RS232 problem

[barend]

This is for the really old hands...

Got this Seiko labelprinter on Com4 (hispeed pci serial card).
My mobo is Asus P5Q3 wifi-ap deluxe.
I am always on a hell of a ride before I get this to work, these are the options shown in device mgr.:
bps 9600...115200 (several tried)
databits 8
parity none
stop bits 1
flow control none/hardware/xon-xoff (think hardware was the control of choice when it at at last worked for prior W7 installs: Beta, RC, W7)
Com 4

Msg "printer communication error".
Only possible setting on the printer is the com port.

Now I can try for days changing this and that and maybe as before it starts to work "just like that", but it is annoying: I had a crash and reinstalled W7 Ultimate.

W7 gives me a choice of two universal drivers, V8 and V10, tried to change to V8 but that doesn't change anything.

Anyone?

 

[DirtRider]

Normally you don't need to change settings on the port itself. I would look towards a driver issue here (check for drivers for the printer itself that are comparable with W7)

 

[barend]

Thanks!
Nothing here is compatible with W7, it was made in the early Windows 95 days!
Below is from the readme.
Haven't got a clue how to disable fifo, as there's no option for it in the device mgr, on itself or under the Com4.

Windows 3.x users should add a COMxFIFO=0 statement in the 386 enhanced section of your SYSTEM.INI file (substitute the x with the appropriate COM port--e.g. COM2FIFO=0). For more on this option, read the SYSINI.WRI file in your Windows directory.

Windows 95 users can disable COMFIFO by following these steps:
1. From the Start Menu, Select Settings-->Control Panel
2. Double Click on the System Icon
3. From the System Dialog Select the Device Manager Tab.
4. Click the "+" by "Ports (COM & LPT) in the device list.
5. Select the COM Port to which the SLP is connected and click the Properties button.
6. In the Communication Port Properties Dialog select the Port Settings tab.
7. Click the Advanced button.
8. In the Advanced Port Settings dialog, clear the "Use FIFO buffers" checkbox.
Windows NT 4.0 users can disable COMFIFO by following these steps:
1. From the Start Menu, Select Settings-->Control Panel
2. Double Click on the "Ports" Icon
3. Select the COM Port to which the SLP is connected and click the "Settings..." button.
4. Click the Advanced button.
5. In the Advanced Port Settings dialog, clear the "FIFO Enabled" checkbox.

 

[pbcopter]

Right click on Computer
Select Properties
Select Device manager
Expand Ports and right click on the Com port you are trying to use.
Select Properties
Select the Port Settings Tab
Select advanced
Uncheck Use FIFO buffers.

 

[barend]

Thanks,

Had a look for the 100th time and I actually managed to overlook one option: auto flow control...
Now it's working !