MicroRidge GageWay III User manual

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Connect2DigitalGagesintoaSerialPort

GageWay III i
Revised 10-25-00, Printed 10-25-00 GageWay III, Ver 1.2x
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................1
System components.....................................................................................................1
OPERATION.............................................................................................................2
Modes of operation (Data formats)..............................................................................2
Standard mode........................................................................................................2
Measurement field..............................................................................................3
Units field ..........................................................................................................3
Channel ID field.................................................................................................3
End-of-line field .................................................................................................3
Left justify mode.....................................................................................................3
TIR mode...............................................................................................................3
Starting and stopping TIR measurements ...........................................................4
Measurement field..............................................................................................4
Units field ..........................................................................................................4
Label field..........................................................................................................5
Channel ID field.................................................................................................5
End-of-line field .................................................................................................5
Printer emulation mode...........................................................................................5
Mitutoyo MUX-10 emulation mode........................................................................5
Front panel..................................................................................................................5
Back panel..................................................................................................................6
DIP switches...............................................................................................................6
Selection of the starting channel number......................................................................8
Using GageWay III’s with the S/MUX multiplexer......................................................9
COMPUTER COMMANDS...............................................................................10
GAGES......................................................................................................................12
Reading rates ............................................................................................................12
Overview of gages supported ....................................................................................13
AngleStar .............................................................................................................13
Chicago Dial.........................................................................................................13
Federal.................................................................................................................13
Mitutoyo ..............................................................................................................13
Ono Sokki............................................................................................................13
Sylvac Ultra Cal II................................................................................................13
Sylvac Protractor (RS232)....................................................................................14
UTILITY SOFTWARE........................................................................................15
GW_TEST.EXE .......................................................................................................15

GageWay III ii
USER DEVELOPED SOFTWARE..................................................................17
GageWay III handshake ............................................................................................17
Computer handshake.................................................................................................17
DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES.........................................................................19
GageWay III to host computer..................................................................................19
Gage to GageWay III................................................................................................19
APPENDIX A: GAGEWAY III 9-PIN SERIAL PORT CONNECTOR20
APPENDIX B: INTERFACE CABLE GW-COM......................................21
APPENDIX C: INTERFACE CABLE MP-GW3-COM...........................22
APPENDIX D: GAGE INTERFACE CABLES............................................23
AngleStar................................................................................................................23
Chicago Dial..........................................................................................................24
Federal Maxum.....................................................................................................26
Mitutoyo.................................................................................................................27
Ono Sokki..............................................................................................................28
Sylvac Ultra-Cal II ...............................................................................................29
Sylvac Protractor (RS232)..................................................................................31
INDEX........................................................................................................................32

GageWay III 1
INTRODUCTION
The GageWay III is an interface that allows you to connect up to two (2) digital gages into a
single RS232 serial port on devices such as a desktop PC or a printer. Gages supported by
the GageWay III include those manufactured by and compatible with Chicago Dial, Federal,
Mitutoyo, Ono Sokki and Sylvac. The GageWay III is configured through internal DIP
switches or through commands sent to it from a host computer. These commands include:
.Request a single reading.
.Enable a continuous read mode.
.Disable continuous read mode.
.Clear the measurements buffer.
.Disable all user initiated read requests.
.Help listing, model and version information.
.Reset GageWay III to power on configuration.
.Read the DIP switch settings.
.Set the DIP switches.
.Show type of gages attached.
Gage readings can also be initiated by a read button on the gage or a remote read switch. The
GageWay III can also do TIR and emulate the Mitutoyo MUX-10 output and the printer
mode output provided by the GagePort from GageTalker Corporation.
Up to three GageWay III's can be connect to a single serial port through the use of the
S/MUX multiplexer available from MicroRidge Systems. When multiple GageWay III's are
connected to the S/MUX, each of the GageWay III's can be given a unique channel ID (A, B,
C, D, E and F).
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
A complete GageWay III system consists of:
.GageWay III interface module
.Utilities diskette
.Operations manual
.Communications cable w/AC adapter (this item is not included with the basic
GageWay III system and must be purchased separately).

