16-Port Low-Profile Serial Card - RS232 - PCI Express - TAA

Questions & Answers

How do I install my serial card in Windows Vista / 7 / 8 (32 bit only)? (.exe method)
Before you install this device, make sure that your operating system is current (for example, the most recent service pack is installed). Download the latest drivers from the StarTech.com website at www.startech.com/Downloads . The part number and product ID are on the product packaging. Note: Windows usually saves the files to the Downloads folder that is associated with your user account (for example, C:Users your_name Downloads). After the download is complete, right-click the zip folder that you downloaded, click Extract All , and complete the instructions. In the list of extracted files, right-click the Setup.exe file and click Run as Administrator . Note : If the Run as Administrator option is not available, you might be trying to run the installer from within the zipped file. Complete the instructions in step 2 to extract the files. Complete the instructions to install the device drivers, and restart your computer when prompted to. After your computer restarts, connect the fax modem to your computer. Your computer automatically finishes installing the driver and your device should be ready to use.

How do I install my serial card in Windows XP (32 bit only)? (.exe method)
Before you install the device, make sure that your operating system is current (for example, the most recent service pack is installed). Download the latest drivers from the StarTech.com website at www.startech.com/Downloads . The part number and product ID are on the product packaging. Note: Windows usually saves the files to the Downloads folder that is associated with your user account (for example, C:Documents and Settings your_name My DocumentsDownloads). After the download is complete, right-click the zip folder that you downloaded, click Extract All , and complete the instructions. In the list of extracted files, double-click the Setup.exe file. Complete the instructions to install the device drivers, and restart your computer when prompted to. Your computer automatically finishes installing the driver and your device should be ready to use.

How do I manually install my serial card driver in Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, or Windows 11?
If the standard Setup.exe installation method does not work, you can manually install the serial card driver through Device Manager by selecting the appropriate driver (.INF) file. Explanation: Before installing the serial card, ensure that Windows is fully updated with the latest service packs, security updates, and feature updates available for your operating system. To manually install the driver: Download the latest driver package from the StarTech.com Drivers & Downloads page. Extract the contents of the downloaded ZIP file. Open Device Manager by pressing Windows Key + R , typing devmgmt.msc , and pressing Enter . Locate PCI Serial Port or the device with a yellow exclamation mark ( ! ) or question mark ( ? ). Right-click the device and select Update Driver . Select Browse my computer for drivers . Select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer . If prompted, select Show All Devices , then click Next . Click Have Disk . Browse to the extracted Windows folder and open the folder that matches your system architecture (32-bit or 64-bit). Select sbserial.inf , then click OK and Next to install the driver. After the controller driver is installed, additional serial port devices may appear in Device Manager. Repeat the manual installation process for each newly detected device until all serial port drivers have been installed. Notes: The Show All Devices screen may not appear on all versions of Windows. If it does not appear, continue to the next step. To determine whether Windows is 32-bit or 64-bit, review the system information in Windows Settings or System Properties. Once installation is complete, the serial ports will appear under Ports (COM & LPT) in Device Manager and be ready for use.

Is there a different or more advanced way to install my serial card in Windows XP?
Before you install the device, make sure that your operating system is current (for example, the most recent service pack is installed). Download the latest drivers from the StarTech.com website at www.startech.com/Support . The part number and product ID are on the product packaging. Note: Windows usually saves the files to the Downloads folder that is associated with your user account (for example, C:Documents and Settings your_name My DocumentsDownloads). After the download is complete, right-click the zip folder that you downloaded, click Extract All, and complete the instructions. Press the Windows key + R , type devmgmt.msc , and press Enter to open the Device Manager. Right-click PCI Serial Port , which will have “!” or “?” next to it to indicate a driver issue. Click Update Driver . On the Hardware Update Wizard screen, click Install from a list or specific location (Advanced) , and then click Next . Select the Don’t search, I will choose the driver to install option, and then click Next . On the Hardware Type screen, click Show All Devices , and then click Next . Note: The Hardware Type screen does not appear on all systems. If you do not see this screen, skip this step. On the Select the Device Driver you want to install for this hardware screen, select the Have Disk option. In the Install from Disk dialog box, click Browse . Browse to the Windows folder and open the 32-bit or the 64-bit folder, depending on your system type. Note: To view your system type, click Start . Right-click Computer , and then click Properties . Click the sbserial.inf file. Click OK , and then click Next . Additional device listings will appear in Device Manager. Complete steps 4 to 12 for each of the new device listings.

