ConDes RS232 Tester V1.2.9
Manual V1.0.8

Download, install and use at your own risk !

Content

0.0 What's new ?

New in V1.2.9 :

• The darned language mix in the setup dialog should be fixed now. All dialogs are now in english.
• The email address shown on the "Info"-Tab is no longer valid due to the massive amount of SPAM received on this account.
• General revision.

New in V1.2.84 :

• Added a multilingual setup program.

New in V1.2.83 :

• You may now enter a description for each value in the "predefined values"-section by making a double-click on the value. The description ("comment") is displayed when the mouse-pointer is moved over the text-field containing the corresponding value as a "balloon"-text.
• The software now monitors for modifications of the present profile (except for the "Continuous Monitoring"-checkbox) and, if changes were made, asks on an attempt to exit the software, if the profile should be saved.
• If a profile is to be saved and the specified profile name already exists, the software asks, if saving should be continued anyway.

New in V1.2.82 :

• Input of invalid characters for a profile name is now filtered.
• Some internal changes.

New in V1.2.81 :

• The display of characters for codes >=80h is disabled - sometimes the log display was destroyed by these. Since I was not able to always reproduce this bug, the software now filters all characters >=80h. The hex-display is not affected.

New in V1.2.8 :

• Finally there is a function that allows continuous monitoring of the Inputbuffer for incoming data : If the new "Continuous Monitoring" checkbox below the "Erase Trigger Bytes" checkbox is activated, the correct amount of "Trigger Bytes" triggers the log display any time and the software continues monitoring the Inputbuffer. The delay may be used in addition as in previous versions.
• If a delay or trigger is cancelled by clicking the "Cancel Trigger / Delay" button and Continuous Monitoring is activated, the software asks, if Continuous Monitoring should be disabled.

New in V1.2.73 :

• Some minor changes in the behaviour of the "Predefined values"-, "Delay"-, "Trigger"-, and "Profile"-text fields. If one of these lost focus (e.g. by clicking on another element), their content is left-aligned automatically.
• The fill-status of the input buffer is now displayed as a green (>0 bytes in buffer) or red rectangle (0 bytes in buffer) next to the number of bytes contained in the input buffer if a port is open. The refresh rate of this display is as for the number of bytes in the input buffer every 250ms.

New in V1.2.72 :

• Fixed the display of values 80h to 9Fh from the input-buffer (Thanks go to L.J. for reporting!).

New in V1.2.71 :

• If a Com-Port has been opened, the amount of bytes that have been received and are now contained in the buffer is displayed every 250ms below the "View Addresss Info"-checkbox. If no port has been opened, the display is "N/A".
• The ASCII-Codes 00h to 1Fh (0 to 31decimal) are displayed with their function's abbreviations - e.g. the hex-code 04h with "EOT" (=End Of Transmission).
  See 7.0 - Table 1 in the manual for a complete overview of the ASCII control bytes.
• Please note, that only codes 00h to 7Fh (0 to 127 decimal) are defined by the ASCII-standard. The log-display of the ASCII-Characters for codes 80h ... FFh may differ from other applications, depending on what font is used in these other programs.

1.0 Com-Port Settings

Use the pulldown-menus to select the proper values for Com-Port number, speed of communication in bps, number of databits in one frame, parity, and number of stopbits. After selecting these settings, the communications-channel may be opened by clicking on the "Port - Open" button. It depends on your hardware, what combinations of settings for port-number, bps, databits, parity, and stopbits are valid, e.g. a speed of 256000bps is invalid if I select the interface of my motherboard, if this speed is selected for a VCP(virtual com port)-driver to use a USB-UART, it is valid.

After opening the communications channel, it is not possible to change the settings. To alter these, the port has to be closed first by clicking on the "Port - Close" button.

2.0 Send Hex-Value(s)

Enter the value or values to be sent as 1- or 2-digit hexadecimal-numbers and press Enter. If multiple values are to be sent at one time, they have to be separated by commas - e.g. values 0x0A and 0xCE are to be sent sequentially, the input would be : 0A,CE or A,CE.

2.1 Send String

Simply enter the ASCII-String to be sent and press Enter.

2.2 Add 0D (CR)

A Carriage-Return (0D hex) is added to any string sent, if this option is checked. If both the "Add 0D" and "Add 0A" options are selected, the Carriage-Return (0D hex) is sent first, followed by the Line-Feed value (0A hex).

2.3 Add 0A (LF)

A Line-Feed (0A hex) is added to any string sent, if this option is checked. If both the "Add 0D" and "Add 0A" options are selected, the Carriage-Return (0D hex) is sent first, followed by the Line-Feed value (0A hex).

