Channel setup for reading bytes as input


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Hello all,

I'm using a LabJack U12 with DAQFactory and a new syringe pump (Kloehn V3 for now till the V6 arrives) and have to redo some protocols, in which I need to use the serial output pin from the pump to send different information in bytes to the Labjack, which will in turn change the settings on a selector valve. I am having trouble figuring out how to set up the LJ to read that incoming data (even before I am positive the data is being sent correctly from the syringe pump...). I had planned to run a looping sequence which constantly checked the state of that channel receiving input from the syringe pump and changed the selector valve to one of the 6 required settings based on that information, but I can't get the channel to set up or read anything. My information on the syringe pump says that the SerialOut pin sends a number (0-255, chosen elsewhere in the script) in ASCII binary.

Can anyone guide me to the right Labjack channel setup for this application? Many thanks!

Laura King

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Thanks. I did check the LabJack forums, but I didn't find anything there that was particularly useful, especially in terms of the DAQFactory interface. I can tell you that the baud rate is currently set to 9600, but I can vary that as needed. The hardware manual for the pump is not very useful, unfortunately, and there isn't a software manual for the pump control (Kloehn Control) that I can find either. Most of what I know is from the hardware manual, which tells me:

"[command] sends a serial byte from the User Serial expansion port, MSB first. The value of the ASCII number is the base 10 representation of the value of a binary byte. For transmitted bytes, positive logic applies ("1" = high logic level).

Example: [command]85 : Sends the decimal number 85 in binary format. The serial I/O device will receive the binary number 01010101 (=85 in decimal base 10 format)."

What I had thought to do was connect this port to the IO1 connector on the LabJack and monitor the input from that pin, but I am not sure what specifically the channel set to read IO1 is actually receiving. From initial tests, I'm not sure it's receiving anything, but I supposed that it was also possible that the channel wasn't even set up to read the input correctly.

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Sounds like this is an RS232 device. If so, going through the LabJack is not the best choice. Just go out and buy a USB to serial converter and plug the thing directly into the PC. Then you can use the DAQFactory serial features.

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