Virtual PC 2007 and DOS program needs serial emulator

Hi all,

My question concerns Virtual PC 2007 and a DOS application that utilizes a serial BIC card.

A little background is in order. I use VPC for testing. One of the programs that I test is a legacy DOS program (completely DOS no windows - REALLY old school!) this program uses a serial BIC card to access several serial ports (about 8 in total).

My question:

How can I emulate these serial ports INSIDE Virtual PC without actually having these ports available? Sort of "tricking" the system.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. I also do some light programming (C#, VB 2005, ASP.Net...) so if you think you may know OF an answer requiring some programming, that's ok too just throw in a link or two and I will check them out.

Thanks a ton,

Syntax Overide

 

I don't think VPC will allow you to simulate hardware that doesn't exist. Even if it did, how would the application react if there was no device attached to these 8 serial ports?

Does the app require all 8 ports? Would one or two suffice? If so, you might try a couple of serial to USB devices. I have not tried this but I know these devices do show up as serial ports under WinXP and assume the would be virtualized to the guest OS. They are cheap and come embedded in serial cables, with a DB9 at one end and a USB connector at the other. About $15 if I remember correctly. I have one at home that I used for some software development I did for a company with a serial port device. But I never tried it under VPC.

Gary

 

Thanks Scuderia for your reply.

I think that you have pointed me in the right direction. I hadn't thought about using hardware as a solution instead of software (that's what I get for being a software guy

I found this

USB Serial Adapter

I think this will be the beginning of my solution.

Thanks again!

~SyntaxOveride

 

Cool! I've not seen the multiport variety, only the in-line cable type. But since I only needed a single RS232 port I didn't look any further.

Now the question will be HOW does VPC virtualize these RS232 ports that will appear under the HOST operating system. Will it make them visible to the GUEST operating system?

Please come back here and post a reply so the rest of us will know your results whether positive OR negative.

Thanks,
Gary

 

Will do! From what I see on the site the computer actually sees everything as actual COM ports that doesn't require any special driver installations. So my hope is that the session environment inside VPC will see them as well.

I will let you all know!


~SyntaxOveride

 

Yes the host will see them as "true" COM ports. So I hope the guest os does too! You do have the VPC "virtual machine additions" running on the guest side, right? OH wait this is DOS, do those work with DOS??? If not the virtualization may not be as effective. I know they make a HUGE difference to XP as a guest OS under a Vista host.

Hmm, I just checked and found this: DOS Virtual Machine Additions under VPC 2004 which looks promising. But then I found this: Virtual PC 2007 release notes which sates that the DOS Virtual Machine Additions are NOT provided.

Gary

 

But wait there's more!!!!

Installing DOS additions under VPC 2007

So it CAN be done!!

Gary