Virtual Serial Port Driver: Last Releases, News & Case Studies

Virtual Serial Port Driver Pro helped to Split Serial Port and made work easier

Electronic Team — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 17:21:18 +0000

One of our clients from Nexevolve Pty Ltd. came to us recently with a problem that was simple to describe but tricky to solve. They had just finished developing a custom .NET application designed to push critical data to a hardware device through a COM port. Everything worked perfectly in testing—until they tried to run it in the real-world environment. That’s when they discovered the COM port they needed was already being used by another essential third-party application.

On Windows, there’s a strict rule: a single physical COM port can only be accessed by one application at a time. It doesn’t matter how much you need both programs to get the same data—they simply can’t share it. For our client, this meant a direct conflict. Their brand-new application couldn’t connect to the device unless the existing application was shut down, which wasn’t an option. Both were mission-critical.

You can imagine the frustration. They were staring at a major roadblock that threatened to delay their project, increase costs, and possibly require a redesign of their hardware setup. The need was clear: find a way for both applications to access the same data stream from the COM port, without interfering with each other.

After exploring potential workarounds, they found Virtual Serial Port Driver Pro—our software solution for exactly this type of challenge. The feature that changed everything was Split COM Port. It works by taking one physical COM port and creating multiple virtual copies of it. These virtual ports act just like the original, carrying the same data stream, but each can be accessed independently by a separate application.

Here’s how it played out. We helped the client set up VSPD Pro to take their single physical COM port and split it into two virtual ports. The original third-party application connected to one virtual port, while their new .NET application connected to the other. Both received identical, real-time data from the hardware device. No more port conflicts. No need to rewrite software. No risk of data loss.

The change was instant. As soon as they activated the Split COM Port setup, both applications ran smoothly in parallel. Data flowed exactly as it should, without lag, errors, or corruption. The client was relieved—and impressed by how straightforward the solution was.

One of the biggest advantages of VSPD Pro is that it solves problems like this without requiring any hardware changes. There’s no need to install new boards, add more ports, or rewire anything. Everything is handled at the software level, which saves time, money, and effort. Our client was able to implement the fix in minutes, rather than spending days or weeks on complex alternatives.

In the end, our client not only solved their immediate issue but also gained a long-term advantage. They summed it up: “VSPD Pro saved our project. The Split COM Port feature worked perfectly right out of the box, letting both applications run without conflicts or data loss. We couldn’t have asked for an easier or more reliable fix.”

The post Virtual Serial Port Driver Pro helped to Split Serial Port and made work easier appeared first on Electronic Team Blog.

How Virtual Serial Port Driver Helped a Hot Air Balloon Pilot in Competition

Electronic Team — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 16:33:16 +0000

At Electronic Team, we love hearing real-world stories about how our products are used. Recently, we received feedback from Etienne Mercier, a hot air balloon pilot who used our Virtual Serial Port Driver (VSPD) to enhance his navigation during the World Hot Air Balloon Championship. Here’s his story.

Challenge: Reliable Navigation Software for a Competitive Edge

Etienne, flying for the French national team, developed custom navigation software to assist him during flight. His setup required seamless communication between different applications, but he needed a stable solution to redirect data between them.

He reached out to us before the championship, asking for an extension of the VSPD trial period:

"I'm working on a program to help me navigate during competitions. Could you extend my trial? I’ll be participating in the next world championship."

Solution: Virtual Serial Port Driver

With VSPD, Etienne was able to establish virtual serial communication between his applications, allowing his homemade navigation software to work efficiently. After the FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship in Hungary, he provided feedback:

"Your software was stable and helped establish communication between my application and another one. It worked quite well."

Thanks to VSPD, working as GPS splitter, Etienne's navigation system performed reliably during the event, helping him secure 20th place out of 120 competitors. The French national team finished as Vice-World Champions.

