Chaps,

I have an old laptop and loaded the Emerald software, only to find I couldn't connect the coms lead supplied by Emerald.

Have been looking at the £250ish range of Dell lap tops, but they don't seem to have port. Can they be added easily, or can anyone recommend a make that has them.

I know there's some s/h one available on here, but we want for other things as well, so want to spend a bit more than nothing on one, so to speak.

Thanks

ATB

Simon

Ahaaa, I can get an adaptor

ATB

Simon

Simon

Emerald now do a USB to serial adaptor - here

Cheaper ones are available but Emerald have issued a warning about using these!

I've ordered the Emerald one!

Wyn

£18.99! +vat +postage, omg...
NOooooo

Get the same thing from ebay for £2.98 delivered..!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/USB-to-RS232-RS-232-Serial-Cable-Converter-Adapter-C42_W0QQitemZ220213029074QQihZ012QQcategoryZ41993QQssPageNameZ WDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

They have a chipset built into the serial plug, (by 'Prolific' so when you plug it into the USB port, the adapter gets assigned a 'virtual' COM port, which you tell the software to use to communicate with your serial peripheral via the USB port.. very clever. The adapter appears in the 'Device Manager' , where it tells you the virtual COM port.

Mine works fine with megajolt -I paid through the nose at £5..!

Don't forget quidco for extra pennies savings..

-tak

[Edited on 18-3-08 by takumi]

If you look at the Megajolt forum you'll see that many people have had problems with these USB - serial adaptors, especially when trying to put the firmware on the MJ unit. The software author has had to suggest all sorts of work-arounds to get people working.

It seems that they're nowhere near as reliable as the proper port.

[Edited on 18/3/08 by David Jenkins]

It appears they do a Vista version too
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300206409696&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:uk

We have had this problem at work since laptops stopped having proper RS232 ports fitted.
There are at least two different USB<->RS232 chipsets out there. One works well, the other fails regularly (I believe it doesn't handle RTS/CTS properly but don't quote me on that).

If you must buy a model you don't know for certain works make sure you can return it for a full refund. Personally I'd get the Emerald one - if it doesn't work it's one less thing to suspect/replace.

I have had problems with USB to serial too, different application but ours uses the Prolific driver.

Answer, so I am told, is a PC card with serial output. Card should be here soon @ £20 from ebuyer.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mansfield
Answer, so I am told, is a PC card with serial output. Card should be here soon @ £20 from ebuyer.

---

From my experience I would get one that has been tested with your intended ECU. However even though I did this for my OMEX ECU one firmware update managed break the connection. They had to issue another update to fix the error! So ideally get an older laptop with a serial port.

The advantage of going for the Emerald one is that it's going to work.

Serial-USB converters can be a bit pernickity and if an Ebay spectacular doesn't work with the Emerald, by the time you've packaged it up again, walked to the post office, paid postage etc you'll have lost any saving you made by not paying £20 in the first place....

Emerald warn about using anything other than their adaptor and indicate that if you get it wrong the ECU will need to go back for a £60 repair!

I've got the bit of paper that says it - I'll try and find it.

Wyn

It makes you wonder why they don't just fit a USB port instead of RS232 - it's not exactly rocket science any more, and just about every Laptop has at least one USB port.

Or you could buy a cheap laptop just to program the emerald. See saxoboys ad in for sale, I just bought one and it's excellent. Serial port as well.

Rob

I have a laptop, just no serial plug.

I'll get the Emerald jobby, and hopefully this weekend try and the the car running

ATB

Simon