MicroRidge WedgeLink AT User manual

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Printed: Tuesday, May 02, 2017 at 8:20 AM in Sunriver, Oregon.
WedgeLink AT Keyboard Wedge
Copyright © 2015-2017 MicroRidge Systems, Inc.

IContents
Copyright © 2015-2017 MicroRidge Systems, Inc.
WedgeLink AT Keyboard Wedge
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 1 ...................................................................................................................................Introduction
Chapter 2 5 ...................................................................................................................................Using WedgeLink AT
...................................................................................................................................Startup Initialization 5
...................................................................................................................................Front Panel 6
...................................................................................................................................Back Panel 8
...................................................................................................................................Internal Jumper 9
...................................................................................................................................Auto Baud Rate Detection 9
Chapter 3 13 ...................................................................................................................................Setup Program
...................................................................................................................................Entering Special Characters 14
...................................................................................................................................Program Tabs 15
.......................................................................................................................Home Tab 15
.................................................................................................Input Serial Port Parameters 18
.......................................................................................................................Read Switch Tab 19
.......................................................................................................................Character Removal Tab 20
.......................................................................................................................Character Replacement Tab 21
.......................................................................................................................Parsing Tabs 22
Chapter 4 27 ...................................................................................................................................Keyboards
Chapter 5 29 ...................................................................................................................................ComTestSerial
Chapter 6 31 ...................................................................................................................................Accessories
Chapter 7 33 ...................................................................................................................................Keyboard Wedges from MicroRidge
Chapter 8 35 ...................................................................................................................................Warranty Information
Chapter 9 37 ...................................................................................................................................Contact MicroRidge

Introduction 1
Copyright © 2015-2017 MicroRidge Systems, Inc.
WedgeLink AT Keyboard Wedge
1 Introduction
WedgeLink AT is a hardware keyboard wedge that allows you to transfer RS-232 data into any
application that supports keyboard input. WedgeLink AT looks like a standard HID (human
interface device) peripheral to a PC. Other HID peripherals that we are all familiar with are the
USB keyboard and USB mouse. Since WedgeLink AT looks like a standard HID peripheral to
your PC, you do not need to install any drivers for using the wedge feature of WedgeLink AT.
WedgeLink AT is easily configured with the included Setup Program . The Setup Program
communicates with WedgeLink AT via the "RS-232 & Prog" port on the back of WedgeLink AT.
You may need to install the virtual serial port drivers from the WedgeLink AT CD before using
the Setup Program. WedgeLink AT uses a serial to USB IC manufactured by FTDI. If you have
previously installed the FTDI USB drivers, you do not need to reinstall them to use the
WedgeLink AT Setup Program.
Features
The key features of WedgeLink AT are as follows:
§Compact size: 2.61" x 2.61" x 1.10".
§No driver installation required for the keyboard wedge function (driver installation may be
required for the Setup Program).
§Supports baud rates from 600 to 57.6K
§Includes 6' USB cable.
§Sends commands to your serial device by pressing the push button or remote read switch.
§Extensive data parsing options.
§Automatically detects serial baud rate and communication parameters of the connected
serial device (must have a send or print button on the serial device).
§Serial port Communications Test Program (ComTestSerial) included to assist you in
understanding what is actually being sent from your serial device.
§Firmware updates available at no charge from the MicroRidge web site.
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Supported Characters & Data Output
WedgeLink AT supports the standard ASCII characters found on North American keyboards.
When a supported character is received by WedgeLink AT, the character will be processed per
the current setup. If WedgeLink AT receives an unsupported character, the unsupported
character will be discarded.
The characters supported by WedgeLink AT in the Wedge mode (USB cable connected to the
"Wedge" port) include the following:
§Human readable characters found on the standard keyboard. This includes ASCII
characters from ASCII 32 to ASCII 126 (space, a to z, A to Z, 0 to 9, #, &, etc.).
§Control characters (less than ASCII 32) backspace, carriage return, escape and tab.
§Function keys (F1, F2, etc.) that can be added to the input data via the prefix and suffix
features.
The characters supported by WedgeLink AT in the RS-232 mode (USB cable connected to the
"RS-232 & Prog" port) include the following:
§All 8-bit characters from ASCII 0 to 255 ({\x00} to {\xff}). This includes all control, standard
keyboard and extended characters.
§Keys such as F1 will be output as a character string. F1 = {F1}, F2 = {F2}, etc.
