I also find USB to ***** port converters to be complete crap. Sometimes work for some things, that's all. I tried using various port converters while developing hardware.
Some don't work at all.
Some overheat in just a few minutes, even with nothing plugged into them.
Generally, they also do not recover from communication errors at all, which is a pain while trying to debug the new hardware, or when synch is lost.
I just installed some real ports on PCI cards into my desktop machine at work. They work, but they also overheat, so had to attach my own heat sinks to them.
Arrrggggh, why is it so hard.
Oliver