GageWay III 2
OPERATION
The basic operation of the GageWay III is straightforward and consists of the following steps:
1. Set the internal DIP switches (see "DIP Switches" paragraph for details).
2. Connect the 9-pin D-sub connector to the GageWay III, connect the 25-pin D-sub
connector to an appropriate serial port and plug the AC adapter into a 110-volt outlet.
3. Press the reset button on the back side of the GageWay III and wait for the LED's to
come on and then turn off.
4. Connect your gages to the GageWay III.
5. Press the reset button and the LED's will turn on and off as described in the "Front
Panel" paragraph.
You are now ready to utilize your gages with the GageWay III. If you want to change a gage,
you should perform the following steps:
1. Disconnect the gage from the GageWay III.
2. Press the reset button on the back side of the GageWay III and wait for the LED's to
come on and then turn off.
3. Connect your new gage to the GageWay III.
4. Press the reset button and the LED's will turn on and off as described in the "Front
Panel" paragraph.
DATA FORMATS (Modes of Operation) )
Four data formats or modes of operation are available with the GageWay III. The data
formats are referred to as the Standard mode, the TIR mode, the GagePort emulation mode
and the Mitutoyo MUX-10 emulation mode. The formats are provided to allow you easily
interface the GageWay III into existing software and SPC systems. All of these formats are
selectable through DIP switches and computer commands.
Standard Mode
This data format consists of one to three data fields followed by a line feed or carriage
return/line feed combination. The first data field which contains the measurement will always
be transmitted while the second and third data fields, which contain the units and Channel ID,
are optional. A typical reading might appear as: 1.1755,inch,A. The description of each of
the 3 fields is given below:
Field 1 10 character measurement
Field 2 4 character units field (optional field)
Field 3 1 character channel ID (A or B) field. This is an optional field. The
actual channel ID's are specified by DIP switches 8.3 and 8.4.
End-of-line Carriage return or carriage return/line feed combination

GageWay III 3
Measurement Field
The first data field is the Measurement Field and it is 10 characters long. The
measurement will be right justified in the field with one or more leading blanks. If
additional fields follow, a comma will be transmitted at the end of the measurement field.
Units Field
The Units Field is an optional field and the output of this field is controlled by one of the
DIP switches. This field is 4 characters long and will be terminated by a comma if the
Channel ID field is also being transmitted. In most cases, this field will appear with the
words "inch" or "mm". For some gages, such as those from Federal, no units designation
are provided as part of the gage output and, therefore, this field will always contain 4
blanks if output with readings from Federal gages. Other gages such as those provided by
Ono Sokki may provide units other than inch or mm.
Channel ID Field
The Channel ID Field is an optional 1-character field and the output of this field is
controlled by one of the DIP switches. If this field is selected for output, in most cases it
will contain an "A" for gage measurements from channel Aand "B" for channel B
measurements. If a hardware handshake is set with DIP switches 8.3 and 8.4, you can
specify the starting channel ID to be A, C or E.
End-of-Line Field
The End-of-Line Field consists of a carriage return or a carriage return/line feed
combination. The actual sequence of characters sent is determined by one of the DIP
switches. Typically, if the information is being transferred to a computer, the DIP switch
would be set to provide only a carriage return at the end of the line. If the information is
being transferred to a printer, one would typically set the DIP switch to provide both a
carriage return and line feed.
As indicated above, the Units Field, Channel ID Field and End-of-Line Field are controlled
by the internal DIP switches. These DIP switches can be overridden by commands sent
from the host computer. Refer to the paragraph on "DIP Switches" and the section on
"Commands" for specific details.
Left Justify Mode
The left justify mode is identical to the standard mode, except none of the leading blanks in
the measurement field are sent. Since the number of digits in the reading will vary, the length
of the field is not constant like in the stanard mode.
TIR Mode
This data format contains four lines of information with each line consisting of one to four
data fields followed by a line feed or carriage return/line feed combination. The first data field
which contains the measurement will always be transmitted while the second, third and fourth
data fields, which contain the units, label and Channel ID, are optional. A typical TIR reading
might appear as shown below. The column numbers and label on the right-hand side are
shown for reference purposes only and are not part of the output

