EZ-Tap™ RS-232 Passive Tap Module
Stratus Engineering in pleased to introduce the industry's cleanest, most compact solution for hardware-based RS232 communications monitoring and data logging. EZ-Tap™ features an easy-to-use, inline passive RS232 connection in a standard DB9 connector pinout with a camera-style "mini-B" connector for USB access from the MS Windows host. EZ-Tap™ includes Windows virtual-COM port drivers that are fully compatible with all popular RS232 terminal and monitoring programs. For high performance, time critical monitoring Stratus Engineering provides EZ-View™, a custom RS-232 monitoring program that bypasses the PC's virtual COM layer and communicates directly with EZ-Tap™ hardware for low latency data extraction.
Purchase EZ-Tap™Now!
EZ-Tap is available in stock at the low price of $139.95 + shipping & handling. Place your EZ-Tap order today!.EE Times article announcing EZ-Tap
Docklight : "We recommend the EZ-Tap™ RS-232 Passive Tap Module for low latency monitoring via USB, as described in our EZ-Tap Application Note."
Features
. - Low-cost solution eliminates bulky cabling associated with other hardware-based RS232 monitoring schemes. In many cases an EZ-Tap™ purchase pays for itself in saved cabling costs alone.
- Supports standard and non-standard baud rates as high as 250Kbits/sec
- Includes PC-compatible device drivers, 6ft "Mini-B" USB cable, and EZ-View™ RS232 monitor program*, which interfaces directly to EZ-Tap™ hardware for low latency USB access
- DLL-based WIndows API with low-level time-tagging available for custom application development
- 30-day Money-Back guarantee
*EZ-View™ software available now from our downloads page
EZ-View™ RS-232 Monitor Software
Typical PC/Windows-based RS-232 monitors systems use the receive channel from each of two PC COM ports and a passive breakout cable to capture bi-directional RS-232 communication traffic. While in many cases this yields acceptable results, there is a significant drawback to this approach.
Most modern MS Windows-based PCs do not include RS-232 COM ports as standard equipment; COM port functionality is typically acheived using USB-to-serial cables. These "Virtual COM Ports" cause increased latency at the USB harware level as well as the Windows Virtual COM driver level. As a result, Windows-based RS232 monitor programs often display bi-directional communication data in chronologically incorrect order, especially at higher baud rates (9600bps and above). This makes troubleshooting, debugging, and data analysis extremely difficult for the user.
EZ-View acheives a significant perfomance improvement to this basic architecture with a unique combination of hardware and software that bypasses the Windows Virtual-COM model and results in greatly reduced latency between the serial data stream and host USB driver. The result is a dramatic improvement in the presentation of higher baud rate data to the user. Please vist our downloads page to download and evaluate the the EZ-View application program.
Purchase EZ-Tap™Now!
EZ-Tap is available in stock at the low price of $139.95 + shipping & handling. Place your EZ-Tap order today!.
Recommended Links
Introduction on monitoring serial RS232 data
Fundamentals of RS-232 Serial Communications
Serial Communication Using RS-232
RS232 Data Interface