updated: January 29, 2011 Many older printer systems use a serial-based connection.

All computer systems have some sort of an In/Out connection port. Although newer computers use a USB hook-up option, older computers tend to rely on serial ports. The serial ports bring in and send out data to external hardware, such as scanners and printers. Regardless of the equipment you are using, if it is serial based, you can use the serial hardware with your computer system's IO ports.

Connect the serial hardware to a local power outlet and turn the equipment on.

Attach the serial cable into the serial connection port on the computer. Tighten the screws on the side of the cable to secure the cable to the computer.

Plug the opposite end of the serial cable into the serial port on your external hardware. As with the opposite end of the cable, make sure the screws are tight.

Insert the provided driver installation CD into the computer's disc drive. If the installation wizard does not load automatically, double-click the CD icon, then choose "Install" to load the installation wizard.

Follow the prompts to install the driver onto the computer. Once complete, the computer is able to directly communicate with the serial hardware.

• How to Use System IO Ports in SerialPort [02/16/2011 20:04:02]