USB to Serial Cable Help

USB to Serial adaptors - setup for receiver loading

If you are using a USB to serial adaptor and have the computer correctly and loader setup for the serial port. SOME USB to serial adaptors have "built in" null modems, so the null modem is there, and in that case you would need a straight through cable instead of the null modem cable.

Computer with MS Vista setup, from "Start Button" click on;
Control panel, system, Device manager, Note what the Com port is set for, change it if necessary.
Setup for Ports & LPT
Port settings;
Bits per second = 128,000, data bits = 8, Parity = None, Stop bits = 1, Flow control = none.

Run the Loader progam and set the .bin "loader" to match the port in the com port setup (above).
I have found that you must use the same USB port on the computer each time you load your receiver to keep from re-setting up the port.

Known working adaptors;
AirLink 101 Model AC-USBS
Coolgear adapter with the Prolific 2303 chip
Belkin usb to serial & one from Radio Shack it comes with cd and instructions
Tigerdirect.com Packaged as USB TO SERIAL CONVERTER
CE FC - model U232-P9 came with driver disc. ----- $16.50 shipped

There have been a number of posted regarding USB to Serial Cable's.. and troubles regarding those cables.. I decided to give some tips for those people who are having troubles..

STEPS

#1. Make sure your USB to Serial Cable is compatible with your operating system.

#2. Connect your cable, install your drivers FROM a provided CD or from the manufacturer website and then make sure you have your drivers properly installed by checking the device manager.

#3.

- Go to Start - Control Panel - System - Hardware

- Go to Device Manager and Ports and see what Com your USB cable is set to.

- The Advance button will allow you to change the port. Change it to 1, 2, 3 or 4.

- Also be sure to change the Baud (Bits per second) to 115200.

#4. When using a loader from your specific reciever, make sure the COM port selected on the loader corresponds to the com port you changed in the previous step.

#5. Load your file.

Issues/Solutions

- If your having trouble installing drivers for your USB to Serial Cable, try to refer to any websites of the manufacture of your specific cable for any new drivers or any help with your issue.

- If you did all the required steps and your loader sticks at 0% OR doesn't even make any connection to your receiver, your cable has not been installed properly. Please try running through all the steps again or try cleaning out any old drivers and putting them in again.

- If you still can't get it to work, try a different USB port.

- If still you cannot get anything to work, look for any hardware conflicts with your USB to Serial Cable in your device manager.

- If still you are having issues, try the cable on a different operating system or different computer.

- If you are still having issues, try different drivers instead of the ones provided.

- IF YOU CANNOT DO ANY OF THE ABOVE, GET A REGULAR COMPUTER WITH A SERIAL CABLE PORT AND SERIAL CABLE!

MANY USB to Serial cable adapters our there will not work with null modem receivers.

There are essentially only four basic steps required to get an USB2Serial adapter to function properly:

1. Physically plug the USB2Serial adapter into an available USB port

2. Install the driver for the adapter (recommend that you use the one that was actually supplied with the adapter; universal drivers are "iffy")

3. Connect the correct cable (null or straight-through) between the adapter and your FTA receiver; in the case of the Coolsat, it is straight-through

4. Synchronize the COM port assignment of the USB2Serial adapter with a COM port supported by the Loader program (they MUST be the same).


The above four basic steps are relatively simple but a lot of things can go wrong along the way. For example, communications will fail if:

1. You don’t use the correct type of serial cable (null modem or a straight-through) between the adapter and your FTA receiver.

2. The COM port assignment of the USB2Serial adapter and the COM port setting in the loader/software program do not match.

3. You use the wrong loader program or bin file for your particular brand/model of receiver or the bin file was not extracted and is still in zipped or compressed format

For experienced computer users, the above constitutes all the instruction you will probably require. For computer neophytes, here's a simple step by step procedure for troubleshooting your USB2Serial adapter:

1. RIGHT-click on [My Computer] » [Properties] » [Hardware] » [Device Manager]

2. Scroll down the list of devices to [Ports] and click on the [+] sign on the left of [Ports]

3. Locate your USB2Serial device under [Ports] and RIGHT-click on it; select [Properties]

4. Under the [General] tab, the [Device Status] window will indicate whether it is functioning properly. If not, you should uninstall the device, reboot, and let Windows auto-detect the device. If it cannot locate the driver, you will be prompted to insert a driver disc

5. Click on the [Port Settings] tab and bump the port speed to the max (115200 or 128000 bps).

6. If you need to change the COM port assignment of the USB2Serial adapter to match one that your Loader program will support, click on the [Advanced] button (under the [Port Settings] tab) and change the [COM Port] value.

