Does USB-to-Serial = Serial-to-USB ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter C R Briggs
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C R Briggs

Dear Group,

I see many adapters that allow a serial (RS232?) device to be connected to
USB, but would like to know if the same device allows a USB device to be
connected to a serial port?

Does anyone have a definite answer?

--
Regards

C R Briggs

(e-mail address removed)
 
I see many adapters that allow a serial (RS232?) device to be connected to
USB, but would like to know if the same device allows a USB device to be
connected to a serial port?
Click to expand...

No.

And it can not be made either. Serial is limitted to 115 kb
(practically) while USB runs at 1200 kb minimum.
 
Dear Group,

I see many adapters that allow a serial (RS232?) device to be connected to
USB, but would like to know if the same device allows a USB device to be
connected to a serial port?

Does anyone have a definite answer?
Click to expand...

Never seen one and can't imagine anyone being motivated to
develop such a thing as serial is so slow, relatively
speaking. Plus, you'd need an external power supply for
many/most USB devices. It seems very unlikely that
anything like this exists.

If the box has a free PCI slot, see if you can get a PCI USB
card to work.
 
C R Briggs said:
Dear Group,

I see many adapters that allow a serial (RS232?) device to be connected to
USB
Click to expand...

These are widespread indeed.
but would like to know if the same device allows a USB device to be
connected to a serial port?
Click to expand...

That's slightly different.
First understand that USB has a concept of Master (usually a PC) and Slave
(usually a mouse, handheld PC, ...). You can't get two slave devices to
communicate to eachother. For that reason its usually not possible to
connect a USB-to-Serial to a handheld PC.
The serial port doesn't have such a strong distinction.

So you would need a serial port and USB controller. This poses the problem
of what USB device you are going to control. Next is the power issue. So
there are sufficient technical reasons not to go that route.

If you desire such a device, you probably should look for something
completely else.
What do you want to accomplish?

- Joris
 
kony said:
Never seen one and can't imagine anyone being motivated to
develop such a thing as serial is so slow, relatively
speaking. Plus, you'd need an external power supply for
many/most USB devices. It seems very unlikely that
anything like this exists.

If the box has a free PCI slot, see if you can get a PCI USB
card to work.
Click to expand...

The reason that I ask is that I have a USB cable to connect a particular
device to the PC but, so far, the only software that I have found to drive
the device only recognises a serial connection.

I shall just have to find some "USB software" or a serial lead.

--
Thanks to all,

C R Briggs

(e-mail address removed)
 
Joris Dobbelsteen said:
These are widespread indeed.


That's slightly different.
First understand that USB has a concept of Master (usually a PC) and Slave
(usually a mouse, handheld PC, ...). You can't get two slave devices to
communicate to eachother. For that reason its usually not possible to
connect a USB-to-Serial to a handheld PC.
The serial port doesn't have such a strong distinction.

So you would need a serial port and USB controller. This poses the problem
of what USB device you are going to control. Next is the power issue. So
there are sufficient technical reasons not to go that route.

If you desire such a device, you probably should look for something
completely else.
What do you want to accomplish?
Click to expand...

Please see my reply to Kony, above.
 
C R Briggs said:
news:p[email protected]... [snip]
The reason that I ask is that I have a USB cable to connect a particular
device to the PC but, so far, the only software that I have found to drive
the device only recognises a serial connection.
Click to expand...

There are three potential options that come to mind

Find software that supports USB.

Maybe (probably a very remote possibility) is to have a virtual serial port.
I've seen it being used because the software only supported serial but the
actual device was in a box with an Ethernet connection. This might not be an
option, because that software must exist for your configuration.

If I correctly understand the device is USB and you want to device to
connect to the computers serial port. I don't know of any solution to do
that unfortunally.

Hopefully I got it right. I believe you mentioned the options already. I
wish you luck with finding a solution.

- Joris
 
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