communications problems with Giddings microDSM drives

[unterhaus]

I can't connect to my microDSM drives over RS232 any more using DSMpro. I have one of the touchpad devices, and it does talk to the drives. I'm wondering if the touchpad changes something in the drive so it no longer looks on the RS232 line. The touchpad talks over RS485. I thought I'd try RS485 to the computer, but that doesn't seem to work either. The manual doesn't imply there is a problem doing this switch, and I really don't see what the problem would be.

I'm trying to figure out if there is some sort of reset to factory defaults for these drives. No mention of that anywhere, although the touchpad does have a "reset drives" option. That doesn't seem to have had any effect.

[unterhaus]

These drives were also sold as BRU by electrocraft, and also by AB. I have a drive that has never had the touchpad on it, and it still talks over serial. I'm afraid to go try the touchpad for fear it will switch that drive over so it doesn't talk on rs232