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Author Topic: Laptop connections Mike Babb Master Film Handler Posts: 250 From: Norwich UK Registered: Jul 2002 posted 01-10-2004 05:11 PM                        If this has been discussed please let me know where... I use an old Compaq Armada with W98 for Dolby 650, Dolby Reader, SDDS and Load500. I just got a new Dell 5150 with XP Home and no serial port, how much can I use it for these functions and what is the best way to hook up a serial cable?  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 01-10-2004 05:19 PM                        This has indeed been discussed ad nauseam. The best way to hook up a serial cable is to plug it in the serial connector. Get the Keyspan adapter. Once you have it, use the configuration tool to map the adapter to one of the ports the setup software recognizes for connection.  |  IP: Logged Matthew Bailey Master Film Handler Posts: 461 From: Port Arthur,TX Registered: Sep 2000 posted 01-10-2004 07:39 PM                     You may need USB to serial adapters.  |  IP: Logged Mike Babb Master Film Handler Posts: 250 From: Norwich UK Registered: Jul 2002 posted 01-10-2004 07:59 PM                        Just ordered the Keyspan USB to serial adapter recommended by Michael. Also I did some further software specific searching on the site and from what I can tell, 650 Setup and Reader software will probably run on my system and Load500 will not. SDDS DFP3000 maybe? I would probably keep using my old laptop anyway for some of the stuff and prefer not to partition my hard drive if possible just for this. Thanks everyone and if you have more to add, let me know...  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 01-10-2004 08:06 PM                        Load500 will almost always work. You often have to run the software in slave mode when transfering data from the CP though.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 01-10-2004 09:15 PM                        The SDDS website has a version of the 3000 software for XP.  |  IP: Logged Alan Haigh Film Handler Posts: 45 From: Watford, UK Registered: Jul 2003 posted 01-12-2004 03:41 PM                    On a similar topic. I've just ordered a pair of these little puppies - http://www.omniinstruments.co.uk/radiotel/HPS120.pdf wireless RS232 adaptors. They could change my life forever if they work. No more long cables - and the German "no hole through the projection room wall 70 year old fire regulations" nightmare may at last be overcome. Will report back if they work. Alan  |  IP: Logged Michael Elam Film Handler Posts: 84 From: Clarksville, IN, USA Registered: Mar 2001 posted 01-13-2004 09:57 PM                     Early next week I am going to test Microsoft's Virtual PC 2004 running inside XP Pro and Pcmcia to Serial adapter.  |  IP: Logged Jon Bartow Master Film Handler Posts: 287 From: Massachusetts Registered: Nov 1999 posted 01-16-2004 12:25 PM                     I have used virtual PC 2004 with XP and it works flawlessly. I have two virtual machines set up. WIN98SE and DOS6.22. It even runs the THX R2 software without any problems! Also tried VPC with the Keyspan USB adaptor, once again, no problems. PLEASE NOTE! To anyone with XP. Load500 does work, but only to download and save settings. If you try to upgrade the software you WILL fry the ROM chips. (this is not a maybe, it WILL fry them) However, with VPC2004 and win98 or DOS, no problems.  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 01-17-2004 06:42 PM                        XP likes to muck around with the hardware's output voltage levels. Putting a 100 ohm resistor on each line might prevent the sweet, sweet smell o' silicon.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 01-18-2004 03:28 AM                        Why does that XP do that?  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-18-2004 11:47 PM                     because it is winDOZe and microsquat thinks it owns the computor world  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 01-19-2004 12:03 AM                        I assume it was changed so that it acts more like a USB port. I would also assume that whoever designed the serial interface in the CP didn't actually read the standards for PC serial ports since, if I'm not mistaken, even under XP the output levels are still within limits. In all likelihood they just made sure it worked with some 486 running some version of MS-DOS.  |  IP: Logged Trevor Bailey Expert Film Handler Posts: 113 From: Woonsocket, RI Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-21-2004 03:57 PM                        "Fry" might not be an acurate description. As Ken from Dolby explained it: After erasing the EEPROMs, the program will hang when trying to write the new code to the EEPROMs...so you will have two blank chips. The CP-500 will power on but you will have a blank screen and all of the softkey LEDs will be on giving you...one brain-dead CP-500!!  |  IP: Logged

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