PCI Multiport Serial Cards

G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

Hi all,

Have tried three different brands in two different XP machines, and have
the same problem on all.

Problem is:
PCI cards install fine, and appear to be correct in DevMgr.
Using Hyperterminal, connect from onboard com port (COM1) to PCI serial
card com port (COM3 or COM4) using a crossed serial cable.
Transmit from COM1 to COM3/4 works just fine. Characters received.
Transmit from COM3/4 to COM1, and we get no characters.

Have tried swapping the cable around, and same result.
Have tried installing Win2k, and it works in both directions!!

I'm really stuck on this one. It appears to be caused by WinXP, because:
1. It works under Win2k.
2. All three different brand PCI serial cards have the same problem.
3. Same problem exists on DELL Dimension PC, and Commell PC board.

Greg
 

opa

Distinguished
Sep 10, 2004
34
0
18,530
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

I am using multiport serial adapters for numerical controlled machines and
experienced never any problem. Did you configure the adapter to start
numbering the additional ports at COM5. COM1 thru 4 are reserved for the
operating system, so don't overlay unless you disabled them in the BIOS. Use
a second PC and a cross cable to test and verify, or use a RS232 loopback
test plug. See: http://www.lammertbies.nl/comm/cable/nl_RS-232.html and
switch to English.

"Greg Martin" <gregmartin@rcwa.com.au> schreef in bericht
news:uoNlMqn2EHA.1524@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> Hi all,
>
> Have tried three different brands in two different XP machines, and have
> the same problem on all.
>
> Problem is:
> PCI cards install fine, and appear to be correct in DevMgr.
> Using Hyperterminal, connect from onboard com port (COM1) to PCI serial
> card com port (COM3 or COM4) using a crossed serial cable.
> Transmit from COM1 to COM3/4 works just fine. Characters received.
> Transmit from COM3/4 to COM1, and we get no characters.
>
> Have tried swapping the cable around, and same result.
> Have tried installing Win2k, and it works in both directions!!
>
> I'm really stuck on this one. It appears to be caused by WinXP, because:
> 1. It works under Win2k.
> 2. All three different brand PCI serial cards have the same problem.
> 3. Same problem exists on DELL Dimension PC, and Commell PC board.
>
> Greg
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

On Sun, 05 Dec 2004 11:28:51 +0800, Greg Martin
<gregmartin@rcwa.com.au> wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>Have tried three different brands in two different XP machines, and have
>the same problem on all.
>
>Problem is:
>PCI cards install fine, and appear to be correct in DevMgr.
>Using Hyperterminal, connect from onboard com port (COM1) to PCI serial
>card com port (COM3 or COM4) using a crossed serial cable.
>Transmit from COM1 to COM3/4 works just fine. Characters received.
>Transmit from COM3/4 to COM1, and we get no characters.
>
>Have tried swapping the cable around, and same result.
>Have tried installing Win2k, and it works in both directions!!
>
>I'm really stuck on this one. It appears to be caused by WinXP, because:
>1. It works under Win2k.
>2. All three different brand PCI serial cards have the same problem.
>3. Same problem exists on DELL Dimension PC, and Commell PC board.
>
>Greg

You may want to change the card's assigned com port to something
like 5 in the advanced section of its comport setup and see if
that works. Hardware wise, I think com1/3 and 2/4 use the same
interrupts. I think most pci serial port cards have drivers to
use interrupt 9. For another test using hyperterminal to receive
via the null modem cable on com port 1, try the below batch file
and see if it will transmitt the characters out of com 3 and 4 to
hyperterminal on com1.

@echo off
echo aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa > com3
pause
echo bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb > com4
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

I've tried using a second PC, with the same results. The PCI serial
cards receive, but do not transmit characters.

There is no overlay in the BIOS. These is a PCI PNP card, which uses
system-allocated resources.

Using a loop-back plug, of course I get no result, as the TX is not
working (nothing sent on the cable, so no RX).

Once again I state, the cards run fine under 2000/98, etc, but not XP or
2k3. This can only lead me to believe that it is a driver or XP/2003
problem. With the 3 different brands all producing the same results, I
am left with the overriding impression that XP is at fault here...

