Using a StarTech USB-to-serial adapter with a Prolific (PL2303) chipset and StarTech drivers can prevent the serial port on an exacqVision server to remain open on Windows-based exacqVision servers. The port will report an OPEN status for less than a second before changing to UNAVAILABLE.
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This occurs when exacqVision receives an ASCII control character 0x04 after the user clicks Apply in exacqVision Client. This control character causes exacqVision to close the port, as 0x04 represents End of Transmission. It is assumed that the StarTech drivers are sending this control character.
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The solution is to use Prolific’s reference drivers. To do this, complete the following steps:
- Download the drivers from http://prolificusa.com/pl-2303hx-drivers/.
- Unzip the file.
- Uninstall any other drivers that have previously been installed for the USB-to-serial adapter.
- Unplug the adapter from the exacqVision server’s USB port.
- Restart the system.
- Install the downloaded Prolific reference drivers.
- Plug the serial adapter back in to the USB port on the exacqVision server.
- Verify that Windows installs the drivers successfully by watching the messages in the Windows System Tray. COM port assignment might also be displayed during this time; if so, take note of the COM number.
- Click Start and type services.msc.
- Find the exacqVision Server service. Right-click it and choose Restart.
- Launch exacqVision Client and open the Serial Ports page. Configure the new port as needed.
- Click Apply. This port should now remain OPEN.
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StarTech-Prolific-USB-to-serial-Adapter-Not-Working-with-exacqVision-1.pdf