FONIX USB to RS232 Commuications Link

Currently there are two types of computer ports that can be used to connect a FONIX analyzer or audiometer to your computer: Serial and USB.

The serial port method is directly supported by the Fryers driver and does not require any additional software (other than the application software itself). It requires an available serial port on the computer. Many newer computers, especially laptops, may not have a free serial port. The solution for this is to use a RS232 to USB conversion.

USB has become a new method for communicating with attached equipment. We provide a USB Serial cable, containing a built-in RS232-to-USB converter, with every new 7000 and FP35 hearing aid analyzer sale. This cable comes with a driver disk that will need to be installed in order for the cable to function properly. In most cases, the Windows Hardware Wizard will actually run twice during the cable installation process. The USB Serial Cable driver can be found here.

When the USB Serial Cable is installed, the computer will assign a COM port to the cable. The latest versions of WinCHAP, the FONIX NOAH Real-ear Module, and the FONIX NOAH Audiometer Module have functions that should automatically detect which COM port is used by the computer to connect to your FONIX equipment. However, in some cases, you may need to set the COM port manually.

To determine which COM port your computer has assigned the USB Serial Cable, follow these steps:

  1. Right-click on My Computer on your Desktop and select Properties.
  2. Select the Hardware tab.
  3. Click Device Manager.
  4. Click the PLUS button next to Ports.
  5. Examine the list of ports used by your computer. The USB Serial cable should be listed if it is installed correctly on your computer. Use this COM number in the FONIX Communication Setup window on the FONIX software program you are using to connect to your FONIX instrument. This COM # must be 1-9. Your computer connection will not function with COM 10 or greater. Ask your local computer technician for help with reassigning COM numbers, if necessary.

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