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Inconsistent Values in Port Watch – CODESOFT Problem

Target Audience: Advanced User, IT Manager
Article #: 12143

Summary

CODESOFT’s Port Watch allows TEKLYNX users to automatically add variable data from a connected device to labels. Scales, scanners and keyboards can all input data via Port Watch. However, improper setup can result in inconsistent values in Port Watch, making the data useless. This article explains how to set up filters to ensure good data input.

Situation and Symptoms

  • Hardware is sending data to ports rapidly, continuously, and often
  • Device sends data consistently
  • Values taken in by Port Watch include incomplete and/or irrelevant data segments

Explanation

Frequently, devices such as a scale, stream data into the COM port. As the data streams into the port, CODESOFT Port Watch attempts to grab it. However, if no filters or terminator options are set during Port Watch’s setup, CODESOFT may grab the data at the wrong times. This results in incomplete data as the recording started after the data started uploading. Or, it can show extra values as Port Watch grabbed too much data before or after the data segment.

Solution

There are two settings which can be used to increase the accuracy of Port Watch’s data capture:

  1. Enable Filter – This allows the user to cut off excess data, such as extra spaces, before and after the data segment.
    Start pos indicates how many characters to ignore at the beginning.
    End pos indicates how many characters to accept.
  2. Terminator Options – This allows the user to implement a logical method to determine when a segment ends and a new one begins:
    a. Datalength
    b. Timeout
    c. CR
    d. CR-LF
    e. String
Port Watch Settings
Port Watch capturing reliable data.

Additional Comments

The freeware tool PuTTY provides useful information to see exactly how the data streams into the COM port.

Issue Found: CODESOFT 2019, Ohaus Ranger 3000 scale

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Author

Dave Klement

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