What's the difference of USB and Serial Port for Smart card

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 11:51 am

Being non-computer savy, I want to order the Encore Smart card reader and software for my Remstar but I am not sure which connection I will need. I have a Compaq Presario PC. I know that there is a USB connection in the back of the harddrive because I have connected my digital camera to this before, but what is the difference between the serial port and USB?

Thanks!
Suzy

kurrykid · Post by **kurrykid** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 2:51 pm

They are just 2 different ways to hook it to your comuter. If you have USB, you'll definitely want to use that...serial is old

Also, you need to have at least Windows 98 second edition for USB to work.

HTH

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 4:10 pm

And trying to get a computer to play nice with Serial has always been a pain, that may have changed but I haven't used Serial in 5 years. USB works great, I can't say it's faster but it requires no configeration to work.

And at $30 and change it's cheap too!

damac100 · Post by **damac100** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 4:47 pm

Another benifit of USB is you can buy a USB hub, hook that to your computer and have the hub where it's handy to plug devices into.

It's also alot safer to hot swap USB devices. Meaning, you could unplug your card reader and plug in your camera to that slot, if needed, and not risk damage to your devices or computer.

Or so I've been told.

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 11:45 pm

...And some laptops don't ever have a serial port any more.

O.

Darth Vader Look · Post by **Darth Vader Look** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 12:17 am

Is the version of USB a factor The most recent version is enhanced or USB2. If your system doesn't state USB2 or enhanced you have the original USB version. Will either work with the card reader

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 12:37 am

A USB 2.0 can "dumb down" to USB 1.0 level. It'll work slower, that's all. Since the card reader is obtainable in serial, which is even slower than USB 1.0, there is no need to worry that the speed of a USB 1.0. vs. USB 2.0

O.

Ric · Post by **Ric** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 12:50 am

EncorePro doesn't work with the generic SmartCard reader driver that comes with the card reader, at least I couldn't get it to work. The only driver I have had any luck with is the specific "EncorePro" version of the SmartCard reader driver which is provided on the 2Factors website. I think that's the one most, if not all the third-party after-market do-it-yourself types here use. Point being, I would be somewhat surprised if that driver would support the serial port, though I have no theoretical reason to think they couldn't do that. No reason to mess with a serial port card reader unless you won it as a door prize or something, just one more potential snag in making it work. As kurrykid and ozij and Darth and damac have suggested, USB is the bullet train, serial is the horse and buggy.

Darth, to answer your question, USB 1.1 and 2.0 are fully backwards and forwards compatible. 2.0 just happens to be 40 times faster if it is available. Speed really shouldn't be much of an issue, we are only talking about a thimblefull of data. Here's some more useful USB info: http://www.everythingusb.com/usb2/faq.htm

Darth Vader Look · Post by **Darth Vader Look** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 1:12 am

Thanks for that reply and link Ric. Even though they say they are compatible I have heard that some USB devices just don't work on the original version. I have not experienced this first hand myself and hope not to.

What's the difference of USB and Serial Port for Smart card

What's the difference of USB and Serial Port for Smart card

driver might be an issue