Com port issue

[PJP_BBE]

I'm throwing this question at the board to see if anyone know how to get this to work.

Here is my situation/configuration:

I'm working on an old controller (not a PC) that is from about 1997.  Originally, this device would be programmed using a PC connected through a special proprietary com cable that installed on the Win 95 PC with a win 95 driver to the com port.  This device would then show as a com port on the Win 95 PC and allow connections to the device.

I need to work on this machine - I have a newer proprietary cable with Windows 7/64 (usb)drivers.  It connects to my host PC as COM15.

I have a Win 95 VM with the software needed to edit the controller's program.

The cable is connected to the host (win 95 doesn't have a USB driver for this) at com 15.

I want to connect the com port in the VM to my host com 15.  If I try to add a com port to my VM, it only shows "available" com ports; COM1 and COM14.

How do I connect my VM com port to my host com 15?

Thanks in advance!

Pat

[bonnie201110141]

You mean, from your host device manager, there is a COM15 port. However, when adding a serial port for the VM (from vm settings > Add > Serial Port), there is no such COM15 available?

[PJP_BBE]

Correct.

I may be looking at this setting incorrectly but what I think I should be able to do is "software connect" the serial com port on the Win 95 into the port running on the host that uses a Windows 7/64 driver.

This is where I would think I could create this connection.  I want the com port in my Win 95 VM to use the physical COM15 on the host.

This selection only offers "Auto Detect", COM1, and COM14 and no text entry to force a value.

Pat

[RDPetruska · Accepted solution]

You can edit the vmx file manually.  Select COM14 and save.  Close the VM tab in Workstation (or close Workstation completely), so that when you edit the file, your changes get saved.  Open the vmx file in Notepad or other text editor.  Search for the "COM14" and replace with COM15.

[bonnie201110141]

So your host is Windows 7, and the new cable is connected to the Windows 7 host via USB? Can you attach a screenshot of your host device manager (with details of COM and USB expanded)?

[PJP_BBE]

Manually editing the VMX seems to have done the trick.  I have activity on my xmt light on the usb cable so the signal is getting to the cable.  This shows promise, I'll know for sure when I can try to connect to the controller.

Thanks!!