GageWay III 4
1 5 10 15 20 25 Description
+---+----+----+----+----+ ---------------------
238,inch,num,A Number of measurements
1.1755,inch,min,A Minimum measurement
1.1817,inch,max,A Maximum measurement
.0062,inch,TIR,A TIR (max meas -min meas)
The description of each of the 4 fields is given below:
Field 1 10 character measurement
Field 2 4 character units field (optional field)
Field 3 3 character label (num, min, max or TIR). This is an optional field.
Field 4 1 character channel ID (typically A or B) field. This is an optional
field. The actual channel ID's are specified by DIP switches 8.3 and
8.4.
End-of-line Carriage return or carriage return/line feed combination
Starting and Stopping TIR Measurements
TIR measurements can be initiated by a remote read switch, read button on the gage or a
command from the host computer. The GageWay III can be configured to take TIR
readings while a remote read switch is being pressed or to start the TIR measurements
when the switch is pressed the first time and stop the TIR measurements when the switch
is pressed again.
Desired Operation Procedure/Setup
Stop and start TIR measurements with a
host computer command Use the <B? command to start the measurements and use the <S? command
to stop the measurements. Refer to the
Commands Section for details on the
used of these commands
Start TIR when remote read switch is
pressed and stop TIR when switch is
pressed a second time.
Set DIP switches 6.1 and 6.2 to off.
Start TIR when remote switch is pressed
and stop TIR when switch is released. Set DIP switches 6.1 and 6.2 to on.
Measurement Field
The first data field is the Measurement Field and it is 10 characters long. The
measurement will be right justified in the field with one or more leading blanks. If
additional fields follow, a comma will be transmitted at the end of the measurement field.
Units Field
This field is identical to that used in the Standard mode. It is controlled by DIP switch
8.5.

GageWay III 5
Label Field
The Label Field is an optional 3-character field and the output of this field is controlled by
DIP switch 8.6. If this field is selected for output, it will contain a 3-character label (min,
max, TIR or num).
Channel ID Field
This field is identical to that used in the Standard mode. It is controlled by DIP switch
8.6. If a hardware handshake is set with DIP switches 8.3 and 8.4, you can specify the
starting channel ID to be A, C or E.
End-of-Line Field
This field is identical to that used in the Standard mode. It is controlled by DIP switch
8.7.
As indicated above, the Units Field, Channel ID Field and End-of-Line Field are controlled
by the internal DIP switches. These DIP switches can be overridden by commands sent
from the host computer. Refer to the paragraph on "DIP Switches" and the section on
"Commands" for specific details.
Printer Emulation Mode
This data format consists of a 24 character (4 fields separated by commas) string followed by
an end-of-line field as described above. This format emulates the printer mode of the
GagePort. A typical reading might appear as: 2374, 1.1755, ,01. The description of each
of the 4 fields is given below:
Field 1 4 character reading number (1 to 9999)
Field 2 10 character measurement
Field 3 5 character blank field
Field 4 2 character channel ID (typically 01 or 02) The actual channel ID's
are specified by DIP switches 8.3 and 8.4.
End-of-line Carriage return or carriage return/line feed combination
Mitutoyo MUX-10 Emulation Mode
This data format consists of the 13 character string sent by the MUX-10. A typical reading
might appear as: 01A+001.1755. The description of each of the 13 digits is given below:
Digit 1 Data format code (always 0)
Digit 2 Channel number (typically 1 or 2) The actual channel ID's are
specified by DIP switches 8.3 and 8.4.
Digit 3 Measurement item (always A)
Digit 4 Sign (+ or -)
Digits 5 to 12 Measurement
Digit 13 Carriage return
FRONT PANEL
The front panel provides two 10-pin connectors for your gages, two connectors for remote
read switches and two LED indicators. The 10-pin connectors will accept a standard

