[Elecraft] The no-serial port conundrum

[Matt Zilmer]

If you need to reconfigure the port numbers because of app software
limitations (for example, single digit COMx in some apps), you can use
Device Manager to push the port numbers around.  Sometimes folks set
up port numbers just for convenience too.

Start => Settings => Control Panel => Admin Tools => Computer
Management => Device Manager will display the device in the right-hand
pane (for XP as example).  If you expand the Ports line item, it will
show all the COM and printer ports already enumerated.  You can then
manipulate these however you wish.  When you use Device Manager, make
sure everything is plugged in to the USB ports the way you want it.
The applet will not configure or show devices not installed.

Once you have it the way you want it, DO follow Joe's advice.  The
port numbers will stay the same if they're enumerated as you
originally set them up.  Plug your USB - serial into the same physical
USB port each time and the COM port will be set up as expected.

I know the above works for WinXP, but newer o/s's may be somewhat
different.

73,
matt W6NIA

On Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:13:20 -0400, you wrote:

>
>Garry, 
>
>Windows assigns the "Com number" to most USB converters when they 
>are initially installed.  Windows will not reassign a com number 
>once it has been used so if you move a USB converter from one USB 
>port to another it will often get a new COM number (particularly 
>in vista Windows 7). 
>
>For quite a while FTDI based serial converters have been the most
>reliable for amateur purposes due to driver timing issues with VB6 
>and other compilers of that era.  Now Prolific have supposedly fixed 
>their driver issues but I'm skeptical until we see more reports. 
>
>73, 
>
>   ... Joe, W4TV 
> 
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net 
>> [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Garry Shapiro
>> Sent: Sunday, March 21, 2010 3:10 AM
>> To: Elecraft at mailman.qth.net; NCCC Main Reflector
>> Subject: [Elecraft] The no-serial port conundrum
>> 
>> 
>> Tom, NW6P has a new K3 and a "modern" laptop with no serial port, so 
>> using the K3 Utility is problematic. I am sure he can find 
>> the hardware 
>> at Radio Shack or Fry's to effect the physical layer 
>> connection from USB 
>> to DB9, but how does one tell the computer, i.e. define a 
>> virtual serial 
>> port? And is there anything we need to know about the 
>> physical connection?
>> 
>> Garry, NI6T
>> 
>> 
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