Connecting a 3 series to a XP laptop [Archive]

jamster69

11-20-2002, 11:37 AM

Help i have installed PSIwin2.. on a laptop that has XP as the operating system , the psion is a 3C series i have connected the serial cable but i can not connect the pc and psion the connection manager is sayinfg a conection colud not be formed, and asking that the commincations link on the psion is tuened on , im sure i have done this but it still is not connecting ! help please

"M"

11-20-2002, 03:06 PM

are you using psiwin 2.3.3 because you must use this with windows xp or it will not work. psiwin 2.3.3 does work with a 3c because i have one and it connects with windows xp

netBookBabe

11-20-2002, 05:38 PM

Good to see our Junior Members doing their homework and coming up with spot-on advice! Thanks, M. ;)

jamster, you can download PsiWin 2.3.3 from the Psion site:

http://www.psion.com/MyPsion/Login.asp

It's a free download, although you will have to register your Psion there first, if you haven't already done so. I should also warn you that it's a large file - almost 25Mb.

Julie

jamster69

11-21-2002, 05:19 AM

hello thanks for your response but i had already downloaded that its the connection that is failing

jamster69

11-21-2002, 05:50 AM

i have now got a connection , the baud rate settings where wrong but im now havin gtrouble backing up any help ?:confused:

netBookBabe

11-21-2002, 07:28 AM

Trouble backing up? What exactly is the problem?

Julie

MikeMcC

12-16-2002, 01:06 PM

Originally posted by retcad
Does 2.3.3 work with a 3a ? if not what does? Assume any series to USB ( & Driver) OK ? Put it this way, if you are using Windows XP you are going to have to use 2.3.3 so it is probably a matter of trying it to see. As far as I know, there shouldn't be a problem - I have connected a Siena and 3c with 2.3.3 and XP, but I don't have a 3a to try.

mayhem.deranged

12-18-2002, 06:06 AM

PsiWin 2.3.3 will at least connect to a Series 3a.
(Do not forget that the S3as maximum baud rate is 19200).

However there is some functionality missing on this version...

The "Upgrade to Series 5" feature has gone.
Some of the file converters are slightly unstable.
I have yet to hear from anyone that can make Print via PC work with PsiWin 2.3.x and above.

I personally use the earlier PsiWin 2.3.2 which I believe to be a little more stable.

retcad

12-18-2002, 02:29 PM

1 Having also tried to print, with zero success I have abandoned this option! However the back - up is useful, hence my query.
2 Looking through the web there seem to be a vast number of USB/SERIAL convertors around at a wide price range. Are there any special features required for PSION, or will one appropriate for a QUICKPEN ( line by line scanner c.f. C-PEN) do the business.
Regards,
RETCAD.

retcad

12-28-2002, 03:46 PM

Have been away, so thread slightly broken !! Has anybody reccommendations as to preferred cable / convertor RS232 - USB for PSIWIN ?
Regards
RETCAD

MikeMcC

12-28-2002, 03:58 PM

Has anybody reccommendations as to preferred cable / convertor RS232 - USB for PSIWIN ? To be sure of a solution which works, I would suggest you look at:

http://www.clove.co.uk/products.asp?product=PS5-USBC

mayhem.deranged

01-07-2003, 06:58 AM

Many people I know have successfully used the Belkin F5U109 - USB PDA Adapter.

http://www.belkin.com/

Another good choice which I know to be successful is Keyspans USB PDA Adapter.

http://keyspan.com:16080/products/usb/pdaadapter/

Make certain whatever choice that you make, that you have the latest device drivers. Check the manufacturers respective websites for details. This is known to be especially important with the newest breed of laptops out there that are supplied with Win 2k and XP pre-installed.

Basically, a USB to Serial converter needs to emulate an old 9 way D COM port. This means that the software supplied with the device is as important (if not more so) as the hardware itself.

In general stand alone USB to Serial converters are more successful than multiport hubs and the like, that just happen to have a 9 way D serial port as a bonus feature. Again, this is more down to how good the software emulation is than the quality of the hardware itself. Stay clear of the all singing all dancing stuff. The less complications involved, the better.

retcad

01-10-2003, 12:59 PM

Some progress !! obtained CLOVE USB - serial which worked OK for WIZTECH scannning pen so that bit is OK ! Also downloaded psiwin2.3.3. ( Slowly !) but cnnot get connection .. error msg " a connection cannot be formed between Psion & PC ". Have tried
Baud rate changes .. zilch. How does PSIWIN know that the serial is via USB? What should I do now !
Any other checks or actions I should try: N.B. Psion is a 3a
Regards
RETCAD

MikeMcC

01-10-2003, 02:27 PM

What should I do now !
Any other checks or actions I should try: N.B. Psion is a 3a

Firstly, if you had a previous version of PsiWin installed, you must run the PsiWin Registry Cleaner before installing 2.3.3 - if you didn't do this, uninstall 2.3.3 again, clean the registry and reinstall it.

Secondly, make sure in PsiWin properties only the serial port the 3a is connected to is selected (the one created by the USB device) and that the speed is set to 19200 which is the 3a's maximum. Set 19200 in the 3a as well.

The PsiWin Registry Cleaner is attached but, if all else fails, there is a copy of PsiWin 1.1 (the program originally for the S3 platform) on the "Series 3" page of my website - that should at least let you transfer files and back up even if the convertors are almost obsolete.

R Savage

01-19-2003, 11:32 AM

jamster, you can download PsiWin 2.3.3 from the Psion site:

http://www.psion.com/MyPsion/Login.asp

It's a free download, although you will have to register your Psion there first, if you haven't already done so. I should also warn you that it's a large file - almost 25Mb.

