Serial FAQs - Posts - Page 5 - Sealevel Systems, Inc

What pins should I connect when performing a loop back test? Do all pins need to be connected?

Dec 9th 2009

Only the data pins (TX and RX) are necessary for a loop back test. Unless you need to test the modem control signals (RTS, CTS, DCD, DTR, DSR, and RI) there is … View More

What 3rd party software programs work with my Sealevel product?

Dec 9th 2009

Sealevel products are tested with many popular software programs. The 3rd Party Software Support page has a list of these programs with links to application notes th … View More

I am using a Sealevel GPS modified board. How do I set the data rate?

Dec 9th 2009

The GPS modified boards are designed to work primarily with the Rockwell Collins GPS receiver with a data rate of 76.8 Kbps. The modification is necessary … View More

Do Sealevel products support interrupt sharing with other devices?

Dec 9th 2009

Yes. The Sealevel SeaCOM serial driver fully supports interrupt sharing. There are however a couple of points to mention.All Sealevel PCI serial cards fully support i … View More

How can two serial devices communicate without using a PC?

Dec 9th 2009

The simplest method is to use a null modem cable (Item# CA213), which reverses the transmit and receive signals between the serial devices. This method only works for … View More

What application utilities do you recommend for writing serial communication programs?

Dec 9th 2009

PortMon for Microsoft Windows is a very useful tool. This utility monitors all serial port activity, shows how an application uses a port, and identifies problems … View More

Does Sealevel offer kits for customizing serial cables?

Dec 9th 2009

Sealevel offers several accessories for interfacing many serial connections. The universal D-Shell Converter Kit (Item# DB101) includes DB9 and DB25 Male and Female c … View More

Will a standard RS-232 DB25 to DB9 adapter or cable work with my RS-422, RS-485 board?

Dec 9th 2009

No. Standard DB25 to DB9 adapters and cables are made to convert an RS-232 DB25 pin out to an RS-232 DB9 pin out. As such, they do not pass the correct signals throug … View More

Do you have sample Windows programs for writing to a serial port?

Dec 9th 2009

We offer serial programming samples with source code in the archive link below.Examples of programming samples include: a simple terminal program; a program to toggle … View More

Why do I need optical isolation?

Dec 9th 2009

Optical isolation improves the reliability of I/O applications in industrial, marine, mobile or similar environments, thus alleviating the problems caused by gro … View More

What is the maximum distance I can communicate using a standard RS-232 serial cable?

Dec 9th 2009

Practically, it depends on your application and environment.The RS-232 standard specifies transmitting data up to 50 feet at 9600 bits per second (bps). … View More

Do I need to terminate modem control signals if I’m not using them?

Dec 9th 2009

It is always a good idea to terminate any unused signal lines. Floating signals can generate interrupts and drastically degrade system performance. The Sealevel Sea … View More

Why do I need to connect a ground line when using RS-422 or RS-485 communications?

Dec 9th 2009

By connecting the ground wire, you avoid potential communication problems. Differential serial communications such as RS-422 and RS-485 use the ground as a refere … View More

How does the Sealevel SeaCOM serial driver differ from the Microsoft serial driver?

Dec 9th 2009

The SeaCOM serial driver looks exactly like the Windows driver to your application. SeaCOM uses the same API and calls as the Microsoft driver. However, SeaCOM … View More

What are some common concerns when installing serial cables?

Dec 9th 2009

Make sure connections are clean and secure and thumbscrews are tightenedIf running long distances, choose a low capacitance cableAvoid running communication cables ne … View More

Can I change the COM number assignment for my Sealevel serial card?

Dec 9th 2009

There are only a few cases where you would want to change a COM number assignment. Your application only works at COM1 through COM4 and the Sealevel serial device y … View More

What is “Serial Tunneling”?

Dec 9th 2009

Serial tunneling works by pairing two Sealevel Ethernet Serial Servers (located on the same subnet) together by configuring each other’s IP addresses. When one serial … View More

I’m having problems with my USB serial device under Windows XP.

Dec 9th 2009

There are known issues with the USB driver built into Windows XP SP1 (Service Pack 1) that affect suspend, hibernation, and restarting. This issue potentially affec … View More

Your Cart

Resource Center

Resources

What pins should I connect when performing a loop back test? Do all pins need to be connected?

What 3rd party software programs work with my Sealevel product?

I am using a Sealevel GPS modified board. How do I set the data rate?

Do Sealevel products support interrupt sharing with other devices?

How can two serial devices communicate without using a PC?

What application utilities do you recommend for writing serial communication programs?

Does Sealevel offer kits for customizing serial cables?

Will a standard RS-232 DB25 to DB9 adapter or cable work with my RS-422, RS-485 board?

Do you have sample Windows programs for writing to a serial port?

Why do I need optical isolation?

What is the maximum distance I can communicate using a standard RS-232 serial cable?

Do I need to terminate modem control signals if I’m not using them?

Why do I need to connect a ground line when using RS-422 or RS-485 communications?

How does the Sealevel SeaCOM serial driver differ from the Microsoft serial driver?

What are some common concerns when installing serial cables?

Can I change the COM number assignment for my Sealevel serial card?

What is “Serial Tunneling”?

I’m having problems with my USB serial device under Windows XP.

Your Cart

Resource Center

Resources

Welcome to Sealevel!

We're glad you're here.