Parsing and Sending Results via the Keyboard Wedge or Serial Port
Normally WedgeLink AT is used as a keyboard wedge to get data into applications such as
Excel or other database programs. WedgeLink AT also has the ability to capture and parse the
input data and send it to a USB serial port on your PC. It is not uncommon for a serial device to
output a considerable amount of data and all you really want is a number that is contained within
that data. With WedgeLink AT you can extract the number (or data) that you want and send it to
the PC via the keyboard wedge or a serial port connection.
User’s Guide Organization
This User’s Guide covers the WedgeLink AT Setup Program. This document has been
designed for double-sided printing on a color printer. If you print this document single sided,
there will be several blank pages included in the printout.
If you are viewing the PDF version of this User's Guide, you will see page numbers to the right of
the links within the PDF document. For example the number to the right of the Contact
MicroRidge Systems link indicates the actual page number this link is directed to.
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Introduction 3
Copyright © 2015-2017 MicroRidge Systems, Inc.
WedgeLink AT Keyboard Wedge
The WedgeLink AT Keyboard Wedge is in compliance with the European Union Directive on the
restricted use of certain hazardous substances (RoHS/RoHS2 Directive). For more information
review the RoHS Declaration of Compliance document on the MicroRidge web.

Using WedgeLink AT 5
Copyright © 2015-2017 MicroRidge Systems, Inc.
WedgeLink AT Keyboard Wedge
2Using WedgeLink AT
The WedgeLink AT Keyboard Wedge has numerous configuration options so that you can tailor
WedgeLink AT to meet your specific requirements. WedgeLink AT is configured with the
WedgeLink AT Setup Program . You should install the Setup Program from the CD and
review this User's Guide before using WedgeLink AT.
Software Installation
The WedgeLink AT Setup Program can be installed from the WedgeLink AT CD. In addition to
the Setup Program, you may also need to install the FTDI USB drivers. These drivers are only
required to communicate with the "RS-232 & Prog" port. If you are going to install the FTDI USB
drivers, be sure to disconnect WedgeLink AT before starting the installation. If you are not sure
if you already have these drivers installed, you can re-install them without any harm to your PC.
This WedgeLink AT port is set to 9600-N-8-1 and cannot be changed by the user.
No drivers are required to use with the "Wedge" port.
2.1 Startup Initialization
When you connect WedgeLink AT to a USB port on your PC or press the Reset button,
WedgeLink AT must complete an initialization and start-up procedure before you can send data
to it. This initialization and start-up procedure uses the LEDs to indicate the steps in the
process.
Firmware initialization The red LED will come on. Typically this takes less than 2 seconds.
It can take longer if you are doing a reset from the Setup Program.
Auto baud detection If the "Automatic Baud Rate Detection" is enabled, the green LED will
come on for up to 5 seconds while WedgeLink AT is waiting for a
baud rate detection string from your serial device. At the end of
this procedure the red or green LED may blink.
Wedge initialization If WedgeLink AT is connected to you PC via the "Wedge" port, the
keyboard wedge firmware will initialize and establish an HID
connection with your PC. During this process the LED will be yellow
(both red and green LEDs are on).
Once the LEDs turns off', WedgeLink AT is ready to use.
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WedgeLink AT Keyboard Wedge6Using WedgeLink AT
Copyright © 2015-2017 MicroRidge Systems, Inc.
2.2 Front Panel
LED &
Read
Switch
Read
Switch
Port
DB9 Input Port
WedgeLink AT Front Panel
The WedgeLink AT front panel contains the following elements.
§Red/Green bi-color LED
§Built-in read switch
§Connector for external read switch. This read switch connector requires a 2.5 mm sub-
miniature phone plug. Foot and hand switches are available from MicroRidge. If you
build your own, all that is required is a switch to provide a contact closure.
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Using WedgeLink AT 7
Copyright © 2015-2017 MicroRidge Systems, Inc.
WedgeLink AT Keyboard Wedge
§DB9 male connector. This connector is similar to a standard PC serial port connector. The
function of each of the pins is described in the following table.
Pin
Function
Direction
Comments
1
DCD
--
This pin is used for modem signals and is not connected
on WedgeLink AT.
2
RxD
Input
Receive data. This line must be connected.
3
TxD
Output
Transmit data. This line must be connected if you are
sending commands to your serial device.
4
DTR
Output
Output handshake line. This line is normally high. If you
select "DTR low for 150 msec" on the Read Switch
Tab , this line will toggle low to high when the read
switch is pressed.
5
Ground
--
Signal ground. This line must be connected.
6
DSR
Input
Input handshake line. This line is not monitored by
WedgeLink AT.
7
RTS
Output
Output handshake line. The high/low state of this line is
controlled by an internal jumper on the WedgeLink AT
circuit board.
