Writing to GAZ4 from computer through Serial

Take a look at a GAZ manual 7.12 page 20 for information on the string format. The graph on page 21 gives you an idea on the positions of the data. You can also use the program wheel to select the section of the string you want. To help you could also try looking at some of the Skunkware products. If you run ttware on a networked machine and then sockmon on another on the net you can see the data string that pumps lots of info to five addressed GAZ boards.

Thanks for the info, I'll try to sniff the output from the Alge GAZ4 test program running on a windows box.

Do you have any idea what format the strings sent the the GAZ4 are in, off-hand?

i.e.- if I wanted to set the start number to '12' on board 1, I would use A to set the board to 1, Nz to set the '1' portion if the start number, and Ne to set the '2' portion of the start number... but I guess knowing the string format is what makes it all work, which is my problem.

If you do know the string format, or anybody out there does, I'd love it if you passed on the wisdom!

Thanks again for your help, and any future help!

-Steve

Steve:


Sounds like you're 95% of the way there.

Download "Fiddleware" (free) from the PST web site, run it on a Windows box with a serial port, and start it sending Time-Of-Day to the GAZ boards.

Look at that string using Minicom on your LINUX box, it will tell you exactly how to address GAZ displays set up with different thumbwheel settings.



James

Thanks James, et. all,

Just as your reply came in I started getting a hold on these strings. I used minicom, and my other favorite serial 'sniffer', XT, to dissect the streams. I had a buddy enter data using the GAZ4 test program on an XP machine while I held the banana clips from the other end of the cable to the #2 and #5 pins of the serial port on my Linux box. Kind of Ghetto, but it worked! I'm able to feed data to the scoreboards now as needed... very cool.

From the documentation, it looks like there is still a lot more to fool around with in terms of addressing the data to more than the two boards I'm working with... looks pretty cool.

Thanks again to everyone for all your suggestions.

-Steve

I just wanted to jump into your discussion since I think that my problem might be solved through this forum or maybe send me in the right direction. We have a GAZ4 display board communicating to our computer using the 9 pin female DB9 connector at one end which is connected to the computer and the other end is connected to two banana plugs. We get an initial communication to the display using the Split Second Set up and Test routine (1:1:11) but it does not go the the next number (2:22.22) and so on. I remember seeing a diagram of DB9 connections with the proper jumping of pins and can not find it anymore. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Your problem may be an internal wire issue rather than external. GAZ4 circuit boards can have the wire from the banana plug socket to the board break. Try inputting the data through the Amphenol plug. Pin 2 is ground and pin 4 (ground symbol) is signal. See if that stablizes the situation. Your DB9 to banana plug cable is probably fine. you just need pin 5 as ground and pin 3 as signal. Also try running the display from a legit serial port. USB adapters can be funky.