[SOLVED] Who's got a good Memory? I need advice on a device called Deskey DK2 protection dongle (Serial Connection)

[Frank Sebem]

Hi guys

I am trying to resurect an old PC at work that operates a small robot. The machine is very old and is working OK. However, on the back, plugged into the serial port (i told you it was old) there's a device called a Deskey DK2. My colleague tells me it is a dongle that tells the Robot to work. He goes on...The PC won't talk to the robot if the Dongle is not plugged into the serial port. Well, I would like to update the PC and make the new PC work with the Robot but I am mindful that a new PC would have no Serial port thuis I cannot plug in the Dongle.

Basically a very simple windows program (that looks like it was written in VB) tells the robot what to do. The OS is XP. I did say it was old! I have no problem cloning the HDD but how am I going to get round the problem of the Deskey Dongle?

What are your thoughts guys?

 

[Frank Sebem]

Just looked online and it transpires that it may be a parallel connection not a Serial...

 

[USAFRet]

Just looked online and it transpires that it may be a parallel connection not a Serial...

Well...you need to determine which is which.

Serial or parallel PCI cards are available, cheap.

Getting XP to run on recent hardware is a more difficult process.


What does this robot actually do?

 

[kanewolf]

Hi guys

I am trying to resurect an old PC at work that operates a small robot. The machine is very old and is working OK. However, on the back, plugged into the serial port (i told you it was old) there's a device called a Deskey DK2. My colleague tells me it is a dongle that tells the Robot to work. He goes on...The PC won't talk to the robot if the Dongle is not plugged into the serial port. Well, I would like to update the PC and make the new PC work with the Robot but I am mindful that a new PC would have no Serial port thuis I cannot plug in the Dongle.

Basically a very simple windows program (that looks like it was written in VB) tells the robot what to do. The OS is XP. I did say it was old! I have no problem cloning the HDD but how am I going to get round the problem of the Deskey Dongle?

What are your thoughts guys?

The hardware key is associated with some software. Do you know what software it is?

 

[ex_bubblehead]

If the Deskey is actually connected to a parallel port then you're somewhat out of luck. Windows 10 only treats parallel ports as outputs and that dongle requires bidirectional communications. You're essentially stuck with one of two obsolete OS's (Windows XP or Windows 7), neither of which will run on current hardware (outside of virtual machines).

 

[Alabalcho]

If I was you, and that robot being down means your compnay is down - I'd get ASAP a computer capable of tunning XP with proper parallel port (yes, this means 15-year old Optiplexes and Thinkcenters), and having tested that your software works on that "new" PC. And I would definitely will look after robot vendor for updated software.