ProSoft Technology ProLinx ASCII Release note

ASCII
ProLinx Standalone
Generic ASCII Serial Communication Module
Driver Manual
July 07, 2008

Please Read This Notice
Successful application of this module requires a reasonable working knowledge of the ProLinx Module, its
connected devices, and the application in which the combination is to be used. For this reason, it is
important that those responsible for implementation satisfy themselves that the combination will meet the
needs of the application without exposing personnel or equipment to unsafe or inappropriate working
conditions.
This manual is provided to assist the user. Every attempt has been made to assure that the information
provided is accurate and a true reflection of the product's installation requirements. In order to assure a
complete understanding of the operation of the product, the user should read all applicable documentation
on the operation of the connected devices.
Under no conditions will ProSoft Technology be responsible or liable for indirect or consequential damages
resulting from the use or application of the product.
Reproduction of the contents of this manual, in whole or in part, without written permission from ProSoft
Technology is prohibited.
Information in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the
part of ProSoft Technology Improvements and/or changes in this manual or the product may be made at any
time. These changes will be made periodically to correct technical inaccuracies or typographical errors.
Important Installation Instructions
Power, input and output wiring must be in accordance with Class I, Division 2 wiring
methods - Article 501-4 (b) of the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70 and in accordance
with the authority having jurisdiction. The following warnings must be heeded:
A WARNING - EXPLOSION HAZARD - SUBSTITUTION OF COMPONENTS MAY
IMPAIR SUITABILITY FOR CLASS I, DIV. 2;
B WARNING - EXPLOSION HAZARD - WHEN IN HAZARDOUS LOCATIONS, TURN
OFF POWER BEFORE REPLACING OR WIRING MODULES, and
C WARNING - EXPLOSION HAZARD - DO NOT DISCONNECT EQUIPMENT
UNLESS POWER HAS BEEN SWITCHED OFF OR THE AREA IS KNOWN TO BE
NONHAZARDOUS.
D "THIS DEVICE SHALL BE POWERED BY CLASS 2 OUTPUTS ONLY."
All ProLinx® Products
Power, input and output wiring must be in accordance with Class I, Division 2 wiring
methods - Article 501-4 (b) of the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70 and in accordance
with the authority having jurisdiction. The following warnings must be heeded:
A WARNING - EXPLOSION HAZARD - SUBSTITUTION OF COMPONENTS MAY
IMPAIR SUITABILITY FOR CLASS I, DIV. 2;
B WARNING - EXPLOSION HAZARD - WHEN IN HAZARDOUS LOCATIONS, TURN
OFF POWER BEFORE REPLACING OR WIRING MODULES, and
C WARNING - EXPLOSION HAZARD - DO NOT DISCONNECT EQUIPMENT
UNLESS POWER HAS BEEN SWITCHED OFF OR THE AREA IS KNOWN TO BE
NONHAZARDOUS.
D "THIS DEVICE SHALL BE POWERED BY CLASS 2 OUTPUTS ONLY."

