I have a brand new Gateway laptop and bought a PCMCIA card to RS-232 adapter for the laptop since it does not have a serial port. Datamaster will not communicate with my car at all? My ALDL cable works because Datamaster works fine on my buddies laptop with a serial port. I let all software install, will my new computer not work with Datamaster or is this a software issue? Thanks for any help or suggestions!

Jeff

 

More than likely a software issue. I am not sure exactly how DataMaster works to communicate with the COM port, but if it uses raw socket calls to the serial port then the software will not work even with your PCMCIA to serial conversion card. Most likely the PCMCIA card creates a psuedo-serial port in Windows. If the software goes through Windows to access the serial port than it might by okay. However, since the usage of the serial port in this case (with the ALDL cable) is non-standard, most likely the person that programmed DataMaster had to make raw socket calls to the serial port because Windows would have crapped up the communications somehow.

Sorry. Your best bet would be to get a laptop with a serial port built in. I am not sure if there is any other software you could use that would do better.

 

go to akmcables.com and look at the ones they suggest. ive been using a converter for years

 

akmcables.com does not list an option for PCMCIA to RS-232. It does list a USB to RS-232 conversion. This cable is a special cable. If you went to a computer store and asked for a USB to RS-232 cable, they will not give you the correct cable. The cable listed on akmcables.com is more than a cable--it has a chip on board to do conversion so that it acts as a serial port while connected to USB. If you got this cable then you shouldn't have a problem.

If the PCMCIA to RS-232 card does not do the conversion in the same manner as the USB cable, it may not work. You could contact the person that you bought the cable from. Or, you could ask Andrew at akmcables.com (andrew@akmcables.com). He is very knowledgeable and will help as best as he can.

 

I've used a pcmcia to rs232 adaptor before and it worked ok (that is until the card died!). From what I understand, this is the ONLY way to reliably get the programs to work with our vehicles as our software requires a hardware serial port implementation, and the pcmcia-rs232 is the only way to do it. It's the usb-serial adaptors that are the ones that are problematic, if they'll even work at all. Make sure that Datamaster is set to use the com port that the pcmcia-rs232 is set to. It may not be the default of com1. You should be able to find out the port that the adaptor uses via device manager.

 

If all else fails for you could buy an older laptop like this.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...770834442&rd=1

This one needs a battery and power pack which are about 70.00.
For 150.00 or so if you are patient you could have a laptop just for your car stuff.
I got an IBM 380Z with ME which also came with a usb port.
It was a little more at 200.00 and I added an extra 64 mb of ram but compared to the price of a new laptop
it's barely more than a few of these adapters.
I've been using it for LT-1 Edit and Proscan and other monitoring
programs for obd2.

 

Here"s a good deal, 90.00 shipped

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...773455452&rd=1

 

Hi I have been reading this post and I had to buy a new laptop cause my old one died. So I had the same problem no serial port but I had a AKM cable for my 95 Z28.

I purchased PCMCIA to RS232 adapter from Ebay really cheap you load the software it comes with and select the com with Datamaster it works Great.
it also works with Freescan.

The best thing is the price $30 shipped the guy ships from Hong Kong deals worldwide and is a power seller on Ebay here is the link.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...774102184&rd=1

He sells loads of these and they are so cheap compared to USA and UK prices which is where I am, over here they sell PCMCIA to RS232 adapter for £90 ($153). We are not called rip off Britain for nothing.

Try it don't waste money on the overpriced adapters believe me I have been using it for 3 months now.

 

Its a windows issue that you can resolve, we have the same issues with industrial software on laptops. Chances are that windows is grabbing a different port than the PCMCIA and its reporting back to windows that the other port is the real one. Unistall the PCMCIA and the Datamaster ,reboot and go into control panel/system/device manager and see which ports are for communications. There will probably be a com1 already even though it does not exist. Reinstall the PCMCIA and set it up as com2. Then double check to see it is really there. Then reinstall the Datamaster and make sure it is setup for the new port.
If that doesn't work we can go on from there.

 

With the PCMCIA card I have Datamaster offers com3 or com4 I just selected one of those.

Try plugging in another serial device to your PCMCIA serial port to see if it is working ok?

Again this what I did with mine because my laptop does not have it's own serial port I was not offered com1 or com2.