Serial link...arghh!

[quantum112]

I am at a complete loss anymore as to what to do to get this working. I have an A500 in an A500+ case, the MBO is very clean and like brand new. No damage, no mods, nothing. It has 1 MB of memory. I've been trying to transfer files over from my PC to the Amiga but so far I've had no luck.
I have already changed 2 null modem cables and 2 Serial-USB Adapters (my PC doesn't have a serial port) and none of them work properly.

The first cable I owned was some random cheap 25F-25F null modem cable and a cheap USB-serial adapter... I've configured everything properly and when using Amiga explorer I would get to the point after you press CTRL-C, and then I would get an "Error reading COM port". So I went to the Amiga explorer site and saw they mentioned the Belkin cable, F3X171-10, and they tested it, so I bought that one and a brand new Serial-USB adapter. Now I get to the point where it says to press CTRL-C, I press it, press OK on the pc, and there is NO break message, and it doesn't work, no response at all. The first bit of setup transfers fine before that.

Using ADF Sender Terminal, I send "transdisklong" over perfectly fine, 100% complete, I press CTRL-C on the Amiga, and then I have to send another file and cancel to end the break, and when I do that and press cancel, my entire pc FREEZES and nothing works anymore, mouse doesn't move, HDD light doesn't light up, only thing I can do is restart. So basic file transfer works but it seems whenever the Amiga is supposed to "break" it doesn't happen and either my PC locks up with ADF sender or with Amiga Explorer it just doesn't work. This damn Belkin cable is very expensive and since they "tested " it , I have assumed it would work... I wanted to do things old fashioned way with serial cable but it's all a big mistake and I should have got a CF card...

[DH]

What sort of Serial cable have you got, is it one of these http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/...roducts_id=787 Designed for transferring from PC to Amiga or vice versa and with your USB-Serial adapter everything should work fine, in theory.

Should of got one of these 'EasyADF PCMCIA Compact Flash Transfer Kit' http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/...roducts_id=440. Makes life very simple

btw. Welcome to EAB

[quantum112]

It's one of these:

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProdu...oduct_Id=18248

USB-Serial adapter is a standard brand name adapter based on the Prolific PL-2303 design (like 90% of all of them).

To quote AE website;

"Belkin, for example, lists a high-quality, universal (9-pin and 25-pin connectors on both sides, i.e. a total of four connectors) null-modem cable as model number F3X171-10 ("Pro Series File Transfer - PC to PC Cable - Serial"). QVS offers a similar "Universal Serial File Transfer Cable" as part number CC327-10, which we also tested successfully."

So WHY isn't it WORKING

lol Sorry, but this is really frustrating by now. I've had this Amiga for a month and all I can do is stare at this damn Workbench screen...

[DH]

Because the serial on a pc is wired up differently to an Amiga, so the cable you have is designed for PC - PC not Amiga - PC, I think. Can someone else confirm my suspicions.

If I'm right you'll need that cable from Amigakit from my link above

I

[quantum112]

"A: A standard "null-modem serial cable" (or a Bluetooth serial adapter), available in good computer shops. These cables are architecture-neutral, i.e. they are the same for PC, Amiga and other systems. The Amiga generally has a 25-pin serial port connector, whereas PCs use both 9-pin and 25-pin connectors. If the PC does not have a serial port, you can use a USB serial adapter."

This one is supposed to be neutral. It's mentioned right under that, on their site. I mean if they tested it they have to know it's working so I mean it should be working right?
Unless some chinese dude was drunk and soldered it all wrong...

[DH]

WAIT!

When you said they tested it, did they test it for PC to Amiga signals or PC - PC signals ?

If they tested the latter, then they didn't test it properly.

[quantum112]

http://www.amigaforever.com/kb/13-105

Have a read. How am I supposed to know what they meant?

BTW: I Think I read on a few other places people have succesfully used this cable...

[DH]

This is how you need to make your own Serial cable with the DB-25 into the Amiga and wire up the DB-9 as illustrated. Basically you take the wire from Pin 2 on the DB-25 and connect it to Pin 2 on the DB-9 and Pin 3 - Pin 3 and Pin 4 - Pin 8 etc... Do you follow.

It looks harder than you think.

