ComMonitor

About - Key Features - Usage - Related - License

Status

Active - Actively being updated with fixes and new features.

About

A .NET console application to monitor data over a serial port. Has options for logging and even plotting data using a companion GUI app.

NOTE: This app has been mainly been tested and used on Windows, but should technically work on anything that has a .NET runtime.

Why

When I initially made this, I was in need of a CLI only serial monitor that could also do logging for me. At the time, I did not find anything, so I made it myself. On top of that, I also wanted the option to graph the data using a separate GUI app, but only as an option, not a forced 'this must run' feature. This allowed me to use the app in VSCode's integrated terminal instead of having to open another tool separately unless I wanted to graph the data in realtime.

Key Features

• CLI app
  • This app runs entirely in a terminal, allows for better integration with other setups versus GUI based apps.

Usage

Requirements

• Microsoft .NET 8.0 or .NET Framework 4.8
  • Different release versions available, including contained
• An open serial port to read from

Arguments

Arguments are not case sensitive.

• portName (pos. 0)

  • Set the port name to connect to.
    • Ex. COM6
  • If no value is given, a port selection screen appears unless --disablePortScreen is set.

• baudRate (pos. 1)

  • Set the baud rate.
    • Ex. 9600
  • Defaults to 9600.

• -p, --parity [None|Odd|Even|Mark|Space]

  • (Default: None)
  • Set the parity mode.

• -d, --databits [5-8]

  • (Default: 8)
  • The maximum number of bytes to process.

• -s, --stopbits [None|One|Two|OnePointFive]

  • (Default: One)
  • Set the number of stop bits.

• -t, --type [(A)scii|(H)ex|(D)ecimal|(B)inary|(M)apped]

  • (Default: Ascii)
  • Set the type of data to receive.

• -m, --maxBytes [Integer]

  • (Default: 8) Set a max number of bytes to print for each line when not in Ascii mode

• -r, --retry

  • After connecting, if the port closes, keep the console open and wait for the port to reopen

• -R, --retryDelay [Integer]

  • (Default: 0)
  • Pass a value in milliseconds to delay reconnecting. Helpful if reconnecting immediately causes issues. Functions as -r if the value passed is > 0.

• -D, --dtr

  • Disable the Data Terminal Ready (DTR) signal during serial communication.

• -w, --wait

  • If the port is not open when the console starts, wait for it to open.

• --retries [Integer]

  • (Default: -1)
  • Set the number of retries for both -w -r options. Negative values means no limit.
  • NOTE: Counter gets reset with each successful reconnection.

• --timeout [Integer]

  • (Default: -1)
  • Set the number of milliseconds before a time-out occurs when writing to serial

• -c, --color

  • Disable console color, may help with latency.

• -a, --disableAnimation

  • Disable any text animation used and any text output that is not just a basic string.
  • NOTE: Does not affect input prompt, see option --disableInputPrompt.

• --priority

  • Take priority of a port if another instance of ComMonitor has it open.
  • NOTE: Does not apply to any other app.

• -l, --log [Valid Directory Path]

  • Enable logging to a file

• -g, --graph

  • Graph incoming data using ComPlotter, refer to readme.

• -i, --input [(A)scii|(H)ex|(D)ecimal|(B)inary]

  • (Default: None)
  • Enable input when connected to a port, refer to readme for formatting.

• -e, --extendedInput

  • When input is in Ascii mode, expand escaped characters such as \n

• --first

  • Connect to the first available port when no portName is set.

• --disablePortScreen

  • Disable the selection screen from appearing when no option is given to portName.

• --graphPath

  • (Default: ComPlotter.exe)
  • Define the path for ComPlotter, used by the -g flag.

• --serialPipe

  • Enable the underlying serial pipe for other .NET applications to use, refer to readme. Note that this is used by ComPlotter when the -g flag is used

• --logTime

  • If Logging is enabled, log with a nanosecond timestamp.

• --singleLog

  • If Logging is enabled, use a single file for logging, overwriting it each time.

• --disableInputPrompt

  • Disable the prompt that appears when inputting data, recommended to paste data instead.
  • NOTE: On windows, right clicking a terminal with text in the clipboard should paste.

• --help Display this help screen.

• --version Display version information.

Example:

ComMonitor.exe COM9 115200 --priority -tH -r -w -l"C:\tmp\LogFiles" --singleLog --input D

NOTE: On Windows, when selecting something on the console, such as with the mouse, the console might freeze. Hitting Enter, Esc, or Right Mouse will unfreeze it. This can be disabled, however, this would also mean one would not be able to select text at all.

User Input

Using the --input option, it enables the console app to take in input.

ASCII strings are sent as is, however, escape characters are only converted when using the -e flag alongside ASCII mode.

Hex strings, Binary strings, and Integer strings are all converted into little endian byte arrays of a maximum length 8. Integer strings are decoded as a signed long. These numerical types can be delimited by a space to send multiple numbers at a time.

Example:

Input: 45684 456 56 4
Sending Bytes: 116,178
Sending Bytes: 200,1
Sending Bytes: 56
Sending Bytes: 4

NOTE: User input only works when actively connected to a port, input buffer is cleared when port disconnects.

NOTE: User input is still experimental.

• --disableInputPrompt might help if the console text gets garbled in anyway
• Sending too much data at once might freeze up the serial port.
  • Until asynchronous writes are implemented, setting --timeout can help discern whether writing is what is freezing the app.

The Insert key can also be used to paste any text that is on the clipboard to be immediately sent. The Right Mouse button, by default on a Windows terminal, can be used to just paste but not send.

Special Prefixes

Strings with special prefixes ( not case sensitive ) are highlighted in the console

Prefix	Color
Default	White
[Debug]	Magenta
[Error]	Red
[Fatal]	DarkRed
[Warn]	Yellow
[Info]	Cyan

Every newline that is received is interpreted separately and colored accordingly

NOTE: Because the incoming stream of data is continually searched for keywords (both in ascii and mapped mode), disabling color -c helps reduce latency if needed.

Related

• https://roofman.me/2012/09/13/fast-serial-communication-for-c-real-time-applications/

License

GPLv3