DSC Fixed COM Ports
- The source files on the original media cannot be changed in any way and must be distributed in full including any soft documentation.
- The software must not be packaged as an end user application. It must only be used as a configuration tool.
- There must be no charge for the software itself, although a charge may be made for duplication and/or media.
- Component software parts may not be used in third party applications without prior consent from the software author.
By default when a DSCUSB module is plugged into a USB socket for the first time it is allocated a new virtual COM port.
If the same module is plugged into a different USB socket it will be allocated a new COM port.
If a different DSCUSB module is plugged into that same USB socket it will be allocated a new COM port.
In an end user environment this is usually what you want to happen as there will only ever be a limited number of DSCUSB modules and each having its own unique COM port is exactly what you want.
However, in a production environment where many modules are being plugged into the same computer the allocation of new COM ports is undesirable for two reasons.
1. Eventually more than 255 COM ports will have been allocated and Windows does not like to reach this limit.
2. If you have any automated software that calibrates or tests the DSCUSB modules it is not ideal to be faced with an unknown COM port each time.
With this utility you can ensure that the SAME COM port is allocated each time a DSCUSB module is plugged into the PC.
All you need to do is manually change the allocated COM port of a DSCUSB module once and from then on that same COM port will be allocated to any DSCUSB module that is plugged into the PC regardless of which USB socket it is plugged into.
The disadvantage to fixing the COM port allocation is that you can only plug one DSCUSB module into the PC at a time because multiple modules will all be allocated the same COM port.
