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Testing a PC's RS-232 Port - The "Loop-Back" Test
There are many factors involved in communicating with an RS-232 device from a PC.
Among them are correct baud rate setting for the device, proper software configuration
and proper cabling. There is one very simple test that will help simplify the task of
troubleshooting your RS-232 system, which is sometimes called the "Loop-Back" test.
Basically, this test will verify that your PC's serial port is working properly, and
that the RS-232 software that you are using is operating correctly, and that you are
connected to the proper port. It is a common mistake to connect a serial device to the
printer port, since many believe this to be a 25-pin RS-232 port. One important thing to
remember is that an RS-232 port on an IBM or compatible PC is always a male connector, and
may be either 9 or 25-pin. A printer port is always a 25-pin female connector.
To perform a "Loop-Back" test, follow these simple steps. (these instructions are for an
IBM or compatible. It is, however, similar for other computers)
- Indentify your serial port. Remember, a PC's RS-232 port can be 9-pin or 25-pin, but
will always be a male connector (containing pins, not sockets). If you have 2 serial ports,
identify if it is COM1 or COM2. If necessary, consult your computer's manual, or contact
their technical support department.
- Locate pins 2 and 3. A magnifying glass may be required to read the numbers on the inside base
of the connector. A 25-pin port TRANSMITS on pin 2 and RECEIVES on pin 3, and a 9-pin
port is exactly the opposite, but for this test, it doesn't matter, since all we want to
do is to connect the TRANSMIT line to the RECEIVE line.
- Connect a piece of wire from pin 2 to pin 3. By shorting these to pins directly together,
you are connecting the TRANSMIT line to the RECEIVE line. If you are using something other
than an IBM or compatible PC, then locate TRANSMIT and connect it to RECEIVE. If you find it
difficult to connect to the pins, you may try to wrap a thin copper wire around one end of an
un-wrapped paper clip, creating a small coil. Then, slide that coil around the pins of the
serial port.
- Run any terminal-emulation program, such as Hyperterminal (included with Windows 95) or
Terminal (included with Windows 3.1). Set up the software to communicate to the correct port
number, such as COM1 or COM2. Disable any handshaking, such as RTS/CTS or X-ON/X-OFF. Baud
rate does not matter for this test, since the port will transmit and receive at the same rate.
- Start to type any characters on your keyboard. Anything that you type, should appear
on your monitor. If you have your software configured to "echo" the characters, then, you will
see each character twice. For example, if you type HELLO, you will see HHEELLOO on your screen.
If you are not sure if you have "echo-on", then start typing, and then remove the wire from the
port, and type again, and you should see the difference. If you see nothing, with or without the
wire connected, then, you may have a bad port, or you may be on the wrong port.
This test will only verify that your computer and software is working properly. If you have
determined that your PC's RS-232 port is working correctly, then you need to check your cabling
and need to make sure that your device is configured for the same baud rate, parity and stop-bits
as your computer's serial port. Check your device's documentation to see if it requires
handshaking, or if it requires any special configuration.
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