LAVA at a glance
LAVA makes computer interfaces, and we’ve been doing so since 1984. We specialize in RS-232 serial ports, and have designed and manufactured serial interfaces for a range of buses: PCI, PCIe, ISA, USB, and Ethernet. If you wonder what we mean about the “Ethernet bus”, take a look at our Ether-Serial Links, the most intuitive and flexible serial device servers on the market. We’re also experienced with parallel port interfacing, and the ground-breaking LAVA Parallel-PCI still sets the standard for speed and reliability.
We manufacture here in North America
Not many serial I/O companies can make that claim. But it matters: our engineers are located right where we build, so we have the tightest integration & fastest revision cycles possible. Plus, that’s how we know our products inside out.
See How We Surface Mount Components
See How We Wave Solder Components
USB to Serial Adapters
LAVA’s USB-Serial Links add two or four RS-232 serial ports on any USB port. A great way to add serial ports to a laptop.
PCI Bus I/O Cards
5V/3.3V PCI. Adds 1, 2, 4, or 8 COM ports and 1 or 2 EPP ports to any PCI equipped PC. All ports share same IRQ. Extensive driver support for Win, Linux, TheOS, QNX, etc. Designed & manufactured in Canada. LAVA LIFETIME WARRANTY.
Ether-Serial Device Servers
LAVA’s Ether-Serial Links are built to use Ethernet as a bus in a way similar to a PCI bus — resulting in not just a transport medium for data but in hardware that is easier to use. Read the details here.
Raspberry Pi serial interfacing…
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… more Raspberry Pi serial interfacing…
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… and finally, would you answer a question?
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 RS-232 does not have its act together when it comes to RJ-45 connectors. To perhaps over-dramatize things a bit, it’s the Wild Wild West out there, in serial port computer connection terms at least. >>> |
 RS-232 crossover cables can be confusing, especially since the term can actually refer to nine possible configurations. This post will guide you through the tangle. >>> |
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
 In many contexts, PoE enabled devices can be easily installed. The Power over Ethernet specification is a simple design, that uses existing Ethernet cabling to deliver power and data to a device using one cable. Eliminated is the need for running separate power, often eliminating the need for a power brick as well. Read the details here. >>> |
 We’ve got LAVA Ether-Serial Link serial device servers in Power over Ethernet (PoE) versions. Current flavors are 1-232-DB9, 2-232-DB9, 1-232-RJ45, and 2-232-RJ45. >>> |
New Device Server Drivers
New drivers for LAVA Ether-Serial Links are now available for download for users of ESL 1, 2, and 4 port serial device servers. These are Microsoft-signed drivers for Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit, and Windows Server 2008 R2 (64-bit).
Making it fit
Serial interfaces are sometimes fitted into systems by using a bit of ingenuity. Here are some examples.
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Riser cards are the means of fitting full-height, or even low profile, PCI and PCI Express (PCIe) adapter cards into the very compressed space of today’s rackmount servers.
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Fitting a full-height PCI bracket on a low-profile PCI card sometimes makes sense. Here’s why….. |
Sometimes it’s the little things — not rocket science — that get a project off the ground. What LAVA did to make a solid connection…. |
New Etailers/Online Stores Page
We’ve just put up a page with links to a selection of our online partners and resellers. They include:
Abe’s of Maine, ACNT.COm, Agile Electronics, Alibaba, Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, ANTOnline (Atlanta Network Technologies), Bayland Business Technology Superstore, BTE Computers, Buy.com, Cable Depot, Cables To Go, Canada Post, Capitol Supply, CDW, CDW Canada, CenDirect, Compute4Less, ComputerValley.ca, CompuVest, Cost Central, Dell, Direct Dial, Electronics Showplace, Frontier PC, Genesis Systems Corporation, IEC, Impact Micro, Infonec Computers, Lin Haw, Memory Depot, Newegg, Next Day PC, NextWarehouse.com, Office Depot, OnSale.com, PC Canada, PC Universe, Provantage, RACO Industries, ReStockIt, Sea Boom, Serial Gear, Shark Systems, ShopBot.ca, Shopping.com, SoftChoice, SystemID Warehouse, Tech Loops, The Nerds, The Twister Group, Unbeatable Sale, Universal Mania, and Vecmar
You might find one of these vendors provides a convenient way to get LAVA product when and where you need it.
Kiosks and RS-232 Serial
Serial ports are a behind-the-scenes part of many kiosks, either for connecting kiosk peripherals to the kiosk main board, or for IP-enabling the kiosk to upload and download data.