[quantum112]

But, "We did receive a few reports about commercial cables that were not wired properly." That means that the good ones ARE wired properly, and I shouldn't need to fiddle around with anything and destroy a perfectly good cable, it should work out of the box, well at least according to them...it's been tested. This is driving me nuts, I'm not wasting any more money, gonna get the CF kit.

[DH]

Have you got a multimeter?

You can then test the cable to the diagram from Amigaforever to see if they have wired it correctly for an Amiga to PC.

Test continuity between

DB-25---DB-9
2--------2
3--------3
4--------8
5--------7
6 & 8----4
7--------5
20-------6 & 1

[quantum112]

Unfortunately no.

[DH]

OK. Two wires a light bulb and a battery

[DH]

I'm afraid I'm going to have to hand you over to the evening crew, here on EAB, it's my time to say goodbye 'cause it's ice cold beer time

Catch up with you tomorrow and hopefully you'll be able to test that cable properly while I'm away + with any luck, you may be up and running with the link

[quantum112]

Maybe we should skip this pointless serial stuff, I'd like some explanation on how the CF system works, like where would the CF-IDE adapter come out from the Amiga, I wouldn't have to open it each time I wanted to insert the card in, or?

[DH]

Of course, it's an A500

See ya tomorrow mate! Do a search on here, you'll find everything you need to know about what to do

[Cammy]

You can't use a CF card in an A500 with IDE or PCMCIA because it doesn't have either! You would need an extra expansion board with an IDE connector on it to use the CF-IDE adapter, sorry

To easily use those adapters you would need an A600 or A1200.

I know many people have used standard store-bought null-modem cables for Amiga-PC transfers, an I have two different cables I have bought here that both work for Amiga-Amiga linking. It may be that your cable is one of those ones that isn't wired right, or maybe your USB adapter is the problem.

I hope you get it working, good luck!

[Shadowfire]

Here are some tips:

1. Ensure you have a null-modem adapter in your cable setup. Somewhere in your cable chain. A null-modem adapter will say "NULL MODEM" somewhere on the device.

2. Right-click the amiga explorer icon & make sure the correct serial port for your PC (COM1:, COM2 is chosen... I believe it defaults to COM1. Make sure that the serial port is listed in Device Manager under "Ports (COM & LPT)". Make sure there is no (!) or (x) mark on the device's icon in Device manager.

3. Test the cable setup: Load up hyperterminal on the PC, and a terminal program on the Amiga. Set both to 9600baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, no handshaking. Typing characters on one system should show up on the other. If not, you have a cable or configuration issue.

4. Test handshaking: enable hardware handshaking on both ends and check connectivity by typing on each machine. If you passed #3 and fail here, then you have a miswired serial cable (or, less likely,miswired nullmodem adapter).

[jbenam]

Try with another PSU.

I thought my A600 had bad capacitors or something because of failed COM transfers...
Bought a A1200 later, and used the same PSU on it (it was a heavy weight type, so I thought it was good to use because it'd permit more expansion possibilities in the long run) and guess what? Same error.

Used the lightweight PSU which came with the A1200 and all was solved.
So... if you have the possibility, give it a shot with another PSU

[quantum112]

PSU is brand new bought from Amigakit couple of weeks ago. I'm starting to think this board has a faulty serial circuit...erghh.

I don't have a terminal program on the A500, I just got it a month ago, only have the Workbench disks...

A null-modem adapter? I have that Belkin null modem cable and a serial-usb adapter with the same design as 90% of them which should work 100%...I really don't know why it is freezing and not wanting to handshake...


EDIT: Just a question, are all USB-Serial adapters automatically null modem adapters or are the pins differently wired for a generic serial adapter as opposed to how they should be for a null modem cable?

[prowler]

Hi quantum112,

I have built a 25-way to 25-way null modem cable which conforms exactly to the specification on the Amiga Forever website here:
http://www.amigaforever.com/kb/13-105

Amiga Explorer always works flawlessly (albeit slowly) for me when I use my cable connected between a serial ports of my PCs and Amiga 1200s.

If you can check that your null modem cable conforms to the AF specification using a light bulb and battery as DemonHellraiser suggests, then your problem must be with either the USB serial adapter or your Amiga/PC port.

prowler