Serial communication is not working. Is the problem caused by the adapter or my serial software application?
Older applications that use serial communication often use legacy hardware addresses that do not work with PCI, PCIe, or USB to Serial products. We recommend contacting the software provider/support team to check if this is the case.

Everything is hooked up but nothing is working. What should I do?
When you troubleshoot issues with a serial device, there are some quick tests that you can complete to rule out potential problems. You can test to make sure that the following components are working correctly and are not the source of the issue: Serial cables Serial ports Serial devices To test your setup components, try the following: Use the serial cable, serial port, and serial device in another setup to see if the problem is with the components or the setup. Use a different serial cable, serial port, and serial device in your setup to see if the problem persists. Ideally, you should test a component that you know works in another setup. When you test your cables, it is recommended that you do the following: Test each cable individually. Use short cables when you are testing. When you test the serial ports and serial device, it is recommended that you do the following: Press the Windows key + R , type devmgmt.msc , and press Enter to open Device Manager . Check to see if your device is listed under Ports (COM & LPT) . Make sure that the COM port number is the correct number for the serial device and that the software being used to connect the computer to the serial device uses the correct COM port number. If the device is listed with an error, follow the instructions on the website to reinstall the drivers. Note: Some serial devices work only if the COM port number is between a certain range. For example, COM1 to COM4. Perform a serial loopback test. See this FAQ on how to perform a RS-232 serial loopback test: http://www.startech.com/faq/serial_loopback_test_rs232_windows

How can I make sure my serial port is working in Windows?
To check whether or not an RS-232 serial port is working, perform an RS-232 loopback test by doing the following: If your serial port is not female, convert it by taking a female/female cable or gender changer and plugging it into the serial port. Take a metal paperclip or wire and cross pins 2 and 3. If you look closely at the female end, the pins should be numbered. Open a telnet session on the COM port number of the device that you are testing. To find out the COM port number, refer to the following FAQ: https://www.startech.com/faq/com-port-listing-windows . Note: To open a telnet session on the COM port, you need a telnet client like PuTTY or Hyper Terminal. Windows XP comes with Hyper Terminal. When the session is open, anything you type into it you should see. The loopback test fails when you cannot see what you are typing. If the loopback test fails, make sure that the serial cable or gender changer that you are using works and that the adapter is in the correct port. You can check multiple ports at the same time by opening multiple sessions, putting the loopback adapter on one port, and trying to type into each session. When you can see what you are typing, you know that the COM port is working and you can see which port number the physical serial port is. Close the window for the port that you just tested to speed up the testing of the remaining serial ports. For products related to this article, click here .

How do I confirm that Windows detects my expansion card?
To confirm that Windows detects your expansion card, complete the following: Press the Windows key+ R , type devmgmt.msc , and press Enter . In Device Manager , under the appropriate heading, confirm that your expansion card is listed and that there isn't an exclamation mark next to it. For example, a USB controller card would be under Universal Serial Bus controllers . Your expansion card is listed according to the name of the chipset. To determine the name of the chipset of your expansion card, navigate to www.StarTech.com and look on the Technical Specifications tab for your product.

Do I need to connect a power cable from my power supply to a StarTech.com serial card?
It depends; a StarTech.com serial card does not require a power connection for basic operation, but a power cable is required to enable voltage output modes on the serial ports. Explanation: A StarTech.com serial card can operate using power from the PCI or PCI Express slot for standard serial communication. However, some advanced features depend on an additional power connection. Basic operation without power: The card functions normally for standard serial communication without connecting the power connector. Voltage output modes: Some models support jumper-configurable modes that provide 5V or 12V output through the DB serial connectors. Power connector requirement: These voltage output modes require a direct connection to the system power supply. Failure condition: If voltage output modes are enabled via jumpers without connecting the power cable, the serial card will not function correctly. To use powered serial port features reliably, the StarTech.com serial card must be connected to the system power supply.