Ultrabay Slim Serial/Parallel adapter for T60- work in T43P?

[sprior]

I just came across the Ultrabay Slim Serial/Parallel adapter on the Lenovo site which they list as being compatible with the T60, but I wonder if it would work in my T43P. Is the Ultrabay Slim the same across model lines, or does the T60 have a different connector?
Anyone try this? I have some serial devices which won't work with a USB to serial adapter.

[ZPrime]

Bad news for you, that's all the slim adapter for the T60 is. The port inside the bay is a combo IDE and USB port. They're just using the USB pins (there's no standard for IDE Serial or LPT)...

That said, what do you have that won't work with an adaptor, unless you're in DOS (god forbid). I've yet to have any problems with all sorts of serial devices with a Belkin USB->Serial thingy. Some apps don't like having a com port above #4, but that's easy to change (Windows lets you remap the USB/Bluetooth/Infrared serial ports to different numbers).

This all aside - the adapter should work on a T42/43, as the bay hasn't changed (the same drives work). the issue is that the edge/side of the T4x is "curved" (angled, actually) while the T60s have the device sitting flush with the side of the notebook, it's totally squared off instead of "rounded" in like the T4x. So, the slim adapter may hang out funny.

Give IBM a call and see if they'll let you buy and return if it doesn't work, that's my suggestion... or just get a non-sucktacular USB adapter.

[sprior]

I'm not so sure it's using the USB pins, in fact they specifically address that in their product description:

"It is ideal for customers who must connect to serial or parallel devices and need a cable-free solution or require a native connection that cannot be achieved through USB-attach alternatives."

That sounds to me like they're not using a simple USB->serial adapter in a different form factor.

The device I have which won't work with a USB->Serial adapter is a PIC programmer from Velleman. Apparently they use the signal pins in a non-standard way and in fact state on their website that USB->serial adapters won't work.

[Ken Fox]

I just came across the Ultrabay Slim Serial/Parallel adapter on the Lenovo site which they list as being compatible with the T60, but I wonder if it would work in my T43P. Is the Ultrabay Slim the same across model lines, or does the T60 have a different connector?
Anyone try this? I have some serial devices which won't work with a USB to serial adapter.

There's a subtle difference in the ultrabay hard drive adapters, SATA vs. PATA, that make the SATA tray not work in a T4x or presumably also other earlier machines than T6x X6x Z6x et. al. Basically this is a plastic tab that juts out on the SATA hard drive ultrabay adapter that makes it not seat into the ultrabay of these earlier models.

I haven't seen the serial-parallel ultrabay adapter in person so I don't know if it also has this blocking tab, but I'd rate the likelihood as high.

On the bright side, there are many versions of USB to serial adapters; I bought one that would not work with my older version Garmin handheld GPS units, and then read that some of them would work and some would not. I bought another brand and it worked fine. I'd bet that whatever you are trying to use a USB Serial adapter for has the same sorts of issues; some will work and some won't with your devices. You might want to call the device manufacturer to see if they can recommend a compatible adapter. If not, you might just randomly try another brand to see if it will work.

[andyP]

The Serial/parallel adapter will not work in a T4*. It only works in T6* and R6* models at the moment.
It has a unique connector for these ThinkPads' mainboards which is in the centre of the adapter and not at the side as on the hdd adapters.
It creates true serial and parallel ports unlike usb converters etc.
When the adapter is in the bay and you enable the serial port in BIOS it's allocated I/O 3FQ and IRQ 4. Parallel has I/O 3BC and IRQ7.
Under windows XP they show up as COM1 and LPT1.


img]http://www.nbst.de/spadapter.jpg[/img]

[sprior]

Thanks for the correct info Andy - not exactly what I was hoping for, but it makes sense. Unfortunately this makes the only thing my T43P leaves me wanting for (and I'm not giving up the 1600x1200 display for anything anytime soon).

[Ken Fox]

The Serial/parallel adapter will not work in a T4*. It only works in T6* and R6* models at the moment.
It has a unique connector for these ThinkPads' mainboards which is in the centre of the adapter and not at the side as on the hdd adapters.
It creates true serial and parallel ports unlike usb converters etc.
When the adapter is in the bay and you enable the serial port in BIOS it's allocated I/O 3FQ and IRQ 4. Parallel has I/O 3BC and IRQ7.
Under windows XP they show up as COM1 and LPT1.


img]http://www.nbst.de/spadapter.jpg[/img]

OK, but this is what I don't understand from the OP. The T4x series has already got a parallel port. It lacks a serial port but I'm almost certain, say 95%, that one could find a US to serial adapter that will work with this machine for whatever peripheral one seeks to use it for. There is variation in these things so one would have to get the right one, one that worked. If you could find that, and I'm sure you could, it would cost maybe $15 as opposed to whatever the overpriced ultrabay adapter costs.

Plus, serial adapter operated peripherals are going the way of the passenger pigeon; almost everything now works with USB ports.

So, given that the T4x already has a Parallel port anyway, I don't see much value in this overpriced ultrabay adapter on this machine in any event.

The garmin gps units I've used an adapter for were also billed as not working with serial to usb adapters but they do work just fine if you get the right one.

[sprior]

This is the device which wouldn't work with a USB serial port, notice at the bottom of the page it says so very clearly. I agree that serial ports are going away, but haven't yet. Devices which use serial ports in the standard way should work with a USB adapter, but some devices do weird things..

http://www.vellemanusa.com/us/enu/produ ... ?id=500373