Serial Communication Problems

You can experience difficulties in connecting to your logger for a variety of different reasons and it's not always obvious where the difficulty lies!

Here are some common issues to look out for ...

If you are using a USB to Serial converter

If you are using a USB to Serial adapter then you may need to install the correct drivers before you can use the port. Please see the instructions provided with the adapter for details, or check the manufacturer's web site. The web site probably has updated drivers available as a download.

If you are using a Hawk 3000 or Hawk 5000

With these particular loggers it is vital to use the original serial lead, as supplied with the logger. It may look the same as the ones commonly available in shops and on-line, but it has extra connections which are not often present in other leads. If you have lost your supplied lead then you will need to contact Kane International to get a replacement.

Their web site is here: http://www.kane.co.uk/

Another possible, but rare, problem which may prevent you from connecting to the logger is that it may require "calibrating" or repairing. Kane can provide you with further details if you have exhausted other possibilities.

My serial port is not listed

For USB adapters please see If you are using a USB to Serial converter.

If you are using a conventional serial port, built into your computer, then you may need to enable it. You may need to enable it either in the BIOS settings or in Windows Control Panel, or both. This is outside the scope of this help file, as the process varies depending on both the version of Windows and also the BIOS for your particular computer. We suggest asking your IT department. Alternatively try searching the internet for "enable serial port", which should point you in the right direction.

I'm not sure which serial port the logger is connected to

This was a common problem with older version of Reporter, as there was a choice of ports 1-8 and some USB serial ports would be assigned to higher numbers. With recent versions you should only be presented with a list of serial ports that Windows recognises as valid and enabled, so it should not take many attempts to find the logger.

If you still cannot "find" your logger it is worth trying a different serial lead, as it may be faulty, or there may be a problem with the logger. You should also check the suggestions under Serial Communication Problems and Serial Communication Problems.