Suggestions wanted: USB Pic Burner or "real" serial port board
 

My 2-port serial board stopped driving my JDM Classic PIC burner recently. I bought a 2-port serial board ("works on linux") that won't drive the PIC burner, and I've bought a PIC burner that turns out not to be compatible with Piklab. Does anyone out there use Piklab and have a suggestion on what board(s) I can get to be able to program PICs again?

My motherboard serial port is in use by a LIRC IR transmitter. I suppose I could buy a USB transmitter if there are no other options.

There are USB to RS-232 converters that work.

Can you be more specific? Chipset etc? Most of what I've seen uses the prolific 2303 chipset with (I think) a MAX232 chip, and that doesn't do the job as it only supplies the Rx and Tx data pins.

Not at the moment, I had one but I can't find it ... But then again, you could use the converter for LIRC and free up the M/B port for PIC flasher.

Are you sure about that? It's not actually serial data, and the simple diode device uses the DTR pin, which is not fed through. I can't use one of those converters on the JDM for the same reason.

I finally found a USB device that says it works for LIRC under linux. I ordered one and can only hope for the best.

I found a schematic of a serial port booster at http://www.qsl.net/eb4eqa/serial_boo...al_booster.htm It seems someone else ran into the problem. It's a shame he didn't turn it into a product.