How Do I Connect a USB Camera to a Serial Port?

October 18th, 2009 | by Joe |

I’ve tried ebay and google and Maplins etc they all do a converter that lets you plug a serial device into a usb port but my old laptop only has a serial port no usb at all. I want to plug my camera into it but that is usb I bought a usb cardbus but its type II and wont fit (laptop must be type stone-age )
anyone got a link to a serial to USB adapter or a better idea apart from burn the laptop and turn it into modern art

Confuzzled you have fallen into the trap all those links are to connect a serial device to a usb port i want to go the other way and connect a usb device to a serial port thanks anyway

Looking around I don’t actually think you can go from Serial to USB. The main problem you will have is that there won’t be any drivers to read the serial port to setup the camera even if you could connect it.

If it’s an old PC you probably have a Type I PCMCIA slot (3.3mm) the Type II is 5mm and all the SD card readers are Type II. So I would go with the burning option or get a friend to pop the images onto a CD for you.

No related posts.

  1. 5 Responses to “How Do I Connect a USB Camera to a Serial Port?”

  2. By Afraid of Flu on Oct 19, 2009 | Reply

    A serial to USB adaper is your best bet, but there is no guarantee it will work. Its worth a try.

    Or you can buy a laptop with a USB port.
    References :

  3. By Confuzzled on Oct 19, 2009 | Reply

    There are a load of serial to usb converters avaialble try the link below for a list of websites in the UK. Or call PC world and ask them for one and see how much. I wouldn’t pay much more than £17 for one!!!! So if they ask for more than that tell them no thanks and buy elsewhere.
    References :
    http://uk.search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geumYnnJ9GrxAA2LFLBQx.?p=serial+port+to+usb+converter&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-501&x=wrt&meta=vc%3DcountryUK

  4. By junglejungle on Oct 19, 2009 | Reply

    you can’t use a serial adaptor they are used for keyboard / mice normally.

    if its not even got usb1… jeez maybe time to take it to the local antiques shop..

    if it has a pcima slot you could use this , hopefully >

    http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/48669

    if its running 98.. u might as well put linux on it.. as anything less than 98SE won’t support it i guess.
    References :

  5. By Neil on Oct 19, 2009 | Reply

    Looking around I don’t actually think you can go from Serial to USB. The main problem you will have is that there won’t be any drivers to read the serial port to setup the camera even if you could connect it.

    If it’s an old PC you probably have a Type I PCMCIA slot (3.3mm) the Type II is 5mm and all the SD card readers are Type II. So I would go with the burning option or get a friend to pop the images onto a CD for you.
    References :

  6. By Alan_B on Oct 19, 2009 | Reply

    I doubt very much that it can be done. Put the money you would have spent on this mythical adaptor towards a new computer.
    References :

Sorry, comments for this entry are closed at this time.