Digi International announced (“Digi Adds Mac Support for AccelePort USB Serial Port Adapters“) their new multiport USB-serial port adapter, the AccelePort USB. Like all USB-serial port adapters, the AccelePort allows users to access traditional serial port devices, such as modems, digital cameras, and etc.

Digi International Inc. introduced Macintosh compatibility for its multiport USB-to-serial adapters today allowing iMac and G3 users to continue to use their serial devices via the USB port. The AccelePort USB adapters come in two Macintosh compatible versions: the AccelePort USB 2 provides two serial ports and one parallel printer port, while the AccelePort USB 8 provides eight serial ports and two downstream USB ports.

According to market research firm Dataquest Inc., virtually 100 percent of new PCs will have USB by 2001, limiting port availability for existing serial peripherals. Digi’s AccelePort USB serial port adapters eliminate this problem for users of Windows 95, Windows 98, the upcoming Windows 2000, and now MacOS 8.5. Products start at a list price of US$199 and are available from thousands of resellers worldwide.

The AccelePort USB 2 serial port adapter attaches to a PC’s USB port, providing two DB-9 asynchronous serial ports (EIA-232) and one DB-25 parallel printer port. The ports support speeds up to 115 Kbps and do not require additional I/O ports. The AccelePort USB 8 has eight DB-9 asynchronous serial ports (EIA-232) and two downstream USB ports. Some Macintosh users may need to purchase a Mac MDIN8-to-DB9 peripheral adapter, widely available for about US$5.