I’ve got a Dell desktop with a single serial port. I want to use it to replace a much older Compaq system running Pitney Bowes SendSuite shipping software. The software runs fine on the Dell, it’s the weight scale that’s giving me problems.
If I connect the scale to the serial port, the software doesn’t communicate with the scale. (There’s a built-in comm test in the application; it reports “serial port timed out”.) I updated the BIOS, made sure the COM port settings matched between the Compaq and Dell, etc; no change.
In desperation I tried a USB-serial adapter. Initially the connection initially failed the test. If I adjust any setting, (change the COM port number, change the timeout period, toggle FIFO on or off) the software and scale begin talking. It doesn’t matter what COM port settings I change or what I change them to as long as the settings match in all applicable places (Hardware Manager, USB-serial driver, application setting for the port to monitor, etc.) Everything is fine and I can log off and on without problem. But if I reboot or cold boot, the software reports commo problems until I tweak a setting. Then everything is fine until the next reboot.
Anybody had similar problems with USB-Serial adapters? Any advice? I know it’s too much to hope that someone else out there is working with P-B scales on a Dell.