ProLinx Modules with Ethernet Ports
Series C ProLinx™ modules with Ethernet ports do NOT include the HTML Web Server.
The HTML Web Server must be ordered as an option. This option requires a factory-
installed hardware addition. The HTML Web Server now supports:
8 MB file storage for HTML files and associated graphics files (previously limited to
384K)
32K maximum HTML page size (previously limited to 16K)
To upgrade a previously purchased Series C model:
Contact your ProSoft Technology distributor to order the upgrade and obtain a Returned
Merchandise Authorization (RMA) to return the unit to ProSoft Technology.
To Order a Series C mode with the -WEB option:
Add -WEB to the standard ProLinx part number. For example, 5201-MNET-MCM-WEB.
ProLinx Plus with Radio
The following Information and warnings pertaining to the radio must be heeded:
A "THIS DEVICE CONTAINS A TRASMITTER MODULE, FCC ID: SDZ-WA-1.
PLEASE SEE FCC ID LABEL ON BACK OF DEVICE."
B "THIS DEVICE USES AND INTERNAL COMPACT FLASH RADIO MODULE AS
THE PRIMARY RADIO COMPONENT. THE COMPACT FLASH RADIO MODULE
DOES NOT HAVE AN FXX ID LABE. THE COMPACT FLASH RADIO MODULE
HAS NO USER SERVICABLE PARTS."
C "THIS DEVICE COMPLIES WITH PART 15 OF THE FCC RULES. OPERATION IS
SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING TWO CONDITIONS: (1) THIS DEVICE MAY NOT
VAUSE HARMFUL INTERFERENCE, AND (2) THIS DEVICE MUST ACCEPT ANY
INTERFERENCE RECEIVED, INCLUDING INTERFERENCE THAT MAY CAUSE
UNDESIRED OPERATION.
D THIS DEVICE AND ANY RADIO ACCESSORY SOLD BY PROSOFT MUST BE
INSTALLED BY AN AUTHORIZED PROFESSIONAL INDUSTRIAL RADIO SYSTEM
INTEGRATOR. FURTHER, ONLY RADIO ACCESSORIES SOLD BY PROSOFT
AND SPECIFICALLY TESTED FOR USE WITH THIS DEVICE MAY BE USED
WITH THIS DEVICE.
E THE USER OF THIS EQUIPMENT CANNOT BE WITHIN 20 cm. FROM THE
RADIATING ELEMENT DEVICE.
F CHANGES OR MODIFICATIONS NOT EXPRESSLY APPROVED BY THE PARTY
RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLIANCE COULD VOID THE USER'S AUTHORITY TO
OPERATE THE EQUIPMENT.
Industry Canada Requirements:
A "THIS DEVICE HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO OPERATE WITH AN ANTENNA
HAVING A MAXIMUM GAIN OF 24 dB. AN ANTENNA HAVING A HIGHER GAIN IS
STRICTLY PROHIBITED PER REGULATIONS OF INDUSTRY CANADA. THE
REQUIRED ANTENNA IMPEDANCE IS 50 OHMS."

ProLinx Series C (4000); ProLinx Plus (5000); ProLinx Plus with Radio
(6000)
Product Installation Warning
Power, Input and Output (I/O) wiring must be in accordance with Class 1, Division 2
wiring methods, Article 501-4 (b) of the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70 for installation
in the U.S., or as specified in Section 18-1J2 of the Canadian Electrical Code for
installations in Canada, and in accordance with the authority having jurisdiction.
A Warning - Explosion Hazard - Substitution of components may impair suitability for
Class 1, Division 2.
B Warning - Explosion Hazard - When in Hazardous locations, turn off power before
replacing or wiring modules.
C Warning - Explosion Hazard - Do not disconnect equipment unless power has been
switched off or the area is known to be non-hazardous.
Your Feedback Please
We always want you to feel that you made the right decision to use our products. If you have suggestions,
comments, compliments or complaints about the product, documentation or support, please write or call us.
ProSoft Technology
1675 Chester Avenue, Fourth Floor
Bakersfield, CA 93301
[phone]
[phone] (Fax)
http://www.prosoft-technology.com
Copyright © ProSoft Technology, Inc. 2000 - 2008. All Rights Reserved.
ASCII Driver Manual
July 07, 2008
PSFT.ASCII.ProLinx.UM.08.07.07
ProSoft Technology ®, ProLinx ®, inRAx ®, ProTalk® and RadioLinx ® are Registered Trademarks of
ProSoft Technology, Inc.

Contents ASCII ♦ProLinx Standalone
Generic ASCII Serial Communication Module
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July 7, 2008
Contents
PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE................................................................................................................2
Important Installation Instructions......................................................................................................2
Your Feedback Please ......................................................................................................................4
1INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................................7
1.1 General Specifications..........................................................................................................7
1.2 Resources.............................................................................................................................7
2FUNCTIONALITY..............................................................................................................................9
2.1 Data Flow..............................................................................................................................9
3MODES OF OPERATION...............................................................................................................13
3.1 Data Flow............................................................................................................................13
3.2 Termination of Received Data............................................................................................15
4ASCII PROTOCOL CONFIGURATION..........................................................................................19
4.1 [ASCII Port 0]......................................................................................................................19
5DRIVER STATUS DATA.................................................................................................................25
6LED INDICATORS..........................................................................................................................29
6.1 Base Module LEDs.............................................................................................................29
6.2 LEDs for Port 0 Serial Port .................................................................................................30
6.3 4101 Series LEDs...............................................................................................................30
7SUPPORT, SERVICE & WARRANTY............................................................................................31
7.1 Return Material Authorization (RMA) Policies and Conditions...........................................31
7.2 LIMITED WARRANTY........................................................................................................33
7.3 How to Contact Us: Technical Support ..............................................................................37
INDEX ....................................................................................................................................................39

