Dongle COM Port Question

[cavu2u]

But, to your original question - Windows really won't let you assign them all to the same COM port. It will fight you and you will lose. Instead, just mark the 8 digit code and COM # on the side in Sharpie and carry on.

Not quite.  You can right-click on the COMx port in windows Device Manager and reassign the COMx port to what you want.  You just cannot have conflicts while multiple devices are connected at the same time.

I cannot tell you guys how helpful this thread has been!

I have been fighting a couple of recently built DMX dongles - and I'm about bald from scratching my head ... until now.

I have a borrowed dongle that has been working like a charm. In an effort to return the borrowed dongle, I built two - one to use and one for backup.

When attached to USB neither of the new ones would work. Now I know why.

They had been assigned a different comm port once connected and were not being recognized by LSP. (Different comm port from the working dongle)

Over lunch today - I ran(okay, walked) upstairs, opened LSP and verified the working dongle was working, unplugged it and plugged in one of the new dongles, fired off device manager and changed the comm port(It was set for Com5, but LSP was looking for Com3). VIOLA!!!!

I then fired up LSP and ran a sequence with the new dongle.

Thanks guys-

This is the type of information that should be included in the wiki or the assembly manual.
"NOTE: If your DMX dongle is a replacement or a spare, verify comm port setting in Windows Device Manager. Your newly built DMX dongle should have the same comm port settings as the original, including the comm port number."

[pk]

While we are discussing comm ports, does Windows ever re-use a COMx port without you manually going in and deleting it?  Does Windows think that someday you may connect that serial device again?

[caretaker]

If you plug the same dongle into the same usb port windows will should always* assign it  the same comm port number.  If you plug that dongle into another USB port it may get another com port number.  That's why when I use my show computer I always plug the dongle into the same USB port so I know I will not have an issue with LSP finding my dongle. With that said I plugged a Blue Tooth dongle into my laptop and it took up 8 comm ports and kept the permanently assigned even when the dongle was unplugged. I had to manually delete all the comm ports to free up a low comm port for my dongle. 

[holland lights]

I know at one point lsp would not output on a comport 10 od higher so the comport number had to be kept low in order for it to work.