Getting controller to work on new laptop

[Rod]

Hi all

I'm trying to get my 8 ch controller to work using my new laptop. I guess the first big question is where do I hook it up on the laptop? On the old pc there was a spot for the adapter..none on the laptop.

thanks

[Guest wbottomley]

Rod wrote:

Hi all

I'm trying to get my 8 ch controller to work using my new laptop. I guess the first big question is where do I hook it up on the laptop? On the old pc there was a spot for the adapter..none on the laptop.

thanks

Sounds like you don't have a serial port. You'll need to buy a usb-RS485 adapter. Here's the link: http://store.lightorama.com/uscoadwivobo.html

[Rod]

Hi William

Thanks for the reply...yes I have learned since my post that I have no serial port. Thanks for the link..1-2 weeks shipping is long..any idea if I can buy one locally? thanks

[Guest wbottomley]

Rod wrote:

Hi William

Thanks for the reply...yes I have learned since my post that I have no serial port. Thanks for the link..1-2 weeks shipping is long..any idea if I can buy one locally? thanks

Not really... of course one that works well with LOR. It might say 1-2 weeks for shipping, but they're pretty quick.

If you order it in the morning hours (before 11am edt), usually it ships the same day. Now... that's from past experience and items in stock.

[Rod]

I'm going to order it in the morning...thanks for all your help.

[Donald Puryear]

Most computer stores sell a USB to serial Adapter cable. This way you could use your existing adapter.

[Denny]

I bought a commercially available adapter last year rather than order from LOR. That was a mistake. I found out later that different manufacturers use different chips in their adapters. Only certain ones will work properly with LOR. You are best to order from them as they insure that the ones they sell will work. This year, I just ordered the USB adapter from LOR rather than using a serial port adapter.

[LightORamaDan]

Denny wrote:

I bought a commercially available adapter last year rather than order from LOR. That was a mistake. I found out later that different manufacturers use different chips in their adapters. Only certain ones will work properly with LOR. You are best to order from them as they insure that the ones they sell will work. This year, I just ordered the USB adapter from LOR rather than using a serial port adapter.

As Denny mentioned, not all USB drivers are the same. We slam the USB drivers pretty hard and some of the do not hold up well. They blue screen (crash) the PC.

[Guest wbottomley]

LightORamaDan wrote:

As Denny mentioned, not all USB drivers are the same. We slam the USB drivers pretty hard and some of the do not hold up well. They blue screen (crash) the PC.

That's so true. I have one of them (keyspan).

[Rod]

Hi all

got the usb485 adapter today (thanks Dan)..still get get it to "see" my controller. any ideas what I may be doing wrong? I'm running vista.

[Rod]

hey got it working! dont know what I did but it works now.