off topic computer question

[photoman290]

i am trying to get  my morningstar ts 45 charge controller to talk to me. it has a rs232 output. i have tried unsuccessfully using  serial to usb. doesn't recognise it. this is a "known issue" apparently unless you buy the right lead. the right lead is around the same price as  using a ethernet option, which i have more faith in anyway. i need to buy a serial to ethernet adapter with a tcp/ip stack. there is one on amazon for £20. i still need to power it somehow.  i can see myself falling into a big hole here, and wishing i hadn't started. does anyone have a shovel if i go for it.. getting to old to buzzer about with tcp/ip settings. maybe it might just work. hahaha

[Tony]

Serial to USB is a bit hit and miss.

One tip is to try a serial terminal program like HyperTerm, and short pins 2 and 3 on the 9-pin RS-232 connector (with a paper clip or whatever).  This bridges tx and rx, so anything you type on HyperTerm should echo back to you regardless of baud rate settings.  This at least proves the adapter works before you dive into the pain of figuring out how to talk to another device with it.

I had all manner of grief until I found a working adapter/driver combination.

[photoman290]

Serial to USB is a bit hit and miss.

One tip is to try a serial terminal program like HyperTerm, and short pins 2 and 3 on the 9-pin RS-232 connector (with a paper clip or whatever).  This bridges tx and rx, so anything you type on HyperTerm should echo back to you regardless of baud rate settings.  This at least proves the adapter works before you dive into the pain of figuring out how to talk to another device with it.

I had all manner of grief until I found a working adapter/driver combination.

 the controller is recognised by the controller software, but thats all, on their  site morningstar say it is to do with the voltage. that is with a very short lead. by the time i have run a usb extension 10 yards to the pc i will have even less voltage. at least with ethernet i should have enough drive voltage hopefully.

this is the one i am thinking of getting.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ethernet-Serial-Converter-Adapter-Network/dp/B009OWDWQE

[therecklessengineer]

the controller is recognised by the controller software, but thats all, on their  site morningstar say it is to do with the voltage. that is with a very short lead. by the time i have run a usb extension 10 yards to the pc i will have even less voltage. at least with ethernet i should have enough drive voltage hopefully.

That doesn't sound right. If you're pulling enough current to cause a voltage drop then something is very wrong!

Normally the problem with USB-Serial adapters is the buffering done by the hardware. In some cases it'll screw with the timing between the software and controller.

There are a few around that are OK. Normally the FTDI chipset works without issue.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FTDI-USB-to-serial-RS232-adapter-converter-1-2m-long-screened-shielded-cable-/251353856852?pt=UK_Computing_Parallel_Serial_PS_2&hash=item3a85db7b54

I've used similar to the above on several occasions.

[Tony]

USB maximum cable length is 5m, though practically it depends on the driving hardware and the cable (you can get less, and indeed more!).  Really though, if you're going to extend any cables then extend the RS232 one which is designed for that kind of distance.

All of that said, the £20 IP adapter looks like a top toy, you could control it remotely via python script, and cause all kind of trouble with that kind of thing

+1 on FTDI based adapters too.

[photoman290]

will give the ftdi cable a go first. i like the idea of the ethernet one ,but i could get diverted with the possibilities. like checking my batteries remotely via my phone or something. i just want to see if the onboard data will tell me why it fried a couple of fets. morningstar are sending me a new one free of charge, but i am curious as to why it died. am changing the fets as we speak so i will have a spare.