Dynapro Technologies Dynapro ET TCS Instruction Manual

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This manual is © 1994 Dynapro Technologies Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction of the contents of this copyrighted manual in whole or in part, by any means,
electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without written permission of Dynapro Technologies
Inc., is prohibited.
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Because of the variety of uses for the product described in this publication, those responsible for
application and use of this product must satisfy themselves that all necessary steps have been
taken to ensure that each application and use meets all performance and safety requirements,
including any applicable laws, regulations, codes, and standards.
The illustrations, charts, sample programs, and examples shown in this publication are intended
solely for the purposes of example. Because there are so many variables and requirements
associated with any particular installation, Dynapro Technologies Inc. does not assume
responsibility or liability, including intellectual property liability, for actual use based on the
examples shown in this publication.
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“Warning: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A
digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial
environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to
radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause
harmful interference, in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his
own expense.”
“Any modifications or changes to this product not expressly approved in writing by the
manufacturer responsible for compliance to Federal Regulations could void the user’s authority
to operate this product within the Laws and Regulations of the Federal Communications
Commission.”
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Document Number: 80-0279
First Edition: July 1994
Second Edition: December 1994
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Dynapro and ErgoTouch are registered trademarks of Dynapro Systems Inc. All other brand and
product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and are
hereby acknowledged.

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This amends the information supplied in the ErgoTouch TCS Installation Guide, Second Edition,
December 1994. This information was originally published as Document 80-0437.
ErgoTouch’s DSP display has been enhanced. Specifications for the new display are:
•256 colors
•Display size: 8.43” ( 21.4 cm) wide x 6.35” (16.1 cm) high
Diagonal: 10.4” (26.42 cm)
•Single backlight
•Contrast ratio: 30
•Viewing angle: horizontal: -30° to +30°
vertical: -15° to +25°
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This complements the information supplied in the ErgoTouch TCS Installation Guide, Second
Edition, December 1994. This information was originally published as Document 80-0463.
A new function (NO HOST) has been added to the “Display Activity” Setup parameter. In
addition to the ON, OFF and TIMEOUT selections, the user can now select NO HOST.
Selecting NO HOST causes the display to turn off automatically after 30 minutes of inactivity
(similar to the TIMEOUT selection). After the display has turned off (timed out), only activities
by the user will turn the display back on, (that is, touch or keystroke activities, but not the host’s
communications activities).

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CHAPTER 1 GENERAL INFORMATION..........................................................................................1-1
OVERVIEW ...............................................................................................................................................1-1
Features..................................................................................................................................................1-1
About This Guide....................................................................................................................................1-2
Related Documents.................................................................................................................................1-2
CHAPTER 2 INTERFACING TO THE HOST COMPUTER............................................................2-1
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................2-1
The Serial Interface................................................................................................................................2-1
Serial Data Composition........................................................................................................................2-2
Communication Standards .....................................................................................................................2-5
RS-422 and RS-485 ................................................................................................................................2-8
Preventing and Detecting Errors ...........................................................................................................2-9
Buffer Overflow Control.........................................................................................................................2-9
CHAPTER 3 PROGRAMMING OVERVIEW ....................................................................................3-1
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................3-1
RELATED ANSI STANDARDS................................................................................................................3-1
COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENTS..................................................................................................3-2
COMMUNICATION CODES....................................................................................................................3-2
CHARACTER SETS ..................................................................................................................................3-2
Control Codes.........................................................................................................................................3-2
Graphic Codes........................................................................................................................................3-4
TCS COMMANDS.....................................................................................................................................3-5
TYPES OF COMMANDS..........................................................................................................................3-5
Local Commands....................................................................................................................................3-5
Remote Commands.................................................................................................................................3-6
Local/Remote Commands.......................................................................................................................3-6
CONTROL STRINGS................................................................................................................................3-7
Simple Escape Sequences.......................................................................................................................3-7
Device Control Strings...........................................................................................................................3-7
Control Sequences..................................................................................................................................3-8
Control Sequence Parameters................................................................................................................3-9
Numeric Parameters...............................................................................................................................3-9
Selective Parameters............................................................................................................................3-10
How the TCS Interprets Control Sequences.........................................................................................3-10
Canceling Control Strings....................................................................................................................3-11
Errors in Control Strings......................................................................................................................3-11
HOW TO GENERATE REMOTE COMMANDS...................................................................................3-12
STATUS REPORT SUMMARY..............................................................................................................3-13
Summary of Status Queries and Responses..........................................................................................3-13
SUMMARY OF SELECTABLE MODES...............................................................................................3-17
TCS MODE COMMANDS......................................................................................................................3-19
Reset Mode Command [RM] (Remote) ................................................................................................3-20
Set Mode Command [SM] (Remote).....................................................................................................3-22

