerialPorts No Longer On Computers

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Posted by Michael Elam (Member # 788) on 12-03-2003, 04:54 AM:

Now that most laptops are not coming with Serial Ports how is everyone signing in to their equipment?, especially SDDS, the DFP2000 will only allow W95 or W98,(that is all the software was written for), anyone using W2000, XP? Any one has a 'get around'? [Confused]

Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 12-03-2003, 06:45 AM:

There are available USB-Serial converters which can be used in this case. Surely all companies will bring out wires directly from USB to Serial in order to connect to either Dolby, DTS, Sony e.t.c products for updates/allingment.
That is my opinion.
There is no reason for someone to degrade his equipment just because most Laptops don't have a Serial port anymore. The second alternative is Carry a whole DESKTOP PC to the installation area!!! That will be neat [Smile]

See Ya
Demetris Thoupis

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-03-2003, 07:42 AM:

The conventional 9-pin serial port is popular enough within industry that you will find several prominant manufacturers offer some models with them.

For those that don't ...consider Socketcom. They have PCMICA cards that have up to 4-serial 9-pins. They work better than the typical USB to serial adapter.

Steve

Posted by Michael Elam (Member # 788) on 12-03-2003, 06:52 PM:

In fact I am already using Socket I/O card for Sony and W98, the only reason I have to have W98 is because of Sony DFP-2000., otherwise I use W2K pro. [Roll Eyes]

Perhaps the manufactors should consider USB ports on their equipment.

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 12-03-2003, 10:30 PM:

As I am not familure with the sony equipment why is it limited to these two operating systems. Is it the software that comes with the equipment that will not run on anything but windows 98 or 95. If that is the case have you tried changing the compatability under the properties section of the program using windows 2000 to make the program think that it is running under windows 98. I think windows 2000 has this capability. I know XP does but I am not that familure with the operating systems that were developed between 98 and XP since I jumped from 98 to XP. Just some thoughts.

Posted by Kris Brunton (Member # 432) on 12-03-2003, 10:31 PM:

Does the USB to Serial adapter work in DOS? I had a problem at first finding a computer with a serial port as well. I ended up ordering off of Dell and putting a dual boot system in for DOS to run the R2. I do not have enough Sony's in service up here to worry about having the SDDS software all the time so I keep an older laptor hanging around for that.

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 12-04-2003, 03:32 AM:

The Keyspan USB/serial adapter I have works with everything I have tried so far, SDDS, DA20, DMA8, CP650, dts-6AD, Barco D-Cine, and others.
It comes with a configuration tool which allows you to remap the ports instantly. That is very important since many programs only offer you COM1-3 or 4 in the communication setup, and these ports are often already in use.
The DFP-D2000 setup will not run under XP, not even in compatibility mode. Because XP does not allow programs to directly access the hardware, and that is exactly what this software wants. There is an XP version for 2500/3000 though.

Posted by Chris Trainor (Member # 9) on 12-04-2003, 03:48 AM:

Darryl,

The difference between 95/98 and 2000/xp is that 95/98 (and I think ME) was essentially still based on MS-DOS (ya know, the old OS from the 80's), whereas 2000/XP is based on the windows NT (with much code from IBM OS/2) operating system. Many programs written for 95 were written in a DOS/Windows3.1 environment have lots of issues on NT style environments. This is largely due to the fact that software can talk directly to hardware under a DOS environment but cannot do so under an NT environment (for security and performance reasons). So if Sony/etc has their software directly read/write to the serial port hardware and not the serial port drivers this is probably why it won't work on 2000/XP.

--Chris

Posted by Michael Elam (Member # 788) on 12-04-2003, 04:43 AM:

I tried a USB adapter on the SDDS 2000, but I couldn't get it to work, Dolby says there would not be any problem with their equipment, but they do caution that XP will cook the eproms on the CP500. [uhoh]

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 12-04-2003, 05:02 AM:

quote:
So if Sony/etc has their software directly read/write to the serial port hardware and not the serial port drivers this is probably why it won't work on 2000/XP.

See my post just above yours.

Michael - did you try the Keyspan adapter? The adapter software has to emulate the hardware serial port for the application, otherwise it thinks it is not communicating with a serial port. Apparently some adapters don't fulfill this requirement. The other problem is the port mapping I described. This adapter solves both problems.

Posted by Alan Haigh (Member # 1781) on 12-06-2003, 06:18 AM:

Thanks for the info, Michael. It's nice to find someone who has actually tried this rather than saying "it should work". Actually most SDDS techs I know make sure they get a serial-equipped laptop, or are using very old second hand laptops (like me), however the 3000 software struggles with a slow Pentium 1, so not too old!

Alan

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 12-06-2003, 09:57 PM:

Kris, I believe you'd be able to get the R2 software to run under Windows 2000 using a USB to Serial or PCMCIA to Serial adapter since the adapters for both act like you are directly accessing the hardware.

The only problem left is whether or not there's enough processing power left over for the R2 software. Given a fairly new machine there shouldn't be a problem.

Michael, most computers do come with serial ports... they're the ports labelled USB. [Wink]

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 12-06-2003, 11:41 PM:

OK, we know that USB stands for Universal Serial Bus, but we all know what is meant by "serial port". Even Keyspan and many other manufacturers use the term in that context.

Posted by Alan Haigh (Member # 1781) on 12-07-2003, 11:12 AM:

Is this a "wind up Michael" forum or what? Leave him alone! [Smile]

Alan

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 12-07-2003, 11:26 AM:

I had the same lack of serial port problem on my Toshiba laptop. I tried those USB to serial adapters and they worked ok if I only used one at a time. But I needed two. I bought a Socket Communications PCMCIA card and had a heck of a time getting it to work under XP. Apparently it works pretty well with 2000, but I have heard from several sources that XP is not very IO friendly. It took several calls and some programing mods to my computer befor I got it to work right and when it did it was sort of a surprise to the tech as well as myself. It works like a champ now. If you only need one serial port I'd go with the uber cheap USB to 9 pin serial adapter. BAFO is the brand I tried. I think it was $20

Posted by Michael Elam (Member # 788) on 12-08-2003, 04:44 AM:

I've ordered a Keyspan USB adapter. Compusa and BestBuy both were out of stock.In the meantime I have other locations with various problems so I can't sit around waiting on this one.

Posted by Michael Elam (Member # 788) on 12-08-2003, 10:08 AM:

I came up with a Socket Commuications card, and W98, it works great!....but now I either will need to carry two computers, or one with two hard disks, or what I am doing, one with W98 in one partition and
W2k in another.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 12-08-2003, 12:47 PM:

Kris the best laptop ever for the R2 is the very old HP 200LX dos palmtop
It never fails to connect nor does it never have the famouse ATP communication error reseting the R2

It seems that even with a real serial port the faster thye CPU of the host laptop is the more errors go up
(even with playing with the com speed settings)

I carry the 200LX all the time and you need to get the null modem adapter to convert its null modem port back to a serial port
Also a PCMCIA memory card to hold the R2 program
It is also necassary to terminate the HP interface to full DOS