Contents ASCII ♦ProLinx Standalone
Generic ASCII Serial Communication Module
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Introduction ASCII ♦ProLinx Standalone
Generic ASCII Serial Communication Module
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July 7, 2008
1 Introduction
In This Chapter
General Specifications ............................................................................7
Resources ...............................................................................................7
The ASCII driver permits the ProLinx module to interface any ASCII device to the
many protocols and networks available. ASCII devices include barcode
scanners, weigh scales, many field instruments, printers, and terminals. The
driver supports one to four ports that provide accessibility from one to four
independent serial networks.
1.1 General Specifications
Ports: One to four ports to receive and/or transmit data
Receive buffer size: 255 bytes
Receive termination: Stream mode, termination character(s), message
timeout, inter-character delay, or packet size length
Receive database location: -1=disable receiver, 0 to 3896
Transmit buffer size: 255 bytes
Transmit characters with pacing: 0 to 65535 millisecond delay between
each transmitted character
Transmit database location: -1=disable transmitter, 0 to 3896
Communication Configuration
oBaud Rate: 110 to 115,200
oParity: None, Odd, Even
oData Bits: 5 to 8
oStop Bits: 1 or 2
oRTS On and Off Timing: 0 to 65535 milliseconds
oMinimum Response Delay: 0 to 65535 milliseconds
oHardware or Software Handshaking: RTS/CTS, DTR/DSR, or
XON/XOFF
1.2 Resources
The ProLinx Reference Guide provides general information on all ProLinx
modules including installation, editing configuration files, cabling and jumper
configurations, troubleshooting, and a wide range of useful information. You
should have this manual available when installing and configuring ProLinx
modules.

ASCII ♦ProLinx Standalone Introduction
Generic ASCII Serial Communication Module
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July 7, 2008

Functionality ASCII ♦ProLinx Standalone
Generic ASCII Serial Communication Module
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2 Functionality
In This Chapter
Data Flow ................................................................................................9
This section describes the functionality of the ASCII driver.
2.1 Data Flow
The following illustration shows receive and transmit dataflow of the ASCII driver.
Data received from the ASCII device is accepted by the receive driver and placed
in the receive database location configured by the user. The receive driver waits
until the user-configured termination condition is recognized while receiving the
data before placing the new data into the database.
For example, if the carriage-return character (ASCII 13) is used as the
termination condition for a received message, this signals the end of the
message. When the receive driver observes this character in the input stream, it
takes all received characters and places them in the internal database.
In both receive and transmit operations, a signal is required to determine when
new data is received or must be transmitted. The first word in the two data area
is used for this purpose. When the value of the first word changes, new data is
available. Lets look at a receive example. The sequence number in the receive
data block has a value of 0 as set when the module initializes. The ASCII device
sends a new data packet and the termination condition is present. The receive
driver copies the data into the internal data area, sets the message length in the
data area, and finally, sets the new sequence number. Receive and transmit data
block structure is discussed in the following topics.

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Generic ASCII Serial Communication Module
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2.1.1 Receive Data
Data received by the receive driver is placed in the module's internal database in
a fixed format at the location selected by the user. The receiver driver is disabled
if the database start location is set to a value of -1. The following table shows the
structure of the received data.
Word Offset Description
0 Receive sequence number. This register is incremented by the Module's Receive
Driver for each new packet received.
1 Number of characters transmitted (0 to 255) from last transmit request.
2 Number of characters (0 to 256) in receive block (3 to 130).
3 to 130 Received data on port.
The first word of the data block is used to signal when new receive data is
available. Word 1 of the block contains the number of bytes in the last message
transmitted on the port. Word 2 contains the number of bytes in the received
message data area. Words 3 to 130 contain the data received. If the module is
configured to swap the data bytes received, the receive driver will swap the bytes
in each word received before placing the data into the data block. Because the
data received may contain an odd number of bytes, the length of the message
received will be incremented by 1 when an odd number of bytes are received and
the swap option is utilized. This is to avoid losing the last byte of data in the
message.
2.1.2 Transmit Data
Data to transmit by the transmit driver is placed in the module's internal database
in a fixed format at the location selected by the user. The transmit driver is
disabled if the database start location is set to a value of -1. The following table
shows the structure of transmit data.
Word Offset Description
0 Transmit sequence number. This number is incremented by the user's application
for each new packet to transmit.
1 Number of characters received (0 to 256) from last receive request.
2 Inter-character delay for this message (milliseconds between characters)
3 Number of characters to transmit on Port (0 to 255)
4 to 131 Data to transmit on port
The first word of the data block is used to signal when new transmit data is
available. Word 1 of the block may optionally contain the number of characters
processed in the last receive message. Word 2 of the message is used to pace
the characters during the transmission process. This may be required when
interfacing with slow ASCII devices (that is, modems in command mode).

