Troubleshooting Article ID dl_prb009

Issue

I have problems using Docklight with my USB-to-Serial adapter (or: PC card, PCI board). The COM port does not work with Docklight (or: Docklight crashes / the PC reboots when trying to access a COM port).

Applies to: Docklight (all versions)

Solution

Docklight has been successfully tested with a variety of different USB adapters, PC cards and PCI boards, and we receive only very few related problem reports. Symptoms like a sudden PC reboot while accessing the COM port usually stem from the serial device driver layer. In most cases the problem can be resolved by updating the serial device driver. Some additional notes concerning USB devices: *** 1) Many USB-to-Serial converters do not support the flow control setting "RS485 Transceiver Control" properly. If you require this setting, we recommend using an on-board COM device, or a PCI card. *** 2) Many USB-to-serial adapters actually rely on a chipset from the FTDI family (see link below). The device name for a FTDI-based product typically reads "USB High Speed Serial Converter" or simply "USB Serial Converter". See also our Docklight Tap Application Note for details on FTDI driver versions and updates. NOTE: Installing a driver update can severely influence your PC's stability. Make sure that you are able to undo any driver installation, e.g. by setting a "Windows System Restore Point"! *** 3) If you are using a device that says "Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port" in the device manager, then unfortunately there is nothing much you can do about it. There seem to be some problems with their driver support, which has been confirmed by equipment manufacturers like EXSYS. We did extensive research and testing, but unfortunately we could not find anything we should change in our Docklight code to ensure compatibility with Prolific equipment. See also the troubleshooting article id dl_prb025.

Troubleshooting Article ID dl_prb009

Issue

Solution

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