COLOR TCS: SUMMARY OF COLOR PROGRAMMING....................................................................3-24
Displaying and Erasing Color Characteristics....................................................................................3-24
Highlighting Color Characters ............................................................................................................3-24
Reversing Foreground and Background Colors ..................................................................................3-24
Concealing Color Characters ..............................................................................................................3-25
Reading a Character’s Attributes.........................................................................................................3-25
Color Controls on the Setup Screen .....................................................................................................3-25
CHAPTER 4 CONTROLLING THE SETUP SCREEN AND SERIAL INTERFACE....................4-1
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................4-1
TCS FUNCTIONAL VOLATILITY..........................................................................................................4-1
SETUP SCREEN PROGRAMMING CONSIDERATIONS......................................................................4-5
Keyboard Lockout ..................................................................................................................................4-5
Touch Panel Lockout..............................................................................................................................4-5
Display Activity ......................................................................................................................................4-5
Display Contents ....................................................................................................................................4-5
Host Communication during Setup Session............................................................................................4-6
Methods of Changing Setup Parameters................................................................................................4-6
Color TCS Setup Screen Programming Considerations.........................................................................4-7
User/Host Conflict Resolution................................................................................................................4-8
Permanence of Changes to Setup Parameters........................................................................................4-9
SETUP SCREEN COMMANDS..............................................................................................................4-10
Setup Lockout Mode Command {FSULM} (Remote) ...........................................................................4-11
Save Setup Command {FSSU} (Local/Remote)....................................................................................4-12
Recall Setup Command {FRSU} (Local/Remote).................................................................................4-13
Reset Command [RIS] (Local Remote)................................................................................................4-14
COMMUNICATION COMMANDS........................................................................................................4-16
Address Command (Local)...................................................................................................................4-17
Baud Rate Command (Local)...............................................................................................................4-20
Data Bits Command (Local).................................................................................................................4-21
Parity Enable Command (Local)..........................................................................................................4-22
Parity Sense Command (Local)............................................................................................................4-23
Stop Bits Command (Local)..................................................................................................................4-24
XON/XOFF Mode Command (Local)...................................................................................................4-25
Local/Remote Mode Command (Local)................................................................................................4-27
Hardware Handshake (Local)..............................................................................................................4-28
Transmit Mode Command (Local)........................................................................................................4-29
Reporting Format Command {FRF} (Remote).....................................................................................4-30
Clear User Inputs Command {FCUI} (Remote)...................................................................................4-32
COMMUNICATION MONITOR ............................................................................................................4-33
Entering and Exiting the Communication Monitor..............................................................................4-33
How the Communication Monitor Displays Characters ......................................................................4-33
TCS Operation While the Communication Monitor is Active...............................................................4-34
Using the Communication Monitor......................................................................................................4-36
CHAPTER 5 DISPLAYING CHARACTERS ........................................................................................5-1
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................5-1
Displaying Characters............................................................................................................................5-1
The Cursor..............................................................................................................................................5-2
Format Effectors.....................................................................................................................................5-3

