CAPTURE

DURRIDGE Company April 1998

This program has a very limited mission: to capture serial port output from the RAD7 and put it into a file on your IBM PC/XT/AT or compatible. The same function can be found in any data terminal program, but CAPTURE is a bit easier to enter and exit from DOS. But if you prefer to use a data terminal program, by all means do so!

CAPTURE 1.2 was written and compiled in MicroSoft QuickBASIC 4.5. Source code is provided for your use (CAPTURE.BAS), as well as linkable object code (CAPTURE.OBJ), and a DOS executable (CAPTURE.EXE).

To transfer data from the RAD7 to your computer, use a null-modem RS-232 serial cable. The RAD7 serial port

connector duplicates the IBM AT 9-pin serial port connector. NITON can supply a null-modem cable to connect to either 9-pin or 25-pin serial port connectors (your choice).

Here is an example of CAPTURE in action. From the DOS prompt type:

C:>CAPTURE MYDATA.DAT COM1

where \"MYDATA.DAT\" is the name of the file I have chosen to put the RAD7 data into, and \"COM1\" is the name of the serial port that the RAD7 cable has been connected to. You may use any DOS file name for the output file, which means you are limited to a maximum of an 8 character file name plus a 3 character extension. Choose your file name carefully, as CAPTURE will obliterate any existing file with the same name. For the sake of clarity, we recommend that you always use the \".DAT\" extension on your RAD7 output data file names. The serial port may be any from COM1 through COM4, depending on how your computer is equipped. If you leave off the serial port name, CAPTURE will automatically use COM1. If you leave off the file name, CAPTURE will use

NITON.DAT as the output file. CAPTURE responds to the above command as:

*** CAPTURE 1.2 *** 04/98 Stephen Shefsky DURRIDGE Company.

Communication port COM1 is open. Output file MYDATA.DAT is open.

Begin data transfer now. Press (Q) key to quit or abort.

You have 30 seconds to initiate the data transfer from the RAD7. If the data transfer does not begin within 30 seconds, CAPTURE will \"time out\" and return to the DOS prompt. You may try CAPTURE again, of course.

To begin the output from the RAD7, go to the RAD7 key pad and select \">Data Com \" followed by the run number of the data you wish to transfer. You should immediately see lines of numbers scrolling down the computer display. When the RAD7 finishes putting out data, the computer will beep and display \"Transfer finished.\" If, at any time, you wish to abort the data transfer, you may either press the RAD7's menu key or your computer's \"Q\" key.

Now that you have the data in a file, you may do with it whatever you wish. DOS will allow you to do simple things like copying or printing the data, but to do any sort of sophisticated manipulation you will probably use a spreadsheet program.