How to log RS485 activity

Olga Weis Sep 19, 2021

Specialists working with RS-485 communication may need to test and log the serial interfaces in order to identify and resolve problems that may appear in RS-485 networks. More than that, programmers who develop industrial serial applications may also require a specialized tool for reading and monitoring RS-485 Modbus ports their apps communicate with.

Contents:

Software solution: RS485 Data Logger
How-to log RS485 activity
Core functionality of RS-485 Logger software
Frequently Asked Questions

Software solution: RS485 Data Logger

Thankfully, there’s a dedicated Serial Data Logger software that is designed to make it as simple as possible to monitor and analyze RS-485 port activity. Packed with a slew of advanced features, the software doesn’t need additional hardware to track and record data going through monitored serial ports.

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How-to log RS485 activity

Whether you need to monitor a controller fitting RS-485 port, check the reaction of a particular serial device to certain data, or analyze the activity of all RS-485 interfaces your system deploys, here is how you can do this with RS-485 data logging software.

To start, download the software and install it on your computer. Launch the app in order to start a new monitoring session:

1

In the main menu of the app select Session -> New session. Alternatively, you can hit ‘New’ on the main toolbar or press CTRL+N. As a result, you’ll get the ‘New monitoring session’ window.

2

Now, decide on how you’d like the captured data to be displayed and choose the desired visualizer. There are Table, Line, Dump, Terminal, and Modbus views. As an option, you can use them all simultaneously.

3

Next, depending on where you want your monitoring session to be started, choose between the ‘Start monitoring now’ and ‘Start in new window’ options.

4

In the ‘Capture options’ select the type of events you’d like to track (Create/Close, Read/Write, Device Control.)

5

Finally, hit ‘Start monitoring’. That’s it! Now you can easily catch and analyze data transmitted via a required RS-485 port.

6

If it’s necessary to save a session, you should go to the main menu and select ‘Session -> Save session/Save session As’. Or, click ‘Save’ on the main toolbar, or press CTRL+S.

Serial Data Logger works as an RS485, RS422 sniffer and makes it possible to analyze data from several COM ports simultaneously. The solution is also useful when it's required to connect to an RS485 port already used by another app.

Core functionality of RS-485 Logger software

Modbus sniffer mode. The dedicated solution allows reading and recording Modbus data transferred over RS485/RS422/RS232 ports. The software provides full support for Modbus RTU and Modbus ASCII protocols. The unique functionality of the app allows logging and filtering Modbus data communicated by specialized serial devices.

Connecting to a COM port any time you need it even if the port is already used by another app. Once you start monitoring a required RS-485 interface, all data transmitted through it is shown in real time. Thanks to this option, you can timely resolve any problem that arises in your serial communication network.

Monitoring multiple COM ports at a time. Whether you need to analyze one, two, or several RS-485 ports, it’s possible to do this in one monitoring session. With that, the captured data will be saved to a single log.

Simulating serial communication. The Terminal mode option allows you to emulate sending particular data in different formats (string, binary, octal, decimal, hexadecimal, mixed). The RS-485 loopback feature offered by the software is particularly useful for sessions comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is RS485?

The EIA/TIA-485 standard is widely used in industrial applications that work over long distances and require high speeds of data transmission. The interface is particularly useful for connecting serial devices in noisy environments like process control plants, utilities sites, and factories.

2. How RS-485 is used in industrial instrumentation?

RS-485 port is embedded on various devices, including low-speed modems, programmable logic controllers, computer numerically controlled machine tools, point of sale terminals, metering instruments, large special automated machines, and other equipment.

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Information

Requirements

Requirements: Windows (32-bit and 64-bit): Vista/7/8/10/11, Windows Server 2008/2012/2016/2019/2022, Windows on ARM

Latest version

Latest version: v9.5.589, Released 16 Nov, 2023 Release notes