GX500 USB cord max length?

[Gene@mpls]

I have been using a 15-16 ft cable for 4 or 5 months but it is getting
cranky about connecting with Vworks- when I use a short cable it works.
Not sure if the cable is failing or that is is just at the max (according to the
USB wiki) length. I cannot get closer than 10 ft- and that will entail some work.
The manual sez 3 meters max BTW.

There is also a serial connection (RS 232c) which doesn't look like the serial
ports that used to be on my old school computers(RS232?) but I see some that go from the RS232C to USB and RS232C to the old 9 pin plug. Not sure if that
would work better? Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks Gene

 

[round man]

older rs 232c ports had a 25 pin connector then about mid 90's they changed the standard to 9 pin, adapters can still be found and are still fairly common,...they work well together and once you have the right adapter it will work just fine if there are connected well. I have no idea what a gx500 (a search brings up some sort of cell phone)is but if you check the connection specs, most plotters will spec a null modem cable. any standard plotter cable(these are usually already null modem if they are intended for use with a plotter) connected to a standard usb to serial adapter should work just fine,...just about any combination of standard connectors will work asd long as there is only one null modem adapter connector in the sequence,....from what you describe I would suggest a usb to 9 pin serial adapter attached to the computer then that attached to a null modem cable,...and lastly a 9 pin to 25 pin adapter to attach it to the plotter if necessary

 

[Jack Knight1979]

I have a 25ft usb cord on my gx500, but it has a signal booster in the cord.

 

[lenwardus]

Have a GX300

Use 2 belkin gold usb cables (16 ft each) with d-link powered (110v)
hub in between. Works well with both cutter and also printer.

Looking for a used GX500 or GX640 if anyone has one for sale.

 

[Gene@mpls]

older rs 232c ports had a 25 pin connector then about mid 90's they changed the standard to 9 pin, adapters can still be found and are still fairly common,...they work well together and once you have the right adapter it will work just fine if there are connected well. I have no idea what a gx500 (a search brings up some sort of cell phone)is but if you check the connection specs, most plotters will spec a null modem cable. any standard plotter cable(these are usually already null modem if they are intended for use with a plotter) connected to a standard usb to serial adapter should work just fine,...just about any combination of standard connectors will work asd long as there is only one null modem adapter connector in the sequence,....from what you describe I would suggest a usb to 9 pin serial adapter attached to the computer then that attached to a null modem cable,...and lastly a 9 pin to 25 pin adapter to attach it to the plotter if necessary

Thanks to all- a lot of good info here, and Round Man- as I am sure you
have figured out the GX500 is a Roland plotter. Thanks Gene