[c-nsp] USB to serial converter

[Jon Lewis]

On Sun, 3 Feb 2008, Frank Bulk wrote:

> This is why on another listserv's short list of "tools for techs to have", a
> laptop with a real serial port was near the top of everyone's list.  In our
> workplace that's a requirement for any tech laptop we buy.  We've wasted way
> to much time installing drivers, recovering from blue screens and lock ups,
> and toting along and digging out yet another cable.

There are good USB serial converters.  I've got one that I've used for 
years and just bought several additional ones.  The older one is a Magic 
Control Technology chip.  It's only problem is the inability to send a 
break without using the "baud rate switch trick".  The newer ones are all 
various brandings of the Prolific chip.  These seem to work fine with 
Linux.  I haven't tried other OS's.  My first Prolific was defective 
though.  It was pretty funny...due to a loose connection in the DB-9 end, 
it would appear/disappear from the USB bus depending on whether the DB-9 
was pointing up or down.  The Prolifics I've tested so far will send a 
break without resorting to the baud rate trick.

I've had a couple of notebooks that didn't have serial ports, and with my 
USB serial converters, it was never a problem.  The USB ones are also 
useful as I think someone else mentioned if you want to simultaneously 
console into multiple devices.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
  Jon Lewis                   |  I route
  Senior Network Engineer     |  therefore you are
  Atlantic Net                |
_________ http://www.lewis.org/~jlewis/pgp for PGP public key_________