GageWay III 6
Mitutoyo cable. Cables for other gages will require custom termination as shown in Appendix
B.
A foot switch or hand operated remote read switch can be connected to the remote read
switch connectors. The cable from a remote read switch can be terminated with a Switchcraft
Micro-Plug, P/N 850, a Radio Shack P/N 274-289 or 274-290, or equivalent. Adapters are
also available from companies such as Radio Shack to convert the 2.46 mm (3/32 inch)
diameter remote read switch connector to other sizes. Do not apply any power to the remote
read switch connectors.
The LED's are used to indicate that a gage was detected during initialization and to indicate a
reading has been taken. During initialization both of the LED's will turn on while the
GageWay III is determining what type of gage is attached to each channel. Once this has been
determined, the LED's will turn off and then will blink 4 times for channels that have valid
gages connected to them. The LED is also turned on when an acceptable reading has been
obtained from a gage and is turned off when that reading has been sent from the serial port.
Normally, during the process of taking a reading, the LED will blink very quickly. However,
if a handshake option is enabled (see "DIP Switches" paragraph) and the handshake between
the GageWay III and the host device indicates that the host is not ready for data reception, the
LED will remain on until the handshake tells the GageWay III that it is okay to transmit the
reading. When the host device is ready for data, the measurement will be sent and the LED
will be turned off.
BACK PANEL
The back panel of the GageWay III consists of a 9-pin D-sub connector and a reset button.
The cable that is connected to the 9-pin D-sub connector provides for serial communication
and power to the GageWay III.
The reset button is located to the left of the 9-pin D-sub connector and is used to reset the
GageWay III to its default conditions based upon the settings of the internal DIP switches and
to initialize the unit so that it will recognize a different type of gage attached to one of its
input channels. This reset function can also be performed by sending the appropriate
command from the host computer (see "Commands" section).
When the GageWay III goes into a reset mode, it will take the GageWay III handshake line
low (pin 6 on the 9-pin D-sub connector). When the reset process is complete, the handshake
goes high indicating that the GageWay III is ready to receive commands. An application
program can monitor this handshake line to determine when the reset process is complete.
DIP SWITCHES
There are 2 DIP switch banks located within the GageWay III. An 8-position switch bank and
a 6-position switch bank. These DIP switches are called piano style DIP switches and when

GageWay III 7
the lever is up, the switch is "off" and when the lever is down, the switch is "on". The
switches on the 8-position bank are referred to as 8.1 for switch position 1, 8.2 for switch
position 2, etc. Likewise, switch 4 on the 6-position bank would be referred to as 6.4.
DIP switch settings for Sw 8 and Sw 6.
GW3
Switch Description
8.1 Baud rate.
On =9600
Off =1200
8.2 Communications parameters.
On =N-8-1
Off =E-7-1
8.3 & 8.4 Handshake.
Off -Off =No handshake
Off -On =Hardware with starting channel = A
On -Off =Hardware with starting channel = C
On -On =Hardware with starting channel = E
8.5 Include units field for Standard mode.
On =Send units
Off =Do not send units
8.6 Channel ID for Standard mode.
On =Send channel ID
Off =Do not send channel ID
8.7 End-of-Line Field. Send a carriage return (CR) or a carriage return and line feed
(LF) at the end of each measurement.
On =Send CR and LF
Off =Send CR only
8.8 This field is only used for Sylvac UltraCal II and CDI gages.
Units (Sylvac Ultra Cal II only):
For Sylvac based gages, this switch is read to determine the appropriate gage units.
On =Units are inch
Off =Units are mm
Decimals (CDI only):
For CDI gages this switch sets the number of decimals places when the CBL-CDI-
3/5D cable is used..
On =3 places to the right of the decimal
Off =5 places to the right of the decimal
6.1 Continuously read channel A or take a single reading when the remote read switch is
pressed.
On =Continuous read
Off =Single read

