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usb to serial

master of life and legos robotsmaster of life and legos robots Posts: 19
edited 2006-09-03 00:59 in BASIC Stamp
i just bought the boe bot serial verision and my laptop dosn't have a serial port but it has usb ports dos anyone know were i can get one cheap and ebay you can get one for 99cents with $10 to $30 shiping confused.gif that is craze and walmart has one for $21.
can i get one cheaper or not can i make one

Comments

  • allanlane5allanlane5 Posts: 3,815
    edited 2006-08-29 17:15
    I highly recommend buying your USB to Serial adapter from Parallax. The problem is that half of the USB to Serial adapter makers don't implement the 'handshake' signals (RTS and DTR) properly, which means they won't work with the BS2.

    And it's REALLY difficult to know if any particular USB adapter will work or not. Those marked "For PDA Use" usually do not work. Those marked "Belkin" tend not to work (though one person found one model that did work).

    And $21, $24, or $29 are pretty typical prices. You're definitely not going to be able to 'build your own' for that price.
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2006-08-29 17:44
    The Parallax USB to 232 adapter can be found at the following link.· Take care.

    http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=28031

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    Chris Savage
    Parallax Tech Support
    csavage@parallax.com
  • Martin HebelMartin Hebel Posts: 1,239
    edited 2006-08-31 00:32
    So why is the USB2SER so much more expensive? It seems simplier in that it doesn't need to be conditioned for RS-232 levels cry.gif
    -Martin
  • Aristides AlvarezAristides Alvarez Posts: 486
    edited 2006-08-31 04:08
    Hi Marty,

    I’d say that the best answer is manufacturing volume.

    The USB to 232 is mass produced while the “tool style” USB to serial devices (USB2SER, PropPlug and PropClip) are more specific and produced in small runs. In this case, volume affects the cost more than just the BOM (Bill of Materials) of the product itself.

    I hope this clarifies why

    Regards,

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    Aristides Alvarez
    Education and Technical Support Manager
    aalvarez@parallax.com
    Parallax, Inc. www.parallax.com
  • PureGrainPureGrain Posts: 21
    edited 2006-09-03 00:59
    Just to let you know, I had this problem as well earlier today. I thought it was my chip until I tried it on another machine. I have the Belkin for PDA and it will NOT work.
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