FAQ: Installing The Virtual RS232 Serial Port Driver
   
 

In order to use the 2145/2145A USB I/O Cable or the 1871/1871A/1871B USB To RS232 Adapter for MicroVib II to MicroBase Pro communication, a driver must be installed in Windows to create a Virtual RS232 Serial Port.

Note: Depending on your level of familiarity with the Windows OS, the steps below may require the assistance of your IT Professional.

The driver installation method to be used varies according to what Windows Edition MicroBase Pro is running under. If you don't know what Windows Edition you are running, click Check Windows Edition.

 Methods 1 & 2 below involve use of the Windows Device Manager. If you are unfamiliar with how to open this tool, click Open Device Manager.

1. How Do I Install The Virtual Serial Port Driver (Recent Versions Of Win 10 and Win11)?

In recent versions of Windows 10 (v2004 and higher) and in Windows 11 the Virtual Serial Port Driver may not be automatically installed. When this is the case, you can install the driver via Windows Update:

Install Driver Via Windows Update

  • Make sure that your computer has an Internet connection.
  • Open Windows Device Manager. Locate the USB Device under the Other Devices category.
  • Right click the item and select Update Driver.
  • Click Search Automatically For Drivers (this will fail).
  • Click Search for updated drives on Windows Update.
  • Select Windows Update then click Check for Updates (wait for Windows to finish the search).
  • Click View Optional Updates, then open Driver Updates.
  • Select the appropriate driver based on your cable or adapter type:
    • If using 2145 Cable, 1871, or 1871A Adapter, select FTDI - USB XX/XX/XXXX
    • If using 2145A Cable or 1871B Adapter, select CH340 - USB XX/XX/XXXX
  • Click Download and Install. Be patient - download and installation may take a minute or two.

If Windows is unable to locate and install the correct driver for your FTDI or CH340 based cable or adapter, you can install the driver manually as described in Section 3 below.
2. How Do I Install The Virtual Serial Port Driver (Win 7 through early versions of Win 10)?
 
With Windows 7 up through older versions of Win 10 (v1909 and earlier), most USB to Serial Adapter drivers will be automatically installed when Windows detects the device. Use the following steps:
  • Make sure that your computer has an Internet connection.
  • Connect the P/N 2145/2145A Cable or P/N 1871/1871A/1871B USB to RS-232 adapter to your computer.
  • Windows should detect new hardware and then automatically install the driver. Be patient - this may take a few mins.
In the event that Windows does not automatically install the needed driver, use the following steps:
  • Open the Windows Device Manager and look for an entry under Other Devices which relates to your adapter.
  • Right click on the entry and select the option to Install or Update the driver for that device.
  • When prompted, direct Windows to search automatically for the appropriate driver. Be patient - this may take a few mins.

If Windows is unable to locate and install the correct driver for your adapter, you can install the driver manually as described in Section 3 below.

3. How Do I Manually Install The Virtual Serial Port Driver (Required With Win Vista and Earlier)?

Install Driver Manually

  • Browse to www.dssmicro.com, and click Downloads.
  • On the Downloads page, locate the category Third Party Device Drivers.
  • If using 2145 Cable, 1871, or 1871A Adapter:
    • Click Executable FTDI Driver Installer for P/N 2145 Cable to download the driver installer to your browser.
    • Locate the downloaded FTDI vX.XX.XX Setup.zip file in your browser downloads area.
    • Open the zip file and copy the installer program CDMxxxxx_Setup.exe to your desktop.
  • If using 2145A Cable or 1871B Adapter:
    • Click Executable CH340 Driver Installer for P/N 2145A Cable to download the driver installer to your browser.
    • Locate the downloaded CH34x_Install_Windows_v3_4.zip file in your browser downloads area.
    • Open the zip file and copy the installer program CH34x_Install_Windows_v3_4.exe to your desktop.
  • Execute the installer and the driver will be installed.

Note: Alternatively, you can also manually install the driver found in your MicroBase Pro Installer Zip or the Driver Installation Disk that came with your adapter.

4. How Do I Configure MicroBase Professional To Use My New RS-232 Serial Port?

Once your have installed the Virtual Serial Port Driver, configure MicroBase Pro to use the driver using the instructions here.

Did you find this article useful? Please tell us.

Back to FAQs page.