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USBtoSerial.shtml
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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN"
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<title>JMRI Hardware Setup Support - USB to Serial
adapters</title>
<meta name="Author" content="Bob Jacobsen">
<meta name="keywords" content="USB serial adapter JMRI install">
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<h1><a name="usb2serial" id="usb2serial">Hardware Setup
Support: Using a USB-to-Serial Adapter</a></h1>
<p>If your model railroad hardware is supposed to connect to
a computer via a traditional RS232 serial connection, but
your computer doesn't have any RS232 ports, what do you do?
This is becoming more common as computers since 2000 are sold
with USB ports instead of RS232 serial ports.</p><a name=
"hardware" id="hardware"></a>
<h2>Supported Hardware</h2>
<ul>
<li>One solution is to use a "USB-to-Serial" Adapter to
solve this. A typical unit is the <a href=
"http://www.tripplite.com/high-speed-usb-to-serial-adapter-keyspan~USA19HS/">
Keyspan USA-19HS series of adapters</a> by Tripplite. We
recommend these Keyspan adapters; we use a Keyspan
19-series adapter during the release testing, and have
found them to work reliably in all cases so far.</li>
<li>Other companies, such as <a href=
"http://www.belkin.com">Belkin</a>, market adapters under
their own name, and you can often also find off-brand
adapters at your local computer store for as little as
$10.</li>
</ul>
<p>Before you buy any adapter, make sure that it will work
with your particular computer and operating system version.
The important issue here is the "drivers" the computer needs
to talk to the hardware adapter; many adapter manufacturers
only provide Windows drivers, which makes their products
useless to a Macintosh or Linux user. Also note that MacOS
8/9 and OS X drivers are different, and can't be
interchanged.</p>
<p>Many <a href="index.shtml">DCC systems</a> don't require
very much of their serial ports, and in that case any adapter
will probably work. But some DCC systems require either
special baud rates and/or RS232 control leads that not all
adapters can provide. The rest of this page addresses those
special cases.</p><a name="connecting" id="connecting"></a>
<h2>Connecting</h2><a name="MS100" id="MS100"></a>
<h3>LocoNet via MS100 adapter</h3>
<p>Note that using a LocoBuffer is highly recommended instead
of trying to get a MS100 to work!</p>The MS100 requires a
special baud rate that most USB to serial adapters can't
provide. It also requires power to be supplied via the RS232
control leads.
<p>The Keyspan 19HS adapters are known to work with the
MS100. We've gotten reports of success from Windows 98,
Windows XP, and MacOS 9 users.<br>
(Note that the MS100 does NOT work with Mac OS X and many
Windows Vista machines; this is not a USB Adapter issue)</p>
<p>You'll have to get a special cable to connect the 9-pin
connector on the Keyspan adapter to the 25-pin connector on
the MS100.</p>
<p>There are other Keyspan USB Adapter models that are known
to NOT work with the MS100. In particular, the Macintosh Dual
Serial adapter which provides two Macintosh DIN-8 serial
ports does not provide the power needed by the MS100.
(<a href="loconet/KeyspanUSB.shtml">More details</a>)</p>
<p>Users have reported that a Belkin adapter wouldn't work
with a MS100 because it could not provide the special baud
rate needed.</p><a name="LocoBuffer" id="LocoBuffer"></a>
<h3>LocoNet via LocoBuffer, LocoBuffer-II</h3>
<p>If you haven't yet purchased a LocoBuffer, you're best bet
is ordering a <a href=
"http://www.rr-cirkits.com">LocoBuffer-USB</a> from <a href=
"http://www.rr-cirkits.com">RR-Cirkits</a> This has a native
USB connection to your computer, so no USB-to-Serial adapter
is needed.</p>
<p>For reliable operation, the serial LocoBuffer interfaces
require that the RS232 control leads provide flow
control.</p>
<p>Keyspan USB-to-Serial Adapters are also known to work with
the LocoBuffer. We've gotten reports of success from Windows
98, Windows ME, Windows XP and Mac OS X users. You'll have to
get a special cable to connect the 9-pin connector on the
Keyspan adapter to the 25-pin connector on the original
LocoBuffer; later models have a 9-pin serial connector.</p>
<p>We have also had a report that the "IConcepts" adapter,
purchased at CompUSA, works with Windows ME and Windows
XP.</p>
<p>All adapters based on the "FTDI FT232BM chip" should work
fine. This includes the UN8E adapter provided by <a href=
"http://www.rr-cirkits.com">RR-Cirkits</a>, and many
do-it-yourself adapters. If you're using this adapter with a
Macintosh or Linux computer, be sure to download the most
recent drivers from the <a href=
"http://www.ftdichip.com/FTDrivers.htm">FTDI</a> website, as
early versions had bugs.</p><a name="LI100" id="LI100"></a>
<h3>XpressNet via LI100</h3>
<p>For reliable operation, the LI100 XpressNet interface
requires that the RS232 control leads provide flow
control.</p>
<p>The Keyspan adapters are known to work with the LI100.
We've gotten reports of success from Windows 98, Windows XP,
MacOS 9 and OS X users.</p><a name="LI101" id="LI101"></a>
<h3>XpressNet via LI101</h3>
<p>For reliable operation, the LI101 XpressNet interface
requires that the RS232 control leads provide flow
control.</p>
<p>As yet, we've received no reports or success or failure
from people using an LI101 with a USB to serial adapter. More
information would be greatly appreciated.</p>
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