7. Be sure to sync or match the adapter's COM port assignment with one that the Loader program supports.

One final note: Coolsat receivers have an [Auto Detect] feature for locating and synchronizing the Loader program with the PC. You do not have to modify the COM port assignment (step 6) if you have a Coolsat receiver (just click on [Auto Detect].

Keep in mind that if you disconnect the USB2Serial adapter and plug it into a DIFFERENT USB port the next time you go to use it, Windows will automatically assign a different COM port value to the adapter. To eliminate configuration issues, always plug the USB2Serial adapter into the same USB port each time.

USB to Serial Cable How To
It would seem that there isn't enough info out there on using the USB to Serial Cable. This should help fix most problems or get new users properly setup to use their new cable.

First things first, no drivers means no transfer. The two most cables that I have seen use Prolific drivers.

Secondly, having the correct connection to the STB is something that cannot be stressed enough. Most USB to Serial Cables are made to be used with another cable so the cable you received with your STB must be used in conjunction with the USB cable. If you did not receive a cable with your STB then you have two options, you can buy a cable or buy a gender changer/adapter. These can be bought from your local Radio Shack, Best Buy,Circuit City, Wal-Mart, or other computer savvy corner shop,

Make sure that the cable or gender changer/adapter is the right cable for your receiver. CaptiveWorks CW600 receivers use a Null Modem Serial Cable (crossover) so your cable or gender changer/adapter would have to be a Null Modem Serial (crossover) cable/adapter. Other units check your receiver specific section for information on the type of cable used.

Third on the important things list is software. Make sure that you are using loading software that is compatable with USB to Serial cables. CW600 users, this means Updater V1.05 or higher. (Once again other units check your receiver specific section for information on the software you need to use.)

For CW600S (Regular and Premium), ensure that the unit is in standby (--:--) rather than boot mode before you attempt to load using the USB to Serial Cable. These units must be in standby or the transfer will not start.

Now for the fun stuff. If by this point you do not have a working connection, then you may have a settings problem somewhere in the software or computer setup. The following instructions are for Windows XP users.

First is to verify that the USB cable was installed correctly.

Click start.

Right click on My Computer

Go to Properties

In the new window click Hardware

Click Device Manager.

If there is a yellow triangle with an exclamation point in it located by "Ports (COM & LPT)", then there is a problem with one of your comm ports.

Either way click the plus beside Ports (COM & LPT)

If your drivers were installed correctly then there should be a COM port labled similar to the name of the cable your purchased with no icons beside it. For instance I have a RadioShack USB to Serial Cable, and that is how it appears in my Device Manager.

If your drivers weren't installed correctly then you won't see a com port labled for your cable or there will be a yellow triangle beside it. Try re-installing the drivers to fix the error. If this doesn't fix the error then there may be a problem with your USB ports. Try moving your cable to a different port.

If your com port is there and doesn't have an icon of any type beside it then double click on your port.

Click on Port Settings

Your settings should look like this

Bits per Second - 9600

Data Bits - 8

Parity - None

Stop Bits - 1

Flow Control - None

If these settings are correct (or when you set them) click on Advanced

Make sure that the check box beside "Use FIFO Buffers" is checked.

Receive Buffer - High

Transmit Buffer - High

For your COM port, Select a com port that is open and that your loader software can access. Use COM 4 as a default (unless it's in use). For most computers you shouldn't have to change this.

Ok out of everything and then open your loader (For Example purposes I will use the CW loader)

Make sure to set the COM settings to the COM you designated earlier. Most loaders default to COM1 when you close the program so you must do this everytime you open the loader.

With your settings corrected and everything verified, attempt to load the new bin or attempt to read the channel list.

If the connection works but seems to be a bit slow, change your Bits per second to 115200

If this causes connection problems try slower rates untill you find one that works well for you.

In the event that you are still having trouble with your cable and you have verified all of the previous information, load the default presets in your BIOS. IRQ conflicts, ports enable/disabled, and other possible setting changes could be hindering your computers ability to correctly identify and communicate with the USB cable. There is no standard or universal way to do this so check with your computer or motherboard's manufacturer if you are not comfortable working with your BIOS.

If all else fails, I have been told that Prolific cables may have a problem with the proper operation of serial port protocol so try a different cable.