Introduction
Ever since computers were invented, the ability to communicate with them was paramount. The RS 232 serial port became the standard way to do this. Modern computers now use USB ports to communicate together be it a camera, mobile phone or a hard disk drive.
There are programs on the internet that test Serial Ports. The object of this section is to use these programs to test the different USB Serial cables that are candidates to use with Eazylink2.
Method
Software
The following windows software was downloaded.
| File Name | Release Date | Version | File Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| PL2303_CableTest_v2.2.1.1.zip | 2010/02/25 | 2.2.1.1 | 753.78KB |
| COM PORT STRESS TEST | March 11, 2014. | 1.4.3 build 907. |
Hardware
The following items were made
| Name | Item | Circuit |
|---|---|---|
| Loopback Connector |  |  |
| NULL MODEM adapter |  |  |
USB Serial Cables
4 cables are tested. These are:-
PL2303HX | FT232R TRONIX | FT232R CHIP-10X |
|
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
Test & Results
Run as administrator | |
 | It was found that unless these programs were "Run as administrator," errors and a Blue Screen Of Death were encountered. |
PL-2303 - Cable Test Program Ver 2.2.1.1
This program tests two serial ports by sending data from one port to the other, changing parameter settings and reporting the results.
The RTS Signal testing ... section failed. This was due to the NULL MODEM cable was a 3 wire type. This only connects the data pins together. At least it shows that this program reports errors correctly.
This test will be run again with a fully connected NULL MODEM adapter.
