Problem with USB to serial converter

openminds · 07-13-2004, 04:04 PM

Hopefully someone has some insight.
I use a USB to serial converter to feed the GPS stream from my Onstar Interface . My Car PC does not have a serial port, so this is what I am stuck with.

Now, If I boot my computer before starting my truck (and sending an NMEA stream through the converter) my CarPC boots fine. If I boot after starting truck, CarPC interprets Stream and converter as a USB mouse. No matter what I do, disabling, etc, it always happens. If I unplug the converter, it again boots fine.

Is there a way to set what the USB device recognizes as in XP Pro? Like I said, if I disable the USB mouse device, it still boots recognizing as a mouse, not a serial port.

Anyone have any tips?

Thank you!

Curiosity · 07-13-2004, 05:30 PM

It sounds to me like Windows is probing the serial device for a mouse and thinks the NMEA stream is a valid response. Is there any way you can stop the stream during boot or have the PC power it up after boot?

openminds · 07-13-2004, 07:32 PM

Yup, that can be done, just a pain in the arse.

Was hoping there was a fix out there. Not giving up yet.

lars46 · 07-17-2004, 11:46 PM

A relay and a delay on timer should solve it. I had a car pc that did the same thing and was hard to fix. I had to disable the mouse driver that the serial usb adapter was using key strokes all the while the mouse pointer is bouncing all over the place.

Curiosity · 07-18-2004, 01:50 AM

Oh, that's it! Disable the serial mouse detect with the BOOT.INI switch /NOSERIALMICE=COMx, not USB. It's a virtual serial device so it's getting to it through that.
http://www.winnetmag.com/windowsnt20...faq_13817.html
or all the options...
http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/1268/

openminds · 08-08-2004, 04:55 PM

YES! Thinking that should do it. Now to get my monitor working (Don't ask)

ppgt94 · 08-08-2004, 05:41 PM

Did your serial -> usb adapter come with drivers? I have one from Belkin and when I plug it in it recognizes it as the port replicator, not mouse. If what was suggested above doesn't work out for you maybe installing some generic drivers would help.

dignome · 08-08-2004, 05:50 PM

When dtr is raised, a serial mouse will send an M character to indicate to the OS there is a serial mouse connected to the port. His problem was that when the OS was doing it's serial mouse check by raising dtr, the gps device would start sending nmea data back. This happens to contain several M characters, for example:

$GPRMC,084119.430,A,2505.9101,N,12145.1214,E,19.80,265. 26,260799,,*39

... or something to that extent. Glad to see a workaround posted.