Registered: 09/13/05
Posts: 3
Loc: New Hartford, CT
Thanks I understand the instructions, what I was looking for is a way to update the unit without having to move it to my desktop thus saving an hour or more of work. I am a Beta tester for an unrelated company (Uniden Corp) and our software engineers recommend using a serial port, though a quality USB -> Serial converter works fine in updating our hardware and running the software control(Uniden Corp.) I'd appreciate hearing from an Outlaw rep or someone that has performed the update successfully on a USB only computer. I'd need a 50' or 60' serial cable otherwise (and I think Serial has its length limitations).
It is most likely a generic CYA disclaimer. Maybe 8 years ago USB support was a bit shaky but there is generally no problem using quality adapters. Get something with a FTDI UART chipset. Look at this note from DVDO regarding what they recommend for creating a terminal connection for updating their firmware: http://www.dvdo.com/update/update_usb.php
So, unless Outlaw specifically says FTDI based USB adapters are incompatible with their serial port (in which case it would be a non-standard implementation) I think it is safe to say it was just a generic warning.
Registered: 06/29/01
Posts: 894
Loc: Grants Pass, OR
You can also get serial PCMCIA cards. I personally haven't had or heard of any problems using those for any application. Of course, since I posted that here for God and country to read, I'm sure that SOMEone will be able to make a liar out of me.