PageGate GetSerial Setup Transcript for Video:
Welcome to the tutorial on how to configure the
basic options of the GetSerial module in PageGate.
In this tutorial, we'll be going over what the
GetSerial module is, how it works, and how to
configure the basic options.
Before we begin the configuration, let me first
explain what the GetSerial module is and how it
works.
The GetSerial module is a part of PageGate that
can monitor a serial port or COM port for a data
stream.
For example, if you're integrating with a server
monitoring utility or a nursing station call system,
those types of programs have the ability to output
data via serial port and RS-232 cable.
The GetSerial module can monitor the serial port,
read in that data stream, parse the data contained
within it, and send the data out an SMS message
or page to a mobile device.
So, the first step is to run the program, so
go to your start menu, go to programs, find the
PageGate program group, and left click on the
PageGate Admin.
Once in the Admin, click on the + next to the
Interfaces section. Click on the + next to GetSerial,
then left click on Settings.
In the settings, you have three options: Enabled,
Baud Rate, Parity, Data Bits, Stop Bits, Handshaking,
and Init String.
The Serial Port is the communications port the
GetSerial module should monitor for incoming data.
The Baud Rate, Parity, Data Bits, Stop Bits,
and handshaking will be determined by the sending
device. PageGate's settings MUST mirror those
of the sending device.
The init string field should usually be left
blank but if you're using a null modem cable instead
of an RS232 cable, enter ATS0=1 here.
After setting your communication parameters,
put a check in Enabled, then left click on Apply.
When you do, the program will ask if you want
this to be enabled for all existing groups and
recipients.
Click on Yes.
Now that we have the program monitoring your
serial port, we have to tell it how to interpret
the data streams it will be receiving.
Click on the + next to Settings under GetSerial
and you'll see these sections expand: Symbols,
Record, Recipient, Sender, and Message.
The first category is Symbols. By default, the
program considers the following characters as
special symbols:
? represents a single character wildcard.
* represents Multiple characters.
~ represents the end of record symbol.
\ represents the beginning of an ASCII value.
More often than not, you'll want to leave these
symbols on their default values.
Next we have the Record section.
The record defines the full record, from beginning
to end, and should not be confused with the message.
All information contained within a single data
stream is considered a record.
Since the data that can come in a data stream
is highly variable, these settings are used as
an example only.
If we want PageGate to consider all information
in a data stream, from start to finish, a record
then we'll need to change the start pattern to
a *, indicating any character can be the first
character of the record.
Then change the End Pattern to a ~ and left
click on Apply.
It should be noted that if your data stream
does not end in a Tilde, this setting will not
work.
The end pattern should always be the ending
character passed by the sending system.
Next we have the Recipient section.
In this section, we can specify a static recipient
or group, indicating that all custom data streams
processed should always go to a specific recipient
or group or we can choose to have the program
dynamically process the data of the record for
the recipient information.
In this case, we want to have a Dynamic Recipient.
The Start Pattern indicates the character or
string of characters that will always precede
the recipient value.
Purely as example, let's say that it's Name=
So, in the Start Pattern, enter Name= The Start
Offset, in this case, needs to be set to 5 since
Name= is five characters.
This tells PageGate not to actually include
the Start Pattern as part of the recipient's name.
The End pattern indicates the character or string
of characters that will always come after the
recipient value.
In this example, it's a carriage return.
To enter a carriage return as an end pattern,
we first need to know what the ASCII value for
a carriage return is.
It's \013.
If you'll remember the \ indicates the ASCII
value delimiter and let's the program know that
this sequence is to be considered an ASCII string.
Change the End Offset to -1 to tell the program
not to include the carriage return as part of
the end pattern.
Below that, you'll see a checkbox that says "Use
Lookup Table".
The lookup table function allows use to modify
data on the fly.
So, in the example data data stream, you'll see
that the recipient referenced is 'sample'.
I don't have a recipient named sample, so the
message will fail if the program attempts to read
the data in as it is.
Put a check in Lookup Table, then left click
on the Edit Table button. Left click on Add.
Now, just for example, I don't have a recipient
named sample, so for the data in, I'm going to
enter sample then, in the data out, I'm going
to enter the name of a valid recipient in the
program: sample_smtp_recipient. Left click on
Apply, then left click on Apply again.
Next is the Sender section. Let's say that the
sender is denoted by a 'Generated by=' line.
So, my start pattern is going to be Generated
by= and the start offset is going to be 13, since
there are thirteen characters in Generated by=
Next, we need to tell it the End Pattern.
In the Recipient section, we used a carriage
return because it was the first carriage return
in the data stream.
If we attempt to use a carriage return in the
sender's end pattern, the program won't know what
to do and won't process the data properly.
In my example data stream, my end pattern for
the Sender's information is actually the following
line.
So, in the end pattern, I'm going to enter Generated
on= and set the offset to -14.
The reason I set it to -14 is that I want the
program NOT to include the data value... and I
also don't want it to include the carriage return.
As in the recipient section, you can use the
lookup table to search and replace data strings
within the sender's value.
Left click on Apply.
The final section is the message section.
In my example data stream, the start pattern
would be contents= and my start offset will be
9.
The end pattern we will set to a ~ because we
want all information between Message contents=
and the end of the data stream.
Leave the end offset at zero.
Left click on Apply.
This concludes the tutorial for how to configure
the GetSerial Module in PageGate. For more tutorials,
including how to configure the other modules of
PageGate, please visit our website, www.notepage.net
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