Adding a serial port - please comment

[DareBee]

My Fadal VMC has an RS232 cable for sending programs or DNCing with.

My new-to-me laptop has no serial port.
What to do?

I have USB, firewire and parallel.
I have looked at PCMCIA to serial cards - this will definately work but is pricey.
I have found USB to serial interfaces starting at $10 - will this work- maybe?
Is there any such thing as a parallel to serial adapter that would work.
Maybe there is someway to do wireless without an adapter at all (thinking receiver on the machine?)

Give me the goods guys.

[Al_The_Man]

I have used USB to RS232 on my Compaq with no problems.
Al

[cncmitch]

We do wireless DNC to our machines.

We use Predator DNC (although any other should work, I assume) that communicates to our wireless access point via our network, then to the machines using a wireless Ethernet to serial device at the machine.

On one of our machines we go up 19.2, but generally we stay at 9600 or 4800.

The units are around $200-$300 (we have different modles purchased at different times of our implementation.)

We got ours from www.mis-group.com and installed it ourselves (had some driver issues but that got worked out.)

I don't know of any paralell to serial device.

Hope that helps.

[psevin]

USB to RS-232 is definitely your most cost effective solution. No reason I can think of (based on your stated intentions) to consider anything else.

Regards,

Paul Sevin
Ovation Engineering, Inc.
http://www.ovationengineering.com

[DareBee]

Originally Posted by psevin USB to RS-232 is definitely your most cost effective solution. No reason I can think of (based on your stated intentions) to consider anything else. Regards, Paul Sevin Ovation Engineering, Inc. http://www.ovationengineering.com

My thoughts exactly, but some of these machines can be fussy on port addresses and send protocol so I felt compelled to be reinforced on the idea that it will work.
Thanks

[ChopperDoc]

I have been using the WiBox from Lantronix. It seems to work fairly well and the setup is pretty simple. The cost is around the $325 range. If you go on their web site, you will find many different devices that are made for the Serial port industry.
www.lantronix.com

[DareBee]

I got a "Cables to go" USB to Serial today about $20CDN came with software. Also my new wireless will send to the back of my shop (yippee) albeit a little slow (1-2 Mps) now I can access the network for my files instead of transfering with USB mem stick.
I will be trying this laptop on my Fadal today or tomorrow.

I will post results on the use of this inexpensive device (USB-Serial).

[DareBee]

I have noticed no differences in the communication or control of my machine (as compared to what I was doing).
I would recomend this method of adding a serial connection to anybody.

In case you want to know the part is "Cables to go" USB to DB9 Serial Adapter #C184-26886

[Victor Martin]

Can I use this usb to serial method on an xp just as easy as on a windows 98?

[DareBee]

It is very easy on XP, I wouldn't want to do ANYTHING on Win 98, but you can try if you want.

[Victor Martin]

most of the store bought usb to serial converters dont work on xp but microcimm.com has one that does for $85.My cnc is a 1982 Wasino turning ctr w\ fanuc 6tb

[DareBee]

As stated above - I am running Win XP - obviously this adapter works.
I use it to comm and DNC to my 94 Fadal as well as to comm with my 85 Sodick.