11
to decrease the drain on the computer’s battery. Normally, this
is not necessary since Portman uses very little power. You might,
however, use external power if you suspect your battery is very
low.
• Some computers, mostly laptops and notebooks, use non-stan-
dard components in their serial ports, usually to save on power
consumption. In some cases, these non-standard ports do not
provide enough power to run Portman reliably in parasitic
mode.