8
CTS
Input
Input handshake line. This line is not monitored by
WedgeLink AT.
9
RI
--
This pin is used for modem signals and is not connected
on WedgeLink AT.
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WedgeLink AT Keyboard Wedge8Using WedgeLink AT
Copyright © 2015-2017 MicroRidge Systems, Inc.
2.3 Back Panel
RS-232 &
Prog Port
Reset
Button
Wedge
Port
WedgeLink AT Back Panel
The WedgeLink AT back panel contains the following elements.
§USB connector for RS-232 and Programming. In order to use this port, you must install the
FTDI USB drivers from the WedgeLink AT CD.
§Reset button. Pressing this button will restart the WedgeLink AT. Pressing this button will
not change any of the setup information in WedgeLink AT.
§USB connector for keyboard wedge mode. Driver installation is not required for using this
port.
Power Supply & Data Transfer Port
The WedgeLink AT is powered through one of the USB ports accessible on the back panel.
WedgeLink AT will detect which port ("RS-232 & Prog" or "Wedge") is connected to your PC and
send the appropriate data to that port. If you connect both USB ports to your PC, WedgeLink AT
will send the data to the "RS-232 & Prog" port. There is no reason or advantage to connect both
of the WedgeLink AT USB ports to your PC.
Wedge Port
To use WedgeLink AT in the wedge mode, connect this port to a USB port on your PC. No
driver installation on your PC is required to use this port. This port will appear as an HID device
(Human Interface Device) to your PC. Both your keyboard and mouse are HID devices.
RS-232 & Prog Port
When using the Setup Program, or when you want to send your parsed data to a serial port on
your PC, connect this port to a USB port on your PC. In order to use this port you may need to
install the FTDI USB drivers from the WedgeLink AT CD.
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Using WedgeLink AT 9
Copyright © 2015-2017 MicroRidge Systems, Inc.
WedgeLink AT Keyboard Wedge
2.4 Internal Jumper
WedgeLink AT Internal RTS Handshake Jumper
The output on the RTS handshake line (pin 7 of the DB9 connector ) is controlled by an
internal jumper. To set the line to the high state, put the jumper in the V+ position. To set the
line to the low state, put the jumper in the V- position. The factory default for this jumper is the
V+ position.
2.5 Auto Baud Rate Detection
In order to communicate with an RS-232 connection, the serial parameters for WedgeLink AT
must match the serial parameters of the connected serial device. It is not uncommon for the user
to be unaware of the current serial parameters for their serial device. When you restart
WedgeLink AT, it can enter a mode that can determine the serial parameters of the connected
serial device. The serial parameters supported by WedgeLink At are as follows.
Baud Rates Supported
§600
§1200
§2400
§4800
§9600
§14.4K
§19.2K
§38.4K
§57.6K
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WedgeLink AT Keyboard Wedge10 Using WedgeLink AT
Copyright © 2015-2017 MicroRidge Systems, Inc.
Communication Parameters (Parity - Data bits - Stop bits) Supported
§N-8-1
§N-8-2
§E-8-1
§E-8-2
§O-8-1
§O-8-2
§N-7-1
§N-7-2
§E-7-1
§E-7-2
§O-7-1
§O-7-2
Enabling Auto Baud Rate Detection
By default the Auto baud rate detection feature is enabled on WedgeLink AT. Enabling and
disabling this feature is accessed from the Home Tab in the Setup Program.
Auto Baud Rate Detection
In order for WedgeLink AT to detect the serial parameters of the connected serial device, your
serial device must have a Send or Print button. If you must send a command to your serial
device to get a measurement, you will not be able to use the Auto Baud Rate Detection feature.
To automatically detect the serial parameters follow the steps below.
§Connect one end of the USB cable to the WedgeLink AT "Wedge" or "RS-232 & Prog" port.
§Connect the other end of the USB cable to a USB port on your computer and wait for the
front panel LED to turn off.
§Connect your serial device to the DB9 male serial port on the WedgeLink AT.
§Press and release the Reset button on the back of the WedgeLink AT.
§The LED will briefly display red and then display green for 5 seconds.
§When the LED displays green, the WedgeLink AT is in the Auto Baud Rate Detection mode.
§Press the Print or Send button on your serial device while the green LED is on.
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Using WedgeLink AT 11
Copyright © 2015-2017 MicroRidge Systems, Inc.
WedgeLink AT Keyboard Wedge
§The results of the Auto Baud Rate Detection will be indicated by the red and green LEDs.