Functionality ASCII ♦ProLinx Standalone
Generic ASCII Serial Communication Module
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If the word is set to a value other than zero, a time delay corresponding to the
number of milliseconds entered will be placed between each character
transmitted. If the word is set to zero, the whole data packet will be transmitted
as fast as the transmit driver can function. Word 3 of the data block contains the
number of bytes present in the transmit data area to send out the ASCII port.
Words 4 to 131 contain the actual data to transmit. If the swap option is utilized,
the transmit driver will swap each byte in the words received before transmitting
them. Care should be taken if an odd number of bytes are sent by the end device
when the swap option is used. The last byte of the message may be lost.

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Generic ASCII Serial Communication Module
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Modes of Operation ASCII ♦ProLinx Standalone
Generic ASCII Serial Communication Module
ProSoft Technology, Inc. Page 13 of 40
July 7, 2008
3 Modes of Operation
In This Chapter
Data Flow ..............................................................................................13
Termination of Received Data ...............................................................15
The module can operate in several different modes with each port acting
independently. The configuration of each port's driver determines its mode. The
following topics describe these modes.
3.1 Data Flow
The following topics describe the flow of data between the pieces of hardware
(ASCII device and ProLinx Module). Each application port on the module is
configured independently to interface with serial communication devices. The
sub-sections that follow describe the three possible types of communication
devices that can be attached to application ports: receive-only, transmit-only, and
transmit-receive mode.
3.1.1 Receive-Only Mode
A port on the module configured to function in receive-only mode is set up to only
receive data from some sort of ASCII device. In this mode, the ProLinx module
will never transmit data back to the ASCII device. Any data received from the
ASCII device is passed from the receiver driver (Rx Driver) to the ProLinx
module's internal database (Rx Data). The following illustration shows the flow of
data on a port configured for receive-only mode.

ASCII ♦ProLinx Standalone Modes of Operation
Generic ASCII Serial Communication Module
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Configuring the Port for Receive-Only Mode
In order to set a port for Receive-Only mode, ensure that the Rx DB Start
parameter in the configuration file contains the starting location of where the data
will be stored. The Tx DB Start parameter must contain a value of -1. This value
indicates that the port will not transmit any data.
3.1.2 Transmit-Only Mode
A port on the module configured to function in transmit-only mode is set up to
only transmit data from the ProLinx module's internal database (received from an
external source) to an ASCII device. When the transmit driver (Tx Driver)
recognizes a new write block containing data (data placed in the module's
internal database), it transmits this data out to the port. The sequence number
used in the block will be different that that of the previous block, and therefore,
signals that the packet is fully assembled and ready to send. The following
illustration shows data flow for a transmit-only device.
Configuring a Port for Transmit-Only Mode
In order to set a port for Transmit-Only mode, ensure that the Tx DB Start
parameter in the configuration file contains the starting location of where the data
will be stored. The Rx DB Start parameter must contain a value of -1. This value
indicates that the port will not receive any data.

Modes of Operation ASCII ♦ProLinx Standalone
Generic ASCII Serial Communication Module
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3.1.3 Transmit-Receive Mode
A port configured in transmit-receive mode can send and receive data from an
ASCII device such as a terminal. This mode functions the same way as transmit-
only mode or receive-only mode, but handles both the transmit and receive
functions. Data flow to and from an ASCII device is handled by the module's
transmit and receive drivers. Data received from the ASCII device is stored in the
module's internal database until ready to be sent to an external device. Data
received by an external device is also stored in the module's internal database
until ready to be transmitted to the ASCII device. The following illustration shows
the data flow when the port is configured for transmit-receive mode:
Configuring a Port for Transmit-Receive Mode
In order to set a port to both receive data and transmit data to an ASCII device,
ensure that the Rx DB Start parameter and the Tx DB Start parameter both
contain values that specify data storage starting locations. A -1 value in either
parameter will disable the particular function that the parameter serves.
3.2 Termination of Received Data
When data is received on the application port, the user must define in the
configuration when this data will be transferred to the Internal Database within
the module. this is known as the termination type for port. When the termination
condition is met, the data will be sent from the port's receive buffer (data area of
255 bytes) to the Internal Database. This termination type is set in the bit
mapped Type field of the module object. The following illustration shows the bit
map used for this parameter.

