Parallel port question!

[N1SQB]

I have an older laptop that I use for programming my radios. It does not have a dedicated serial port. However, it does have a parallel port. (DB25) Could I use this port like a serial port if I get a DB25 to DB9 adapter? Just curious!
'
Manny

 

[N_Jay]

No,

There are very different connections. (not just connectors)

 

[K8PBX]

Got USB?

Manny... does it have a USB port?

 

[N1SQB]

No,

There are very different connections. (not just connectors)

Thanks NJAY! I figured as such but I just had to ask.

Manny... does it have a USB port?

Yes! it has 3. I am having trouble getting a /\/\oto radio to comunicate with the computer via the USB. I am thinking there is a problem with my Belkin USB to DB9 adapter. Thats why I was looking for another way to do it. Well, at least I ruled out one possibilty.

Manny

 

[bezking]

Make sure you select the correct com port. Check the device manager. Belkins usually like COM3, even if there are no other com ports.

 

[eorange]

Just throwing this out there - there are DB25 serial ports, but I'm guessing you know it's a parallel port because the OS told you so.

 

[N_Jay]

Just throwing this out there - there are DB25 serial ports, but I'm guessing you know it's a parallel port because the OS told you so.

Have you EVER seen one on a laptop?:roll:

 

[zz0468]

I've used USB to serial adapters with Motorola CPS with success, but if it's RSS (DOS) software you're trying to get to work, you're out of luck. I've found lots of DOS drivers for USB that allow USB memory sticks to be usable, but so far, I've yet to find a DOS USB to serial driver. I don;t know if that's because no one has tried it yet, or of there's some reason why it CAN'T work.

N_Jay: I actually DID have a laptop with a DB25 serial port! It was an NEC laptop, circa 1989, that had two floppy drives, no hard drive, a monochrome LCD screen, and it ran DOS 3.1. And a whopping 2 meg of RAM. IT had a DB25 serial port.

I haven't seen one since.

 

[N_Jay]

OK, but in post 4 he said it had USB ports.

:lol::twisted::lol:

 

[zz0468]

Yeah... USB and DB-25 serial ports are an oxymoron, of sorts.

 

[eorange]

Have you EVER seen one on a laptop?:roll:

I think this one did, because I used one to interface with some industrial devices w/DB25 connectors.

Compaq III Portable computer

And yes, N_Jay, there were computers before laptops.

 

[N_Jay]

I think this one did, because I used one to interface with some industrial devices w/DB25 connectors.

Compaq III Portable computer

And yes, N_Jay, there were computers before laptops.

DUDE, I had one of those.
And I am fairly sure the Compaq III had a 9 pin serial port, unless you added the expansion unit and then put in a full 25 PIN serial card.

And he said "LAPTOP", not "PORTABLE".

Heck, I used to use one of these;

Compaq Portable Computer

Found a pic.

 

[eorange]

As long as we have the wayback machine going - this is the first computer I ever used, period.

KIM-1

My dad brought it home from work, and I remember dinking out some 6502 opcodes to make some numbers light up.

Also remember there was a "horse race" game where the horizontal segments of the LEDs were the horses - essentially 3 rows of horses would race from left to right.

And that's how it all started...

And I swear it had a DB25 serial port.

 

[N_Jay]

I started on one of these, but mostly just on a DecWriter 110 with a MaBell Data-Phone

 

[eorange]

Note the DB25 serial port near the lower left corner:

 

[N_Jay]

Note the DB25 serial port near the lower left corner:

The DB25 was on the back. There was no DB9 Serial port back then,

 

[N1SQB]

Look you guys, dont make me pull out the pictures of my Commodore 64 now!!!!!!! LOL
What is happening is this: I have an HP zv5000 laptop computer that I use as a back up. It has Win XP Pro. I am using Windows based /\/\oto- software to program my GP380s. It works flawlessly on my older Dell desktop (also with XP Pro) which has a serial port in the rear. I wanted to start using the laptop to program my radios to free myself from being stuck in just one location. The software loaded perfectly. When I went to try and read the radio, everything froze and I was forced to do a hard shut down. I am using a Belkin brand serial to USB adapter which normaly works well with everything even on this laptop.
I thought something was wrong with the software. So I went back to the XP desktop. Instead of going through the serial port, I went through the USB ports using the same adapter. Once again, the same problem. To make sure I had not done something to the radio, I used the serial connection. Everything worked beautifully! So, I concluded that it must be an issue with the Belkin adapter. WRONG! I used the adapter to open up,read,write to my VX7R, my BCT15,Pro-163 on both computers without a problem!
I am stumped! Worse case scenario I am stuck using the desktop, but man I just cant figure this one out!


Manny

 

[N_Jay]

Time to try a new USB to serial adapter. (They can easily be compatible with some software and not with other.)

Or maybe a real serial port on a PC-Card.

 

[N1SQB]

NJAY
I agree with trying a new adapter, but where do I get a serial port on a PC card for a laptop?

Manny

 

[N_Jay]

Newegg