ErosLink Serial and USB Requirements

ErosLink requires your computer have at least one available serial or USB port. If you need to figure out if your system has such a port, this page can help.

There are two ways to connect: Serial or USB. Most desktop systems have at least one serial port. Some newer notebook computers, however, may only have one or more USB ports. Examples of each port are shown in the photo below:

If your system has a serial port, this is the best and least expensive way to go. There's no performance advantage to using ErosLink with a USB port and it requires an external adapter that must be purchased seperately or from SexTek when you buy ErosLink.

Serial Ports:

If your computer has a 9 pin male "D" connector (known as a DB-9M) that's not being used, it's likely a serial port. The connector looks like the one on the right in the photo above.

If you have one of the above connectors on your computer, you should be able to use ErosLink without any extra cables or adapters.

Some very old systems may have a serial port with a DB-25 connector. This looks like the connector above, but has 25 pins and is much longer (don't confuse it with the printer port which is a female connector with no visible pins).  If you have one of these connectors available, you can obtain an inexpensive DB-25F to DB-9M adapter. This adapter will allow you to plug the Link cable into your serial port.

Some notebook computers do not have an any built-in serial ports but have a "port expander" that plugs in and provides one or more serial ports. You may already have such a port expander or docking station for your notebook. If not, your best bet is likely to purchase and install a USB-to-serial adapter. See the USB section for more information.

If your PC has serial ports, but they are in use by other devices, you may be able to temporarily unplug one of these devices to connect your ErosTek device. Do not, however, unplug a serial mouse unless you intend to replace it with a PS/2 style OR USB mouse (PS/2 mice use a round mouse connector).

If your PC has no available serial ports, and you cannot make one available, but it does have at least one USB port, see the USB Ports section below.

USB Ports:

To use a USB connection, you should be running Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP or OS-X on a Mac. USB ports are not properly supported in Windows 95 and NT4. A pair of USB connectors are shown on the left in the photo above..

If you have available USB ports, and are running a USB compatible version of Windows or OS-X, then you can use a USB-to-serial adapter (shown at right) to add a serial port to your system. We recommend the UC232A made by Aten and sold under the IOGear, Hawking and other brand names. These adapters range in price from about $30 - $40. They are available from SexTek and can be purchased along with ErosLink if desired.

Other USB adapters may work, but ErosLink was developed and tested using the UC232A. ErosTek and SexTek cannot provide support for other adapters.

If your system has at least one USB port, but all the USB ports are in use, you should be able to temporarily unplug another USB device to use ErosLink.

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