How do I troubleshoot my 12010 COM Express Compact Type 6 Carrier Board?

The serial port should provide years of trouble-free service. However, in the event that it appears to be functioning incorrectly, the following tips can eliminate most common problems without the need to call Technical Support.

Ensure that the Sealevel Systems SeaCOM software has been installed on the machine, so that the necessary files are in place to complete the installation. To confirm installation, click on the Windows ‘Start’ button and then select ‘All Programs.’ You should see the ‘SeaCOM’ program folder listed.

Check to make sure that USB support is enabled and functioning properly in the operating system. The presence of the ‘Universal Serial Bus controllers’ listing in Device Manager will confirm that USB support is enabled in Microsoft Windows 10 operating system.

While Device Manager is open, locate the COM ports (described under ‘Verifying Installation’ in the Installation and Configuration section of this manual).

Locate the COM ports for your device in Device Manager (described under ‘Verifying Installation’ in the Installation and Configuration section of this manual).

Troubleshooting/Verification for Asynchronous Serial Products

1. Once you have confirmed that the serial adapter COM ports are listed in Device Manager, use the Sealevel WinSSD utility to verify communications. Detailed help is included in the WinSSD utility.
2. If you have a loopback plug, put it on the adapter connector. If you do not have a loopback plug, you can use female jumper wires to make the connection to verify the functionality.
3. Connect pin number 2 (Receive) & 3 (Transmit) as shown in this graphic:
4. To test communications, launch the WinSSD utility in the SeaCOM folder in the ‘Start’ menu.
5. On the ‘Port Information’ tab, select the associated COM port and click the ‘Open’ button.
6. This will first open the COM port. From this tab the port can also be closed (See image below).
7. Click the ‘Settings’ button to open the COM Port Properties dialog box. This will allow the Port Settings to be altered.
8. Change your parameters to 9600 bits per second, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, and no flow control, as pictured below.
9. Click ‘Apply’ and ‘OK’.
10. In the main WinSSD window, click on the ‘BERT’ tab (Bit Error Rate test).
11. Click on the ‘Start’ button.
12. If the COM port is properly working, the Sync Status green light will glow, and the Transmit Frames and Receive Frames will increase. The Tx and Rx Data Rates will show the calculated data rate.
13. This verifies that the adapter is working properly. You can continue testing this port with different configurations or proceed with testing other ports, if necessary.

If these steps do not solve your problem, please call Sealevel’s Technical Support at +1 864-843-4343. Our technical support is free and available from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time Monday through Friday. For email support, contact support@sealevel.com.