<robertwessel2@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1170205108.748464.295770@k78g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> On Jan 30, 6:12 pm, cs_post...@hotmail.com wrote:
>> On Jan 29, 3:08 pm, SMS <scharf.ste...@geemail.com> wrote:
>>
>> > Anyone know any current models, besides these, that still have serial
>> > and/parallel ports?
>>
>> I wonder how long it will be before we hear that some frustrated
>> engineer has gone and implemented himself an entire legacy PC on a
>> large FPGA eval board in order to get the real parallel port(s) needed
>> to run a legacy programmer or device...
>
>
> Of course you actually can get PCI and PC Card (PCMCIA) "real"
> parallel ports. There's at least one vendor hawking a dual function
> PC card with both a 16550 and legacy parallel port on it.
>
> Although with the rate at which PCI slots seem to getting displaced by
> PCI-E slots, I wonder how long it'll be before finding a PC with a PCI
> slot will be as hard as finding one with an ISA slot. Not that
> there's anything that would prevent someone from doing a PCI-E
> parallel/serial card, but I've already run into a couple of situations
> where I've had a problem because all the PCI slots on a machine were
> full with stuff that didn't have a PCI-E replacement. In the last
> case I had to discard the internal modem and install an external USB
> one.
On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:08:59 -0800, SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote
in message <45be545c$0$68985$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net>:
>Anyone know any current models, besides these, that still have serial
>and/parallel ports?
A notebook can use ethernet --> RS-232/485/422 converters such as
www.comtrol.com Si or RTS series or www.Lantronics.com / www.netbiter.com.
They show up regularly on eBay for dimes on the dollar.
I find this more convenient than plugging and unplugging the serial
equipment anyway, and they allows for easy access from different computers.
While not typically important/required for bench work, this is very helpful
for automation/monitoring where the added bulk of the ethernet--> RS-xxx
adapter typically isn't an issue and at least part of the
infrastructure/equipment is fixed in place and doesn't travel with the
laptop anyway.
... Marc
Marc_F_Hult
www.ECOntrol.org
Reply by larwe●January 31, 20072007-01-31
On Jan 31, 4:38 am, Joerg <notthisjoerg...@removethispacbell.net>
wrote:
> I had a mutual agreement with our IT guy that he doesn't touch my
> machine unless I consent, and he gets to dig in when the mint cookies
> come in from the girl scout cookie sale.
Unfortunately our work machines are required [by policy] to have
remote control software loaded. Somebody in Bangalore presses a
button, and my entire department gets an update pushed onto their
machines.
Fortunately, somehow my machine has been broken - the firewall is up
and can't be disabled - so they can't get into it. (I swear this was
not intentional).
> Now I am my own IT guy :-)))
I know - I have none of these problems at home. It takes the IT
department of a multi-billion-dollar, >100K-employee company to screw
things up so effectively.
Reply by Joerg●January 31, 20072007-01-31
Gary Reichlinger wrote:
> On Tue, 30 Jan 2007 15:42:01 -0800, Joerg
> <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote:
>
>
>
>>Also, a lot of lab equipment, industrial control gear and other stuff
>>has RS232 only. In those markets it is not customary to chuck everything
>>after 5 years because that's considered too old. They use stuff for
>>decades. Heck, even the old Dolch logic analyzer here in the lab is
>>about 25 years old now. Works fine. Why buy a new one? And guess what
>>it's port is?
>
>
> Why not just keep an old computer to use with your old equipment?
> If it needs repairs, have several more of the same model around for
> parts. (I practice what I preach. I have a 1978 IBM Series I
> minicomputer which still works. It has about 15 RS-232 ports.)
That's what I do. But there comes a time when this stuff just falls
apart. The hard disk in my old Contura only stays there because of a
large piece of duct tape. The battery falls out the minute you lift it
and the whole outer frame is cracked :-(
--
Regards, Joerg
http://www.analogconsultants.com
Reply by Joerg●January 31, 20072007-01-31
larwe wrote:
> On Jan 30, 6:42 pm, Joerg <notthisjoerg...@removethispacbell.net>
> wrote:
>
>
>>Also, a lot of lab equipment, industrial control gear and other stuff
>>has RS232 only. In those markets it is not customary to chuck everything
>>after 5 years because that's considered too old. They use stuff for
>>decades. Heck, even the old Dolch logic analyzer here in the lab is
>
>
> Yeah, well, even having the right port isn't always enough :( I was
> chugging along happily with my HP 54645D scope at work. Serial port
> interface, of course. Unfortunately, the interface software is written
> as an ActiveX control that lives inside MS-Office (STUPID F#$ING
> SYSTEM). IT kindly updated my system (without my knowledge, desire or
> permission) to Office 2003. Instantly I cannot access the scope.
>
> Engineernig machines should NOT BE SUBJECT to company IT policies
> about software updates, unified OS loads, etc.
>
I had a mutual agreement with our IT guy that he doesn't touch my
machine unless I consent, and he gets to dig in when the mint cookies
come in from the girl scout cookie sale.
