Configuring Log File Playback

This New Session Wizard page is used to configure the Log File Playback.

Use the following procedure to configure the Log File Playback:

1. Specify the name of the log file you are going to use as the source. You can either select the name of the file in the dropdown combobox or use the Browse button to bring up the Open File dialog.
2. Select the data stream within the selected log file.
3. Specify the time range you want to be used. You can use either the time controls or locate the range times on the line.
4. Specify the time scale you want to be used. You can play back the contents of the stream 16 times slower than the original, 8 times slower, 4 times slower, 2 times slower, 2 times faster, 4 times faster, 8 times faster or 16 times faster. There are also two special options, Stepped is for confirmation of each separate request and Continuous is to play back the whole contents of the stream without any pause.
5. Press the Next button. 

Configuring Protocol Analyzer

This New Session Wizard's page is used to configure the Protocol Analyzer.

You configure the port settings of both devices, device A and device B. You set up the port the device is connected to, its speed, the number of data bits, the type of the parity, the number of the stop bits and the type of the flow control.

Lock settings switch can be used to synchronize all settings between devices, except for the number of the port. It is usually mindless to switch it off unless you have some non-standard devices. In this case you can use the Serial Monitor to connect two devices with different serial line requirements.

Configuring Data Processing

The last page of the New Session Wizard is used to select the number of Data Visualizers and other data processors you want to display data in your monitoring session.

Managing Monitoring Sessions Monitoring Session State

Monitoring Session State includes the following:

1. The Monitoring Session Type, selected Data Source and its configuration.
2. Data Processing settings, including:
   • Data Logging settings
   • Data Visualizers, their state and their windows position.

When you save or load the monitoring session, the monitoring session state is saved and loaded together with it. So, for example, you can create a session, open required Data Visualizers windows, place them in the suitable positions on the screen and save the monitoring session. When you load it later, all settings and windows positions will be restored.

Managing Monitoring Sessions Saving Monitoring Session

Use the following procedure in order to save the monitoring session:

To save the current monitoring session under its current name:

1. Select the File|Save Session menu option or press thebutton on the toolbar.
2. The session will be saved.

To save the current monitoring session under the new name:

1. Select the File|Save Session As menu option.
2. Enter the name of the file to store the session in.
3. The session will be saved.

Tips

There is a keyboard shortcut to access the File|Save Session menu option. Press Ctrl+S key combination to execute this command.

If the current session is brand-new and you select the File|Save Session menu option, it's behavior will repeat the File|Save Session As menu option behavior.

Managing Monitoring Sessions Closing Monitoring Session

Use the following procedure in order to load the monitoring session:

1. Select the File|Open Session menu option or press thebutton on the toolbar.
2. Open File dialog will appear. Enter the name of the session file or choose it from the list.
3. The selected session will be opened and the monitoring session state will be restored, including all windows positions.

Tips

There is a keyboard shortcut to access the File|Load Session menu option. Press F3 or Ctrl+O key combination to execute this command.

If there is an open monitoring session in the Serial Monitor, you will be asked to close it before continuing. If you decline it, you won't be able to load new monitoring session.
You can use Drag&Drop to open monitoring sessions. See Shell Integration section for more information.

There is a list of last recently used monitoring sessions in the File menu. You can select the file from that list to open it.

Managing Monitoring Sessions Closing Monitoring Session

Use the following procedure in order to close the current monitoring session:

1. Select the File|Close Session menu option or press thebutton on the toolbar.
2. The Serial Monitor will stop data processing and will attempt to close the session. See Notes below.

Tips

There is a keyboard shortcut to access the File|Close Session menu option. Press the Ctrl+Shift+F4 button to execute this command.

The current monitoring session will automatically be closed when the Serial Monitor application is closed.

Notes

There are some requirements that must be met in order to successfully close the monitoring session:

The serial port, the Serial Monitor is attached to, must be closed before closing Monitoring Session. That means that you have to close the application that uses the port.

