StarTech.com 2-port PCI Express RS232 Serial Adapter Card - PCIe RS232 Serial Host Controller Card - PCIe to Serial DB9 - 16950 UART - Low Profile Expansion Card - Windows & Linux

Product Overview

AI-generated summary

If you’ve got an old application, weigh-bridge/PLC tooling, barcode scanners, or anything that still speaks “proper” RS-232, this StarTech PCIe-to-serial card is a pretty sensible budget buy. Two ports is often the sweet spot for small deployments, and the fact it supports both Windows and Linux makes it easier to standardise across mixed environments. At ~£38 ex-VAT, you’re really buying “works out of the box” reliability rather than bells and whistles—and StarTech’s usually good for that: fewer surprises, decent driver support, and straightforward DB9 connectivity.

That said, I wouldn’t buy it if you’re hoping to turn it into a general-purpose serial upgrade for legacy kit that needs oddball timing, heavy RS-232 throughput, or a lot more than two connections—you’ll hit the port limit fast. Also, if you’re in a modern environment where devices are usually USB or network-based, this is probably the wrong layer; you’ll spend more time dealing with software/serial settings than you save on hardware. Net-net: for a UK SME that needs a cheap, dependable pair of RS-232 ports in a PCIe slot (preferably low-profile if that’s your case), it’s good value. If you need more ports or newer interfaces, look elsewhere.