[simpler=better]

I want to pick up a mini9/A90 for serial data use. USB->serial adapters won't work, it has to be a true serial port.

Does the A90 come stock with a free miniPCI port? I am thinking of getting a miniPCI serial card, and then adding a serial port to the left-hand side of the netbook.

Who thinks this will/won't work?

[anguish]

Purely curious, why won't USB -> Serial work? I've not run across anything that can tell the difference, although I maintain that I'm ignorant to a lot of things that use serial communications. So, as I said, purely curious, and trying to learn a little bit.

[tchariya]

I have used USB -> RS232 on win xp laptops before without any problems on various needs..like unix getty terminal, console cord for concentrators and even the Cisco console cord connector.

The catch was that I had to install a device driver to get it to work on some unusual comm port.

Oh...and the USB -> RS232 was a little pricey at $15/per

[simpler=better]

The devices I'm working with are 'dumb' and basically spit out data with no handshake. From what I have read online, a USB->RS232 adapter won't pick up any or all of the data, whereas a true RS232 port can sit and listen all day.
The current machine is a PII 300mhz IBM, but the battery is shot and the system clock is buggy, I have a feeling it won't last much longer....

[anguish]

I wonder if it depends on the adapter. I use an older Belkin, and Windows looks at it just as it would an actual serial port. I've bounced routers and other devices while watching the data streams as expected. It doesn't work on 64 bit flavors of Vista/7, but I had it working beautifully on my 10v running 7 and using PuTTY when I was down in Kentucky a week or so ago. Was using it to troubleshoot an AP.

That said, I've not used it on anything that was designed to just spit data out though. But I would think it would work. I'll dig up the model number when I get a chance..

[Offroadie]

I have the same issue with my usb to serial adapter. It has no issues with most uses. I run into an issue using a Vag-com OBD2 cable.

[holmes4]

To answer the original question, no, the 10v does not come with a free MiniPCIe slot. You might be able to swap out the WiFi card as I think that is the only real MiniPCIe slot. I would be astonished, though, if you could not get a decent USB adapter to work. Some are probably better than others.

[Offroadie]

I work with Crestron automation equipment and the only serial adapters we found to reliably work are PCMCIA adapters. None of the usb versions were reliable.