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Generic ASCII Serial Communication Module
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Termination Type Field
Bit(s) 4 to 7 3 2 1 0
Bit Value - 8 4 2 1
Definition Reserved Packet size
limit used
Intercharacter
delay timeout
used
Message
timeout used
Termination
character(s)
used
If none of the bits are set (Type=0), the port will be configured for stream mode.
Any characters received on the port are immediately sent to the processor. The
processor must buffer and assemble a packet of information if this mode is
selected as required by the application. If the data can be handled by the
processor in this mode and it is appropriate for your application, this is the fastest
method of communication between the device and the processor.
Any combination of bits is acceptable to the module and should be set to match
the device on the specific port. An example of each termination type is given
below.

Modes of Operation ASCII ♦ProLinx Standalone
Generic ASCII Serial Communication Module
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ASCII ♦ProLinx Standalone Modes of Operation
Generic ASCII Serial Communication Module
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ASCII Protocol Configuration ASCII ♦ProLinx Standalone
Generic ASCII Serial Communication Module
ProSoft Technology, Inc. Page 19 of 40
July 7, 2008
4 ASCII Protocol Configuration
In This Chapter
[ASCII Port 0] ........................................................................................19
In order for the ASCII driver to function, a minimum amount of configuration data
must be transferred to the module from the module's file system. Care must be
taken in constructing the module configuration parameters. If the module does
not function as expected, examine the configuration file using the Debugger Port
on the module. All configuration parameters for the driver are found under the
[ASCII Port x] section. The x in the section name will have a value of 0 to 3
corresponding to the appropriate ASCII port.
After setting up the configuration file, download it to the module using ProSoft
Configuration Builder.
4.1 [ASCII Port 0]
[ASCII PORT 0]
Enabled : Y #
RS Interface : 0 #0=RS-232, 1=RS-485, 2=RS-422
Rx DB Start : 200
Tx DB Start : 0
Baud Rate : 19200
Parity : N #The coded values are as follows: N=None, O=Odd,
# E=Even, M=Mark and S=Space."
Data Bits : 8 #Valid entries for this field are 5, 6, 7 and 8."
Stop Bits : 1
RTS On : 0
RTS Off : 0
Handshaking : N #Handshake code of N, Y, D, X"
Rx Termination Type: 1
Rx Term Count : 1
Rx Term Chars : 13 11 12 14 15 16 17 255 255 0 0 0
Rx Packet Length : 10
Rx Timeout : 5000
Rx Delay : 1000
Swap Rx Data Bytes : N
Tx Timeout : 5000
Tx Minimum Delay : 0
Swap Tx Data Bytes : N
4.1.1 Enabled
Yes or No
This flag specifies if the port on the module will be utilized. If the parameter is set
to No, the port will not be used. If the parameter is set to Yes, the port will be
used supporting the ASCII protocol.

ASCII ♦ProLinx Standalone ASCII Protocol Configuration
Generic ASCII Serial Communication Module
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4.1.2 RS Interface
Code 0 to 2
This parameter specifies the RS interface to be utilized when serial ports are
used on the serial expansion module (Ports 1 to 3). The codes are as follows:
0=RS-232
1=RS-485
2=RS-422
4.1.3 Rx DB Start
-1 or 0 to 3896
This parameter specifies the starting location in the internal database where the
received data will be stored. The buffer holds 130 words, however, the first three
words of the data area define the sequence number, last write byte count and
the Rx message length. If the parameter is set to -1, the port will not receive
data. Refer to Receive Data (page 10) for detailed information on Rx data
structure.
4.1.4 Tx DB Start
-1 or 0 to 3896
This parameter specifies the starting location in the internal database where the
transmit data will be stored. The buffer holds 130 words, however, the first three
words of the data area define the sequence number, last write byte count and
the Rx message length. If the parameter is set to -1, the port will not transmit
data. Refer to Transmit Data (page 10) for detailed information on Tx data
structure.
4.1.5 Baud Rate
Baud Rate Value
This is the baud rate to be used on the port. Enter the baud rate as a value. For
example, to select 19K baud, enter 19200. Valid entries for this field include: 110,
150, 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, 28800, 38400, 57600 and 115.
4.1.6 Parity
None, Odd, Even
This is the Parity code to be used for the port. The coded values are as follows:
None, Odd, Even.