OVERVIEW OF SCREEN MEMORY.......................................................................................................5-5
Introduction............................................................................................................................................5-5
Referring to Screens...............................................................................................................................5-5
Selecting a Screen for Editing................................................................................................................5-5
Screen Memory Allocation .....................................................................................................................5-6
Terminology: "Screen" vs. "Display".....................................................................................................5-7
SCREEN MEMORY COMMANDS..........................................................................................................5-8
Initialize Screen Command {FIS} (Remote)...........................................................................................5-9
Select Screen Command {FSS} (Remote).............................................................................................5-11
Copy Screen Command {FCS}(Remote)...............................................................................................5-15
Delete Screen Command {FDS} (Remote) ...........................................................................................5-17
Delete All Screens Command {FDAS} (Remote)..................................................................................5-18
Read Screen Memory Remaining Command {FRSMR} (Remote)........................................................5-19
Read Screen Existence Command {FRSE} (Remote) ...........................................................................5-21
OVERVIEW OF CHARACTER SETS AND CHARACTER FONTS....................................................5-23
Static ASCII and Static Special Character Fonts.................................................................................5-23
Dynamic Character Fonts....................................................................................................................5-23
Manipulating Character Sets and Fonts ..............................................................................................5-24
Default Conditions ...............................................................................................................................5-25
Volatility of the Dynamic Character Fonts ..........................................................................................5-26
Select Character Set Command [SCS] (Remote) .................................................................................5-27
Map Character Font Command {FMCF} (Remote).............................................................................5-29
Copy Character Font Command {FCCF} (Remote).............................................................................5-34
Down-Line Load Character Font Command {FDLCF} (Remote) .......................................................5-36
CHARACTER DISPLAYING COMMANDS..........................................................................................5-45
Color Features .....................................................................................................................................5-45
Display Double-Width Line Command {DECDWL} (Remote).............................................................5-46
Display Double-Size Line Command {DECDHL} (Remote)................................................................5-47
Place Double-Size Line Command {FDSL} (Remote)..........................................................................5-48
Display Normal Line Command (DECSWL) (Remote).........................................................................5-50
Draw Bar for Bar Chart Command {FDBB} (Remote)........................................................................5-51
Erase Character Command [ECH] (Remote)......................................................................................5-54
Erase in Line Command [EL] (Remote)...............................................................................................5-55
Erase in Display Command [ED] (Remote).........................................................................................5-57
CHARACTER INTERPRETATION COMMANDS ...............................................................................5-59
Auto Wrap-Around Mode Command (DECAWM) (Local/Remote)......................................................5-60
Send-Receive Mode Command [SRM] (Local/Remote) .......................................................................5-61
New Line Mode Command [LNM] (Local/Remote) .............................................................................5-62
NOCHANGE Attribute Mode Command {FNCAM} (Remote).............................................................5-63
National Replacement Code Command {FNRC} (Local/Remote)........................................................5-67
Set Character Attributes Command [SGR] (Monochrome: Remote Color: Local/Remote).................5-73
Scrolling Region Command (DECSTBM) (Remote).............................................................................5-77
Origin Mode Command (DECOM) (Remote).......................................................................................5-79
CURSOR COMMANDS ..........................................................................................................................5-82
Move Cursor to Absolute Position Command [CUP][HVP] (Remote)................................................5-83
Move Cursor to Touchkey Command {FMCTK} (Remote) ..................................................................5-85
Move Cursor Forward Command [CUF] (Remote).............................................................................5-86
Move Cursor Backward Command [CUB] (Remote)...........................................................................5-87
Move Cursor Up Command [CUU] (Remote)......................................................................................5-88
Move Cursor Down Command [CUD] (Remote).................................................................................5-89
Next Line Command [NEL] (Remote)..................................................................................................5-90
Index Command [IND] (Remote).........................................................................................................5-91
Reverse Index Command [RI] (Remote)...............................................................................................5-92