GageWay III 8
GW3
Switch Description
6.2 Continuously read channel B or take a single reading when the remote read switch is
pressed.
On =Continuous read
Off =Single read
6.3 Contact bounce. This is the amount of time that a read switch must be open before
another switch closure is accepted as a read request.
On =20 msec
Off =100 msec
6.4, 6.5 & 6.6 Mode of operation.
Off -Off -Off =Standard mode
On -Off -Off =Left justify mode
Off -On -On =TIR mode
Off -On -Off =Printer emulation mode
Off -Off -On =Mitutoyo MUX-10 emulation mode
On -Off -On =Standard mode (reserved for future use)
On -On -On =Standard mode (reserved for future use)
On -On -Off =Standard mode (reserved for future use)
The GageWay III must be opened in order to gain access to the DIP switches. No tools are
required to open the unit. To gain access to the switches, perform the following steps:
1. Remove all cables from the GageWay III.
2. Squeeze the case along its length near the back side of the unit and then squeeze the
case near the front end of the unit to release the case locking mechanism.
3. Once the case has started to separate, place the unit in one hand with the bottom
facing up and gently hold the front and back panels.
4. Carefully lift off the bottom of the case. Be sure to keep the bottom face of the
case parallel to the top face. If you do not keep these faces parallel, you may bend
the front face plate when you remove the bottom of the case. Avoid touching the
circuit boards.
5. The switches are located along the edge of the top circuit board near the front of the
case. Do not remove the boards from the case.
6. Set the switches as necessary. Do not use a lead pencil or any other object that
may leave a graphite deposit.
7. Replace the bottom of the case and reinstall the cables.
If you remove the boards from the case and put them back in upside down, you will have
trouble getting the case open again.
SELECTION OF THE STARTING CHANNEL NUMBER NUMBER
The starting channel number is selected with the hardware handshake DIP switches 8.3 and
8.4. The starting channel numbers can be A, C or E. If you use a hardware handshake, you
would normally set the starting channel to A. However, if you had 2 or 3 GageWay III's
connected to an S/MUX multiplexer you would probably want each of the GageWay III's to

GageWay III 9
utilize different channel numbers. Refer to the following paragraph for a description of the
S/MUX multiplexer.
USING GAGEWAY III'S WITH THE S/MUX MULTIPLEXER
The S/MUX multiplexer is a serial line multiplexer available from MicroRidge Systems. When
the S/MUX multiplexer is configured for use with the GageWay III, the S/MUX consists of a
25-pin D-sub connector hood with control circuitry, an AC adapter and 3 short cables
terminated with 9-pin D-sub connectors. The 3 short cables are connected to the GageWay
III's and the 25-pin hood with the control circuitry is connected to your host computer. If you
connected 3 GageWay III's to an S/MUX multiplexer, you would be able to interface up to 6
(2 gages/GageWay III) gages into a single serial port. When using the GageWay III with the
S/MUX it is important to set the GageWay III for a hardware handshake. If you do not set
the GageWay III for a hardware handshake, you will end up with more than one GageWay III
transmitting data at once on the serial line. When multiple GageWay III's transmit at the same
time all you end up with is a lot of garbage. When you set the hardware handshakes, you will
probably want to specify a different starting channel number for each of the GageWay III's.
When using the GageWay III with the S/MUX, it is recommended that you set the DIP
switches manually. You can use a computer command to set a DIP switch, however the
switches in all of the GageWay III's will be set by the command. For example, if you have 3-
GageWay III's connected to an S/MUX and send the command <YI1 to put channel A in a
continuous read mode, you will actually be putting channels A, C and E in a continuous read
mode.

