Hello DJ,

Which serial control is used for advanced Debugging and could you give me a typical scenario of how it would be used? I hear what you are saying but need to understand better how you would use it?

Would I be correct in assuming that the ezb serial terminal is used exclusively to monitor and send data to serial device connected to ez-bv4 uart?

Thanks again DJ for your help !

You are partially correct, there is no "monitoring". Serial terminals do not intercept data. They are a client. The Terminal EZB is used exclusively to SEND and RECEIVE (not monitor) data to and from a device that supports a UART communication.

Scenarios which an advanced user would use the either PC or EZB terminal control is for connecting to a UART device and interacting with it. I use it often when debugging code on microcontrollers. For instance, while writing the code today for the upcoming EZ-Robot's Neopixel x 7 controller, i used the terminal program to display debug data that I wrote in code of the microcontroller.

Unless you are a programmer of a microcontroller (even arduino), you would never use it with an ez-robot.

Many Arduino sketches will have serial debug output. You could connect the serial debug output to either the terminal PC or EZB.

Without a purpose to use it, there is no other way to explain it. It's like trying to explain what a wrench is if you've never seen a bolt before.

Hello DJ,

Are you saying that a program like hyperterminal or other terminal program can't recieve data as well as send data? I think of ezb terminal and pc terminal controls as similar to hyper terminal. Also when I use the term "monitoring" I mean sending and revceiving data. Maybe a misuse of words.

Seems like we are both saying the same thing here but maybe in a different way and maybe not. It appears that ezb and pc terminal controls are one and the same and are only used to receive debug data from other rs232 devices. It also appears that you can't send data with either terminal control. Would this be correct? How does the debug data get to ezb terminal without a direct rs232 connection to the laptop? Is it via the wifi connection?

Seems both ezb terminal and pc terminal are the same and are only used for debug purposes. Would this be correct?

Thanks much again for your help on understanding these controls. Maybe some example code will clarify things better?

:)

There is no code for an example. This has nothing to do with code. i do not think there is anything more I can add to this topic. Like I said, it's a tool (similar to hyper terminal or any other of the 5,000,000 terminal programs) for communicating with uart devices. There's no reason why you would ever use it. And if you decide to learn how to program microcontrollers or something in c for complicated features, at that point you would know enough to use it. Until then, it's not useful for you at all. And there's no "example" to use it. There's no "code". There's nothing more that can be said about it.

Let me see if I can simplify this.

Yes, it is just like Hyperterminal (which Microsoft no longer provides in current windows versions). It sends anything you type in the terminal window. It displays anything it receives from the connected device. The PC version send and receives from any PC com port (just like Hyperterminal). The EZ-B version uses any of the UART ports.

Its only purpose is testing to see that the connected device is responding as you expect before you write scripts or a plugin to use the uart or send serial commands from any digital pin or your comm port. It is a test tool. Nothing more.

Alan

Hello,

Thanks for the help. First thing is that I know how to program and have programmed the arduino and other microcontrllers in machine language, C++, C, python, etc. Certainly not anywhere near your capabilities and especially DJ's capabilities. I have also used programs like hyperterminal and others many times to work with microcontrollers, etc.

DJ, I am not sure what you mean by there is no code involved. Maybe I'm mixing up my terms. If you can send hex values from the terminal controls to a connected device and receive hex values or binary values from the connected device I guess you would be correct. Again my terms probably are not correct?

If ez terminal and pc terminal are the same why is there a need for both. It is a bit confusing the way this is set up.

Thanks again for hanging with me..Rick

Once again. PC terminal connects from the PC comm port. Ez-b terminal connects from an ez-b UART port. If you are testing a device connected to a UART then the PC version would be useless for that test. If you are testing from the PC com port, then then ez-b version would be useless. Different tools for different jobs.

Alan

It's not confusing.

1. It's the same as hyperterminal but the UI is designed to display hex values and enter hex values. Hyperterminal is not a good programmers terminal. Hyperterminal was only for connecting to oldschool routers and such.

2. The reason there are TWO different terminal programs in ARC is because ONE works with direct local com devices and the OTHER works with the UART on the EZ-B

They are absolutely totally different methods of connecting.

The EZ-B is a wifi connected device. Wifi means wireless and therefore there are no wires. This is how your computer can connect to the ezb without wires, because it travels over the air wirelessly, like a radio. The purpose of the Terminal (EZB) is so you can connect to a UART device that's wirelessly. Perhaps in a different part of the world, or a different room, or over the internet, etc.

WIRELESS and WIRED are different things.

There is absolutely no other way i can explain this - there are two different Terminal versions because they are both different connection types.

For anyone who has programmed a micro controller or used a terminal program, they would understand. This feature is not for you and is for advanced DIY users. Again, please ignore this feature because until you begin programming microcontrollers and needing to debug connectivity, there is no use to using either of the terminal programs included in ARC.

I would like to continue this discussion but as i have stated before, there is nothing else i can add to this topic.