Set-up Serial Communications

Connecting to the BMS controller RS232 serial port with a computer COM port.

A terminal can be connected to the RS232 port on the BMS controller to program and monitor it.

While pretty much any terminal will work, typically a computer running a terminal emulation program is used.

• PC computers
  • For PC computers with a serial port, use a DE9 extension cord (male DE9 to the controller, female DE9 to the computer) and connect it to any COM
  • For PC computers without a serial port, use a RS232-USB dongle
• Apple MAC computers
  • For Mac computers with a printer/modem port, use a male DE9 to printer/modem port cable with a null-modem and connect it to the Modem port or the Printer port.
  • For Mac computers without a printer/modem port, use a RS232-USB dongle

To communicate with the BMS controller, a serial port is needed (a male DE-9* connector: 9 male pins surrounded by a trapezoidal metal shroud) Few laptop computers have serial ports any more. If your computer doesn't have a serial port, you'll need a USB-Serial adapter (dongle).

* Yes, DE-9 (not DB-9): DA-15, DB-25, DC-37, DD-50, DE-9

• Windows:
  • Connect the dongle to a USB port
  • When asked, insert the CD that came with the dongle into the CD drive
  • When done, take out the CD
  • Open a terminal emulation application (see below)
• MAC OS-X:
  • Insert the CD that came with the dongle into the CD drive
  • Navigate to the installer package (e.g.: Driver/(USB-SERIEL2302)/mac/md_pl2303hx_v108b3/PL2303_1.0.8b4.pkg)
  • Open the installer package and follow the instructions (select your hard drive when asked)
  • When done, eject the CD
  • Open a terminal emulation application (see below)

• 19200 baud
• 8 data bits
• no parity
• 1 stop bit
• Flow control: none

• Pin 2 = TXD: from controller to terminal
• Pin 3 = RXD: from terminal to controller
• Pin 5 = GND

No other pins are used.

To communicate with the serial port, you will need a terminal emulation application.
Unlike previous versions of Windows, Vista doesn't have HyperTerminal.
Many options are available; most are quite poor (HyperTerminal), or way too complicated and unfriendly (Indigo Terminal). Few are free.
Our recommendation is a very simple yet powerful, free application that has been the workhorse of computer geeks for a long time: PuTTY.
Here are the instructions to set-up PuTTY to talk to the BMS controller.

• Download PuTTY.exe from PuTTY download page
• No installation is needed
• Open PuTTY; a window will open
• In "Connection type:" click "Serial" (left-most radio button)
• In "Serial line" enter the COM port used (such as "COM7")
• In "Speed" enter "19200"
• Click "Open" or press the Enter key on your keyboard; a new window will open, replacing the old one
• To get to the Home menu, press the ESC key on your keyboard, or cycle the power on the BMS controller Off and on

• For Windows computers up to XP, use HyperTerminal (Start / Accessories / Communications / HyperTerminal)
• HyperTerminal will ask you for a modem type (ignore it), and may require you to press control-C before it will operate.

• Download ZTerm (free)
• Open the "ZTerm 1.1...OSX.dmg" file to extract it; a new disk image window opens
• Drag the contents of the disk image into the "Utilities" folder in the "Applications" folder
• Open the "Zterm" application; a window opens
• Unselect "Edit/Save Lines Off Top..."
• Select "Settings/Connection..."; a dialog opens
  • Set the "Data rate" to 19200; click "OK"
• Select "Settings/Modem Preferences..."; a dialog opens
  • Select the "Serial Port" to the port with the USB-Serial dongle (e.g.:"usbserial0"); click "OK"
• To get to the Home menu, press the ESC key on your keyboard, or cycle the power on the BMS controller Off and on

We don't know what that means, but that's all we could get out of two different Linux users. If you can add any explanation on how to use them, please let us know.

Kermit and minicom
Sample .kermrc file
rothen@ublt:~$ cat .kermrc
set line /dev/ttyUSB0
set speed 19200
set carrier-watch off
set flow-control none
c

.kermrc file;

set modem type none
set line /dev/ttyS0
set carrier-watch off
set speed 19200
set flow-control none
set parity none
set stop-bits 1
connect

First you have to in install the usb-serial device (also the BMS can we conected directy to a serial port if any)

Read this page.

Later you have to install minicom

 $ sudo apt-get install minicom

Then

 $ sudoi minicom -s

In config of the serial port:

    | A - Dispositivo Serial: /dev/ttyUSB0
    | B - Localizacion del Archivo de Bloqueo: /var/lock
    | C - Programa de Acceso: 
    | D - Programa de Salida:
    | E - Bps/Paridad/Bits: 19200 8N1 
    | F - Control de Flujo por Hardware: No
    | G - Control de Flujo por Software: No

This is in Spanish, but the order of the options is the same

Then you save the info as dft, and exit.

Then

$ sudo minicom 

and that all

In a PC computer, the terminal emulation application will ask you for the COM port. For computers with a serial port, that is usually COM 1. On the other side, if you're using a USB-RS232 adapter (dongle) the COM port will vary, and will depend on which USB socket you're using. There are 2 ways to find out which COM port the dongle is using.

1. Trial and error
   • Try COM1. In that doesn't work, try COM2; etc.
2. Look it up
   • Click the "Start" icon on the bottom right; the Windows menu pops-up
   • In the "Start Search" field at the bottom type "Device Manager"; "Device Manager" appears at the top of the list
   • Click the "Device Manager" item; a dialog appears: "Windows needs your permission to continue"
   • Click "Continue"; the "Device Manager" window appears
   • In the list, find the "Ports (COM & LTP)" item
   • Click on the '+' sign to the left of it; the item opens, showing the ports that are used
   • Note the number of the COM port (if you later use a differ USB port, the COM number will change!)

Troubleshooting guide