 Opal IP-enables their kiosks and vending machines with LAVA Ether-Serial Links. |
 Kodak has used LAVA serial cards in photo kiosks, to handle some of the many peripherals they contain. Flexible configuration and reliability are essential. >>>
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Serial Data Conversion 7-to-8 Bit
Here’s how to do it: and in fact, how to convert any RS-232 format (baud rate, data bits, stop bits, parity) to another…
Real-world RS-232
As the RS-232 serial port became less common in the consumer marketplace for things such as modems and printers, people gained the impression that it had actually disappeared. But in fact, RS-232 serial is still found in many items we use daily, including GPSes, cars, home weather stations, and televisions.
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Davis Instruments makes a range of high-quality weather stations. Owners can get the most from them and other manufacturers’ weather stations by connecting them to the Internet, and uploading their weather data to the world, using a LAVA Ether-Serial Link. We have an app note to make things easy. >>> |
Who knew? Lots of today’s TVs have RS-232 ports that can be used to control many aspects of their operation, including things you can’t do with your handheld remote. Add an Ether-Serial Link to the mix and you can control multiple TVs from anywhere! |
Applications on the shop floor
Serial and parallel technologies are staples of automation and machining operations, where simplicity and reliability are keys.
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Controlink Systems “Machine Link” software controls metalworking machinery over RS-232. >>> |
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RS-232 and RS-422 are frequently-used interfaces for programming Programmable Logic Controls (PLCs). The automation and control industries appreciate the simplicity and reliability of serial connections. |
PlasmaCAM knows parallel ports are the best technology for connecting a PC to their plasma cutting tables. Here’s why. >>> |
Customer Tools
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IEEE 802.11 networks
IEEE 802.11 Ad Hoc and Infrastructure networks, combined with LAVA's wireless serial device servers, provide easy and versatile networking for IP-enabled serial ports. Our mini-guide to WiFi networking types can help you get a handle on these modes. >>>
New WiFi device servers
100% Product Testing
How can we confidently offer our LAVA Lifetime Warranty on all our boards? Because we test every single one before it goes out the door. >>>
Reliable serial and parallel ports
Adamas Technikos knows you can't build a reputation for reliable solutions by selling unreliable products. And you can't build reliable products by installing unreliable components. That's why they use LAVA cards for serial and parallel port integration. >>>
CTI: Predictive Dialing & RS-232
One Computer-Telephony Integration (CTI) application is predictive dialing -- hardware and software to make outgoing calling as efficient as possible. RS-232 is an important interface technology in the CTI space. >>>
Power over Ethernet White Paper
Power over Ethernet (PoE) is changing how many networked devices are powered, and for the better. LAVA explains this technology in our white paper on PoE. Available here. >>>
Certified Windows 7 PCIe drivers
Microsoft-certified Windows 7 drivers are available for all LAVA PCIe cards. For 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7. Available here. >>>
POS to NVR connection over IP
Collecting POS system data and sending it to a network video recorder is simple when using a LAVA serial device server to handle the data. >>>
Parallel-PCI for CAMAC Control
Keeping a legacy CAMAC crate running is critical, and replacement is costly. Nuclear physics depends on the simple, configurable, and reliable Parallel-PCI to maintain uptime. >>>
RS-232 voltages
RFID data over IP
IP-enabling RFID readers in a security device required LAVA to develop customized hardware. A TTL-to-Ethernet device server was the result. >>>
Embedded serial device server
LAVA built customized hardware for embedding into a car wash application. Rugged and reliable count where the soap hits the rubber. >>>
Polling Sharp ECRs
Customized Parallel-PCI
Cash Register Polling over IP
New LAVA Distributor
Parallel Interface for Passbook Printers
IBM passbook printers interface on parallel port cards. Reliability and long service life count. >>>
Panasonic ECR upgrades
When McDonald's Canada needed additional RS-232 ports for their Panasonic electronic cash registers, they came to LAVA for assured delivery, 100% product testing, and the LAVA Lifetime Warranty. Get the details >>>
New RS-422 Device Server
LAVA has added a new serial device server to our Ether-Serial Link product line. It's a single-port RS-422 serial device server with an RJ-45 connector for the serial port. This serial connector can deliver 5VDC or 12VDC output to serial devices looking for serial port power, and the RS-422 interface is fully configurable for standard RS-422 bias and termination settings. It's in stock now: contact sales@lavalink.com for details.
POS/sensor integration
Another aspect of Ethernet to serial connectivity: LAVA redesigned our serial device server to integrate door sensors with a POS system.
A Look under the Hood
Take a look at our Parallel-PCI circuit design. With this PDF we're releasing our design for those who are interested.
Wireless Power Metering
A customer has an interesting take on wirelessly connecting to a power meter that previously sent metering data over a phone line.
Serial device server white paper
Serial device servers can do much more than just IP-enable serial ports. This white paper gives case studies of other uses. Details here >>>
Updated RS-232 White Paper
We've updated our popular white paper "RS-232 Serial Ports". This PDF white paper provides reference materials on the operation and structure of RS-232, as well as useful practical information on pinouts and cabling, all in one place. Click to download!