Re: [Thinkpad] Need help testing serial port on TP 600X

usually, to test a serial port, one uses a special plug to
feed the output back into the input..
i forget what these are called, just now.. (it IS 5am here!)
if memory is working the pins (on a DB25) are 2,3,7 & 20..
where 2 is either in or out and 3 is the other..
7 is signal ground and 20 is frame ground..
ignore 20..
and i suppose 7 too and just make a DB 9 up with 2 and 3
connected to each other..
plug it up and using terminal or some such applet, see if
you can send and receive..
the test suite from pc doctor might have a test using this
plug thingie..

it has been YEARS since i did any of this, so YMMV.. a lot..

like others have said, its tough to fry a serial port short
of plugging it into a wall socket..

happy computing..
and just be happy you never had to sit up all night trying
to make an IBM selectric TERMINAL into a printer and doing a
translation table for EBSIDIC(sp?) to ASCII..
solder, wires, grease, S-100 stuff and frustration all OVER
the place..

*******************
Cordially,
Bill Morrow
(from NetFinity Server)
web page: http://www.thinkpads.com
bill@thinkpads.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr. Jeffrey Race" <jrace@attglobal.net>
To: <scoug-help@scoug.com>; "Thinkpad Users Group"
<thinkpad@stderr.org>; "POSSI Newsgroup"
<discussion@possi.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2003 11:24 AM
Subject: [Thinkpad] Need help testing serial port on TP 600X

> I think there is a hardware failure of the serial port on
the rear of
> my Thinkpad 600X but can find no way to test it. Unlike
the 600E, the
> 600X includes no test routine in Easy-Setup; the manual
says to use PC
> Doctor when booted to Win98. However PC Doctor appears
to have no
> test routine for the serial port that I can find.
>
> So I am casting about for ideas how to test so I can if
necessary
> return the unit to IBM for warranty service.
>
> From a DOS prompt I get:
>
> 22:20 H:\THINKPAD>ps2 se on
>
> OK
>
> which suggests the serial port is activated in the BIOS.
However I
> cannot use it to access any hardware device.
>
> So, first, am I missing anything about activating the
port?
>
> Second, assuming the port is theoretically active, how may
I test?
> I'd welcome recommendations for port-testing software and
wiring diagrams
> for a loopback plug which I could make with my breakout
box.
>
> If someone has a small testing program, feel free to
e-mail as attachment.
> (Or, point me to a d/l URL.)
>
> I can boot this machine to Win98, Win3.11 and OS/2 Warp 4.
>
> Thanks for all help.
>
> Jeffrey Race
>
> _______________________________________________
> Thinkpad mailing list
> Thinkpad@stderr.org
> http://stderr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/thinkpad
>

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Received on Wed Jul 23 05:11:14 2003