Managing Monitoring Sessions Shell Integration

In addition to the standard procedure of opening monitoring sessions (described in Loading Monitoring Session section), there are several other ways of doing the same thing:

• Drag the Monitoring Session file from Explorer to the open Serial Monitor main window
• Double-click the Monitoring Session file in the Explorer to launch the Serial Monitor and open the session 

Data Logging Log Files

The Serial Monitor Log Files are LogIt! log files with lgs extension. They can contain different data streams. Each stream contains all data monitored during one monitoring session. Each event is associated with some time stamp, so you can recreate the sequence of events very precisely.
The Log Files are compressed that allows them to hold more data while requiring less hard disk space. The Log Files are computer-independent and can be easily transferred to other computers by means of any kind of communication.
To play back information stored in one or another stream within the log file, you have to use a special kind of monitoring session.
See Also: Playing Back Log Files.

Data Logging Configuring Data Logging

When you create a new monitoring session you have an option to log all the data monitored to the log file. In order to do it, enable logging in Data Processing New Session Wizard page. The following window will appear:

Data Logging Playing Back Log Files

To play back the log file follow this procedure:

1. Open New Session Wizard as described in Creating New Monitoring Session.
2. Select the Log File Playback session type and press the Next button.
3. Configure the session source as described in Configuring Log File Playback.
4. Select required Data Visualizers as described in Configuring Data Processing. The corresponding wizard's page will not contain the Logging category when you select the Log File Playback session type.
5. Press the Finish in the wizard. Playback will be started

Status bar will be changed to display the progress bar of the log file currently being played back.

There can be long delays between recorded events. In this case another progress bar and the Skip button will be displayed on the status bar. You can press the Skip button to skip the delay and go directly to the following recorded event.

Data Visualizers Data View Configuration

The Data View visualizer does not have its own configuration page but instead of this it adds formatting categories into the standard appearance configuration page. See its description for more details.
Data View category with IO Requests Text, Data Read and Data Written elements can be used to change the appearance of the Data View window.

The appearance of the hex data block can be configured using the Edit|Hex Data Display... menu option.

Data Visualizers Request View Configuration

To access the Request View configuration settings, select the Tools|Settings menu option and open the Request View tab. The following window will appear:

Settings|Long date format

Use long date format when showing request times and spans.

Settings|Join consequent write requests

Select this option to join two or more consequent separate write requests.

Data Visualizers Request View Copying/Exporting View Contents

The Request View contents can be copied/exported in any of the following formats:

1. UNICODE Text File
2. ANSI Text File
3. HTML File

Please note, that the list above is sorted in such a way that the topmost file format is generated faster.

Data Visualizers Console View Description

This Data Visualizer works as the text console, showing all the received data as ASCII characters.
Here is a screenshot of the Console View window:

Data Visualizers Console View Configuration

The Console View visualizer does not have its own configuration page but instead of this it adds formatting categories into the standard appearance configuration page. See its description for more details.
Console View category with Console Text element can be used to change the appearance of the Console View window.

Data Visualizers Console View Copying/Exporting Console View Contents

The Console View contents can be copied/exported in any of the following formats:

1. UNICODE Text File
2. ANSI Text File

Please note, that the list above is sorted in such a way that the topmost file format is generated faster.

Data Visualizers Hex Data Display

This window can be used to set up the appearance of the hex data blocks in Data and Request View visualizers.

Select the number of bytes in a row, whether you want to display the left (data) pane and right (character) pane, the type of values (decimal or hexadecimal) in a left pane, and a word length of displayed values.

Using Protocol Analyzer

There are several visualizers that can be used with the Protocol Analyzer feature. They are:

• Data View
• Request View
• Console View

You can use them as you used to with the Serial Port Monitor monitoring session type with the following considerations: there is always the current device which is being monitored by the Protocol Analyzer. You can change the current device either using the Device main menu item or Switch to... context menu item of the Data, Request or Console View:

Registration Wizard Providing Information Page

This Registration Wizard page allows you to enter your registration data - Registration Name and Unlock Code.

Enter the Registration Name and Unlock Code and press the Next button to continue registering HHD Software Serial Monitor.

Registration Wizard Welcome Page

This Registration Wizard page describes the procedure of registering HHD Software Serial Monitor.

Press the Next button to continue registering HHD Software Serial Monitor.