GageWay III 10
COMPUTER COMMANDS
The GageWay III can be controlled from a host computer through the use of a series of
control commands. These commands consist of a start code followed by one or more
command codes. The GageWay III has the ability to buffer up to 10 characters. This buffer is
sufficient to hold 2 to 5 complete commands. When the buffer contains 6 characters, the
handshake from the GageWay III (pin 6 on the 9-pin connector) is toggled from high to low
to notify the host computer that the buffer is getting close to being full. Once the number of
characters in the receive buffer falls to 5, this handshake line is toggled high. Under most
operating scenarios, the user will not have to be concerned with overflowing the receive
buffer on the GageWay III; however, if your application will be sending a large number of
commands in a short period of time, be sure that your application monitors this handshake line
or makes use of the <A command to detect an empty buffer. See the section on "User
Developed Software."
The start code consists of the Esc character (ASCII 27) or the < character (ASCII 60). The
GageWay III does not care which one of these characters you use for the start code. The
command codes consist of letters and numbers. The letters can be either upper case or lower
case or any combination thereof. For example, the command <a or <A both produce the same
results. The listing of the available commands and their responses is given below. On those
commands that produce a response, the End-of-Line Field (carriage return or carriage
return/line feed) will be the same as that set for the measurements output. The exception to
this is for the <A (Acknowledge) and the <H (Help listing) commands. When a command
needs a channel identified (A, B, etc.), you can use the àto mean both A and B. For example
sending the command <Ràhas the same effect as sending <RA and <RB. If you had three
GageWay III's connected to an S/MUX and each GageWay had a different starting channel,
the command <Ràhas the same effect as sending <RA<RB<RC<RD<RE<RF
Command Description Typical Response
<àSend copyright, version, program generation date
and serial number information 3 lines of text.
<A Acknowledge GageWay III present. This
command returns a single character only. It does
not return a carriage return on a carriage
return/line feed. This command is useful for
determining if the GageWay III has processed all
of the previous commands sent to it.
>
<B? Begin continuous read on Channel ? (? = A, B,
etc. or à)Continuous readings from appropriate channel.
<C? Clear the measurement waiting to be sent from
Channel ? (? = A, B, etc. or à)None
<D Disable all user initiated gage read requests.
Once this command is sent, the GageWay III will
only respond to read requests sent from the host
computer.
None

GageWay III 11
Command Description Typical Response
<E Enable all gage read requests. Sending this
command will allow the GageWay III to respond
to commands from the host computer or a read
switch.
None
<H Help listing. This command is probably best used
from the GW3_TEST program provided with the
GageWay III package.
Several screens of information.
<R? Read channel ? (? = A, B, etc. or à) gage. Measurement string from the
requested channel.
<S? Stop continuous readings on channel ? (? = A, B,
etc. or à)None
<T? Type of gage attached to channel ? (? = A, B, etc.
or à)Chan A = Federal. This command is preceeded by a CR or CR/LF
<V Model number and software version. GW3-2A-00, 1.27
<W Same as <Z None
<X Get DIP switch settings. A 0 indicates switch is
off (lever up) and a 1 indicates switch is on (lever
down).
1110-1110 1100-00
<Z Reset GageWay III to power on configuration.
When this command is sent, you should wait until
the LED's have gone off before sending additional
commands. The necessary wait may range up to
10 seconds. When this command is sent the
GageWay III handshake line (pin 6 on the 9-pin
connector) goes low. When the reset process is
complete, this handshake line goes high.
None
When sending commands do not include any blank characters in the middle of the command.
If you have started to send a command and want to cancel it, send either a space or a carriage
return.