Julie

Sorry if this is an old question that has been asked (and answered) many times.

I'm having trouble linking my Psion 3a to Xp and from th eabove gather that I can upgrade my copy of PSIWIN with a download from Psion. I've been trailing around the site reached by the above URL without success. I've looked at the software downloads page and the online software store without success.

Help finding the upgrade download would be grately appreciated.

TIA Richard

(edited by netBookBabe to clarify quotation)

MikeMcC

01-19-2003, 12:17 PM

Originally posted by R Savage
Help finding the upgrade download would be grately appreciated.
http://www.psion.com/downloads/pc/psiwin2/233/english.exe

netBookBabe

01-19-2003, 12:34 PM

Thanks Mike, and apologies to anyone who had difficulties with my original link. The thing that people often forget when looking for PsiWin is that it's a Windows app, so you should enter the version of Windows you are using, not EPOC, when prompted for "Operating System". :)

Julie

R Savage

01-19-2003, 12:42 PM

Thanks Mike and Julie,

I managed to find the file by selecting only Windows XP and English in the drop down boxes. Out of the resulting list I found PsiWin 2.3.3 build 149 which I have installed succesfully.

However, I still cannot contact my 3a :-(

Rgds Richard

retcad

01-19-2003, 01:52 PM

When you have got it & 25M is big, and have ( if necessary) the USB connection organised, check out which COM port works for you [ Mine was #4 !]. Also fix baud rate for Psion & PSIWIN at 19200: I have had moderate success i.e. a backup , but am struggling with file conversion for data, though text & spreadsheets might be OK.

MikeMcC

01-19-2003, 02:06 PM

However, I still cannot contact my 3a If you had a previous version of PsiWin installed, you should have uninstalled that, run the PsiWin Registry Cleaner and then installed 2.3.3

If necessary uninstall 2.3.3, clean the registry and reinstall it.

R Savage

01-21-2003, 01:11 PM

Thanks Mike,

Tried uninstalling 2.3.1 and using your registry cleaner before reinstalling 2.3.3. Still no joy. Is 2.3.3 supposed to work on only XP? I have tried installing it on an elderly 486 running Win98 and still cannot connect to my 3a. I de-installed it, using your registry cleaner, and installed 2.3.1 and can connect to my 3a on the 486.

Although I don't really want to do it, it seems that I must restore my 3a using 2.3.1 to my 486 and then dump the data to a floppy disc to be loaded on my XP machine :-(

Not very satisfactory!

I was successfully using 2.3.1 on my main PC before upgrading to XP. Are there any contra-indications depending on which version of XP one uses?

Rgds Richard

netBookBabe

01-21-2003, 01:35 PM

I'm really very baffled by all of this. Richard, XP definitely needs v2.3.3, as does Win2K. I'm also using it fine with Win98 on a separate partition.

Also, did you take the advice to set the baud rate for the 3a to 19200? That is definitely essential for my Siena, and I'm pretty certain it is for the 3a as well.

Julie

R Savage

01-21-2003, 01:43 PM

Hi Julie,

I was wondering if XP had (permanently?) disabled my serial port. I would have reluctantly accepted that.

In the light of what you say about using Win 98 and 2.3.3 I'm really perplexed too!

Maybe it's time to upgrade my 3a - not something I want to do as it was very nearly free!

Rgds Richard

netBookBabe

01-21-2003, 02:19 PM

Richard

This seems all the more strange since most people using XP seem to report PsiWin working very well, better than in previous incarnations of Windows. Whether this applies to connecting to S3 machines I can't say though - I don't have XP, nor a 3a nowadays.

It probably would make good sense for you to acquire another EPOC machine - at least then you would have simple backup and communications between the two which I, for one, find very helpful indeed.

Julie

MikeMcC

01-21-2003, 02:57 PM

I suspect there may be problems with PsiWin 2.3.3 and the 3a, although I can connect alright with both Siena and 3c using Windows XP. There may be an issue with the 3a's external ROM chip in the soap-on-a-rope "3Link", which the later devices don't have but that is just a guess.

PsiWin 2.3.3 is essentially intended for use with Win 2000 and XP, so with a 3a and Win98 you may be better using 2.3.1

netBookBabe

01-21-2003, 03:06 PM

Just to confuse things further, I've had a 3a (belonging to a friend) connected recently with Win2000 and 2.3.3. It was just a quick backup, no synching or anything else, but it worked fine.

Julie

JCC

10-24-2003, 06:04 AM

Hello,

I have a vintage Series3a with its 3link serial cable. After buying an XP-powered desktop, I installed Psiwin 2.3.3 on it. The backup works fine, even the synchronization with MS/Outlook works both ways (!) but I can not manage to convert the PSION data files to any format, whether CSV, DBASE or Access; I just get a
message "unable to convert file".

Did anybody run into that problem? How did you solve it?

MikeMcC

10-24-2003, 06:15 AM

Originally posted by JCC
I have a vintage Series3a with its 3link serial cable. After buying an XP-powered desktop, I installed Psiwin 2.3.3 on it. The backup works fine, even the synchronization with MS/Outlook works both ways (!) but I can not manage to convert the PSION data files to any format, whether CSV, DBASE or Access; I just get a message "unable to convert file".

Did anybody run into that problem? How did you solve it? Because you have Windows XP, you must use PsiWin 2.3.3, but some of the Series 3 converters do not work properly in 2.3.3

I would suggest you save the Data file as a delimited text file in the 3a and copy it across without conversion.