Virtual serial ports

  • Thread starter Thread starter Leonid
  • Start date Start date
L

Leonid

I'm using 3COM USB Bluetooth adapter to communicate with HP 450wbt
printer.
The adapter installer produces virtual serial port for client
(printer), for example COM18. The next step is to run "Add printer
wizard" and install printer on this COM18. The problem are:
1. I can see this port in device manager. But this port is not listed
in available printer ports.
2. Moving adapter from one USB connector (port) to another one causes
new device enumeration and new COM ports opening. Is it possible to
fix initial installation and prevent installing of "new" device?
How to solve those problems? Any ideas.
\Leonid
 
Hi Leonid,

Did you or your installation tweaked USB HC drivers registry settings?

There is a compatibility mode that can be selected in registry for solving some issues with devices that do not have serial numbers,
in this mode devices are not seen uniquely but instead they only differ by physical port number that they are connected on HUB.I
can't remember without looking how this flag is called but make sure that you are not using it.

Also you can check what happens with other device when you move them around.

Go to regedit and open ....\System\Enum\USB\YouDevice VID.PID\subkey

Based on name of subkey you should figure out if this happens to all devices, and if new driver ID is enumerated for real when you
use other ports.

This could give us more info.


Best regards,
Slobodan
 
Leonid,

I don't know if it helps you but worth to mention.
There was a good tip from Andy [MS] on some USB/HID related problems fixed
in SP2.
Here is the quote:
There is a bug to be fixed for SP2 that can affect some hid compliant
devices that have no specific driver and are relying *only* on the most
generic hid-compliant driver.
Try adding these to your Extra Registry Settings within TD:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\UsbFlags]
UsbFlags
IgnoreHWSerNum04710302 = REG_BINARY 1 1
GlobalDisableSerNumGen = REG_BINARY 1 1
GenericUSBDeviceString = REG_SZ "USB Device"
GenericCompositeUSBDeviceString= REG_SZ "Composite USB Device"

KM
 
KM said:
Leonid,

I don't know if it helps you but worth to mention.
There was a good tip from Andy [MS] on some USB/HID related problems fixed
in SP2.
Here is the quote:
There is a bug to be fixed for SP2 that can affect some hid compliant
devices that have no specific driver and are relying *only* on the most
generic hid-compliant driver.
Try adding these to your Extra Registry Settings within TD:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\UsbFlags]
UsbFlags
IgnoreHWSerNum04710302 = REG_BINARY 1 1
GlobalDisableSerNumGen = REG_BINARY 1 1
GenericUSBDeviceString = REG_SZ "USB Device"
GenericCompositeUSBDeviceString= REG_SZ "Composite USB Device"

KM
Click to expand...

Thanks, Slobodan and Konstantin for your reply.
1. It seems to me that only network related devices (such as USB
(modems, LAN, Bluetooth), Serial (modems) or PCI (LAN cards, modems))
that, for exmple, have unique MAC will be reenumerated each time we
change PCI slots or USB (serial) ports. In this case we'll see #2, #3
and so on friendly names in Device Manager.
For each "NEW" device new ports will be opened.
My first question was how to deal with virtual ports that are not
listed in available printer ports list. I have no answer on this
question till now(???)
And about second question: I'll try to check Konstantin's tip.

Thanks
\Leonid
 
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