Read Cursor Position Command [CPR] (Remote)................................................................................5-93
Read Character Under Cursor Command {FRCUC} (Remote)...........................................................5-94
Read Attributes Under Cursor Command {FRAUC} (Remote)............................................................5-96
Cursor Type Command [FCT] (Local/Remote) ...................................................................................5-98
SCREEN APPEARANCE COMMANDS..............................................................................................5-100
Screen Background Mode Command (DECSCNM) (Local/Remote)..................................................5-101
Display Activity Command {FDA} (Local/Remote)............................................................................5-102
CHAPTER 6 PROGRAMMING THE TOUCH PANEL ....................................................................6-1
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................6-1
THE TOUCH PANEL................................................................................................................................6-1
Touch Cells.............................................................................................................................................6-1
Touchkeys and Touch Targets................................................................................................................6-2
Touchkey Visual Extent ..........................................................................................................................6-3
TOUCH REPORTING ...............................................................................................................................6-5
TOUCH PANEL COMMANDS.................................................................................................................6-6
Build Touchkey Command {FBTK} (Remote) ........................................................................................6-7
Clear Touchkey Command {FCTK}(Remote).........................................................................................6-9
Touchkey Type Command {FTKT}(Remote) ........................................................................................6-10
Touchkey Visual Extent Command {FTKVEJ}(Remote) ......................................................................6-12
Touchkey Audible Attribute Command {FTKAA}(Remote)..................................................................6-14
Auto-Repeat Rate Command {FARR} (Remote)...................................................................................6-16
Polled Touch Mode Command {FPTM} (Remote)...............................................................................6-18
Read Touchkey Status Command {FRTKS} (Remote)..........................................................................6-20
Extended Report Mode Command {FERM} (Remote)..........................................................................6-22
Touch Panel Lockout Mode Command {FTLM} (Remote)...................................................................6-24
REGION COMMANDS...........................................................................................................................6-25
Color Features .....................................................................................................................................6-25
Outline a Touchkey Command {FOTK} (Remote)................................................................................6-26
Outline a Region Command {FOR} (Remote)......................................................................................6-28
Custom Outline a Touchkey Command {FCOTK} (Remote)................................................................6-30
Custom Outline a Region Command {FCOR} (Remote)......................................................................6-32
Modify Character Attributes in a Touchkey Command {FMCAITK} (Remote) ...................................6-34
Modify Character Attributes in a Region Command {FMCAIR} (Remote)..........................................6-36
Reverse Character Attributes in a Touchkey Command {FRCAITK} (Remote)...................................6-38
Reverse Character Attributes in a Region Command {FRCAlR} (Remote)..........................................6-40
Fill a Touchkey With a Character Command {FFTKC} (Remote).......................................................6-43
Fill a Region With a Character Command {FFRC} (Remote).............................................................6-45
Erase a Touchkey Command {FETK} (Remote)...................................................................................6-47
Erase a Region Command {FER} (Remote).........................................................................................6-49
CHAPTER 7 PROGRAMMING THE OPTIONAL KEYBOARD ....................................................7-1
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................7-1
KEYBOARD DESCRIPTION....................................................................................................................7-1
Standard Keys.........................................................................................................................................7-1
The Set Up Key.......................................................................................................................................7-3
Cursor Control Keys...............................................................................................................................7-3
Special Function Keys............................................................................................................................7-5
Auxiliary Keypad....................................................................................................................................7-6

KEYBOARD COMMANDS.......................................................................................................................7-8
Keyboard Lockout Mode Command [KAM] (Remote)...........................................................................7-9
Keypad Mode Command [DECKPAM] [DECKPNM] (Remote).........................................................7-10
Local/Remote Mode Command (Local)................................................................................................7-11
Send Long Break Command (Local) ....................................................................................................7-12
Send Short Break Command (Local)....................................................................................................7-13
CHAPTER 8 REMOTE SELF-TESTING.............................................................................................8-1
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................8-1
STATUS REPORTING COMMANDS......................................................................................................8-2
Power-Up Interrupt Mode Command {FPUIM} (Remote).....................................................................8-3
Request Power Status Command {FRPS} (Remote)...............................................................................8-4
Error Interrupt Mode Command {FEIM} (Remote)...............................................................................8-5
Request Error Status Command {FRES} (Remote) ................................................................................8-6
Request TCS Identification Command [DA] (Remote)...........................................................................8-8
Request TCS Status Command [DSR] (Remote)..................................................................................8-10
REMOTE SELF-TEST COMMANDS.....................................................................................................8-11
Continuous Integrity Test Command {FClT} (Local/Remote)..............................................................8-12
Request ROM Test Report Command {FRRTR} (Remote) ...................................................................8-14
Request Nonvolatile Memory Test Report Command {FRETR} (Remote)...........................................8-15
Request RAM Test Report Command {FRRATR} (Remote) .................................................................8-17
Request Touch Panel Test Report Command {FRTTR} (Remote)........................................................8-19
APPENDIX A SAMPLE PROGRAM ..................................................................................................A-1
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION.....................................................................................................................A-1
PHYSICAL CONNECTION .....................................................................................................................A-1
Setting up the IBM PC............................................................................................................................A-1
Setting up the TCS..................................................................................................................................A-1
The Sample Program..............................................................................................................................A-2
APPENDIX B COMMAND SUMMARY TABLE.............................................................................. B-1
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... B-1
APPENDIX C CUSTOM CHARACTER FONTS...............................................................................C-1
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... C-1
The Distinction Between Character Sets and Character Fonts............................................................. C-1
Creating Custom Characters Using Software or Firmware.................................................................. C-4
CHARACTER DESCRIPTION................................................................................................................. C-4
Description Of Static Character Fonts.................................................................................................. C-5
Boxtypes ................................................................................................................................................ C-7
HOW CHARACTERS ARE STORED...................................................................................................... C-8
Character Sizes...................................................................................................................................... C-9
PIXEL DATA.......................................................................................................................................... C-11

