USB to Serial Devices
The MSAS Professional communicates with a PC via a 9 Pin serial cable. This requires your PC to have a 9 Pin serial port for the cable to connect to. Serial communication is stable technology with minimal power fluctuation which is critical with this type of equipment. Most new laptops, however, do not have a built in 9 Pin Serial Port thus it is imperative that when you are purchasing a new computer you specify that it MUST have a 9 Pin Serial port BUILT IN. Replicators and adapters do not usually perform well. While BioMeridian lists a dedicated 9 Pin Serial port as a REQUIREMENT for any computer running the MSAS Software, some people have chosen to disregard this and have purchased laptops without a serial port. In this situation BioMeridian recommends the use of a USB to Serial converter which can be found at most computer hardware stores. The converter which has proven to work the "best" is the IOGear GUC232A adapter which can be found at BestBuy or online at www.iogear.com Drivers for three of the most common converters can be found below. BIOMERIDIAN DISCOURAGES THE USE OF ANYTHING OTHER THAN A DEDICATED 9 PIN SERIAL PORT. BIOMERIDIAN DOES NOT SUPPORT PROBLEMS THAT MAY ARISE DUE TO THE USE OF A USB TO SERIAL ADAPTER.
USB to Serial - The products listed below have been found to work on various computers, although none have been found to consistently work on every computer. BioMeridian cannot guarantee that these devices will work with your machine or provide technical support for these devices. You will need to make sure you install the proper drivers for the device.
To configure your MSAS software for use with a USB-to-Serial adapter, perform the following steps:
Click START - Run, type sysdm.cpl then click OK, click the Hardware tab, click Device Manager, then click the plus (+) next to Ports (COM & LPT) and note the COM port number in parenthesis.
Within the MSAS software, click Tools - MSAS Settings, then click Communication, and change the Com Port to same setting as noted earlier. Click OK to close MSAS Settings.
