Review on Enhanced GearMo Adapter with Windows Support and Indicator Lights by Mufti Carter

After struggling with corrupted data on my PL2303-based adapter every few minutes, I suspected problems with the target device, especially if the problem persisted after switching adapters, reloading drivers, and trying things out another PC persisted A Prolific chip with another Prolific chip will not fix anything! Go to FTDI or go home. I bought (two) of these and the problems didn't come back; I can get *mega* text without too much trouble. Long journaling used to be out of the question, but now it has become a chore. And yes, diagnostic LEDs are about as useful as you can imagine, maybe even more. They not only show you TX/RX and flow control but also *if the port is open at all*, which comes in handy when you have multiple adapters connected and have lost track of which COM port is which. Forget the paperclip loop! Forget about unplugging things to see which port isn't responding! Just watch how each adapter works like a Christmas tree when you open the corresponding port and the puzzle is finally solved. A colleague of mine was using a different adapter to control an old plotter that had been showing inexplicable, random and extremely annoying errors for months. After switching to the original FTDI adapter, everything worked immediately! The bad behavior has been fixed, the software no longer hangs and we are restoring the boards in-house instead of sending them through the mail. Turns out the plotter wasn't all that bad, just a cheap serial adapter! I'll never skimp on cheap serial adapters again.