Is it possible to make a USB port into a serial com port?

[Nagel]

Does anyone know how to do this? I've got software for communicating with a device that uses infrared communication and I have a USB infrared adapter. However the software is a few years old and doesn't have the option for communicating through a USB port, only through a COM port.

 

My laptop only has USB ports, no serial port, so is there any way of making the USB port act like an old fashioned COM1 port?

[elektrosoft]

yes it is just buy an adaptor.. we use them at work all the time try maplins or rs

[Nagel]

yes it is just buy an adaptor.. we use them at work all the time try maplins or rs

 

Is that a cross-over cable? And would I then need a different infrared adapter with a serial connector?

[AlexAtkin]

What exactly is the software for? Because there are different kinds of IR, IRDA which is for communication, and CIR which is what you use for remote controls, to change TV channels etc.

 

The former is usually what USB adapters are. If you are trying to do the latter you will need very specific hardware and in my experience they also need REAL serial ports because they directly control the pins, something you cannot do on USB to Serial adapters.

Edited April 8, 2012 by AlexAtkin

[Nagel]

The software is to communicate with an EPD2 dosimeter, one of these -

 

http://www.thermoscientific.com/ecomm/servlet/productsdetail_11152_L11099_81902_11961428_-1

 

and this is the software -

 

http://www.thermoscientific.com/ecomm/servlet/productsdetail_11152_L11194_87450_11962336_-1

 

It needs IRDA through a serial comms port to communicate to the dosimeter. I got it cheap on eBay with software from 2003.

[PlayStation]

The software is to communicate with an EPD2 dosimeter, one of these -

 

http://www.thermoscientific.com/ecomm/servlet/productsdetail_11152_L11099_81902_11961428_-1

 

and this is the software -

 

http://www.thermoscientific.com/ecomm/servlet/productsdetail_11152_L11194_87450_11962336_-1

 

It needs IRDA through a serial comms port to communicate to the dosimeter. I got it cheap on eBay with software from 2003.

 

Just buy an old XP machine, can pick them up for peanuts.

[TaxiBaz]

I think you need one of these.

USB to IrDA

Just make sure the one you buy is compatible with the version of windows you have on your PC. The link below isn't Vista compliant.

The one I bought was wasn't. But works just fine with all my IRDA phones etc.

It appears in 'Device Manager' as a Com Port. Just tell the software which COM to use. The Serial to USB to IrDa is all onboard. Simples ;-)

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-PC-USB-IrDA-Infrared-IR-Wireless-Dongle-Adapter-/170730706897?pt=UK_Computing_Networking_SM&hash=item27c057d7d1