FAQ

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

• I am using Docklight in Send/Receive mode. How can I add a time stamp before every new message / data packet / telegram in the incoming RX data?
• How can I communicate with (or simulate) a device that supports SCPI commands?
• How can I get a list of available COM ports on my PC?
• Do you offer discounts for educational/school/academic/university uses (EDU licensing)?
• I’m a student/private user. Can I get a license for free / use Docklight for free?
• Is Docklight affected by the log4j vulnerability CVE-2021-44228?
• Why and how do we use ChatGPT for generating product comparisons and overviews?
• Ask the AI: Can you explain the difference between Docklight, Docklight Scripting, Docklight Pro Monitor, and Docklight DLL?
• Ask the AI: What are the best serial communication tools (RS232, RS485, TCP and UDP) for Windows?
• Ask the AI: What are the benefits of Docklight, compared to open source alternatives such as RealTerm or TeraTerm?
• How can I test my motion controller / servo drive / stepper drive using my PC?
• Ask the AI: What are the advantages of using Docklight for serial communications or TCP/IP data connections?
• Ist Docklight auch auf Deutsch erhältlich? Gibt es Dokumentation auf Deutsch?
• Ask the AI: What are the best tools for serial communication testing and simulation?
• Docklight est-il également disponible en français ? Y a-t-il de la documentation en français ?
• Ask the AI: How do I calculate a checksum for a RS232 data connection and which tools can be helpful?
• I need to set up an automated device testing procedure for our production. The testing procedure includes sending a list of predefined commands to a device and checking for the correct response after each command. How do I make this work in Docklight Scripting?
• Ask the AI: Can you name three popular serial communications testing tools for Windows? Can you give me an overview of each of them?
• I need to exchange data with a medical laboratory equiment based on the ASTM E1381 / E1394 standard. Where can I find an example?
• How can I add database access (Access, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, …) to a Docklight application?
• Is there a Docklight version for Linux?
• Where can I find the Windows driver for Docklight RS232 Adapter, Tap, Tap Pro or Tap 485
• How can I monitor RS485 (RS422) connections, or send RS485/RS422 data?
• Why should I upgrade to Docklight Scripting?
• How can I receive and send data on a RS485 9-bit multidrop bus (MDB) as used in vending machines?
• Can I use Docklight Scripting to test my HID game controller?
• Can I use a USB-to-Serial adapter (or any other interface board/adapter) with Docklight?
• How can I scan / detect the communication parameters of an existing data link? (Baud Rate scan, Data Bits, Stop Bits, Parity)
• How can I monitor RS232 connections with guaranteed time-tagging accuracy? How can I accurately monitor RS232 status line changes during communication?
• How can log the communication between my PC application and a COM port / RS232 device? How can I use Docklight to capture the communication to a Windows COM port (“COM port sniffer”)?
• How can I connect to Windows Named Pipes?
• How can I simulate Modbus RTU master frames? How can I detect Modbus RTU frames and evaluate or simulate Modbus slave telegrams?
• How can I send (transmit) on more than one channel (COM port, TCP) at the same time? How can I receive data from multiple COM ports / multiple connections?
• How can I read data from a measurement device (multimeter, voltage meter, distance meter, and others) using my PC? Can you make me an example for data readout using Docklight?
• How can I test and debug my USB HID or Bluetooth HID device?
• How can I add Docklight-style communications (serial COM port, TCP or UDP, Send and Receive Sequences) to my own software application? Is there a DLL I can use?
• What about your license terms? Can I use my Docklight registration on more than one computer? Can I transfer the license? Where can I find the full license agreement?
• We intend to use Docklight on a larger number of computers within our company. Is there a volume/company/site license offering for Docklight or Docklight Scripting?
• My license key does not work. How can I install Docklight on a new computer?
• How can I remove a license from my PC or change my license key?
• How can I update to Docklight V2.3? How can I update or upgrade to Docklight Scripting V2.3?
• I am using a protocol that includes a checksum (CRC or simple sum). How can I let Docklight calculate the checksum automatically? How can I validate checksums?
• Does Docklight support the advanced “EZ-Tap Pro” and “Versa-Tap” monitoring solutions from Stratus Engineering, Inc.?
• Can I use a non-standard baud rate that is not available in the baud rate list, e.g. 10800 bauds?
• I need to read a 4 byte (or: 8 byte) data sequence and convert it into a float value. How can I do this? (Or: I need to deal with 32 bit / 64 bit IEEE encoded float values. How to convert to and from such a data format?)
• Is there a way to detect changes of the RS232 CTS, DSR, DCD or Ring status?
• Which serial port hardware do you recommend for best accuracy in Docklight Monitoring Mode (full duplex monitoring)?
• I want to purchase a Docklight Tap, but the Docklight E-Shop says it is not available in my country (USA, Canada,…). What can I do?
• I need to test for a Receive Sequence, but parts of the sequence are a checksum and I need to use some kind of wildcards. How can I do this in Docklight?
• Can I use Docklight to test Bluetooth Serial Port applications
• What is the maximum sequence size? How can I transmit large amounts of data? How can I transfer ASCII text files? How can I transfer binary data files?
• I need a simulator for a serial device – Can I create/build a Docklight project automatically from a Docklight log / from monitoring the communication between two devices?
• How can I get a Docklight Monitoring Cable? Can I purchase this from you? Can I use a data tap (e.g. Blackbox product code FA148A)?
• Docklight runs really slow on my PC. When I use Hyperterminal or my old DOS-based tool, I can monitor all the communication, but Docklight seems to be too slow for this. What can I do?
• For creating larger scripts, the built-in script editor is not really convenient. How can I get a state-of-the-art editing experience with syntax highlighting and autocompletion?
• Can I use Docklight to talk a network device using a TCP or UDP-based communication?
• How can I introduce specific timing constraints for a Receive Sequence?
• I use Docklight to simulate a serial device. Sending predefined answers using your “Receive Sequence” function works pretty well. But what if I want dynamic answers, instead of sending the same static answer all the time?
• My microcontroller application has no serial input buffer. How can I introduce an additional delay between the characters when sending a sequence?
• How accurate are the Docklight time stamps? Can I increase time stamp resolution and accuracy to 1 millisecond?
• What happened to HyperTerminal? Can I use Docklight RS232 Terminal / RS232 Monitor or Docklight Scripting as a Hyperterminal replacement?
• When I open the “Edit Send Sequence” or “Edit Receive Sequence” dialog and close it / move to a different sequence, Docklight asks if I want to keep the modification, even if I did not change anything.