Laptops, Notebooks and Tablets with Serial (RS232) ports

The need for a serial port (or RS232 port) on a laptop, notebook or tablet that is built-in a portable device rather than a desktop still exists.

The simplicity of plugging a serial lead or null modem cable into a laptop or tablet and securing the cable is the goal rather than attempting to convert from a USB port to serial which will sometimes work.

The fact that the USB adapter can unplug itself or disconnect from the notebook or laptop can lead to frustration in what should be a simple task.

Why is there still a need for a Serial (RS232) Port on a Laptop?

For many engineers often working on-site or visiting many sites during their daily work schedule, the need for the portability of a laptop, notebook or tablet with the simplicity of a serial or RS232 port is a must. Using a USB to serial adapter has its problems. Some will work without problems; others just do not perform with any consistency that can be relied on, and others just don't work at all. The fact that a serial cable can be screwed into the serial port so that it does not disconnect at the wrong moment just adds to the advantage of using a laptop with a serial or RS232 port.

There are many devices that engineers connect to that still have a serial port on them; this is to access the command line input for that device. These serial ports can be on fire alarm panels, house and building control systems, engineering and industrial applications. These devices are often located in cupboards and recesses where a small laptop with a serial port will prove to be the ideal tool to program the device.

The links below provide a list of some of the ruggedised laptops, notebooks and tablets which have serial ports (RS232 ports) as optional or as standard.

 

Getac S410 G4	Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55 HD Mk3	Toughbook FZ-55 Full HD with Touchscreen Mk3
Semi Ruggedised Laptop	Semi Ruggedised Laptop	Lightweight Portable Semi Ruggedised Laptop
14" HD Widescreen 1366 x 768 pixels or Full HD 1920 x 1080 pixels	14" HD Widescreen 1366 x 768 pixels	14" Full HD 1920 x 1080 pixels with Sunlight Readable Touchscreen
Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4 Max. 4.1GHz or i5-1135G7 or i5-1145G7 vPro or i7-1165G7 or i7-1185G7 vPro	Intel® Core™ i5 1345U vPro™ or Intel® Core™ i7 1370P vPro™ Processor	Intel® Core™ i5 1345U vPro™ or Intel® Core™ i71370P vPro™ Processor
8GB DDR4 RAM (max. 64GB)	16GB DDR4 (max. 64GB)	16GB DDR4 SDRAM (max. 64GB)
256GB / 512GB / 1TB SSD PCIe NVMe SSD, Optional Second SSD SATA 256GB / 512GB / 1TB	512GB / 1TB / 2TB NVMe SSD	512GB / 1TB / 2TB OPAL NVMe SSD
Windows 10 Pro	Windows 11 Pro	Windows 11 Pro
From £1495.00	From £1675.00	From £2115.00

 

Panasonic Toughbook CF-33 2-in-1 Mk3	Refurbished Panasonic Toughbook CF-31 Mk5	Refurbished Panasonic Toughbook CF-54 Mk2 HD
Fully Ruggedised Detachable Laptop	Fully Rugged, Full-Sized Notebook	Semi Ruggedised Laptop
12" QHD 2160 x 1440 pixels	13.1" Touchscreen	14" HD 1366 x 768 pixels
Intel® Core i5-1245U vPro or i7-1270P vPro	Intel® Core™ i5-5300U 2.3GHz	Intel® Core™ i5-6300U 2.4GHz
16GB RAM (max. 32GB)	4GB DDR3 SDRAM (max. 16GB)	4GB DDR3L SDRAM (max. 16GB)
512GB / 1TB / 2TB NVMe SSD	500GB HDD SATA	256GB SSD SATA
Windows 11 Pro	Windows 7 Pro or Windows 10 Pro	Windows 7 Pro or Windows 10 Pro
From £2835.00	From £1925.00	From £1295.00

 

Refurbished Panasonic Toughbook CF-53 Mk1 Standard	Refurbished Panasonic Toughbook CF-52 Mk3	Refurbished Panasonic Toughbook CF-19 Mk3
Semi Ruggedised Laptop	Semi Ruggedised Laptop	Fully Rugged Convertible Tablet Laptop
14" HD 1366 x 768 pixels	15.4" WXGA 1280 x 800 pixels	10.4" Touchscreen or Dual Touch
Intel® Core™ i5-2520M 2.5GHz	Intel® Core™ i5-520M 2.4GHz	Intel® Core™ 2 Duo SU9300 1.2GHz
4GB DDR3 SDRAM (max. 8GB)	4GB DDR3 SDRAM	2GB DDR2 SDRAM (max. 4GB)
320GB HDD SATA (max 500GB)	160GB HDD SATA (max 500GB)	160GB (max 500GB) HDD SATA
Windows XP Pro, or Windows 7 Pro pr Windows 10 Pro	Windows XP Pro, Windows 7 Pro or Windows 10 Pro	Windows XP Pro or Windows 7 Pro
From £735.00	From £650.00	From £450.00