Comm Log v0.4 User Manual

Comm Log is a program for log data send to serial port of Pocket PC. It runs under WinCE3.0 or above on Arm based device. It is a freeware.

Comm Log can log the data of COM port on Pocket PC, show the data in the text box and save it as a text file as well as sds format, which may be feed into Comm Operator. It is useful if you want to log the data from Serial Port Device, such as GPS, barcode scanner, total station etc. It can record all data or only data on specfic time event. The saved log file is in text format. You can reuse it in desktop PC to print, view and as input to other application.

What's New in 0.4

• Add time setting for log.
• Support all COM ports on PDA.
• Add show data in HEX format.

Install

There are two way to install.

Install from Desktop PC

You may install it from the desktop pc with which you have connected your pocket pc with ActiveSync already. Then just double click the Setup.exe then follow the instruction of the setup program. It uses a standard setup program.

Install Directly from PDA

You may copy the CAB file directly to your Pocket PC by anyway, then click the CAB file in your pocket pc, and it will be installed. I prefer this way. You do not need to connect the PDA to pc and no folder or shortcut will be created in desktop pc. And you can copy it to a CF card or SD card and install the program in many PDA at once without the step of connecting them to pc first. However, if you want to keep the CAB file on your pocket pc, you should remember set the CAB file's attribute to read-only, otherwise the file will be deleted automatically after install.

Run

      Run the program is simple. Just click the "Start Menu->CommLog".

                              

Setting the port parameter

      Click the setting button , and set the communication parameter in the setting dialog.

                              

Setting the record parameter

Select [menu]->[Record Setting], and set the record parameter in dialog. Here you may set the format of the data, and the time period of the log. This would be useful when log for a long time and with a fast serial device.

Begin Log

  Click the begin button  the CommLog will open the com1 port and begin log.

Pause Log

  Click the pause button , the CommLog will pause the log, but the port is still open. When paused, the button's caption will change to "Continue", and click the button when the CommLog is paused, the program will continue log and the button's caption will change to "Pause" again.

Stop Log

  Click the stop button  will stop log and close the port.

Save Log

   Click the save button  will popup file save dialog, you may assign a file name and save the contents in log to file. There are two type of file. The content of log file is as same as the text in edit box. The sds file is used for Comm Operator which can load sds file as send data.

Clear Log

  Click the clear button  will erase all contents in log window.

Menu

  All buttons have related menu item also. You may operate the tool from menu too.   

                              

Release plan

      Support sqllite for large and long time log

      Support command line

      CommLog for PDA version is a freeware. I wish it would solve some problems user has with serial communication of PDA, such as test GPS CF Card or connect line. The shareware Comm Operator PPC has been released for PDA, which can operate the serial port at the full control, include log and auto responding. Serial port filter driver for PDA will be developed in future. Currently, the sds data can be feed in Comm Operator, which is a program run on desktop.