APPENDIX D IN CASE OF DIFFICULTY.........................................................................................D-1
INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................................D-1
SYMPTOM/SOLUTION CHART ............................................................................................................D-1
COMMON PROGRAMMING PROBLEMS............................................................................................D-8
Interaction Between Polled Touch Mode and the Read Touchkey Status Command............................D-9
Interaction Between Reporting Format and the End Of Line Character............................................D-10
Interaction Between Origin Mode and Scrolling Region....................................................................D-11
Interaction Between NOCHANGE Attribute Mode and Attribute Commands....................................D-13
Interaction Between the Conceal Attribute and Commands that Modify Attributes............................D-14
Editing a Stored Screen with the Select Screen Command..................................................................D-15
Mapping Character Fonts...................................................................................................................D-16
Interaction Between Power-Up Interrupt Mode and Multidrop Protocol...........................................D-17
Interaction Between Dead Touchkeys and Touch Operation..............................................................D-18
Inconsistent Communication Setup Between Host and TCS................................................................D-19
COMMON OPERATOR PROBLEMS ...................................................................................................D-20
Saving Display Activity as OFF ..........................................................................................................D-20
Incorrectly Selecting Other Setup Screen Parameters........................................................................D-20
Touching the Display during Transition .............................................................................................D-20
OPERATIONAL STATUS REPORT TABLE........................................................................................D-21

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Table 2-1. Framing Formats ........................................................................................................2-2
Table 2-2. Touch Control Screen Parity Settings.........................................................................2-4
Table 3-1. Control Codes Recognized by the TCS.......................................................................3-3
Table 3-2. Representing 8-bit Control Codes With 7-Bit Escape Sequences ..............................3-5
Table 3-3. Condition for Acceptance of Certain Control Codes within Control Strings...........3-12
Table 3-4. Summary of Status Queries and Reports...................................................................3-14
Table 3-5. Summary of Selectable Modes..................................................................................3-18
Table 4-1. Overview of Functional Volatility..............................................................................4-2
Table 4-2. Control over Individual Setup Parameters..................................................................4-6
Table 4-3. Numeric Values for Foreground and Background Color Parameters.........................4-7
Table 4-4. Multidrop Addresses and Codes...............................................................................4-17
Table 4-5. Effects of Multidrop Addresses on Control Codes...................................................4-18
Table 4-6. Flow Control .............................................................................................................4-25
Table 5-1. Format Effectors..........................................................................................................5-4
Table 5-2. Typical Screen Storage Capacity................................................................................5-6
Table 5-3. Default Values of Screen-Dependent Items................................................................5-9
Table 5-4. Code Values Corresponding to Character Positions.................................................5-30
Table 5-5. Standard Characters Used For Special Purposes ......................................................5-31
Table 5-6. Extended Characters Used for Special Purposes ......................................................5-31
Table 5-7. Effects of the Line Mode on the Return and Enter Keys..........................................5-62
Table 5-8. Effects of the New Line Mode on Cursor Movement...............................................5-62
Table 5-9. Commands Affected by NOCHANGE Attribute Mode............................................5-64
Table 5-10. Commands Unaffected by NOCHANGE Attribute Mode......................................5-66
Table 5-11. National Replacement Code Characters..................................................................5-70
Table 5-12. Color Parameters of the Set Character Attributes Command .................................5-75
Table 5-13. Color Attribute Definitions (* = Default)..............................................................5-97
Table 7-1. Non-Alphanumeric Standard Key Codes....................................................................7-2
Table 7-2. Codes Sent by Keys when Pressed with the Ctrl Key.................................................7-4
Table 7-3. Cursor Control Key Codes..........................................................................................7-5
Table 7-4. Special Function Key Codes.......................................................................................7-6

