The Serial Adaptor is very straightforward to connect. Simply connect it to the serial port on your computer, and connect your 1-wire network to it using a RJ12 (standard U.S. telephone) connector. You can make this connection using our Adaptor Cable, or if you prefer you can make your own cables by referring to our instructions on how to wire the cable connectors. In order for the adaptor to talk to your computer, you will need to use 1-wire software. There are many software choices, and we offer links to the software options we are familiar with. Nearly all software that supports 1-wire will support this adapter. (Software that supports this adaptor will list support for the DS9097U.) Check the requirements of your software to see if you will need to download and install drivers.

The USB Adaptor is equally easy to connect. Connect the adaptor to a USB port on your computer, and connect your 1-wire network to it using a RJ12 (standard U.S. telephone) connector. As with the serial adaptor, you can make this connection using our Adaptor Cable, or if you prefer you can make your own cables by referring to our instructions on how to wire the cable connectors. In order for the adaptor to talk to your computer, you will need to download and install drivers. There are many software choices, and we offer links to the software options we are familiar with. (Software that supports this adaptor will list support for the DS9490R.) Most newer software supports this adaptor; check the requirements of the software to determine compatibility.

Both the Serial and USB adaptors draw power from their computer connection, and do not use external power. For desktop machines, these connectors will both work well. Some laptops do not provide full power to their serial ports, and so the Serial Adaptor may not be the best choice for a laptop connection. Either the USB Adaptor, or the Master Hub (discussed below) which uses a serial connection but has external power, would be a better choice.

Note that you do not need both the serial and the USB adaptor – all you need is one adaptor to connect your network to your computer. If you want to use multiple adaptors you will need to run multiple instances of your 1-wire software. Consult your software specs and instructions to determine support for multiple adaptors.

Adaptor Cables

The Adaptor Cable will connect either of our adaptors (serial or USB) to the RJ45 outlets used on most of our 1-wire devices. Our adaptor cables are relatively short (approx. 3ft, 1m). If you wish to extend them, you can either use a standard U.S. male-to-female telephone extension cable, or an RJ45 coupler along with a standard network cable. If you are adventurous, and would like to make your own, just follow our instructions on how to wire the cable connectors.