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Subject: 
Re: HELP, please! USB tower problems
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.robotics
Date: 
Tue, 25 Nov 2003 20:15:45 GMT
Viewed: 
826 times
  
In lugnet.robotics, Ruth Pozuelo Martinez wrote:
In lugnet.robotics, Chris Phillips wrote:
In lugnet.robotics, "Rob Limbaugh" <RLimbaugh@greenfieldgroup.com> wrote:

Until you try the IR tower on another computer (that is not identical to
yours), you have no way of knowing if the tower is the problem is in the
USB device or in the USB chipset.

I've also heard that USB and Plug-and-Play support on Windows 2000 is not 100%
reliable and probably never will be no matter how many service packs you
install.

At this point, I'd cut my losses (and time) short and spend $25 on a
serial IR tower from Pitsco.

I would agree with this.  Although the serial tower requires a 9V battery and
shuts its receiver off after 3 seconds of inactivity, it has several advantages.
More powerful IR, more widespread and problem-free software support, and no need
for a special driver being loaded are three of the best reasons to get a serial
tower.

You might want to check BrickLink first, though, because serial towers typically
sell for a lot less over there than they do at Pitsco.

- Chris.


Thanks for your advice, but I am in sweden. Here it is not so easy to find parts
and not all the companies sell internationally. My other concern is that if it
really is my computer that doesnt work, it might not work will the seril tower
either. What do you think?

Ruth

You're right, many sellers will not ship internationally.  You can click the
following link to search BrickLink for a serial tower (cable sold separately)
although there is only one listed for sale right now, and the seller ships in
the U.S. only:

   http://www.bricklink.com/search.asp?q=x87

You could bookmark this link and try back periodically to see if any more come
up for sale.

Even if you can't get the USB to work on your Windows 2000 machine, it is very
likely that the serial tower would work.  RS-232 ports have been around for a
long time (even longer than the personal computer) and they are pretty
straightforward technology.  I have yet to see a compatibility problem with a
serial tower and any computer that has COM ports.  USB on the other hand, is a
very recent, very complicated technology that was being sold in PCs before it
had been fully standardized.

I hope you are able to somehow resolve your problem.  Best of luck!

- Chris.



Message is in Reply To:
  Re: HELP, please! USB tower problems
 
(...) Thanks for your advice, but I am in sweden. Here it is not so easy to find parts and not all the companies sell internationally. My other concern is that if it really is my computer that doesnt work, it might not work will the seril tower (...) (21 years ago, 25-Nov-03, to lugnet.robotics)

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