To add to vipers post:
You do not need any special hardware, however you can make things easier by either buying a miniusb 2 serial cable (search google) then you dont have to "trick" windows. (entering bootloader, deactivating usb connections etc) You can also make one here:
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=123 This is really only important for certain things, for what most poeple use PSAS for its not really necessary.
And by the way there is aa tutorial/help/guide in the software. Open PSAS click Main->Help/Manual. Make sure to read all the way through, then as you do each one keep it open so you can confirm.
