Problem with a straight connected cable

[Grahamc]

I am trying to prog a sat receiver using a straight connected serial cable (female to female) and all I can get is: >open Serial Port>Sync to Serial Port>Target not Connect or Target is Error Status" can anyone help me. I thought it may have been the laptop as I had to get a USB to Serial (I thought it may have been crossed) but after trying the straight cable on a tower pc I am getting the same reply.

Have I got to do anything like point it towards the port to set it up?

Any ideas would be welcome as I do not have much hair left to pull out

Best Regards
Graham

[BL4K3Y]

You mean a null modem cable? Try raising the "Bits per second" property of your COM port in Device Manager. If you are using USB-to-Serial, check that the correct COM port is selected.

[Grahamc]

Thanks for your reply Blakey - I tried all the bits/sec and I also checked in Device Manager for the comport, I have two USB to serial adapters one is directed to port 8 and the other to 9, tried them both with the same result on all ports excepting for their allotted ones the "port cannot be opened" (another exception is port 3 where I get a "cannot read data" error) but on the allotted ports I get "Target not Connect or Target is Error Status" . Have you any ideas - must some setting be changed anywhere?

Thanks for what you have suggested up to now mate
Graham

[hethemlrijk]

if it is truly a straight cable eg all the lines link to the same pin in both ends it is the wrong cable. you need a null modem cable, the serial equivelent of a network crossover cable. a certain set of pins is crossed over, eg the tx pin on one end goes to the rx on the other and vice versa. you would be able to cut it and bell it out and then re wire it if you couldnt be bothered to get a proper wire

[Grahamc]

Thank you for your reply hethemlrijk I have tried both I have an adapter which crosses the connections but the boffins who know about the updating say it is a straight connected cable and do not seem to have any ideas about the settings which may be required. I have uninstalled the USB to serial and reinstalled it with the other end of the serial cable actually in the receiver, it is installed in comport 8 but it has made no difference, when I start the exe file it says>Open serial port>Sync to serial port then after a few seconds "Target not Connect or Target is Error Status" are there any settings I need to change for this port to be accepted by the laptop?

Any advice will be appreciated

Graham