Greg

Opa wrote:
> I am using multiport serial adapters for numerical controlled machines and
> experienced never any problem. Did you configure the adapter to start
> numbering the additional ports at COM5. COM1 thru 4 are reserved for the
> operating system, so don't overlay unless you disabled them in the BIOS. Use
> a second PC and a cross cable to test and verify, or use a RS232 loopback
> test plug. See: http://www.lammertbies.nl/comm/cable/nl_RS-232.html and
> switch to English.
>
> "Greg Martin" <gregmartin@rcwa.com.au> schreef in bericht
> news:uoNlMqn2EHA.1524@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>
>>Hi all,
>>
>>Have tried three different brands in two different XP machines, and have
>>the same problem on all.
>>
>>Problem is:
>>PCI cards install fine, and appear to be correct in DevMgr.
>>Using Hyperterminal, connect from onboard com port (COM1) to PCI serial
>>card com port (COM3 or COM4) using a crossed serial cable.
>>Transmit from COM1 to COM3/4 works just fine. Characters received.
>>Transmit from COM3/4 to COM1, and we get no characters.
>>
>>Have tried swapping the cable around, and same result.
>>Have tried installing Win2k, and it works in both directions!!
>>
>>I'm really stuck on this one. It appears to be caused by WinXP, because:
>>1. It works under Win2k.
>>2. All three different brand PCI serial cards have the same problem.
>>3. Same problem exists on DELL Dimension PC, and Commell PC board.
>>
>>Greg
>
>
>
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

sigh.

This is Windows XP! It is a PNP operating system, and the com ports are
assigned names by Windows. This means that com3 and 4 are Windows com 3
and 4 not BIOS com 3 and 4. (Plus I've tried com 5 and 6 for the devices).

Also, the card is assigned an IRQ by the PCI arbitrator, not by the pci
cards designers. This means it can effectively use any IRQ that the
systems assigns it.

Also... The card is receiving characters. This means that the IRQ and
base addresses are being used by the card to receive the device driver
to retrieve the data being received.

So I'm still back to square 1.

Greg

Si Ballenger wrote:
> On Sun, 05 Dec 2004 11:28:51 +0800, Greg Martin
> <gregmartin@rcwa.com.au> wrote:
>
>
>>Hi all,
>>
>>Have tried three different brands in two different XP machines, and have
>>the same problem on all.
>>
>>Problem is:
>>PCI cards install fine, and appear to be correct in DevMgr.
>>Using Hyperterminal, connect from onboard com port (COM1) to PCI serial
>>card com port (COM3 or COM4) using a crossed serial cable.
>>Transmit from COM1 to COM3/4 works just fine. Characters received.
>>Transmit from COM3/4 to COM1, and we get no characters.
>>
>>Have tried swapping the cable around, and same result.
>>Have tried installing Win2k, and it works in both directions!!
>>
>>I'm really stuck on this one. It appears to be caused by WinXP, because:
>>1. It works under Win2k.
>>2. All three different brand PCI serial cards have the same problem.
>>3. Same problem exists on DELL Dimension PC, and Commell PC board.
>>
>>Greg
>
>
> You may want to change the card's assigned com port to something
> like 5 in the advanced section of its comport setup and see if
> that works. Hardware wise, I think com1/3 and 2/4 use the same
> interrupts. I think most pci serial port cards have drivers to
> use interrupt 9. For another test using hyperterminal to receive
> via the null modem cable on com port 1, try the below batch file
> and see if it will transmitt the characters out of com 3 and 4 to
> hyperterminal on com1.
>
> @echo off
> echo aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa > com3
> pause
> echo bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb > com4
 

carlsnilsson

Distinguished
Nov 11, 2011
1
0
18,510
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

Hi all,

Have tried three different brands in two different XP machines, and have
the same problem on all.

Problem is:
PCI cards install fine, and appear to be correct in DevMgr.
Using Hyperterminal, connect from onboard com port (COM1) to PCI serial
card com port (COM3 or COM4) using a crossed serial cable.
Transmit from COM1 to COM3/4 works just fine. Characters received.
Transmit from COM3/4 to COM1, and we get no characters.

Have tried swapping the cable around, and same result.
Have tried installing Win2k, and it works in both directions!!

I'm really stuck on this one. It appears to be caused by WinXP, because:
1. It works under Win2k.
2. All three different brand PCI serial cards have the same problem.
3. Same problem exists on DELL Dimension PC, and Commell PC board.

Greg

G'day Greg:
I know this is many years old, but I wonder if you ever found an answer to this problem? I ask because I have a small Advantech motherboard running Win 2k and I have the reverse problem. I have tried two varieties of PCI expansion cards to give me an extra four serial ports which I need - they are different brands using different chipsets and in each case I can receive happily thru all four extra ports but I cannot transmit. However, put into a Win XP machine, they work fine!! Both the BIOS and the Win 2k op system say they are working fine and resources seem sensible, but I'm stuffed if I can get them to transmit under Win 2k. Seemed ironic when I found your question.
If you get to read this - regards Carl