Add improved connect-serial-port.cmd script (ask for COM port, add de…

…lay before sending data)

The new version of the connect-serial-port.cmd script brings two changes:
1) By default, it will ask for a COM port number to connect to
2) It will wait a few seconds between configuring the port and starting
   socat to avoid an issue where some Mega 2560 boards would get stuck
   in the bootloader and never start the main program

Scripts/DCS-BIOS/doc/userguide.adoc

@@ -327,27 +327,32 @@ When it disappears the upload is complete.
 
 ==== Step 6: Test your new panel
 
-DCS-BIOS comes with a script that automatically connects a serial port to DCS.
+DCS-BIOS comes with a script that connects a serial port to DCS.
 This  serial port is the means by which your PC and your Arduino Board communicate.
-To initiated this connection you need specify the COM Port to use.
+To initiate this connection you need specify the COM Port to use.
 You will use the same COM Port that the Arduino IDE used to program your board.
-To begin...
+
+* Double-click `connect-serial-port.cmd` which is in the DCS-BIOS folder you previously downloaded.
+A console window should pop up. Type in the number of the COM port that your Arduino board is connected to and press Return.
+Leave the console window open.
+
+*You can now start DCS and try your new panel in action!*
+
+
+If you don't want to type in the COM port number every time you run the script, you can edit the script
+(or a copy of it) so it always uses the same port:
 
 * Start Notepad++.
-Open the`connect-serial-port.cmd` file which is in the DCS-BIOS folder you previously downloaded.
-With the file on the screen the second line will read as:
+Open the `connect-serial-port.cmd` file which is in the DCS-BIOS folder you previously downloaded.
+Near the top of the file, you will see a line that says `set COMPORT=ASK`. Replace `ASK` with the number of the COM port you wish this script to use.
+For example, to use COM5, the line should look like this:
 ----
 set COMPORT=5
 ----
-* Replace the number 5 with the COM port number that your Arduino board is connected to.
 
 * Save the file and close Notepad++.
 
-* Double-click `connect-serial-port.cmd`.
-A console window should pop up.
-Leave it open.
-
-*You can now start DCS and try your new panel in action!*
+WARNING: If you make a copy of the script, you need to place it in the same folder as the original. Otherwise it will not find the `socat` executable.
 
 ==== Summary
 You can make any panel you like using this template file.
@@ -362,12 +367,10 @@ You can make any panel you like using this template file.
 
 * Begin using your switches and LED's in your DCS aircraft.
 
-*It can't get much easier then that.*
-
 ==== What this Guide *IS NOT*
 If your intent is to include displays and/or analog gauges with your panels you will need to have additional programming knowledge.
 There are displays in the aircraft that could incorporate LCD displays, LED displays or OLED displays.
-In addition there are analog Gauges in the cockpit that could be built using stepper motors, servos's or even air core motors.
+In addition there are analog Gauges in the cockpit that could be built using stepper motors, servos or even air core motors.
 With such a wide choice of components available, it really is beyond the scope of this particular document to provide instruction on every possible solution.
 
 

connect-serial-port.cmd

@@ -1,11 +1,30 @@
-REM Specify the number of the COM port your Arduino is connected to:
+@echo off
+REM Specify the COM port number to connect to in the following line.
+REM If set to the default value of ASK, the script will ask you to type it in each time.
+set COMPORT=ASK
 
-set COMPORT=5
+REM Set PROTOCOL to "TCP" if UDP does not work for you. When using TCP,
+REM you have to start the script after you have started the mission and the simulation
+REM has been unpaused, otherwise the connection will fail ("Connection refused").
+set PROTOCOL=UDP
 
+set VERBOSE=-v
+set MODE_OUTPUT_REDIR=CON
+if "%1" == "/Q" (
+	set VERBOSE=
+	set MODE_OUTPUT_REDIR=NUL
+	shift
+)
 
+if not "%1" == "" set COMPORT=%1
+if "%COMPORT%" == "ASK" set /p COMPORT=Enter a COM Port Number:
 
 set /A TTYNUM=%COMPORT%-1
-mode COM%COMPORT% BAUD=250000 PARITY=N DATA=8 STOP=1 TO=off DTR=on
-socat\socat -v UDP4-RECV:5010,ip-add-membership=239.255.50.10:127.0.0.1,reuseaddr!!udp-sendto:localhost:7778 /dev/ttyS%TTYNUM%
+if "%MODE_OUTPUT_REDIR%" == "NUL" echo Connecting to COM port %COMPORT%
+mode COM%COMPORT% BAUD=250000 PARITY=N DATA=8 STOP=1 TO=off DTR=off > %MODE_OUTPUT_REDIR%
+timeout 2
+if "%PROTOCOL%" == "UDP" socat\socat %VERBOSE% UDP4-RECV:5010,ip-add-membership=239.255.50.10:0.0.0.0,reuseaddr!!udp-sendto:localhost:7778 /dev/ttyS%TTYNUM%
+if "%PROTOCOL%" == "TCP" socat\socat %VERBOSE% TCP4-CONNECT:127.0.0.1:7778 /dev/ttyS%TTYNUM%
+
 
 pause

multiple-com-ports.cmd

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+@echo off
+REM The COMPORTS variable should be set to a space-separated list of COM port numbers:
+set COMPORTS=4 3
+
+for %%i in (%COMPORTS%) do start /b cmd /c connect-serial-port.cmd /Q %%i