Adapter Identification Chart
Please make note of the adapter type you have, especially if you are filling out a technical support request form.
If you own an adapter older than Type 6 (current generation is Type 7) and you are experiencing connectivity issues, we highly recommend upgrading to the Type 7 FTDI USB Adapter.
9-pin and 25-pin serial adapters
CompuTrainer was designed and invented on earlier input technology, long before USB was mainstream. Here are the serial adapters that were supplied when serial ports were the common norm.
25-pin serial ports were supplied with the very early PC systems, as well as with some Nintedo-to-PC applications.
9-pin serial ports were supplied for about 10 years and were found until 2011 on some MultiRider Systems.
Prolific-based USB adapters
As computers abandoned serial ports altogether, we began supplying USB-to-Serial adapters. The first group used a Prolific-based communication chip.
Bafo adapters were supplied in the early 2000's and were quickly replaced when they were discontinued by the manufacturer.
Sewell adapters were supplied in the early 2000's and were replaced when they began to display communication errors post-release of Windows XP.
Belkin adapters were supplied only with Velotron and were replaced when FTDI adapters came on-line in the market.
FTDI-based USB adapters
The first USB to serial adapter from FTDI replaced the Sewell adapter when support from Prolific/Sewell failed to resolve connectivity issues we started to see with Windows XP. Eventually we contracted with FTDI to produce our custom USB adapter to eliminate the serial port component and go directly USB to the stereo-style communication cable.
First adaptation to FTDI adapters were using this model
and when it became apparent FTDI adapters were superior, we contracted with them to make Type 7, which is below.