I recently changed computers and the only option I have to hook up GT view data is thru a serial to usb conversion as described below. I can't get it to work.

I tested the connection and data info on my old computer and everything works( it used a rs232 to a female 9 pin into my laptop)

I tried all the ports (which registered on GT view screen) with no luck.

Has anybody used a usb connection for GT view??

This what I am using now that doesn't work
rs232 to db 9 serial female to a db9 male to a usb

I have used about 5 different brands, never had a problem. My three units are monitored by an EdgePort 4 port serial to USB unit for close to 3 years now

Check in the computers device manager to see what port windows assigned to the USB->serial device to make sure windows has configured the device and its listed as working properly.

GT-View lists all comm ports, regardless if they are installed or not, so your device may not properly installed

Hello Solar-Guppy,

I also only have USB on my laptop now. I found the following on Amazon:
Cables To Go USB To Db9 Serial Adapter USBa/db9m Rs-232 $18
Digi Edgeport/1 USB (301-1001-11) $73
Digi Intl. EDGEPORT 1I USB TO 1PORT ( 301-1001-31 ) $99


Do you have any recommendation amongst those?

Thanks.
Tom

Save a few bucks and try

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6812188102

I have used about 4 different cheap usb->rs232 converters with this chip set, never had a problem as long as your only using ONE on your computer

For more than one port, use a edgeport brand, they are for sale on eBay all the time for around 30-40 dollars for a 4 port model

Great. Thanks!
Tom

Solar Guppy,

What's the chipset used in the CP Tech CP-US-03 USB-to-serial adapter you link to above?

I have a Sabrent USB-to-serial adapter (with a Prolific chip, I believe PL2303) and I'm having no luck at all getting it to work -- GTView doesn't display any data at all.

Thanks,

- Matt

Matt ensure you installed the USB Drivers for that adapter, in my case, it was plug and play, WinXP saw it and automatically installed it on my Laptop. Once its installed and you can see the Adapter in Device Manager then select the correct Port by right clicking on the GT View.

With some systems, you have to go into the Bios and turn on the USB Adapter feature.


Fred

Not sure, shouldn't matter. GT-View is very basic and slow RS-232, its 9600 baud with no handshaking. I have run now 6 different, always the lowest cost usb-serial units and they all work fine with only ONE in the system. The only issues I have run into is using more than one of the cheap usb devices on a PC, the windows drivers are not multi-threaded and all sorts of bad things , like system blue screens happen.

As Wennfred suggested, first, make sure the USB converter is installed and show up as working in windows device manager. Next, make sure you select the correct port to use this usb serial device, again use device manager to select. Next, turn on the RX/TX led option in GT-View ( version 1.9 ) and see if RX and or TX is blinking, this indicates data being sent/recieved. Finally, make sure you have the cable correctly wired! .. its one to one, so the converters db9 pin#2 should ring out to the db9 at the GT to pin #2. Only pins #2,#3,#5 are used and again .. ITS ONE TO ONE. Has to be one of these steps, so just go thru the list.

Fred,

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm pretty sure it's installed OK -- I can see it in Device Manager and I've even messed with some of the settings (transmit and receive buffers) to see if that helped (nope).

I tried checking the BIOS and didn't see anything interesting; I assume you suggested that because you were thinking there might be a BIOS conflict with the COM port?



Solar Guppy,

I'm pretty sure it's installed OK and set to the right port -- and GT-View doesn't complain when it's set to the port I think the USB-to-serial adapter is claiming, while it does if I set it to a port that is nonexistent.

I've turned on the RX/TX LED option and TX is always lit, so I assume GT-View doesn't think it's getting any responses.

I've checked the USB-to-serial cable itself with a very basic loopback (pin 2 connected to pin 3) and that did work (using Hyperterminal). And this is the second cable I've tried, so I think the cable is probably OK.

Oh, and I see that the CP Tech cable uses the same chip as my Sabrent -- PL-2303 -- so I don't think that's the issue. (Although it's always possible it's a different chip rev or something.)

I'd pretty much come to the same conclusion as you, that it must be the cable, which I'd wired myself using Cat5 cable and two RS232-to-RJ45 adapters, but then I went out to the inverter and plugged the cable in directly (a little bit of a pain, since it's only 1 foot long!) and still no joy.

So, I'm pretty puzzled right now...

Thanks,

- Matt

So you plugged the usb's db9 directly into the GT? , that should work ..

Is the GT running and displaying info on the LCD?

When you did 1ft test, was TX light on but still no RX?