# Phoenix USB to RS-232 Converter



## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

I have the older RS-232 Phoenix programming cable and would like to use a USB to RS-232 converter to adapt it for use on a USB port. (As you know, most new PCs no longer have RS-232 Com ports). So, I bought an ultra-cheap USB to RS-232 converter from Hong Kong ($2.88), and guess what? It doesn't work. I have read in the past where in general, these converters don't always work. It just seems to depend on what you are trying the use them on. I am confident that I properly installed the driver that came with it, so that isn't the problem.

Phoenix offers a USB programming cable for $70, but most converters are less than that. 


Has anyone had successful results with this problem? If so, what make, model, place of purchase for the USB to RS-232 converter?


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## jmill24 (Jan 11, 2008)

RadioShack model works.................Jim


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## eheading (Jan 5, 2008)

I bought mine from Best Buy for about #35, and it works just fine. It came with a CD so that the computer could do the translation between the RS232 signal and the USB one. 

Ed


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

Problem solved. I discovered I had another converter in a junk box leftover from some robotics stuff. Tried it, and it works. Apparently $2.88 from DealExtreme.com with free shipping isn't such a good deal after all.







Although my Son has purchased several things from them for similarly ridiculously low prices that have worked.


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## Dave Crocker (Jan 2, 2008)

I got a cheap one from Fry's and it works well 
I have used it with a Dell laptop and with my iMac running Parallels and XP


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

I guess I should look in that drawer more often. I found another one, and it works too.

This all started a couple of weeks ago when my main PC crashed; dead mother board. I bought a new mother board and 2 Gig of RAM. Still trying to get one of the RAM sticks replaced, as it was dead on arrival too.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Whether it works or not is often dependent on what machine you are using (hardware) and what version of the operating system, as well as what versions of drivers are installed for OTHER equipment!

I bought one for a particular item I had and it worked just fine. Then I tried to use it to read data from a radio scanner... whooo boy! BAD IDEA! As soon as I turned on the radio the mouse arrow took off across the screen from the lower left to the upper right in a loop... left and right clicking as it went. It drug most of my desktop icons to the upper right area of the screen, sometimes dropping one on-top of another which is interpreted as a command to start the program that was dropped-on using the address of the one being dropped as a data file. "Word" tried to open "Excel" as a document, and "Excel" tried to open "Notepad". Beside icons being moved some got deleted.

Turning off the radio did not help, I had to pull the AC plug and the battery (it was a laptop PC) to get it stopped, and by that time a lot of damage got done!

When I installed Service Pack 3 for XP, I retried the cable with that scanner (well prepared to stop things!) and it all worked just fine.

Remember... 

Computers are neither smart nor dumb...

They are just plain MEAN!


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Although my Son has purchased several things from them for similarly ridiculously low prices that have worked 

Del, 
It's likely that the el-cheapo convertor didn't do anything with the terminal control signals - it just passed the data signals through. 

As an old-timer, I can tell you all about DTR (Data Terminal Ready) CD (Carrier Detect-ed) and the other signals on an RS-232 cable. The usual approach is to tie the control signals together so that the RS-232 device gets what it wants. Your inexpensive convertor probably didn't bother - which upset the terminal (Phoenix.)


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