GageWay III 12
GAGES
Several gage families are supported by the GageWay III interface. If a manufacturer not listed
here produces a gage that uses an output that is compatible with one of the listed gages, then
that gage should also work with the GageWay III. The gage families that have been tested
and are supported by the GageWay III are as follows:
–AngleStar
–Chicago Dial
–Federal
–Digitrix/Maxcal
–Mitutoyo
–Ono Sokki
–Sylvac UltraCal II
–Sylvac Protractor (RS232)
READING RATES
Different maximum reading rates will be experienced with the various gages supported. The
following is a table that will provide an indication as to how rapidly you can obtain readings
when requesting continuous readings with the <BA and <BB commands (use <SA and <SB to
stop the continuous readings).
Channel A Gage
Readings
Per
Second Channel B Gage
Readings
Per
Second
Chicago Dial EDI-71 Digital Indicator 25.0 None
Federal DEI-1311 Digital Indicator 16.0 None
Federal DEI-1311 Digital Indicator 6.1 Mitutoyo 500-322 caliper 6.1
Mitutoyo 500-322 caliper 12.2 None
Mitutoyo 500-322 caliper 5.0 Mitutoyo 500-322 caliper 5.0
Ono Sokki EG-225 Digital Indicator 20.0 None
Ono Sokki EG-225 Digital Indicator 6.1 Mitutoyo 500-322 caliper 6.1
Sylvac Ultra Cal II (fast mode) 7.1 None

GageWay III 13
OVERVIEW OF GAGES SUPPORTED
AngleStar
The AngleStar from Lucas Manufacturing must be interfaced with a cable as described in
Appendix B. The output from this gage is very similar to the Mitutoyo output and is
identified as a Mitutoyo gage. Readings can be initiated by the read button on the gage,
remote read switch or a command from the computer.
Chicage Dial
Three versions of the Chicago Dial Indicator are supported. The differences between the
versions relate to the number of valid decimal places (3, 4 or 5). The output strings from
the CDI gages do not indicate the number of decimals and therefore the number of
decimals must be reflected by the cable wiring and DIP switch 8.8. The cables required
for the CDI gages are described in Appendix B. Readings can be initiated from a remote
read switch or a command from the computer.
Federal
The Federal gages must be interfaced with a cable as shown in Appendix B. Readings can
be initiated by a remote read switch or a command from the host computer.
Mitutoyo
Mitutoyo gages are interfaced using the standard cables as supplied by Mitutoyo. No
special cables are required. Readings can be initiated by the read button on the gage (if
one exists), a remote read switch or a command from the host computer.
Ono Sokki
The Ono Sokki family of gages must use a cable as described in Appendix B. Readings
can be initiated from a remote read switch or a command from the computer.
Sylvac Ultra Cal II
Gages based on the Sylvac chip can be interfaced with two different cables. These cables
are referred to as the "slow mode" and the "fast mode" cables. With the "slow mode"
cable, readings must be initiated by a remote read switch or a command from the host
computer. When the GageWay III is initiated with the "slow mode" cable attached, no
resetting or zeroing is done to the gage.
When the GageWay III is initiated with a "fast mode" cable, the gage is zeroed at its
current location and the zero button on the gage then becomes a read button. If you use
the "fast mode" cable, be sure to have the gage in the zero position before resetting the
GageWay III.
With both of these cables, readings can be initiated by a remote read switch or a command
from the computer. When the gage is in the "slow mode" a new reading is available to the
GageWay III every 250 milliseconds. If the gage is in the "fast mode" a new reading is
available to the GageWay III about every 20 milliseconds. If brands of gages are mixed

GageWay III 14
on a GageWay III, you will experience effective reading rates less than those stated above.
Refer to Appendix B for the specific cables required for the Sylvac type of gage.
When using a Sylvac gage with a "fast mode" cable, on rare occasions the gage may be
taken out of the "fast mode." If this happens, it will be necessary to reset the GageWay III
in order to put the gage back into the "fast mode."
Sylvac Protractor (RS232)
The RS232 Sylvac Protractor must use a cable as described in Appendix B. Readings can
only be initiated from a remote read switch or a command from the computer. The Print
button on the gage will not initiate a reading. This gage will output a new reading about
every 500 msec.

