Hello
I have bought this, http://www.vscom.de/608.htm and have it connected to a small computer with ssh. I dont really understand how im supposed to connect to the switches i have connected with to the seriel adapter with linux.

It would help to know what kind of devices you are attaching to it.

Well some switches and firewalls of different brand, but is that really relavant?

Yes, it is important.

If they are ethernet switches, they are not going to work.

This device does serial communication. Are they serial devices?

I still dont really get it, i have one minicomputer connected to this adapter with a usb cable. From the adapter i have serialcabels to the differnt switches/firwalls managment interface (serial)

We use those deals for a lot of legacy deals. QNX and other OS's use them. If you installed it correctly the rs-232c would be as any other rs-232. They do seem to lock up a lot too.

Is this for configuring the switches? You'd need to download a terminal emulator like minicom to allow you to talk to them (Like Hyperterminal in Windows)
I assume your system sees the adapter? You can check this by running before pluggin it in and again after. The adapter should be identified somewhere within the messages if you've a chance.
Note you have to run minicom from a terminal and as root (It has to "claim" a usb port as a hardware resource to allow you to use it.)

Check for setup details.

Play Bonny!

Hi there

There is a trap for the inexperienced when using USB to RS232 converter cables.
The problem seems to apply to a subset of the adapters, wherein the manner in which they "simulate" the hardware control signals on the RS232 interface side of the device are less than perfect timing wise. Just because the manufacturer specifies that all of the RS232 control signals are supported by pins in the interface doesn't necessarily imply that the timing of the state changes of the control signals is in strict accordance with the RS232 standard in normal operation.

If you are having problems with a USB to RS232 interface I recommend that you connect the RS232 side to another PC running a terminal emulator and verify the output of the device;
and if that appears to be correct try cabling an RS232 protocol monitoring device (eg. PC with a real RS232 serial port, running a monitoring program) or or an RS232 protocol monitor (ie a purpose built test instrument), and examine what is actually taking place during data transmission between your PC (to which the USB-RS232 device is connected) and the external device in question. It may indeed come down to RS232 control signal transition timing issues.

Given older PCs with Serial ports are as cheap as chips these days it might pay to do some initial testing with a PC with a "real" RS232 port, and them move on to using your machine with a USB to RS232 converter.

If you are interested, Google the subject of USB to RS232 control signal timing issues/problems for further reading.

Hope that assists

C.

Do this:

Plug in the adapter. Note it's USB port (ttyUSB0 probably)

Install minicom

Start minicom

Go to serial port config, add this to "serial device" (or whatever USB port it configured in messages)

Go to modem and dialing, remove the "init string"

Save as default

Plug in the adapter to a serial port on a switch and open minicom

Thats all there is to it.

Thanks a lot for the info. I got an USB to Serial adapter with a FTDI chipset and drivers. Followed above instructions and it works flawlessly. Connected the serial end to another old PC with a serial port, and there seems to be no problems with timing. Im receiving everything I send from the other computer, so there seems to be no problems with timing.