Now I am my own IT guy :-)))
--
Regards, Joerg
http://www.analogconsultants.com
Reply by Gary Reichlinger●January 31, 20072007-01-31
On Tue, 30 Jan 2007 15:42:01 -0800, Joerg
<notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote:
>Also, a lot of lab equipment, industrial control gear and other stuff
>has RS232 only. In those markets it is not customary to chuck everything
>after 5 years because that's considered too old. They use stuff for
>decades. Heck, even the old Dolch logic analyzer here in the lab is
>about 25 years old now. Works fine. Why buy a new one? And guess what
>it's port is?
Why not just keep an old computer to use with your old equipment?
If it needs repairs, have several more of the same model around for
parts. (I practice what I preach. I have a 1978 IBM Series I
minicomputer which still works. It has about 15 RS-232 ports.)
Reply by larwe●January 31, 20072007-01-31
On Jan 30, 6:42 pm, Joerg <notthisjoerg...@removethispacbell.net>
wrote:
> Also, a lot of lab equipment, industrial control gear and other stuff
> has RS232 only. In those markets it is not customary to chuck everything
> after 5 years because that's considered too old. They use stuff for
> decades. Heck, even the old Dolch logic analyzer here in the lab is
Yeah, well, even having the right port isn't always enough :( I was
chugging along happily with my HP 54645D scope at work. Serial port
interface, of course. Unfortunately, the interface software is written
as an ActiveX control that lives inside MS-Office (STUPID F#$ING
SYSTEM). IT kindly updated my system (without my knowledge, desire or
permission) to Office 2003. Instantly I cannot access the scope.
Engineernig machines should NOT BE SUBJECT to company IT policies
about software updates, unified OS loads, etc.
Reply by ●January 30, 20072007-01-30
On Jan 30, 7:21 pm, Roberto Waltman <use...@rwaltman.net> wrote:
> cs_post...@hotmail.com wrote:
> >SMS wrote:
> >> Anyone know any current models, besides these, that still have serial
> >> and/parallel ports?
>
> >I wonder how long it will be before we hear that some frustrated
> >engineer has gone and implemented himself an entire legacy PC on a
> >large FPGA eval board in order to get the real parallel port(s) needed
> >to run a legacy programmer or device...
>
> I probably would buy one. It will be short lived also, as the
> evaluation board and the FPGA family on which it is based become
> obsolete ...
Oh, that's easy... you just emulate them on a better one ;-)
Actually, that is not a problem at all as most of the work would be in
the HDL (hardware description language - verilog or vhdl or similar),
and only a little in the specifics of a given FPGA device, external
memories it was hooked to, etc.
Actually, I guess we might say that archicetures will have three
phases of life:
1) HDL for initial proof of design
2) Silicon
3) HDL on an FPGA, either as a hobbyist project or as a means of
resurrecting a needed platform (or alternatively, software emulation
on a current platform).
Reply by SMS●January 30, 20072007-01-30
robertwessel2@yahoo.com wrote:
> Although with the rate at which PCI slots seem to getting displaced by
> PCI-E slots, I wonder how long it'll be before finding a PC with a PCI
> slot will be as hard as finding one with an ISA slot. Not that
> there's anything that would prevent someone from doing a PCI-E
> parallel/serial card, but I've already run into a couple of situations
> where I've had a problem because all the PCI slots on a machine were
> full with stuff that didn't have a PCI-E replacement. In the last
> case I had to discard the internal modem and install an external USB
> one.
The loss of the CardBus slot is extremely annoying. I have a nephew who
does video editing for a movie studio. They used to be able to take the
memory card out of the Panasonic HD studio camera, and stick it into the
Apple Powerbook, and do editing. Now they can't do this anymore, the
memory card is CardBus format, and there is no CardBus slot on the new
Apple notebooks. There are no USB to CardBus adapters other than one
that only works with a few wireless cellular modems. Panasonic makes a
USB Card Reader for their memory cards, but it's over $2000, and
requires a separate power supply. So now they have to stop filming and
download the contents of the memory card over 1394.
Some of the editors have installed OS-X on a Sony Vaio with a CardBus
slot. Some have abandoned Final Cut and gone back to Avid on a Windows
platform. All for the stupid CardBus slot.
Reply by SMS●January 30, 20072007-01-30
Joerg wrote:
> Also, a lot of lab equipment, industrial control gear and other stuff
> has RS232 only. In those markets it is not customary to chuck everything
> after 5 years because that's considered too old. They use stuff for
> decades. Heck, even the old Dolch logic analyzer here in the lab is
> about 25 years old now. Works fine. Why buy a new one? And guess what
> it's port is?
Thin clients often still have two serial ports and a parallel port. They
are often connected to serial scales and scanners, and receipt printers.
A notebook for the embedded engineer is very different than one for
"regular" use. It's very useful to have the legacy ports.
Even worse, a lot of the new notebooks have dropped the CardBus slot.