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.
Notebooks that still have legacy ports
Started by ●January 29, 2007
Reply by ●January 30, 20072007-01-30
Reply by ●January 30, 20072007-01-30
robertwessel2@yahoo.com wrote:> 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. >This situation can be alleviated to some extent by foregoing upgrades. Unless there is an absolutely convincing reason such as a crucial SW package not running on it I tend to keep PCs until something falls off. The PC I am writing this on has a decade under its belt and I bet it'll be still here next year. It's got not just one RS232, it's got two of them. :-) -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com
Reply by ●January 30, 20072007-01-30
On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:08:59 -0800, SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:>Anyone know any current models, besides these, that still have serial >and/parallel ports? > > >Serial/Parallel > >1. Fujitsu Lifebook E8110 Drawbacks: No 1394, UMA graphicsHP's nc6320 family. UMA graphics but a pretty good range of systems. -- Rich Webb Norfolk, VA
Reply by ●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.
Reply by ●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 ●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 ●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 isYeah, 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 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 ●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 ●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
