Can I use standard PC serial ports?

[tjscientist]

We are setting up our first LabVIEW environment and test station. I need to control a Xantrex XT30-2 Power Supply via RS-232 and I also need to querry the Device Under Test via a seperate RS-232 port to start the self test mode and receive data.

My original plans were to use the two serial ports on the PC but the sales rep told me that I have to buy a NI serial interface because of driver issues... Is this true? If so, what is so special about the NI interfaces? Is there a difference between their PCI and USB to serial interfaces (usage wise)?

If we need to buy an interface card we certainly will, I just find it a bit strange that we can not use the serial ports we already have.



Thank you,

Jeffery A. Swan
Senior Software Engineer
Lectronix

[smercurio_fc]

I also find it a bit strange. I don't know what they could have been referring to. The serial ports on PCs work just fine. Those interface boxes are typically used when you either don't have enough serial ports, or you don't have any at all.

[Britoa]

If the PC has enough serial ports, you should have no problem, if you need USB->Serial converters, just be a bit careful, as some of them are quite bad/some software doesn't work well with them.  Actually, in the Xantrex supplies we have here that are USB, they just have a USB->Serial converter inside the supply to do the changeover. 

I have a system with 5 serial ports, aside from the xantrex USB supply, and they all work fine.