Green LED turns off without blinking No test data was received from a connected
serial device. No changes were made to the
current WedgeLink AT serial parameters.
Green LED blinks 5 times The serial parameters were determined from the
received data. If these serial parameters are
different than those currently stored in
WedgeLink AT, the new parameters will be
stored in WedgeLink AT.
Red LED blinks 5 times The serial parameters for the data received
could not be determined. No changes were
made to the current WedgeLink AT serial
parameters.
If WedgeLink AT is unable to determine the serial parameters, it may be due to one of the
following reasons:
§The baud rate of your serial device does not match one of the supported baud rates.
§The communication parameters of your serial device does not match one of the supported
sets of communication parameters.
§Not enough data characters were received from your serial device. Depending on the
characters being sent, WedgeLink AT can determine the serial parameters with as few as 3
characters or may require as many as 8 characters.

Setup Program 13
Copyright © 2015-2017 MicroRidge Systems, Inc.
WedgeLink AT Keyboard Wedge
3Setup Program
The WedgeLink AT Setup Program is used to configure the parsing options and transfer these
options to and from the WedgeLink AT. Each tab in the Setup Program will be individually
discussed in the following sections. The setup tabs are as follows:
Home Tab This tab is used to locate the WedgeLink AT connected to your computer
and to transfer the setup information to and from the WedgeLink AT.
Additionally, the baud rate of your serial device and the end-of-packet
identification methods are set on this tab.
Read Sw Tab The Read Switch tab is used to define the operation of the built-in and
external read switches.
Remove Tab Any characters to be removed from the input data packet are defined on
this tab.
Replace Tab This tab allows you to replace specific characters with other characters.
Parse Tabs The 3 Parse tabs allow you to configure up to 3 parsing routines for the
input data packets.
Menu & Toolbar
The menu and toolbar provide access to the File New, Open and Save functions,
Communications Test Program ( ), Send Setup to WedgeLink ( ), and the Help items. The
File New, Open and Save functions are only enabled when a WedgeLink AT is detected by the
Setup Program.
The Communications Test Program (ComTestSerial) is a serial communications test program
that is useful in determining what information is actually being sent from your serial device.
Refer to the ComTestSerial section for more detail.
Parameters Update Notice
If you make changes to any of the configuration parameters, you must transfer the updated
parameters to the connected WedgeLink AT. The transfer is accomplished by clicking the "Send
Setup to WedgeLink" button on the Home Tab or the toolbar button. To make it apparent
that the WedgeLink AT contains the parameters specified in the Setup Program or that the
parameters need to be updated, a message in red text or green text is displayed on each of
the tabs.
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WedgeLink AT Keyboard Wedge14 Setup Program
Copyright © 2015-2017 MicroRidge Systems, Inc.
Home Tab
The update message on the Home tab is displayed below the "Send Setup to WedgeLink"
button.
WedgeLink parameters are current: Parameters displayed are the same as
stored in WedgeLink.
WedgeLink parameters need to be updated: Parameters have changed. You need to
send the values to WedgeLink.
Other Tabs
The update message on the other tabs is displayed at the bottom of the program window.
WedgeLink parameters are current: The parameters displayed are the same as
stored in WedgeLink.
WedgeLink parameters need to be updated: The WedgeLink parameters have been
modified. You need to send the modified
values to WedgeLink.
3.1 Entering Special Characters
Several of the tabs allow you to enter special characters such as carriage returns, tabs, function
keys, etc. These special characters are entered by including the character code within brackets.
For example, to enter a carriage return or enter key you can enter any of the following strings:
{\x0d}, {\x0D}, {cr} or {CR}. The {\x0d} and {\x0D} represent the hex code for a carriage return. If
you enter one of these hex codes or {cr}, the entered string will be changed to {CR} when you
leave the input field. These same rules apply to other special characters such as Tab and Esc.
To enter the function keys, put the name of the function keys within brackets. You can enter
function keys {F1} to {F12}. Function key combinations that are proceeded with a Shift, Ctrl or
Alt are not currently supported. Function keys can only be entered in the prefix and suffix field
on the Parsing Tabs .
Remember that WedgeLink AT in the wedge mode will only send normal keyboard characters to
your PC. If you enter characters such as {LF}, {\x0a}, {\xa2}, etc., WedgeLink AT will not send
these characters to the wedge port. If you are sending the data out the RS-232 port, WedgeLink
will send these special characters.
Following is a list of the more common special characters that you may need to use:
Carriage return {CR}
Tab {Tab}
Esc {Esc}
F1 {F1}
F2 {F2}
F11 {F11}
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