Hi all,

I am experiencing an issue with connecting my Center 301 thermometer to my computer using USB.

Hardware specs;
-Center 301
Win7 x64Bit
USB adapter with an RS-232 cable. Adapter is using the Prolific software driver and installed the latest driver.

I have no idea what is going wrong since i can not get a reading on the computer. Attached is a copy of the device manager, detail of the driver and the COMS settings on artisan. For some reason i cant seem to get the data to the computer.

Can anyone kindly help me?

Many thanks in advance,

Hi,

As a further piece of information i've tried to test the activity on the COMS port using PuTTY. Whilst i could connect to the port easily, I dont get any readings on PuTTY.

I did not purchase the RS-232 cable as an extra from Center but instead have an RS-232 cable that i know works in terms of data transfer. Are RS-232 cables all the same?

Many thanks,
Mike

Hi.

Try this. First click on 'Scan for ports' button (located in Serial Port Configuration). Then go to the Comm Port box and select the correct comm port.

Cheers

Thanks Apri

I also tried that earlier and didn't work.

Many thanks

I just saw that you are using Windows x64 bit.
Disclaimer: I am as useless in computer stuff as an air conditioner in a Canadian winter!
I have had issues in the past with certain software and drivers not running well with the x64 bit option when in x32 bit it ran fine.
May not be it, but here it is anyway. I know how frustrating it can be not being able to connect to Artisan. but I INSIST, don't give up and keep on trying. This software is very well worth it.

Thanks Whale.

I'm not going to give up. thanks for the encouragement.

Today I've even started to learn rs232 protocols and sending messages. Whilst it hasn't worked so far. I'm learning about how it all works, which is never a bad thing.

There is a little book I saw once with the title "RS232 made easy." That book's title is certainly an oxymoron!

In the first place there are two types of cables, one with wires swapped to enable connexion between two computers, it is sometimes called a null modem. Then there are straight through cables. I imagine that is what you should have here, as connexions from a computer to a device usually use this type.

Then there are all sorts of complex protocols like baud rate, stop bits, etc. etc. Some setups can figure out this stuff by themselves. However, normally you MUST have the correct cable!!!! There are also 9 pin and 25 pin setups, but the 25 pin ones are generally closer to being dinosaurs than the 9 pin ones.

(I try to avoid buying RS232 devices! To me they are already dinosaurs.) USB is dramatically better. There are some devices made that have USB output that need to be addressed with a special serial driver too, but those do not usually force the user to do as much as straight RS232 devices.

Hi rpavlis

Thank you so much. That was so useful! What took me 20 seconds to read your summary took me many hours researching and i didnt get as good an understanding until i read yours.

I do have a resolution for those out there with the same issue:
rpavlis is spot on!
An RS-232 cable is not a RS-232 cable. Even though they may look exactly the same. I used one i already had. I thought that i would try to buy the original one from Center $70. Thats quite a lot (plus it was a USB not RS-232). It now works like a dream and feeds wonderfully into Artisan.

Summary: I wasted 2 days on thinking cables are cables. Buy the Center USB cable and it will work.

Special thanks to Whale and rpavlis for they're help along the way.

Kindly,
Mike

really stupid question, I'm having the same problem...
in case I get smart and give up, where did you get the center usb cable?