CarterMarkham 18 Posted September 30, 2012 I have switched from USB to using a Serial card and cable in my Windows 7 x64 computer. I cannot get the cutter to work anymore. USB works, but I want to use the Serial instead. Any suggestions? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slice&dice 2,450 Posted September 30, 2012 Adjust your Com port setting within the cutting software SETUP. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CarterMarkham 18 Posted September 30, 2012 I have. The only COM ports I have listed are 3 and 4. Both errored out. I went hunting around for another serial cable and found one, a shorter one, this one works! I wonder why the longer one (10') doesn't work like the short one (6') Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slice&dice 2,450 Posted September 30, 2012 OK, glad to hear you got it sorted out. Perhaps the longer cable is a null-modem cable (two-way crosslinked RS-232 serial cable) but the cutter only requires a one-way connection. In other words, the cutter just requires data to be fed into it, but has no need whatsoever to communicate back to the computer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CarterMarkham 18 Posted September 30, 2012 This is the exact cable I bought... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882203025 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BearlyRich 167 Posted October 3, 2012 That's an extension cable with "straight through" wiring. That means the transmit and receive lines are connected to the same pin numbers. A standard cable switches the TX and RX lines because one end's TX is the other ends RX. This goes for other lines too that I can't at the moment remember the names of... If the cable is good, you can use it as the extension it's meant to be and have a longer cable by connecting it to your working cable and using both. That's what I do with mine for a 16 foot cable. Here is the "standard" DB9 com cable wiring. As you see, it's not pin-for-pin "straight through": DB9 male wire pin 1 to DB9 female pin 1 DB9 male wire pin 2 to DB9 female pin 3 DB9 male wire pin 3 to DB9 female pin 2 DB9 male wire pin 4 to DB9 female pin 6 DB9 male wire pin 5 to DB9 female pin 5 DB9 male wire pin 6 to DB9 female pin 4 DB9 male wire pin 7 to DB9 female pin 8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CarterMarkham 18 Posted October 3, 2012 I see now. I didn't realize it was an extension cable. I guess I need to read a little more thoroughly. Any recommendations on a 10 ft cable? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