GageWay III 15
UTILITY SOFTWARE
GW_TEST.EXE
The GW_TEST.EXE program is a communications test program for testing the
communications between your desktop PC and the GageWay III. This program can be used
with serial port 1 or 2 (COM1: or COM2:) on your PC and supports all of the communication
configurations that can be set with DIP switches 8.1 and 8.2. When the program starts, you
will be asked for the serial communications port you are using and the baud
rate/communications parameters to use. To communicate with the GageWay III, use the
commands described in the "Commands" section of this manual. Many of the commands can
also be selected with the function keys. Remember that you can use either the Esc character
or the < character for the start code and that the command codes can be upper or lower case.
Unshifted, Alt and Ctrl function keys have been defined for this program. The meanings are
as follows:
Unshifted function keys for communications test program.
Function
Key Label Description
F1 Read
ARead the gage connected to channel A. The command <RA is sent.
F2 Read
All Read all the gages connected. The command <Ràis sent.
F3 Start A
or
Stop A
Start or stop continuous readings for channel A. The command <BA (start
continuous readings) or <SA (stop continuous readings) is sent.
F4 Start All
or
Stop All
Start or stop continuous readings for all channels. The command <Bà(start
continuous readings) or <SàB (stop continuous readings) is sent.
F5 Reset Reset the GageWay to its power on condition. The command <Z is sent.
F6 Model
& Ver Display the GageWay model and software version number. The command
<V is sent.
F7 Copy-
right Display the GageWay copyright, model, software version, program
generation date and serial number. The command <àis sent.
F9 Exit
Prog Exit the GW_TEST program.
Alt function keys for communications test program.
Function
Key Label Description
At F1 Gage
Types Show the type of gages connected to the GageWay. The command <Tàis
sent.
Alt F9 DIP
Sw Display the GageWay DIP switch settings. The command <X is sent.

GageWay III 16
Ctrl function keys for communications test program.
Function
Key Label Description
Ctrl F1 New
Line Move the input cursor down 1 line and place it in column 1. Nothing is
sent to the multiplexer.
Ctrl F2 Show ASCII
or
Show Hex
Display all of the received information in ASCII or Hex. The hex display is
very useful in determining if you have control characters multiple linefeeds,
etc. in you data string.
Ctrl F3 DTR Ready
or
DTR Wait
Set the DTR (pine 20) handshake high (Ready) or low (Wait).
Ctrl F4 New
Baud Select a new serial port, baud rate and communications parameters.
Ctrl F5 Clear
Buffr Clear the receive data buffer in the PC.

GageWay III 17
USER DEVELOPED SOFTWARE
Developing software to communicate with the GageWay III should be fairly straight forward.
The commands that an application program can send to the GageWay III are outlined in the
"Commands" section. To help the programmer become familiar with the specific operation of
these commands, one should make use of the GW3_TEST program included with the system.
Perhaps the item that will need special attention deals with the handshakes between your host
computer and the GageWay III. There are two handshakes that need to be dealt with and are
described below.
GageWay III Handshake
This handshake line is connected to pin 6 on the 9-pin D-sub connector. This line is called
a handshake line but it is really not usable by an application program. This line is used in
conjunction with the S/MUX multiplexer to control the flow of information on the RS232
serial line.
This line is also taken low whenever the GageWay III is reset. The reset can be the result
of pressing the reset button on the unit itself or sending the < W or<Z command. This line
will remain low until the reset process has been completed. At that time it will be taken
high. An application program can monitor this line to determine when the reset process
has been completed.
There is no direct way for an application to determine if the RS232 receive data buffer on
the GageWay is full. The GageWay receive data buffer can store 10 bytes. If your
application program will be sending multiple commands very quickly you may need to use
the <A (acknowledge) command. An example of the use of the <A command might be as
follows: your application program sends several commands to the GageWay III.
Immediately after the last command, your application sends out the command <A. If your
application looks for the > character (response from <A command), you will know when
all of the commands that have been sent to the GageWay III have been processed and the
receive data buffer is empty.
Computer Handshake
There are two different handshake modes that can be used by the GageWay III to
determine if it is okay to send data the host device. These handshake modes consist of the
following:
1. No handshake.
2. Hardware handshake (also used to specify the starting channel ID).
If the no handshake option is selected, the GageWay III will send data to the host device
as soon as it is available.