Editing Artist Help:Interface Serial Ports

The Serial Ports are found in Resources Navigator under the Interface Manager. This displays the available serial ports connected to your system. Opening the tree branch will display the available serial ports on your system - that is any that are not used by any other processes. If none are displayed it is because they are currently used by some other application. 

=== Com port settings ===

Right-click on the com port and select Properties. This will display a dialog where you can set the BAUD rate, parity, data bits and stop bits. 
Use this dialog to set the data speed and protocol. The first four settings in the table must be the same as those on the device you are connecting to.

The settings apply to both input and output and should be set according to the requirements of the device you are communicating with.

In order to receive data on the serial port you must check the Enable box.

This dialog also monitors incoming serial data.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Caption text
|-
| Baud Rate || set the data speed. 
|-
| Parity || Low level error check. 
|-
| Data bits || Number of bits in the data field. 
|-
| Stop bits || Stops bit define the end of a data field. 
|-
| Input Enabled || Check this box to enable receive serial data on this port to be decoded. 
|-
| Incoming || If the input is enabled the incoming data are displayed here. 
|-
| Input Mode || this combo box selects the input mode 
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Input Mode Description
|-
| System Commands || In this mode received serial data is decoded as Text Commands. 
|-
| Mini CP1 || In this mode received serial data is decoded as Mini Control Panel version 1 
|-
| Mini CP2 Mode 1 || In this mode received serial data is decoded as Mini Control Panel version 2 in Mode 1 
|-
| Mini CP2 Mode 2 || In this mode received serial data is decoded as Mini Control Panel version 2 in Mode 2 
|}
 
As you change any of the dialog fields the 'Apply' button will be enabled. If you click 'Apply' your changes will take effect.

=== Serial Output ===

You send serial strings from Artist to any device connected to a serial port via the serial output System Commands which can be embedded in Scenes and Cues or any input system command.

In this way video switchers, projectors and laser controllers amongst other things can be control from Artist.

=== Serial Input ===

Artist defines a set of serial input messages which are connected directly to Text Commands. 

The serial input data can be monitored for test purposes in the 'Com port setting' dialog.

The interface can be tested by any ASCII terminal (e.g. HyperTerminal) on another computer.