Connecting a CRE legacy controller with a PC is similar to connecting to Internet with a modem.

The legacy controller will work as a modem and the integrated software works as an Internet provider.

The legacy controllers also provide one web server. This web server sends HTML pages to your PC, and you can use your internet browser to display it.

Data transfer takes place through a straight serial cable (with 9 wire DB9 connectors) like the cable CRE A40W0 to the RS232 serial communication port.

Nowadays computers do not have a serial RS232 port. In order to connect the serial cable, you will have to use an USB – RS232 adapter like StarTech.com ICUSB232SM3:

Communication between the GENSYS and the PC is carried out via a Dial-Up Network. The PC must be configured to communicate with a 19.2K bps modem with TCP/IP networking enabled.

A few steps are required to configure a PC before controlling a GENSYS:

• Install the modem.

• Create a Dial-Up Networking Connection.

• Check the network properties.

• Set-up the internet security properties.

How to install CRE Modem driver in Windows 10/11

Hardware drivers are required for any hardware devices connected to your Windows computer to function properly. Hardware drivers require low-level access to your Windows PC to function properly. Windows requires drivers to be formally signed since they have access to the kernel. This means that Microsoft tries to prevent unsigned drivers from being installed in Windows. However ancient drivers like the CRE Modem don’t have a digital signature. 

Use The Advanced Boot Menu To Install Unsigned Drivers

The Windows Advanced Boot menu is the simplest way to install unsigned drivers. To do so, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Press Windows + X to open the system menu and then hover your mouse over Shutdown to reveal more options.
• Step 2: Press the Shift key on your keyboard and then click on the Restart option. This will boot your computer to the Advanced Boot Menu.
• Step 3: In the Advanced Boot menu, select the “Troubleshoot” option.
• Step 4: Select “Advanced Options” from the Troubleshoot section.
• Step 5: Choose “Start-up Settings” from the menu. You may use the Startup Settings option to boot your Windows PC in several modes.
• Step 6: To continue, click the “Restart” button.
• Step 7: Because we need to install unsigned drivers, pick the seventh option, “Disable driver signature enforcement,” by pressing F7 on your keyboard.
• Step 8: Your computer will boot into Windows as soon as you pick it.
• Step 9: After that, you can install the CRE Modem driver in Windows. 

Add a Legacy Hardware on Windows 11 and 10

Device manager is the tool that lets you Add a Legacy Hardware in Windows 11 or 10 with multiple methods. 

• Step 1: Click on the Taskbar Search icon, type devmgmt, and then press Enter.

  
  

  
• Step 2: Select the Device name to which you want to add Legacy Hardware. Go to the menu bar, click on “Action”. Choose “Add Legacy hardware” option from the dropdown.
• Step 3: Dial-up

Select Dial-up and click Set up a new connection.

• Step 4. Start Menu

Click the Start button (in this case, bottom left-hand side) and select Settings 

• Step 5. Windows Settings

Click Network & Internet 

• Step 6. Dial-up

Select Dial-up and click Set up a new connection 

• Step 7. Choose a connection option

Select Connect to the Internet and click Next

• Step 8. How do you want to connect?

Select Dial-up.

• Step 9. Type « 123 » in the field « Dial-up phone number ».

You can name your connection « Gensys » in field « Connection name ».

Tick checkbox “Allow other people” if this connection will be used by different users.

Click on « Connect »: connection will fail because it is not yet fully setup.

Click on «Set up the connection anyway » and then on « Close »

• Step 10. Click on « Start>Control Panel>Network and Sharing Center » 

Click on « Connect to a network », choose the connection you have just created with right click then click on « Properties ». 

Check that maximal speed is set to 19200bits/s, uncheck options « Activate the modem error control » and « Activate modem compression » and click on « OK ».  

• Step 11. Click on « Options » tab and tick only the dialing option « display progress while connecting ». 

Redialing options (if displayed) 

§ 3 attempts 

§ 1 minute delay between each attempt 

§ idle time before hanging up « never » 

§ untick option « Redial if line is dropped » 

• Step 12. Click on « PPP Settings » and uncheck all options. 
•  Step 13. Choose « Security » tab: Select « Optional encryption » in the data encryption list and check “Unencrypted password (PAP)”. 
•  Step 14. Choose « Networking » tab to select only « Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4) » checkbox and click on « Properties » button. 
• Step 15. Tick option « Use the following IP address » and type « 192.168.11.2 ». (Gensys IP address is « 192.168.11.1 »). 
• Step 16. Click on « Advanced », choose « IP Settings » tab and tick only « Automatic metric ». 
• Step 17. Choose « DNS » tab and make sure option « Register this connection’s addresses in DNS » is not checked. 
• Step 18. Choose « WINS » tab and select option « Disable NetBIOS on TCP/IP ». 

Click on « OK » to save new settings.