Table 7-5. Auxiliary Keypad Codes.............................................................................................7-7
Table B-1. Summary of TCS Commands Grouped According to Related Functions................. B-2
Table C-1. Static ASCII Character Font...................................................................................... C-2
Table C-2. Static Special Character Font.................................................................................... C-3
Table C-3. Consequences of Changing the Static ASCII Character Font PROM....................... C-5
Table C-4. Consequences of Changing the Static Special Character Font PROM..................... C-6
Table C-5. Boxtype Characters ...................................................................................................C-7
Table D-1. Symptom/Solution Chart...........................................................................................D-2

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Figure 2-1. Typical Asynchronous Framing Format....................................................................2-3
Figure 4-1. Sample Communication Monitor Screen.................................................................4-34
Figure 5-1. Codes Access the Character Sets...............................................................................5-3
Figure 5-2. Selecting a Screen for Editing ...................................................................................5-6
Figure 5-3. Manipulating Character Sets and Fonts...................................................................5-24
Figure 5-4. Character Font Map Operations...............................................................................5-29
Figure 5-5. Character Font Copy Operations .............................................................................5-34
Figure 5-6. Example Custom Character Design.........................................................................5-37
Figure 5-7. Dividing the Character into Sixels...........................................................................5-38
Figure 5-8. Encoding the Sixels..................................................................................................5-40
Figure 5-9. Vertical and Horizontal Bars ...................................................................................5-51
Figure 5-10. Conceptual Model: Characters and Their Attributes.............................................5-73
Figure 6-1. Touch Cell Number Assignments..............................................................................6-2
Figure 6-2. Example Touchkey ....................................................................................................6-3
Figure 6-3. Touchkey Visual Extent.............................................................................................6-4
Figure C-1. Encoding the Letter H.............................................................................................. C-8
Figure C-2. Display Character Addressing.................................................................................. C-9

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The Touch Control Screen (TCS) is a sophisticated interface between human operators and
computer-driven systems. The TCS allows the operator, with a minimum of training, to
accurately and efficiently control complex operations by touching the screen.
The Touch Control Screen interprets codes from the host computer to create displays that
provide the operator with information or ask the operator to select from the choices presented.
The operator responds naturally by pointing to the appropriate choice, and touching the display.
The TCS, acting as a software configured control panel, notifies the computer that a particular
area was touched.
The TCS can be integrated into any computer-based system, and is packaged to be easily
mounted in a wall, in a rack, on a boom, or on a table top. High-level software support facilitates
the design of touch targets using a few simple commands. The extreme reliability and durability
of TCS makes it appropriate for use in a variety of rugged environments.
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Features of the TCS include the following:
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•Line attributes that can be selected by the user: normal, double width, double size
•Character attributes that can be selected by the user: highlight, underline, blink, concealed,
and reverse video
•Direct cursor addressing
•Region commands that allow the programmer to outline and modify attributes within a
rectangular region of the display
•Programmable cursor type, including non-blinking, slow-blinking and fast-blinking reverse
block, non-blinking, slow-blinking and fast-blinking underlines, and invisible
•Two character sets (128 characters each)
•Four character fonts for mapping into the character sets. Two of the fonts are fixed and two
can be altered by the user. Each font contains 128 characters.
•National Replacement Code method to display international characters
•8 basic colors for displaying character foreground and background
•8 highlight colors, associated with each of the basic colors, chosen to enable applications
developed for monochrome TCS to effectively display in a color environment

