9-pin serial to USB adapter

M

mycroftt

Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Messages
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Anybody ever used an adapter to plug a 9-pin serial cable into a USB port? I have a device that came with a 9-pin serial cable but I don't have a 9-pin port on my laptop. It seems to me they should be pretty reliable: it's serial to serial and the data I'll be porting over is fairly simple (dates, times, meter readings). Comments? Anecdotes? Guffaws? Ridicule?
 
Never used one myself, but I have to ask, what device did you buy that still uses a serial port? Or is it something old?
 
I just saw one in use tonight on my car. The tuner/tech had a USB adapter to the serial plug on a 6" cable. He hooked right into my aftermarket ECU in my car that had the serial extension.

Coop
 
yep, i use one quite a bit. I have a Keyspan adapter, works fine, usually detects as COM6 or COM7 under XP.
 
I'd think you'd need some software to re-interpret the signals as there's not a wire to wire match in the formats.
 
I have used them and no additional software required--plug and play.
 
jstewart16701 said:
Never used one myself, but I have to ask, what device did you buy that still uses a serial port? Or is it something old?
Click to expand...

It's a glucometer - measures blood glucose levels. It's a Bayer Ascensia Breeze 2 - one of the latest and greatest. I can't believe the data management features are so primitive - it's almost like there's an enormous conspiracy involving the pharmaceutical and medical industries to keep simple easy to use health related technology out of the hands of the general public while keeping themselves comfortably ensconced in their exclusive and uber-profitable realm at the top of the pyramid. But - I forgot my tinfoil hat so I won't go there.

Anyway, I buy the thing to monitor my blood glucose and, being a data analyzing kind of guy, I want to download the data for tracking, trend analysis, etc. Naturally it doesn't come with a data cable so I order one for $14.95. Thee is only one that is compatible with this meter. It arrives and it has a 9 pin female plug. Naturally, my laptop, like every other laptop, does not have a 9 pin male interface. Great. My fault for not paying more attention. A USB adapter will make it fit but I'm not sure if the pin out will allow it to work.

While browsing around on Bayer's website I see they have a new meter that seems to be built around a USB thumb drive. I thik I know which one i'll be getting next time.
 
I have used and still use several. You should have no problem with any recent one under XP or VISTA, and I suspect WIN7. They are plug and play and they install their own software (driver) and usually are pretty transparent when you hook them up correctly.

KR
 
I think you'll find the hardware adapter comes with software that will emulate a serial port (fool whatever program you want to use into thinking it's getting the data from a serial port).
 
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