I am using the serial-to-usb cable to log data from a system under test, but, cannot see anything on my Windows7 based host laptop.

USB Cables PL2303-DB9
1

I wanted to ask if there are any checks I can do to test the cable. I have confirmed that the serial data is output properly.

2

Hello Shiv,

I am sorry to hear this. The first thing to look out for is the Prolific driver version -> http://plugable.com/drivers/prolific. If you are already on the newest driver version you can test the cable with the “ChipCheck” utility which is bundled in the driver package. Run this utility with the serial adapter attached to see if it is being recognized.

Another thought is to slow down the BAUD rate and to make sure that the serial port settings are properly matched up on both sides.

Kind regards,
Patric
Plugable Technologies

3

Sorry about the delayed response, but, I found that the problem was with the cable i was using. It was a straight through cable, so to test out, I swapped the Tx/Rx at the middle of the cable, and the problem is resolved. T

Thank You for the response!

4

Also, is there any support for Win8 OS? Thinking about upgrading the OS on my host system in the lab, but, dont want to get caught with driver issues.

5

Hi Shiv,

Thank you for following up with me. There is driver support for Windows 8. You might run into issues if you are dealing with legacy software on the other hand. If the logging software was written for Windows 2000 or XP only for example, this would be a clear indicator that you would want to stay with your current setup and operating system.

Kind regards,
Patric
Plugable Technologies