Termite RS232 User Guide

This guide provides instructions for configuring Termite to communicate with and control ESPEC chambers equipped with GL, P300, SCP220, and ES102 controllers using an RS-232C serial connection. Termite is a free software for personal or commercial application. This guide shows how to install and use Termite on MS Windows.

1 Download and Install Termite

The following procedure outlines the steps to download and install Termite on your PC or execute it from the download folder.

Procedure:

1. Open a web browser.

2. Go to the official CompuPhase Termite webpage:

   https://www.compuphase.com/software_termite.htm

3. Under Downloads & license, select one of the following:

   • Termite version 3.4 – complete setup (recommended). Note: To install on your PC, select this one.
   • Termite version 3.4 (program only). Note: Termite does not require installation; you can simply execute and use it from within the folder. Although, it is more convenient to install it on your PC (first option), in case the download folder is accidentally removed.

4. Download the file. Note: As of this writing, Termite Version 3.4 was the latest available release; newer versions may be downloaded if released.

5. If you downloaded the complete setup:

   • Double-click the downloaded .exe file.
   • Follow the installation prompts.
   • Accept the default installation settings unless changes are required.

6. If you downloaded the program only ZIP archive:

   • Right-click the ZIP file and select Extract All.
   • Open the extracted folder.
   • Double-click Termite.exe to launch the program.
   • No installation is required.

2 Determine Communications Port on Host OS

To determine which communications port (COM port number) the host operating system (OS) assigns to the RS-232-to-USB adapter, use the Windows Command Prompt or PowerShell with the chgport command. This command simply lists the COM port(s) being assigned to each device currently connected to the system. The mode command may be used to list the connection parameters available to each device.

Procedure:

1. On Windows 10/11, enter "cmd" in the Search bar and press Enter; on Windows 8, press the Windows key and type "cmd" and press Enter.

2. At the command prompt, issue: chgport and study the list in the output. The following figure shows the first output with COM3.

3. Plug in your RS232-to-USB adapter, then issue chgport again and study the new list in the output. A new COM? (where ? is the new number) in the output is the one assigned to the RS232-to-USB adapter. The following figure shows the second output with COM4 added to the list, which is assigned to my RS232-to-USB adapter. This COM4 will be used in the Termite setting (in the following section).

   

3 Launch Termite and Configure its Settings

The COM port number (in the previous section) will be used in the Termite serial port setting. Other parameters wil lbe configured as well.

Procedure:

1. Launch Termite. Its UI is depicted as follows:

   

2. Click the Settings button to open the Serial port settings pop-up window (see arrow in the figure below). Select COM port number that your host OS is using (found previously). The settings show my COM4 as an example. Select Baud rate, Data bits, Stop bits, Parity, Flow control and Forward according to the figure. Make sure to select and check Append CR-LF under the Transmitted text column. Simply follow all the settings depicted in the figure. Note: A no handshake method was used in this example (none was selected in the Flow control field). To control the flow of communication data, select RTS/CTS.

   

3. Click OK (see arrow)

4 Issue Commands on Termite

The command prompt at the bottom of the Termite UI is used to send commands to the controller. Responses returned by the controller is displayed in the main buffer at the top (see figure below).

Procedure:

1. Enter command: To read the ROM information of the chamber, issue ROM?and press Enter:

   

   

   The following figure shows how command is entered and Figure [6] shows how the response from the chamber is diaplayed. The display shows both the command and the response.

2. Commands can be issued in lower-case or capital letter. The next several figures and illustrate how to read temperature and probe chamber operating mode.

   

   

   Refer to the P300 communication manual to decipher the response from the chamber.