2.4 Predefined Values

Up to 8 hexadecimal sequences or ASCII-Strings may be defined to have quick access to frequently needed commands to be sent. By clicking on the ASCII/Hex buttons is selected, if the corresponding text-field is to be sent as a ASCII-String or a sequence of hexadecimal values.

As for the "Send Hex-Value(s)"-field, if multiple values are to be sent at one time, they have to be separated by commas - e.g. values 0x0A and 0xCE are to be sent sequentially, the input would be : 0A,CE or A,CE.

You may add a description for each number or sequence by making a double-click on the value : The description ("comment") is displayed when the mouse-pointer is moved to a position over the text-field containing the corresponding value.

3.0 Log - Export

The log may be exported to a file on your harddisk by clicking on this button as plain text or in rich text format to preserve the color information for better visualization of direction of communication and different types of information displayed - e.g. address information and ASCII characters.

The filename and directory to be used may be selected freely.

3.1 Log - Clear

After clicking on this button the current log displayed is erased.

4.0 Input Buffer

Data received from the device connected to the selected and opened port is not displayed immediatly in the log, but written into a buffer in your computer's memory. This is to allow better visualization of the received data as blocks of received bytes. When the buffer is displayed in the log, the internal buffer is cleared automatically.

If a Com-Port has been opened, the amount of bytes that have been received and are now contained in the buffer is displayed every 250ms below the "View Addresss Info"-checkbox. In addition the fill-status of the input buffer is displayed as a red (0 bytes in buffer) or green (>0 bytes in buffer) rectangle next to the number of bytes in the buffer. If no port is open, the display is "N/A" and the rectangle is grey.

The ASCII-Codes 00h to 1Fh (0 to 31decimal) are displayed with their function's abbreviations - e.g. the hex-code 04h with "EOT" (=End Of Transmission).

See 7.0 - Table 1 for a complete overview of the ASCII control bytes.

Please note, that only codes 00h to 7Fh (0 to 127 decimal) are defined by the ASCII-standard. The log-display of the ASCII-Characters for codes 80h ... FFh may differ from other applications, depending on what font is used in these other programs.

4.1 Input Buffer - View

The content of the internal input buffer is displayed as hex values and the corresponding ASCII-characters in the log. If the "View Address Info"-option is checked, the position of a byte in the received block of bytes is displayed in addition.

4.2 Input Buffer - Clear

The input buffer is cleared. This may be useful or necessary to get rid of "garbage" data from previous communications.

4.3 Input Buffer - View Address Info

If the "View Address Info"-option is checked, the position of the byte in the received block of bytes is displayed in addition to hex and ASCII-values in the log, when the input-buffer is displayed.

5.0 Auto View

To automatically display the Input Buffer in the log after sending values to the connected device without having to click on the "Input Buffer - View" each time, there are two functions implemented in this software.

5.1 Auto View - Delay enable

After sending values to the connected device, the number of milliseconds specified in the "Delay"-field is used to allow data from the device connected to your computer to be written into the Input Buffer and afterwards this data is displayed in the log, if this option is checked. The delay cannot exceed 65535 ms !

During the delay time the green rectangle next to this option is lit. After the delay, the contents of the buffer are displayed in the log automatically.
This option may be combined with the "Auto View - Trigger enable" option.

5.2 Auto View - Trigger enable

After sending values to the connected device, the number of bytes specified in the "Trigger"-field have to be received, to trigger the log-display.

If a delay is to be used as well, this delay is triggered by the correct number of bytes received.

If this option is checked and the software waits for the trigger-event the green rectangle next to this option is lit.

It is not possible to exit the software while it waits for a trigger event.

5.3 Auto View - Continuous Monitoring

If the "Continuous Monitoring" checkbox below the "Erase Trigger Bytes" checkbox is activated, the correct amount of "Trigger Bytes" triggers the log display any time and the software continues monitoring the Inputbuffer. The delay may be used in addition as described above.

5.4 Cancel Trigger / Delay

A delay in progress or waiting for a trigger event may be cancelled by pressing this button.

6.0 Profile

The whole settings of the software may be saved and loaded in sets, called a "profile". These may be selected at startup or changed by clicking on the "Change"-button.

6.1 Profile - Save

To save the settings as a new profile first enter an unused name and click afterwards on the "Save"-button. To save them as an already present profile, enter the name of the profile to be used (if necessary) and click the "Save"-button.

If a profile is to be saved and the specified profile name already exists, the software asks, if saving should be continued anyway.

6.2 Profile - Erase

A profile may be erased using the "Select Profile"-Dialog displayed at program startup or after clicking the "Profile - Change"-button by selecting the profile to be erased and clicking the "Erase"-button.

7.0 Table 1 - ASCII Control Bytes