Possible solution for missing RS-232 port on laptops
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Possible solution for missing RS-232 port on laptops
 
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There has been a lot of talk about the absence of "real serial ports" on more recent laptops. Here is something I recently discovered and want to share with you all. Maybe you can benefit ... Not to lang ago I received a HP Compaq 6710b laptop. On first sight there was no RS-232 output. With the laptop came a dockingstation and on that one I found 1 serial, 1 parallel, 1 DVI and 1 SVGA port (and several others). Connected the laptop to its dock and 'hey presto' one available active RS-232 port. Pure hardware, no BIOS or softwarechanges necessary. As a added bonus, with the dockingstation you can use 2 (large) external monitors at the same time. (even more space for your high definition P3-display). I didn't test the LPT-port, but expect it will work too. Same situation with my QRL-laptop, a Lenovo W500, without visible RS-232-port. Connected that one to an appropiate dockingstation; same trick same result, ..... nice. So, if you are a laptop user, check if you can dock. You can find dockingstations reasonably cheap on 'ebay'-like websites. 73 de PE8E, Ron. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
Re: Possible solution for missing RS-232 port on laptops
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Whether or not the serial ports on the dock are "real serial ports" is
still up for debate. It depends on the kind of dock you are using. The dock may just be a multi-function USB device that includes a serial port and a video adapter. But it may also be a pass-through for many kinds of devices. If it is the former, you would be better off (financially) to just get a USB serial adapter. And how "real" it is depends on what you will be using it for -- for me, Linux kernel hacking requires a real serial port if you want to use it as a serial console. Or for using it as the input PPS on a GPS disciplined time server, a USB serial port won't get you the accuracy you think you are getting. So beware.... --Vernon On Tue, May 17, 2011 at 3:50 PM, Ron - PE8E <[hidden email]> wrote: > > There has been a lot of talk about the absence of "real serial ports" on > more recent laptops. Here is something I recently discovered and want to > share with you all. Maybe you can benefit ... > > Not to lang ago I received a HP Compaq 6710b laptop. On first sight there > was no RS-232 output. With the laptop came a dockingstation and on that > one I found 1 serial, 1 parallel, 1 DVI and 1 SVGA port (and several > others). ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
Re: Possible solution for missing RS-232 port on laptops
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I stand corrected, thanks for that update Vernon. Maybe I was a bit overjoyous that it worked without having to install drivers .... For my personal situation it was not only the RS-232 port but also the other functions of the dockingstation (2x 24inch screen) Ron. > Whether or not the serial ports on the dock are "real serial ports" is > still up for debate. It depends on the kind of dock you are using. > The dock may just be a multi-function USB device that includes a > serial port and a video adapter. But it may also be a pass-through > for many kinds of devices. If it is the former, you would be better > off (financially) to just get a USB serial adapter. And how "real" it > is depends on what you will be using it for -- for me, Linux kernel > hacking requires a real serial port if you want to use it as a serial > console. Or for using it as the input PPS on a GPS disciplined time > server, a USB serial port won't get you the accuracy you think you are > getting. So beware.... > > --Vernon > > On Tue, May 17, 2011 at 3:50 PM, Ron - PE8E <[hidden email]> > wrote: >> >> There has been a lot of talk about the absence of "real serial ports" on >> more recent laptops. Here is something I recently discovered and want to >> share with you all. Maybe you can benefit ... >> >> Not to lang ago I received a HP Compaq 6710b laptop. On first sight >> there >> was no RS-232 output. With the laptop came a dockingstation and on that >> one I found 1 serial, 1 parallel, 1 DVI and 1 SVGA port (and several >> others). > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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Usually docking stations are highly proprietary. How do you know that
the laptop doesn't have drivers on the installed OS? These frequently have Windows, etc that are highly customized for the particular laptop, including a docking station. 73, Guy. On Thu, May 19, 2011 at 10:37 AM, Ron - PE8E <[hidden email]> wrote: > > I stand corrected, thanks for that update Vernon. > Maybe I was a bit overjoyous that it worked without having to install > drivers .... > > For my personal situation it was not only the RS-232 port but also the > other functions of the dockingstation (2x 24inch screen) > > Ron. > > >> Whether or not the serial ports on the dock are "real serial ports" is >> still up for debate. It depends on the kind of dock you are using. >> The dock may just be a multi-function USB device that includes a >> serial port and a video adapter. But it may also be a pass-through >> for many kinds of devices. If it is the former, you would be better >> off (financially) to just get a USB serial adapter. And how "real" it >> is depends on what you will be using it for -- for me, Linux kernel >> hacking requires a real serial port if you want to use it as a serial >> console. Or for using it as the input PPS on a GPS disciplined time >> server, a USB serial port won't get you the accuracy you think you are >> getting. So beware.... >> >> --Vernon >> >> On Tue, May 17, 2011 at 3:50 PM, Ron - PE8E <[hidden email]> >> wrote: >>> >>> There has been a lot of talk about the absence of "real serial ports" on >>> more recent laptops. Here is something I recently discovered and want to >>> share with you all. Maybe you can benefit ... >>> >>> Not to lang ago I received a HP Compaq 6710b laptop. On first sight >>> there >>> was no RS-232 output. With the laptop came a dockingstation and on that >>> one I found 1 serial, 1 parallel, 1 DVI and 1 SVGA port (and several >>> others). >> > > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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Hash: SHA1 I can tell you that the docks we sent out to our 15,000 laptop users (Big Bank) run on our image of XP and have no drivers. These are Dell docks. The the dock connector is wired to an onboard RS-232 header. It isn't USB. Most factory built computers without DB-9 serial ports on the backplane have motherboards with RS-232 headers on the board even though the manufacturer chose not to install one on the backplane. On a desktop system you find the header, buy the expansion slot cover with a DB-9 connector and hook it up. On laptops it's already hooked up in the dock connector. On 5/19/2011 1:37 PM, Guy Olinger K2AV wrote: > Usually docking stations are highly proprietary. How do you know that > the laptop doesn't have drivers on the installed OS? These frequently > have Windows, etc that are highly customized for the particular > laptop, including a docking station. > > 73, Guy. - -- R. Kevin Stover ACØH -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.10 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org/ iQEcBAEBAgAGBQJN1YzCAAoJEAu8BkU0m9Mn4WEH/1cE1bGvFz9L14SQLbqBYliR m8ismHE7HM5NQ3FfObYCQzhLmmRw2Tn1pDgE8mCsTkp5a25+/mnCm9TbKx+XtYsY aWHXCeXtLg9nz3gkdYKrr/8xhrN7IPfO+V//nyCdQK7ushG/903KmWOKC0MK4hbQ KIsHXxV6i9zKrvrjGFTJB5v9mHLhcORl55Qm7/wcxz9zKyzdsSl1hiJ2nSf1Vj+h vtC/2z+otnTnpRkDLB2zGokZB4KThzm/Zh0wU9I462LX3PTtBdrMvKkpxuWnNBoh aoXc/XHU2GoSw9EojHaKPyFhZxVYOPaxZHL2qvYHCrBJYc2IYzpNwnFSVIJzurU= =K/IT -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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