Communication errors with serial ports

[videobruce]

One of my two boxes I have a issue with the serial ports.
First; I can't flash firmware upgrade to a FTA receiver, but I can download from the receiver (channel lists for example) and it 'sees' the receiver ok.
Second; on the #1 port with my Spectrum Analyzer I receive a "communications error". Port 2 works fine.

Specs;
2k
Abit NF7S V2 MB (nForce2)
Bios settings to 'auto'
Default settings for the 'com' settings under properties.

My other box Epox 8-RDA woprks fine. Any ideas???

[Gizmo]

The send and receive lines on RS-232 are on separate pins. Motherboards don't use true serial transceivers with level shifters in most cases, but rather use CMOS inputs and outputs (technically violating the RS-232 spec, but most everything works with it). It is therefore entirely possible that the ports are simply toast. Did they ever work?

[videobruce]

I never used them. The board is 1 1/2 years old and this is the first time I had need to.
How can it be checked or confirmed??

[danrok]

You can get RS232 testers which plugin to the port.

[videobruce]

I use to have a IR receiver for a HD tuner card in that port. That was removed along with the tuner card and the software. Could this be the issue??

[Gizmo]

Removing the IR Receiver, tuner card, and software shouldn't have done anything to the port. However, it is possible that a static discharge during removal of the IR Receiver could have whacked the port.


If you've got a null-modem cable, you could try hooking port 1 to port 2, and run a terminal session on each one and see if they can talk back and forth to each other that way.

[videobruce]

Using Telnet or HyperTerminal?

[Gizmo]

HyperTerm

[robbie]

Are you overclocking?

[videobruce]

A overclocked HyperTerminal??
No, no overclocking.

I tried a couple of those serial port monitoring programs, but I really don't want to spend hours trying to figure out how to use a program once, since I wouldn't have any use for it in the future (unless this happens again).

Using HyperTerminal, and a null cable between the two ports, just how do you set each window up?

[Gizmo]

Set them both up as if you were talking to a modem.

8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit. No handshaking. Pick a signaling rate, but make sure it is the same for both.

A lot of cheap null modem cables just cross-connect pins 2 and 3 and run pin 7 straight across. This is good for basic communications, but hardware flow-control is jacked. A good null modem cable will also cross-connect RTS and CTS (pins 5 and 6?) so that you can use hardware flow-control.

[videobruce]

By no handshaking you mean under "Flow Control"?
I'm running 2k if that matters.

[Gizmo]

Yes, under 'flow control'.