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Tech-Note – ASCII over Ethernet Setup HD

zaxis machine to computer connected via ethernet cable

The test data from an Isaac can be collected by a computer via the Ethernet connection on the back of the Isaac.

To collect data on a laptop you will need a crossover Ethernet cable (see diagram) and a terminal emulation program such as HyperTerminal.

NOTE: If your primary network connection is done wirelessly, you will need to connect the cable from the Isaac to your laptop, and cycle the power on the Isaac. To verify that the ethernet socket is active, a green light will be visible inside the machine, towards the bottom of the ethernet jack.

To begin find the IP address of the laptop by running the ‘command prompt’ found in Start – Accessories or type ‘cmd’ in the search bar of the start menu.

On the command line type ‘ipconfig’, this will display all the data associated with the Ethernet connections. Scroll down to the section ‘Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection’ record the value of the ‘IPv4-Address’.

On the Isaac, under ‘OPTIONS’ – ‘Ethernet Settings’ turn the DHCP selection to OFF. The IP Address of the Isaac should be set to one address higher than the IP of the laptop.

For example Laptop = 169.254.96.1, set the Isaac to 169.254.96.2

Verify that the correct selections have been made in the ‘Data Logging’ menu for the type of data you wish to collect (Results, 0.1sec data, etc.) Also verify that ‘Output results’ in the ‘PROG’ menu have the Ethernet box selected for every test you with to collect.

Starting HyperTerminal, the opening screen asks for a connection description, this description can be saved for future use to avoid going through all the configurations. We have chosen to call our example ‘Isaac’.

With a connection description made the next screen to appear is Connect To. Hyper terminal has multiple ways of communicating. In the Connect using pull down menu choose TCP/IP (Winsock).

With the TCP/IP selection made the Host address and port numbering must be entered. The IP of the Isaac is the Host. The port number is always 23.

Pressing OK will initiate the socket connection from HyperTerminal to the Isaac. A successful connection will be show by the connected counter in the lower right corner of the HyperTerminal screen.

The easiest way to verify communication is to start and abort a test. The data string will display after the abort. A typical string is shown below.

To gather multiple tests automatically, HyperTerminal has a feature to collect the text and save it to a file. Select ‘Transfer’ then ‘Capture Text…’

HyperTerminal will now ask for a filename for the data. Remember to make sure the extension is .TXT

With a file name chosen, press start to begin the collection. Any data sent from the Isaac will be recorded under the filename that was specified, until you return to the ‘Transfer’ and ‘Capture Text..’ and press stop.

(801)264-1000
2442 South 2570 West
West Valley City, UT 84119
www.zaxisinc.com

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