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•Integral touch panel with a 120 touch cell matrix (12 rows by 10 columns)
•Keyboard port with adapter cable for connection to a standard PC-AT keyboard
•High contrast electroluminescent (EL) or Dual Scan Passive (DSP) color display that can
display 1920 characters (24 lines of 80 characters each)
•RS-232 serial interface port with selectable baud rates in standard increments up to 19,200
baud
•RS-422 and RS-485 serial interface port for communication at distances of up to 1200 meters
(4000 ft) and for multidrop configurations (not yet available)
•Optional rack, panel, wall and boom mount capabilities
•NEMA 4 (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) and NEMA 4X water and dust
resistance on all surfaces. (Requires the optional NEMA 4 Hatch Kit.)
•Nonvolatile memory for storing Setup parameters while the power is off
•96 kilobytes of user random-access memory (RAM) for storing frequently used screens and
two dynamic character fonts
•Test Screen for user-selected testing of the electronics, the display, and the touch panel
•Communication Monitor to help troubleshoot communications
•Safety standards include: CSA-C22.2
•Other compliances include FCC Class A and VDE 0871A
•High resistance to shock and vibration
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The ErgoTouch TCS Application Developer’s Guide explains how to program the TCS to create
the interface between the user and host computer. It explains how to display characters, create
touch keys, and control and interpret user input. Basic troubleshooting information and sample
programs are also included.
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The ErgoTouch TCS Installation Guide provides instructions for mounting and connecting the
TCS, configuring with the Setup Menu, and maintaining the TCS at an operational level (fuse
replacement and cleaning). The guide also includes a full set of specifications.

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This chapter provides information about communication between the Touch Control Screen
(TCS) and host computer. Topics include:
•A description of serial data
•Electronics Industries Association (EIA) standards RS-232-E, RS-422-A, and RS-485
•TCS error checking methods, including buffer overflow control
•A summary of TCS communication parameters that can be set by the user
•Multidrop communication protocol
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The TCS and the host computer communicate by a serial interface, whereby information is
exchanged between devices as a series of binary codes known as bit-serial data.
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Bit-serial data is digital information represented as a series of bits sent over a wire, one bit at a
time. Specified voltage levels indicate the binary state, either zero or one, of each bit.
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Data bits are sent between the TCS and host in groups of seven or eight bits. Each group of data
bits constitutes one code, and the TCS recognizes 256 such codes from the host. The data bits are
preceded and followed by other bits, described later in this chapter. The number of data bits per
code is controlled by the Data Bits parameter, selectable from the Setup Screen. (Refer to the
ErgoTouch TCS Installation Guide for Setup Screen information.)
TCS operation involves two types of codes: graphic codes and control codes. Graphic codes
generally cause a character to be displayed on the TCS display. Control codes do an action, such
as changing a display characteristic or regulating data flow between the TCS and host.
Chapter 3 explains how TCS handles codes and characters, including the results of using seven
or eight data bits. Appendix C contains detailed information about Standard and Custom
Character Fonts.

