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support and faq

FAQs and Support

To Check and see if your adapter is installed:

  1. Open Device Manager
  2. Expand the "Ports (COM & LPT) section by clicking the "+" or triangle symbol to the left of it.

Different model adapters will have different text, but you should see an entry such as "USB Serial Port" or "Prolific Serial Converter", followed by (COMx) at the end. "x" here is the port number.

This is the number you need to provide to the application you are using, for example HyperTerminal or Putty for a terminal/modem or other telecom gear, Labview for PLAs and other testing gear, etc.

RS-232, RS-422, RS-485 Signals Differences

RS-232 Signal

On the technical side of the differences, RS232 is a single-ended signal with a specification that allows for data transmission from one transmitter to one receiver at a fairly slow data rate of up to 20K bits/second over short distances of up to 50Ft. using a maximum data rate. RS232 signals are represented by voltage levels with respect to a system power / logic ground. The “idle” state has the signal level negative with respect to common (signal ground in chart above), and the “active” state has the signal level positive with respect to common.

RS-422 Signal

RS-422 compensates in its wiring compared to RS-232 that doesn’t interpret well at higher data rates, or, long distance communication. RS-422 creates a “differential data transmission” or balanced differential signal. Using differential signals can help invalidate the effects of ground shifts and induced noise signals. These signals can sometimes appear as common mode voltages on a network; RS-422 recognizes this noise and produces a much clearer and accurate signal.

Designed for 100Kbps, RS-422 differential data transmission is designed for transmitting at distances of up to 4000 Ft. RS-422 is also designated for multi-drop “party-line” communication applications where there is only one connected driver and transmits on a “bus” of up to 10 receivers.

RS-485 Signal

RS-485 offers configuration options for local networks and multi-drop communication links. The RS-485 signal is a two wire system (twisted pair) that is either a straight or twisted pair wiring construction with a maximum of 32 transmitters and receivers can be operated. RS-485 also keeps the 100Kbps over a length of 4000 ft. transmission rate that the RS-422 specification does. RS-485 signal adapters are basically a go between from the converters to the terminal or PC using RS-485 signal levels, in other words, the format, speed, and protocol of the data during transmission is not governed by RS-485.

RS-485 Basic Pinout Diagram

Serial RS-485 does not suggest any communication protocol with exception of the physical layer and only specifies electrical properties of the transmitter and receiver. RS-485 is generally used for its multi-port specification but is not necessary in certain applications. The full and half duplex wiring diagrams are below:

Scheme Image

What methods of payment does USBGear support?

USBGear accepts: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express cards.

How long does it take USBGear to ship my order?

Order processing usually occurs within one day. This includes charging the credit card, verification of addresses, product handling, packing, and shipping. Some items may become out of stock before our web site is updated. In such cases you will be notified by email.

What happens if any item is back ordered?

If an item is found to be out of stock after the order is placed we will ship the parts of the order that are available. The back ordered items would be shipped as they become available. Customers will not be charged additional shipping or handling fees for back ordered items.

Can I order only from USBGear online?

Yes. Our website operates 24/7/365 and this is where you should place all orders. If you are having trouble with the website please see our ordering FAQ and make sure all your browser settings are correctly set. It is the customer's responsibility to look over their email confirmation to make sure that the customer's information (shipping, contact, etc.) is correct and the parts in the email confirmation are what the customer intended to order and contact us right away (before product is shipped) if any errors are found or if no email confirmation is received.

I cannot order online, what can be wrong?

We test our website thoroughly so it's rare that customers have ordering problems. If they do it is often due to one of the following problems:

  1. Cookies not enabled.
  2. The computer you are using is behind a firewall and it's blocking our site, in which case you'd need to contact your network administrator for help.
  3. The system clock on your system is not set correctly.
  4. Your browser is older than Microsoft Internet Explorer 10.

Does USBGear rent or sell my personal information? What is your privacy policy?

Never! We respect our customer's privacy and never rent or sell customer information. For our complete privacy policy please see the privacy policy page.

What methods of payment does USBGear support?

USBGear accepts: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express cards.

Does USBGear accept Purchase Orders?

Yes, but they must be payable in advance by credit card (See accepted cards above). Please email your PO to [email protected] and make sure there is a valid contact phone number for someone to call for payment details. DO NOT include credit card information in the email message or attached PO.

Does USBGear accept international credit cards?

No. At this time we are not accepting any international orders.

Does USBGear have a strict verification process? Other online companies do not require address verification.

Computer parts by their nature are extremely easy to resell and the average ticket price is quite high leading to extremely high fraud rates. For the sake of credit card holders and for our own protection USBGear has in place the strongest measures in any business against fraud. To begin with we ship only to credit card billing address or alternate shipping addresses that are actually listed with the credit card issuing institution. We also work with local and federal law enforcement agencies when we detect fraud being committed within our network.

Why was my credit card declined when I know the credit and or money is available in the card?

There are many scenarios under which a card can be declined. It may be due to wrong card number, wrong expiration date, daily transaction limits, insufficient funds, or random security checks by the credit card issuer. When this happens, the cardholder needs to contact the bank directly to find out why it happened and correct the problem.

What states require sales tax?

All orders that have either shipping or billing addresses within Florida will be automatically charged sales tax.

What shipping methods does USBGear use?

USBGear uses the fastest shipping to your area, typically between FedEx, UPS, and USPS.

How do I know which shipper my order was shipped through?

You will receive an email with any tracking number and shipping details after your order is shipped.

My tracking number is not valid. What should I do?

For most carriers the tracking number is not valid until it arrives at a central hub or sometimes a driver fails to scan all the packages. This will result in a tracking number that appears to be invalid for a short duration of time. Please wait at least a day or two to see if all the items can be tracked. If not give us a call and we will begin a tracer on the package(s).

Does USBGear ship internationally?

We do not ship outside the US or Canada at this time.

Sometimes you need a product in a flash and just want to verify an item is in stock. Other times you have a specific question regarding a product, shipping method, or your order. Use the form below and we will help. Please refrain from spam, we only log this information to our database for 24-hours and then it's gone.