Need the driver software for a usb-rs-485

Hey everyone,
Im new to this forum and am in need of help. I have a 2003 AXYZ Millennium CNC. I am trying to locate the driver download to use a USB-RS485, but for one that is for windows 98. I know this is a long shot, I'm just out of options. Im not that well versed with CNC's, so I can't do anything advanced like swap out boards or anything like that. I have run this machine for the last 8 years using the original Converter box (used a pin connection of some type to RS-485). Now I bought a USB to RS485, and it isn't working because I don't have the driver cd to install.

Any help you guys can give would be greatly appreciated.

PS- I know I can go to AXYZ and download the driver for the windows 7 converter, but mine is the older model.

Um... no experience with that machine, so this may be a dumb question... but... why not stick with the original connection?

It was a RS232-to-RS485 interface connected to a COM port on the PC; wasn't it? (or that's what my 5 min. of looking at their website would suggest)

Depending on how that USB-to-RS485 interface is constructed, there may or may not be a driver for your OS... if AXYZ can't (or won't) help, and all else fails, you might pop open the adapter case (taking appropriate anti-static precautions, of course) and see if there are any chips with recognizable part numbers... it might be possible to get a driver from the chip OEM instead of AXYZ.

Is the software on the PC looking for just a COM port connection; or does it look specifically for a specific USB device? If it's just looking for a COM port, you may be able to use another USB-to-485 adapter that does support Windows 98 and has a driver that exposes the device as a COM port; or you may be able to use an actual COM port (either on an expansion card; or there may be one on your PC's motherboard you can use) with a RS232-to-RS485 adapter. Getting the right pinout for the cable to go from the COM port to the adapter may require some experimentation (I'm going to guess that they are using one of the handshaking lines on the COM port to switch the RS485 side between "talking" and "listening"... but there's several handshaking lines, and you'd have to figure out which one was being used).

:)

Hello JohnnySlumber,

You are not restricted to Windows 98 or even XP. I run my AXYZ Millennium from Windows 8 using Toolpath and NC files generated from RhinoCAM, with no issues at all but you cannot use the original Opto-Isolated USB/RS485 device or driver. AXYZ told me its not supported any more. Hopefully, you have sorted it by now but if you haven't, all you need is a new converter and the correct driver. You will need to connect the differential data lines correctly but other than that, it's straightforward. Let me know which converter you bought, you should be able to use that. The one I use can be bought in the UK from Farnells or (I think) Newark in the USA. It's not opto-isolated but I haven't had any issues in over 4 years use.

Regards,
Alan