How to Use an RS232 Data Logger

Serial communication continues to be used extensively by companies to support tasks like embedded system development and industrial automation. Teams must monitor this data to ensure regulatory compliance, diagnose communication issues, and debug serial software solutions. An RS-232 data logger is essential for analyzing, capturing, and storing serial communication. A COM port logger provides valuable information about serial data flow in your IT environment.

This article discusses the features, functionality, uses, and configuration of professional RS232 data logger software.

Table of contents:

1. What is a Serial Data Logger?
2. Serial Port Logger: An Effective RS232 Logger

What is a Serial Data Logger?

A serial data logger is a software tool that records all data traveling through serial ports like RS232, RS485, or virtual serial interfaces. Technical teams and software developers use serial port data loggers for various reasons that include:

• Identifying and resolving serial communication issues;
• Capturing and storing data for analysis;
• Verifying serial hardware and software performance;
• Supporting regulatory compliance with data handling standards.

Essential Features of a Professional Serial Data Logger

A professional-grade serial port logger should provide the following features.

• Real-time data monitoring with the ability to track serial port data.
• Multiple port monitoring to observe serial activity on several COM ports simultaneously.
• Data can be exported in multiple formats, like HTML, CSV, or TXT.
• Data can be viewed in Hex or ASCII to address user requirements.
• Data logging with accurate timestamping for process synchronization.
• Search and filtering capabilities allow users to locate specific patterns or commands quickly.

Serial Port Logger: An Effective RS232 Logger Tool

Serial Port Logger is a powerful and user-friendly software solution. This serial data logger allows professionals to optimize COM port data communication. Teams can troubleshoot and debug serial communication issues, automate data logging, create reliable records with accurate time stamping, and test devices via command emulation.

This data logger software is available for free under an open-source license.

Key Feature Serial Port Logger

Serial Port Logger provides users with these key features:

• Monitoring and logging serial port activity for troubleshooting and data analysis;
• Simultaneously monitoring multiple ports in real time;
• Support for physical and virtual serial ports;
• Table, line, dump, and terminal data views;
• Exporting session logs with filters and timestamps;
• Display data in Hex or ASCII mode;
• Emulate serial data commands for device testing.

Using Serial Port Logger

Teams leverage a serial data logger in the following common usage scenarios.

Logging and monitoring serial port activity and data flow

Serial Port Logger’s intuitive interface makes it easy to log and monitor COM port activity. Users select a serial port for monitoring, choose where to save activity logs, configure the COM port parameters, and click the “Start” button. All serial communication for the designated port is recorded in a text file, which can be stored for later use.

Monitoring and analyzing serial data transmission

The RS232 port logger lets teams monitor and analyze serial communication. This functionality benefits teams trying to understand serial port operation and data flow. A serial data logger team can precisely track and analyze port activity to identify and resolve performance or connectivity issues.

Test serial device and application communication

Free Serial Port Logger supports virtual environments like Virtual PC and VMware. This feature makes the tool an excellent choice for software development and testing. Students can use the software in an educational setting for hands-on learning about serial communication.

Serial Data Logger Usage Guide

Step 1: Download and launch the software

• Download, install, and open Serial Port Logger.
• Configure the software with its user-friendly interface.

Step 2: Choose the serial port for monitoring

• Go to the Available Ports section of the interface.
• Select a serial port from the real or virtual serial ports detected by the software.

Step 3: Configure the log file

• Click “Open file” to select an existing file or create a new one to save logged data.
• The file path will be visible in the “Log file” text box.
• Select the “Append to” file option to add new data to an existing file.

Step 4: Configure serial port options

Users should set the following port parameters to emulate the connected device.

• Baudrate controls the transmission speed.
• Data bits vary depending on the data type. For example, choose 7 for ASCII and 8 for binary.
• Stop bits can be set to 1, 1.5, or 2.
• Parity can be set to Odd, Even, Mark, Space, or None.
• Flow Control options are Hardware, Xon/Xoff, or None.

Step 5: Review statistics in real time

You can optionally observe real-time activity in the “Statistics” panel to verify logger functionality. Information that users can view includes:

• Bytes received from a port;
• Current serial port status;
• Total bytes in the log file.

Step 6: Begin logging

• Click the “Start logging” button to start logging port activity.
• After clicking the button, it will display as “Stop logging”, which users click to stop the process and end the session.

Step 7: Access help if required

The application’s Help section accesses the user manual for troubleshooting or detailed configuration information.