Input Devices

Use this dialog to configure any device that connects via serial port, other than a PIT tag reader or digitizer tablet, to communicate with P5. You can use this configure devices such as electronic balances, calipers or measuring boards. P5 now supports the new Biomark electronic measuring board with version 1.34.

Along with the serial port settings, you will need to specify the type data the device will send (Input Type) and the field into which the data should be entered (Input Field). If you are having issues getting the connection to work, please see the Troubleshooting Device Connections section.

	Name
	Specify a name to distinguish the device from other devices and readers in P5.

	Serial Port Name
	Specify the COM port through which the device will be communicating with P5.

Serial Connection Settings

Select from the list of predefined connection settings for devices with serial connections. To specify custom settings, click the edit button (pencil icon) to open the Customize Serial Connection Settings dialog and specify the baud rate, parity, data bits, stop bits, handshake, and RTS signal.

	Serial Start-Up Command
	Enter a command to send to the device when the port is opened to begin communications with P5.

	Test Terminal
	To test that communication settings are correct for the device, slide the Connection switch to the On position, then either send a command to the device that will return output, or cause the device to send a value to the computer. Check the Raw Data window to see the data sent from the device as it is received by P5. Check the Captured Data window to verify that P5 parses the data correctly.

Input Type

If the device is a balance, select Weight. If the device is a caliper or some other device that sends a length measurement, select Length. If it is any other type of device, select General, and the value sent from the device will be captured by P5 as is.

•Length: P5 will accept integer or decimal values with an optional plus sign; decimal values will be rounded to the nearest integer (for example, + 1.23 will be rounded down to 1 while 1.55 will be rounded up to 2)

•Weight: P5 expects weights to be decimal values in grams and that the unit identifier of g is included with the value (e.g. 2.21 g)

•General: P5 will accept any type of value

	Input Field
	Select the field into which the capture data from the device should be entered.