Future Plans

Etienne expressed interest in continuing with VSPD but needed a tailored solution due to the occasional use:

"I’m willing to make a deal for a discount, as I only need it for one or two competitions a year."

We’re excited to support Etienne and other professionals with customized solutions. Whether you’re working on niche projects or large-scale operations, the Virtual Serial Port Driver offers the flexibility and stability needed for success.

Good luck to Etienne and the French team in future competitions!

The post How Virtual Serial Port Driver Helped a Hot Air Balloon Pilot in Competition appeared first on Electronic Team Blog.

Enhancing Your Ham Radio Setup: Virtual Serial Port Driver (VSPD) for ICOM IC7300 Users

Electronic Team — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 10:26:42 +0000

For amateur radio enthusiasts, having a versatile and reliable setup is essential for optimal performance. One of the challenges faced by many radio amateurs, particularly those using the ICOM IC7300 transceiver, is the limitation of having only one virtual serial COM port available. This limitation can restrict the simultaneous use of multiple software applications that require access to the same COM port. Let’s see the usage scenario of the Virtual Serial Port Driver from our client Dominique Comet.

The Challenge of Limited Serial Ports with ICOM IC7300

The ICOM IC7300 is a popular choice among ham radio operators due to its robust features and ease of use. It offers a virtual serial COM port, specifically the Silicom Labs CP210x USB to UART Bridge set as COM5. While this setup is functional for basic operations, it quickly becomes a bottleneck when multiple applications need to communicate with the transceiver via the same COM port.

For instance, users who wish to run ICOM's RS-BA1 v2 remote software for controlling the transceiver remotely, along with other software applications such as logbooks or digital decoders (e.g., WSJTX, JTDX for FT8 communication), face a significant challenge. All these applications require access to COM5, leading to conflicts and making it impossible to run them simultaneously.

Exploring Software Solutions for Virtual COM Port Expansion

To overcome this hurdle, many users have turned to virtual serial port solutions. Dominique tried to resolve this using various free and paid virtual COM port applications, including the null-modem emulator by com0com, Virtual Serial Port Tools by HHD, and the Serial Port Splitter.

While these tools can create virtual serial ports to mimic the physical port, they often fall short in a multi-application environment, leading to errors or inconsistent performance.

Dominique Comet, F4BWJ, shared his experience with these tools, noting that while they offered some functionality, they frequently resulted in errors or failed to work correctly with all ham radio applications, particularly during transmit (TX) operations. A recurring issue was the inability of the system to switch back to receive (RX) mode after transmitting, necessitating manual disconnection and reconnection of the RS-BA1 software to regain control.

Virtual Serial Port Driver (VSPD): A Promising Solution

Faced with these persistent challenges, Dominique turned to Virtual Serial Port Driver (VSPD) as a potential solution. VSPD stands out because it offers a "Share" bundle feature, enabling multiple applications to share a single physical COM port virtually. This is particularly useful for ham radio operators who need to run several programs simultaneously without encountering port conflicts.

“And I've finally tried Electronic Team's Virtual Serial Port Driver and the Share bundle in particular. With this software, I'm now able to connect RS-BA1 and my various applications, including Omnirig, at the same time. For example, I can use RS-BA1 on a distant remote PC, Log4OM, and JTDX via Omnirig at the same time without problem on the radio station PC.”

Dominique Comet

In testing, VSPD has proven to be a reliable choice for those using the ICOM IC7300. The software allows seamless operation across multiple applications, significantly reducing the errors and conflicts experienced with other virtual port solutions. The "Share" bundle feature effectively enables simultaneous control of the transceiver with various software programs, providing a smooth and error-free experience.

Conclusion

For ham radio operators looking to expand their setup's capabilities, especially those using the ICOM IC7300, the Virtual Serial Port Driver (VSPD) offers a compelling solution. Its ability to create shared virtual serial ports allows multiple applications to run concurrently without the conflicts typically associated with limited COM ports. While some minor issues and compatibility considerations exist, VSPD's overall performance makes it a strong contender for those looking to enhance their ham radio experience.

