How do graph output from a serial port when I don't know exactly what signal its sending?

[Josh_Music]

Hello all,

I recently started learning LabVIEW for work and I'm really liking it so far. I am looking for a function that can take a given COM port and tell me what is coming out of it (so that I can add other functions to it and make a graph). I found DAQ assistant under express->input->DAQ Assistant. Unfortunately you need to tell it exactly what it is looking at for it to work (voltage, thermocouple, velocity, ect).

if you want some context, I am trying to automate a power supply, and the manuals that come with it are not at all detailed so I cant tell what exactly is coming out of the RS-232 port, other that 'Transmitting signal, receiving signal, COM signal'. I would love to have a temperature reading from the RS232 but it doesnt look like it will be that easy.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

[billko]

Most programmable instruments have a programmer's guide.  What's the make and model?

[rolfk · Accepted solution]

Without the according Programmer Reference Manual it is at best cumbersome, at worst impossible to do what you want to do.

RS-232 is simply a byte stream, usually in ASCII but not necessarily so. If it is ASCII you can simply look at the text stream in a terminal and try to deduce the format, but that is still cumbersome. If it is binary, chances are minimal to retrieve meaningful data in a consistent manner without a full documentation of the protocol.

[Josh_Music]

We are using a createc power supply 3504 1 serial 598. Full name is (CU-3504-S1-DC-120V CU-598). It contains a Eurotherm controller with a very detailed  guide, but even after asking the producer for a detailed manual, all that they could supply was how to use the machine. 

[billko]

So did you solve the issue?