Nicholas Skinner

I recently decided to upgrade my main computer. I chose an Intel DP55KG motherboard and Windows 7 64-bit. Unfortunately however that motherboard comes neither with a serial port or a header on the motherboard to connect one to. It used to be that most motherboards had at least one and often 2 serial ports however that has been slowly changing over the years first with only one serial port, then only a header, and finally no serial port and no header. Serial ports have been replaced in the most part with USB along with Parallel Ports and PS2 ports that all used to be standard.

Having had bad experiences with all the USB to serial adapters I have tried, I decided to go for a PCI card. Finding one that was compatible with Windows 7 64-bit was a challenge but I eventually came across the Brainboxes UC-101 available from scan.co.uk in the UK.

Before purchasing I had failed to realise it was a “Low Profile” PCI card however in the end this was easily fixed by purchasing a PCI Mounting Place that looked around the same size as would fit the UC-101 and luckily it turned out to be exactly right, so after switching the back plates I was up and running for less than the cost of a 2 port full width PCI card at around double the price.