If you're facing similar challenges with your ham radio setup and want to explore how VSPD could work for you, it might be worth visiting eHam.net for more reviews and insights from other users. With the right configuration, VSPD could be the key to unlocking a more versatile and efficient amateur radio operation.

The post Enhancing Your Ham Radio Setup: Virtual Serial Port Driver (VSPD) for ICOM IC7300 Users appeared first on Electronic Team Blog.

Serial data research for education in computer science

Electronic Team — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 14:58:38 +0000

Industry: Education
Website: https://mes-dreieich.de/

The Max-Eyth-Schule is located in Germany in the federal state of Hessen. It is a major secondary and VET school serving the wider Frankfurt metropolitan area. It provides general education and vocational training in a variety of areas from automotive to administration, IT, and biotechnology. In high school, the Max-Eyth-Schule offers several subject areas.

One subject is computer science. One part of the curriculum is called “Data Communication” and requires communication with the serial port. The students have to implement protocols for communication with external hardware like RFID-reader and -scanner, weather station, or a digital scale.

The school is not able to buy different hardware for every student and we searched for another solution. We found the software with a Google search and used the trial version. The Virtual Serial Port Driver helps to simulate the connection of any hardware. The Virtual Serial Port Driver is easy to use and works without any problem.

With the software, the students define two serial ports which are connected by a null modem cable. They can test the pins of the serial port and learn why it is necessary that both sides use the same parameters. The students learn to use a hardware or a software handshake and make the experience to generate a data package and separate a package into different parts.

A classroom with computers

The benefits for the Max-Eyth-School:

We don’t have to buy different serial-based equipment.
The students must not read the operation manual of the hardware.
They must not learn to use the equipment.
The students don’t have to share the hardware with other students and every student has one computer to work on.
The Virtual Serial Port Driver is easy to use.
The software works without any problem.
We can implement any problem with older final exams to practice for the next final exam.
The Site License is the perfect solution for our school because we want use the software with a client-server-system in several classrooms.

Example for testing the hardware signal lines

What will happen, if the parameters are different? In this example, we have 8 and 5 data bits

The simulation of a problem in an older exam. A printer is connected with a serial port.

Advice:
The Virtual Serial Port Driver is the best solution if computers have no serial port and for developing and testing a serial protocol.

The post Serial data research for education in computer science appeared first on Electronic Team Blog.

Get set for Virtual Serial Port Driver 10 – refined, retooled, and stellar as ever!

Electronic Team — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 11:53:42 +0000

The fresh update for the time-tested Virtual Serial Port Driver is already here, and you wouldn’t want to miss it.

The new version sure has what it takes to impress: a handful of added top range aids and a state-of-art user interface.

Buckle up and get ready for a takeoff, we’re going to the new orbit of COM-port related developing, debugging, and testing experience.

From this update forward, Virtual Serial Port Driver integrates into Virtual Serial Port Driver Pro, bringing along its best features. So, instead of two similar apps to choose from, you’ll have two license options with different toolsets and respective price tags.

The concise and straightforward Virtual Serial Port Driver interface was freshened up and made even more manageable. How is that possible? Well, get this newest update, and you’ll be able to tell the difference right off the hop.

And here comes the icing on the cake: the brand-new loopback feature you can use to create full-fledged virtual COM-port bundles with linked signal lines and each receiver channel directly connected to a transmitting channel. This advanced tool makes the COM-port testing process much simpler. You won’t have to factor the band rate or any other line stats into your calculation. Just send out data with different parameters and see what you’ll get at the output.

Learn more about Virtual Serial Port Driver

Download now

If you’re a Lifetime Upgrades Guarantee owner, you’ll get this update right away. Also, anyone who purchased their license within the Grace Period (24/01/21 – 24/02/21) can request their free update via email.

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