Adding a Connection Channel

When you click the Add button in the COM Port Redirector window the Adding a Connection dialog brings up:

This dialog allows you to specify a connection channel that you want to add to the connection channel list.

A connection channel is made up of a serial port number with its initial settings (grouped in the Serial port settings box), and a TCP/IP port number with its initial settings (grouped in the TCP/IP settings box).

The question sign (?) next to COM port numbers in the list of available serial ports marks virtual serial ports that are absent in your system (not created and free).

To add a new connection channel:

In the Serial port settings group box,

1. Select a free serial port from the list of available serial ports
2. Make Initial settings for the serial port parameters (or click the Default button)
3. Specify a Connection Extra string and/or Disconnection one (or leave the fields empty)
4. Enable or disable the Record synchronization mode check box
5. Enable or disable the Create Virtual COM Port check box

In the TCP/IP settings group box,

6. Specify a connection mode (TCP Client or TCP Server)
7. For the TCP Server mode, choose a protocol version (IPv4 or IPv6)
8. Choose a protocol type (RAW TCP Connection or Telnet (RFC2217))
9. Specify an IP address (for the serial server when in the TCP Client mode)
10. Specify a TCP/IP port number (for the server to listen to)
11. Specify reconnection parameters (or disable the Enable reconnection check box)
12. Press OK to put your settings into action

Please refer to section TCP/IP Settings below on how to make TCP/IP settings.

Please refer to section COM Port Settings below on how to make COM port settings.

Note that a single virtual serial port cannot simultaneously be used for both Client and Server modes.

Connect after application restart

This check box is available for the TCP Client mode.
With this option on, COM Port Redirector will automatically try to connect that COM port to its remote server after each restart of COM Port Redirector.
If you disable this check box, then you will have to Connect that COM port with its remote server manually (using the button in the COM Port Redirector window).

Connect if the virtual COM-port is used by another task

This check box is available for the TCP Client mode.
Select this option to set the "auto" mode that provides "VCOM-TCP Primary Client"-like behavior for COM Port Redirector.
In this "auto" mode, opening/closing a virtual serial port provides the corresponding Connect/Disconnect and Start/Stop logic.

The Data fork Box

You can specify how COM Port Redirector as a TCP/IP server will work for the following modes:
- "single client - multiple serial ports",
- "multiple clients - single serial port",
- "multiple clients - multiple serial ports".

• Clients
  This option is only available for the server mode of COM Port Redirector and if you have only one serial port seen in the Port settings list.

  If the Clients check box is off, then COM Port Redirector allows only one network client (one that first connected to COM Port Redirector) to interact with the redirected serial port. Other clients (connected to COM Port Redirector) will wait until freeing the port.

  If the Clients check box is selected, then COM Port Redirector will in turn redirect the incoming data flow (i.e., received from each network client connected to COM Port Redirector) to the serial port (intermixing as information goes). Also, when the serial port sends data to the network, COM Port Redirector will in turn duplicate the outgoing data flow to each network client connected to COM Port Redirector.

• COM-ports
  This option is only available for the server mode of COM Port Redirector and if you have more than one serial port seen in the Port settings list.

  If the COM-ports check box is off, then COM Port Redirector allows only one network client (one that first connected to COM Port Redirector) to interact with all the redirected serial ports from the list. Other clients (connected to COM Port Redirector) will wait until freeing a port. COM Port Redirector will duplicate the incoming data flow (received from that network client) to all the serial ports in turn. Also, when the serial ports send data to the network, COM Port Redirector will in turn redirect the outgoing data flow to that network client (intermixing as information goes).

  If the COM-ports check box is selected, then COM Port Redirector will give all the serial ports from the list to all clients connected to COM Port Redirector (one free port to only one client).