Guillemot Race Leader FF - Serial on XP?

This has cropped up before - lack of serial version drivers of the wheel for XP. I've had a read through what posts I could find, and tried a suggestion of using a USB-Serial adaptor, but the drivers for that just created a further COM port. One person mentioned a USB hack, to whom I've sent a query, but I can find no more mention of it. Has anyone managed to get this wheel working in XP? A driver hack perhaps, a physical rewiring? Any clues would be most welcome. Thanks, Amos

[email hidden] (Amos) writes: > This has cropped up before - lack of serial version drivers of the > wheel for XP. just curious; why would you want that? -- Gunnar #31 SUCKS#015 Tupperware MC#002 DoD#0x1B DoDRT#003 DoD:CT#4,8 Kibo�: 2 "Det er nok ingen ovn, men fartsm�leren v�r."

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] (Amos) wrote: >Any clues would be most welcome. i think it'll be easier, quicker and cheaper to buy a USB pci card.

Gunnar Horrigmo <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>... > [email hidden] (Amos) writes: > > > This has cropped up before - lack of serial version drivers of the > > wheel for XP. > > just curious; why would you want that? Well, I prefer XP over the 9x series of Windows for it's stability, and the version of the wheel I have only has a serial cable. The only drivers that work in XP for this wheel are USB based.

[email hidden] (Obake) wrote in message news:<3d81c940$0$16690$[email hidden]>... > In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] (Amos) wrote: > > >Any clues would be most welcome. > > i think it'll be easier, quicker and cheaper to buy a USB pci card. Thanks for the suggestion Obake, but that doesn't really help me. I already have USB ports on my computer... I can't use one with the wheel though due to the serial cable connection.

[email hidden] (Amos) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

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> This has cropped up before - lack of serial version drivers of the > wheel for XP. I've had a read through what posts I could find, and > tried a suggestion of using a USB-Serial adaptor, but the drivers for > that just created a further COM port. > > One person mentioned a USB hack, to whom I've sent a query, but I can > find no more mention of it. > > Has anyone managed to get this wheel working in XP? A driver hack > perhaps, a physical rewiring? > > Any clues would be most welcome. > > Thanks, > Amos

One very kind Tony_h (whose post was back in Jan!) answered my USB hack query - with a successful outcome. The PCB within the housing has a vacant USB connection area (J5). In a nutshell, it's just a simple job of taking a standard USB extension cable, stripping one end off, and soldering it in place with the following pin counts : 1 Red 2 White 3 Green 4 Black The serial cable was removed (a tidy plug/socket job made that easy) so that the USB cable exited the unit without any further holes. Plugged it in, XP detected a new device, installed the most recent drivers (GI_RLFFBWheel98ME2KXP_2514.exe), and away it went. Even got split axis for throttle/brake.

[email hidden] (Amos) writes:

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> Gunnar Horrigmo <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>... > > [email hidden] (Amos) writes: > > > > > This has cropped up before - lack of serial version drivers of the > > > wheel for XP. > > > > just curious; why would you want that? > > Well, I prefer XP over the 9x series of Windows for it's stability, > and the version of the wheel I have only has a serial cable. > > The only drivers that work in XP for this wheel are USB based.

ok. fair enough. I presume you mean gameport by serial? if so, get a gameport adaptor for USB. they cost around 15 euro around here. -- Gunnar #31 SUCKS#015 Tupperware MC#002 DoD#0x1B DoDRT#003 DoD:CT#4,8 Kibo�: 2 FJ�SE!