Beginner needs to hook up USB -Serial to homework board

TMG

·It looks like everyone has about five years jump on me.· I just bought this and I'm working my way through the book.· But, I need to get it working on my laptop, which only has USB ports. So I paid $45.00 to get a USB-serial cable, thinking this would plug and play.· Nope.· Any instructions on this point anywhere I could find?

Thanks.

Terry
AttorneyGaines@aol.com

sylvie369

$45?

The Parallax USB-to-Serial converter costs $15 ($20 with cable), and it works.

www.parallax.com/Store/Accessories/CablesConverters/tabid/166/CategoryID/40/List/0/Level/a/ProductID/378/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName

I've used that converter successfully with a whole bunch of different weird devices like Big Red Bee transmitters, Opentracker and TinyTrak ARPS units, and of course several different Parallax Stamp and Propeller units.

TMG

Thank you. Is it plug and play, like the serial to serial cable?

RPratt

dont feel bad about the learning curve by any means! I have only been playing with the boards and kits for a few months now myself, after years of working on production stuff out in the field. your never too late to learn! as for your cable - where did you buy it? who's the manufacturer? what operating system are you running? all of these will help narrow down an answer. I have 3 different manufacturers cables running to 3 different boards on 3 different PC's (including my laptop) and all have to be done slightly different.

Mike Green

TMG,
"Plug and Play" ... You do have to install the drivers from FTDI (on both FTDI and Parallax's websites). If you use just the default Windows drivers, some of the control lines needed for programming Stamps and Propellers may not work properly.

TMG

I'm no doubt using the wrong terms. As a beginner, if it works without having to do anything more than plug it in, it was plug and play. I'm using XP home, and this cable came from Office Depot, as one of their off the shelf cables. It has a very large semi-clear housing tied to the male serial end (palm size), which has indicator lights, and of course on the other end is the USB male. It is made by Belkin, part no. N10117. I think the main problem I'm having is that the USB port is not identied on my laptop as a COM port. Under the BasicStamp program, Run, Identify, you can try to identify COM1 as a port, but that is not working. I think I need to tell my computer to identify the USB port as a COM port, but I'm not sure how that's done.

Steph Lindsay

Hi Terry,

Unfortunately, the Belkin USB to Serial Adapters are known not to work with BASIC Stamp programming.· Parallax carries one that is compatible with all of our serial boards.·You can also buy one with the USB A to Mini-B cable included.·If you already have the latest version of the BASIC Stamp Editor downloaded and installed, the virtual com port drivers for Windows that you need should be in place already (unless you unchecked the box during installation).· I believe the RadioShack adapters work as well.

-Stephanie Lindsay

Editor, Parallax Inc.

TMG

Thank you very much for the detailed replies.· I'm having so much fun learning this stuff, I can hardly sleep.· I've already invented about twenty new things, and I'm only on page 70 or so.· I'll get the right part, and move ahead at light speed.

Thanks again!

·

Steph Lindsay

Glad to hear you are having fun TMG, that always makes our day. Keep on inventing!