I have recently been forced to upgrade my computer to Windows 7. I opted for the pro addition because it has XP virtualization. I can't for the life of me get my SMI Transfer v7 program to detect my data collector, an hp48GX.
I bought a new serial to usb port thinking that the Belkin was just rotten since there are no updated drivers. I now have a Gigaware serial to usb cable. Drivers install fine. Windows 7 detects the thing and says COM5.
I have SMI v7 and when trying to find the port via the Help menu, I just get an error saying serial port not found.
Please help! I have tried everything I can think of.
Under Device Manager you should be able to force it to use a lower com port number. Not sure about SMI v7, but must legacy programs using serial connections seem to prefer com1 or com2.
als2,
I have since "moved on" from beloved SMI but I posted the following a good while ago - I don't know if this will help or not - hope it might.
On a new 64 bit pc using windows 7 professional I wanted to
continue to be able to download co-ordinates using the
SMI TFR program by running it in the 32 bit XP virtual mode environment.
Skipping a lot, it all came down to the need to configure the com port.
My cable is made up of the data collector side serial cable + null modem +
usb to serial cable plugged into the pc. When I plugged it in my pc found
a driver for this "new hardware" from Prolific: The two files were
C:WindowsSystem 32DRIVERSser2pl64.sys
C:WindowsSystem 32DRIVERSserenum.sys
You can view them by going (with Administrative user privilege)in the 64 bit
environment to
Control Panel > System > Device Manager > then double clicking on
Ports Com & LPT > click on the appropriate Com Port > Settings Tab >
then click on ADVANCED. Change the box with the number for the port
using the drop down window arrow and choose a number from 1-4 to
sync with SMI TFR (only allows 1-4 recommends 2). My pc had chosen the
number 5 automatically so I changed it to 2. Now I have configured the
PC'sphysical port (note: in xp mode there's a virtual port.)
Next we want to make sure virtual xp mode uses the
physical port and not the virtual one within xp mode.
1) In 64 bit mode (with Administrative user privileges)go to the lower
left of windows screen: hit START(the round windows icon)then left clicking:
All programs > Windows Virtual PC this should cause drop down of
double-screened icon files Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP mode
left click on Windows Virtual PC which should take you to a big file
screen with that file then Right Click on the file and choose: Settings
Now you should see a left column labeled "setting" and right column "Current Value"
Looking at left column note com 2 (or your chosen com) and to the right
the Current Value had a radio button labeled "None": change it to:
"Physical Serial Port" by choosing it's radio button. Then check "on" for the square called "Wait for modem" Then pray before hitting "OK" Next try'er out.
You must still use the Null Modem Cable along with whatever adapter cable you choose to connect to USB port.
😉
SMI works with Win 7.
I set it up on another surveyors laptop, and we had to go to adaptors website to get proper software. USB adaptor and null modem cable.
For new desktop PC with Win 7 I got a box with an old fashioned serial and parallel port. COM port works with SMI and various legacy Ashtech receivers and the printer port hosts my hardware dongle. That took some fiddling with permissions.
Paul in PA
> SMI works with Win 7.
>
> I set it up on another surveyors laptop, and we had to go to adaptors website to get proper software. USB adaptor and null modem cable.
>
> For new desktop PC with Win 7 I got a box with an old fashioned serial and parallel port. COM port works with SMI and various legacy Ashtech receivers and the printer port hosts my hardware dongle. That took some fiddling with permissions.
>
> Paul in PA
Thanks for the responses. Not sure what a null modem is but did finally get everything working through the XP virtualization. Still a no go on Win7 but that is alright, for now. I had to manually un-install the Belkin driver after installing the Gigaware driver and XP picked everything right up.
Null Modem Cable is a special configured serial cable or connector that connects properly between the HP48 and your PC.
Null Modem
A null modem cable or adaptor is a serial cable with one wire crossed. That specifically alerts a computer that is talking to another computer, i.e. data both ways, rather than some dumb device that only takes commands. It must be years since anyone connected one PC to another via a null modem cable since that is accomplished via Ethernet or Wi-Fi now.
If you used two null modem cables they would cancel each other out.
Today's computers do not have to be forced by a crossed cable to do this, in fact the next USB connector will work straight in or upside down, which means some cross switching is happening somewhere in the computer. Knowing how to do this is currently left to the experts.
Computers are so smart they let you know it. When I sat down tonight I plugged in my headphones to listen to some music. My computer posted a message on the screen; "You just plugged in a device into the audio jack" as if somehow I was not aware that I did that. These computers are so helpful it hurts from laughing.
Paul in PA
