Serial RS232 PCMCIA Card

Pros: This is a wonderful solution for laptops without serial port. You can control all the config parameters that you can imagine. FIFO buffers (RX,TX), irq triggers (RX,TX), crystal frequency, incredible..!!!! If you work with line controls (CTS, DTR,...) over the serial port this is the choice, not the usb converters.

Cons: None

Other: A very very very good gadget.

Pros: Very nice card needed one for my laptop because most of them have no serial port. As a Cisco Engineer i use console cables a lot so this is better than an USB to serial Cable. And you need that port for other things. Now i even use that slot on my laptop i tought it was useless. But now i found something for it:)

Cons: Easy to install
Cheap card
Fast Delivery

Other: Ive you need a serial port on your laptop buy it!

Pros: Works as advertised, with windows. Windows drivers install ok on Windows XP.

Cons: No linux or other OS drivers, only windows.
Windows drivers not signed, but install just fine.
Identifies as RS232B, not C.
Probably not compatible with legacy MS-DOS apps (cannot choose port or interrupt for pcmcia, windows does that automatically and does not choose snatdard com i/o ports or interrupts)

Other: Tested with winxp and an old serial mouse. Works fine. (The mouse will need a manual refresh in windows' device manager once.)

Pros: I have configured over 200 embedded controllers with this PCMCIA card in a laptop; it has not failed once.

Cons: The physical construction feels somewhat fragile. If you insert the PCMCIA card in its slot (in a laptop) and then pluf in the RS232 cable, there is the risk of bending the card --especially when you need to use some force to plug in the cable. This is due to the asymmetric placement of the DB9 connector. I always connect the RS232 cable to the PCMCIA card first and then insert the PCMCIA card into the laptop.

Other: This PCMCIA card is (much) more reliable than an USB-RS232 converter. If you have occasional trouble with an USB-RS232 cable, try this card.

Pros: Works great, doesn't fail. can easily swap RS232 programming cables with it and it still works.

Cons: The original drivers on the CD gave me a lot of problems. I would have to reboot windows all the time to change cables. reinserting the card wouldn't work.
I installed drivers again and it works great now but I cant remember if im using the same of different (newer?) drivers but whatever they are its absolutely flawless now.

Other: Ive never tried USB to RS232 cables but have just ordered one that I will try. They use virutal COM ports while this via PCMCIA is on a hardware level so no virtual or emulation crap.
This is very reliable, get one if your laptop has no RS232 and you need it.