USB Scanner to COM Port transition for Software - How to do this?

[Wind11user652]

Hello

Can you please help? I work for an automotive company and we are looking to utilise a verification check within our despatch area. At present we have a piece of software that enables us to build a despatch. There is the ability within the software to enable a scanner for verification; basically the idea is you build you despatch and you link a scanner to the software that then enables you to verify the load that is being sent on the lorry. The software is however 10years + and the existing provider does not have alot of information in regard to setup. However the complication with the software is it only communicates via COM.

At present I have a very basic USB barcode scanner - When I plug this in it will appear within my Windows 11 machine device Manager as "Universal Serial Bus Controllers".

The problem is that the software will only accept parameters to be set as COM. My idea (not having experience is) there may be a way for me to

1. Plug in a USB scanner.
2. My computer turns this into COM rather USB or otherwise emulates it.
3. Software sees the USB scanner as COM allowing me to use the USB scanner within the software.

Any ideas as to how I could get this working or emulator recommendations?


This is quite pressing....

 

[Bighorn]

I don't know if this will give any ideas but I have 2 HP printers connected via Ethernet cable to my Wireless Router, any connected Wired or Wireless computer I install the software on can have full function. Win11 and sometimes Win10 will give basic function while connected, even Linux [installed or LiveDVD] will pick them up.

 

[Xploit Machine]

How about, DEVICE MANAGER -> ACTIONS -> ADD LEGACY HARDWARE ?

Note - Else if below method doesn't work, get a USB to SERIAL converter ..

 

[Wind11user652]

Thanks for your support. Yes perhaps what I am suggesting will not work but I am trying to trick the software into thinking the USB device is a SERIAL COM device when it is physically a USB. If I had a serial scanner then yes I agree adding legacy software will work. However as it is USB I am not sure how I can transition into COM when I don't have a serial port on my laptop

 

[Bighorn]

A typical Serial COM Port was/is 9-pin or 25-pin [male] and a Parallel Port for printers was 25-pin [female]. Some HP printers I've set up identified a USB connection as COM when their software was installed. There are USB to 9-pin Serial adapters, a Search on www.amazon.com should find them.

 

[Wind11user652]

Hello thanks - Yes that would work If I could identify a barcode USB scanner that can identify as COM however I have no experience and the bog standard ones off amazon have no COM options.

 

[Bighorn]

Just a thought, have you asked a business in your area that use such a scanner such as the grocery store, convenience store, etc. as to what they use or maybe get a look at their setup?

 

[Wind11user652]

Thanks for your support - Yes the software provider are trying to source an old customer who use scanners with their software. Why the software provider have not upgraded the software to cater for USB scanners is beyond me - serial is so old now. They are not much use though but we are tied into a contract so I dont have any choice but to find an alternative.

 

[Xploit Machine]

Thanks for your support - Yes the software provider are trying to source an old customer who use scanners with their software. Why the software provider have not upgraded the software to cater for USB scanners is beyond me - serial is so old now. They are not much use though but we are tied into a contract so I dont have any choice but to find an alternative.

If you are tied to a contract, then the vendor has to resolve the issue as technology is upgrading from time to time very fast .. people need to moe on with the technology ..

My friend runs a tyre shop, but still using Windows 7 as the devices such as laser sensors devices are still runs on old technology .. he is still with older mainboard which has PCI slots where we still can add Serial & Parallel cards ..