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, 8 or 16 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.
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).
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.
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…
RS-232 TV Remote Control
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!
Customer Tools
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 >>>
Brackets to suit
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.
Not Rocket Science
Sometimes it's the little things that get a project off the ground. What LAVA did to make a solid connection....
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.
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!