2-2
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Serial data can be transmitted in either a synchronous or asynchronous timing format. In a
synchronous format, individual codes in the message are synchronized to a clock signal and sent
one after another, without any special bits separating them. Start and stop codes mark the
beginning and end of each message block, but start and stop bits are not sent with each code.
In an asynchronous format, transmitted data is not synchronized to a clock. Instead, start and stop
bits mark the beginning and end of each code. Asynchronous formats have the advantage that the
sender and receiver do not need to be synchronized with each other. The TCS uses an
asynchronous format only.
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Serial data speed is expressed in bits per second, or baud. Although baud technically means the
number of state changes per second (which is not always equal to bits per second), the term baud
rate is usually used interchangeably with bit rate. The TCS can send and receive data at all the
following bit rates: 110, 300,600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, and 19200 baud.
The TCS sends and receives data at the same rate. For example, the TCS cannot be set to
transmit data at 9600 baud and receive data at 1200 baud.
The baud rate is selected by the user through the Setup Screen. Instructions for selecting the baud
rate are provided in the Installation Guide, under the heading, Using the Setup Screen.
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Each code sent between the TCS and the host is preceded by one start bit, a space (binary zero).
The start bit is immediately followed by seven or eight data bits, the code itself. The data bits are
followed by an optional parity bit, and finally one or two stop bits, which are marks (binary
ones).
The combination of all the serial bits is called the framing format. Table 2-1 shows all framing
formats supported by the TCS. Figure 2-1 shows the framing format to transmit a code using
seven data bits, a parity bit, and two stop bits.
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NOTE
In Figure 2-1, indicates a space (logical zero) and indicates a mark (logical one).
However, on the RS-232 line itself these are inverted, so a mark is a low voltage and a space is a high
voltage. On the RS-485 line, the Data + signal appears as shown in the above figure.
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The start bit tells the receiving station that the next seven bits (or eight, depending on how the
Data Bits parameter is set) represent an ASCII code, transmitted with the least significant bit
first. The start bit is always a single zero bit (a space).
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The stop bit tells the receiving station that it has received the end of the code. The stop bit is
always a one bit (a mark), which is the idle state of the line. A stop bit can be immediately
followed by the start bit preceding the next code, or it can just return the line to its idle state. The
latter case, for example, occurs when the stop bit follows the last code to be transmitted.
To meet the requirements of various host computers and interfaces, the TCS can use either one or
two stop bits. The number of stop bits is selected by the user through the Setup Screen.
Instructions for selecting the number of stop bits are provided in the Installation Guide, under the
heading, Using the Setup Screen.
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The parity bit follows the seven or eight data bits. The parity bit is used to check for transmission
errors. Parity checking can use either even or odd parity.
Even parity means that the parity bit and the data bits together contain an even number of binary
ones. For example, for the data bits 1010100, the parity bit is 1, making the total number of ones
even (in this example there are a total of four ones).
Odd parity means that the parity and data bits together contain an odd number of ones. For
example, for the data bits 1010100, the parity bit is 0, making the total number of ones odd (in
this example there is a total of three ones).
By setting two TCS parameters (Parity Enable and Parity Sense), the parity bit can be used in
five ways, as shown in Table 2-2. Instructions for setting the Parity Enable and Parity Sense
parameters are provided in the Installation Guide, under Using the Setup Screen.

2-4
By setting two TCS parameters (Parity Enable and Parity Sense), the parity bit can be used in
five ways, as shown in Table 2-2. Instructions for setting the Parity Enable and Parity Sense
parameters are provided in the Installation Guide, underUsing the Setup Screen.

2-5
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The TCS adheres to three widely used Electronics Industries Association (EIA) standards:
RS-232-E, RS-422-A, and RS-485. RS-232-E is the most widely accepted standard for digital
data communication; few pieces of computer-related equipment are supplied without an RS-232-
E port.
However, RS-232-E is not suitable for all installations. Generally, RS-422-A and RS-485 provide
for communications over longer distances and provide for multidrop configurations. RS-485
operates the same as RS-422-A but can handle more devices in a multidrop configuration (32 as
opposed to 16). This manual refers only to RS-485 when discussing these two standards,
although the TCS does support both interfaces. For more information, refer to the sections on
RS-485 and Multidrop Communications Protocol in this chapter.
The RS-232-E standard specifies that transmitted and received data are each carried on a single
data line; RS-485 specifies that transmitted and received data are each carried on balanced lines.
The RS-232-E standard prescribes signal types, signal levels, and the control signals that
establish communication between devices (in this case, the host and the TCS). The RS-485
standard prescribes only signal types and signal levels.
The RS-232-E and RS-485 interfaces attach to the same serial port connector on the TCSa
25-pin, D-series, male connector. Pin assignments for this connector and names of the respective
circuits are listed in the ErgoTouch TCS Installation Guide.
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First established in 1969 and later revised, the RS-232-E standard defines the electrical and
mechanical characteristics of an “interface between data terminal equipment and data
communication equipment employing serial binary exchange.”
NOTE
The TCS is data terminal equipment (DTE) as described by the RS-232-E standard. As a DTE unit, the TCS
is connected to data communication equipment (DCE) such as a modem. A null-modem cable is required to
connect to another DTE unit.
The RS-232-E, RS-422-A, and RS-485 interfaces attach to the 25-pin, D-series, male connector.
Pin assignments for this connector and names of the respective circuits are listed in the
Installation Guide.