Open topic with navigation

The Read from Serial Port action directs the Integration Service to read from a serial port for incoming data.

You can configure the following properties for the Read from Serial Port action:

Action

• Name: Specifies the name of the action. If desired, you can replace the default name by typing a new name in the field.

• Description: Allows you to save a description for the action.

• Run Action: Allows you to specify how often you want to run the action.

  • Always: Specifies that the Integration Service will run the action each time it runs the integration.

  • Never: Specifies that the Integration Service will not run the action when it runs the integration.

  • Conditionally, based on variable: Specifies that the Integration Service will run the action only when a selected variable meets a specified condition. Use this option in situations where there is only one condition that determines whether or not the action will run. Once you have enabled this option, you can create the conditional statement in the input box provided.

    Input box controls

    • Variable: Enter the variable that you want to use for the conditional statement. Alternatively, you can add a variable for the conditional statement value.

    • [Relational Operator]: Specifies the relational operator to use for the conditional statement. Click the existing operator to open a list of additional operators, and select the one you want to use. For more information, refer to Relational Operators. The operators available in the list depend on whether you have selected Text or Decimal for the Type option.

    • Value: Specifies the value(s) to use for the conditional statement. Some operators, such as Is null and Is not null, do not require a value to be specified. In these situations, the Value field is not available.

    • Type: Specifies whether the conditional statement is evaluating a text or decimal value.

       

  • Conditionally, based on expression: Specifies the conditions under which the Integration Service will run the action. Use this option for situations that require more than one conditional statement. Once you have enabled this option, you can create the conditional expression in the input box provided by creating the desired conditional statements. You create and edit your conditional expression on the Tree View tab. Click the Text View tab to see a read-only text view of the conditional expression.

    Input box controls (Tree View tab)

    • [Conditional Joiner]: Specifies the conditional joiner for the conditional statements within the group. The default conditional joiner is And.

      Click the existing conditional joiner to access a menu that allows you to configure your conditional expression in one of the following ways:

      • Select a different conditional joiner: The menu options include a list of conditional joiners. Select the conditional joiner you want to use for the conditional statements. For more information about the supported conditional joiners, see Conditional Joiners.

      • Add Condition: Click to add another conditional statement to the current group.

      • Add Group: Click to add a sub-group of conditional statements to the current group.

      • Remove Group: Available in the menu when the menu has been opened from a sub-group. Click to delete the sub-group.

      • Clear All: Available in the menu when the menu has been opened from the top-most group. Click to delete all conditional statements (including sub-groups).

    • : Visible just to the right of each conditional joiner in your expression. Click to add a conditional statement to the group associated with that joiner.

    • :  Visible when you position the cursor over an existing conditional statement. Click to delete the conditional statement.

    • Variable: Enter the variable that you want to use for the conditional statement. Alternatively, you can add a variable for the conditional statement.

    • [Relational Operator]: Specifies the relational operator to use for the conditional statement. Click the existing operator to open a list of additional operators, and select the one you want to use. For more information, refer to Relational Operators. The operators available in the list depend on whether you have selected Text or Decimal for the Type option.

    • Value: Specifies the value(s) to use for the conditional statement. Some operators, such as Is null and Is not null do not require a value to be specified. In these situations, the Value field will be hidden.

    • Type: Specifies whether the conditional statement is evaluating a text or decimal value.

Port

• Use port specified in integration: Specifies that the data is read from the same port as the one that is specified by the parent serial port integration. Available only when the parent integration is a serial port integration.

• Port: Specifies the port that the Integration Service reads from. Specifying the port is necessary when the parent integration is something other than a serial port integration or when you need the data to be read from a port that is other than the one that is specified by the parent serial port integration.

Communication Settings

• Bits per second: The speed of the serial link in bits per second.

• Data bits: Specifies the data bits for the serial communication.

• Parity: Specifies the parity for the serial communication.

• Stop bits: Specifies the stop bits for the serial communication.

• Flow control: Specifies the flow control setting for the serial communication.

Data Options

• Encoding: Specifies the method used to encode the message that is being read.

• Stop Reading When: Specifies when the Integration Service stops reading the message.

• Sequence of Characters is Received: Directs the Integration Service to stop reading the message after a specific sequence of characters has been received.

• Characters: Specifies the sequence of characters that tells the Integration Service to stop reading the message.

• Include sequence in input data contents: Specifies that the indicated sequence of characters are read as part of the data contents.

• Number of Characters is Received: Directs the Integration Service to stop reading the message after a specific number of characters has been received.

• Characters: Specifies the maximum number of characters that the Integration Service will accept in the message.

• Port Becomes Idle: Directs the Integration Service to stop reading the message after the port is idle for a specified period of time.

• Time to Wait: Specifies the amount of time the port can be idle before the Integration Service stops reading the message.

• Content Type: The data contents type. The Integration Service processes the contents of the message as per this format.

• Data is contained in a SOAP message: When enabled, the Integration Service expects the data to be contained in a SOAP message.

Output

• Save input data to variable: Specifies the variable to which you want to save the input of the action. Enter the desired variable. Alternatively, you can add a variable.

Test Read from Serial Port

• Test: Runs the action. The Message pane displays information on the success or failure of the action.

  Clicking the Test button executes the action only and does not run the integration. Therefore the action will run without any data from the integration that you may have configured it to use. For information on testing your integration, refer to Using the Test Pane.

User Account

• Inherit from parent action: When enabled, the action inherits the user account credentials specified on the Actions property page. Alternatively, if the action is part of a Group action, it will inherit the user account credentials specified on the immediate parent Group action’s property page.

• Specify user credentials: When enabled, the action runs using the credentials specified.

Error Handling and Diagnostics

• Ignore errors and continue running actions: When enabled, specifies that if the action fails, the remaining actions will continue to run.

  When this property is not enabled and the action fails, the resulting behavior depends on the following scenarios:  If you have specified Sequentially for the Execute Actions property of the selected action's hierarchical Actions or Group property page, no further actions within that group are executed. If you have specified In Parallel for the Execute Actions property of the action's hierarchical Actions or Group property page, the actions within that same group are not affected; the errors are ignored and the other actions within the group are executed. If the selected action is within a Group action, no actions outside of that Group action are affected.

• Retry if failed: When enabled, specifies that if the action fails, the Integration Service will try to run it again.

• Maximum retries: Specifies the maximum number of times the Integration Service will try to run the action again. Available when Retry if failed is enabled.

• Retry interval: Specifies the amount of time the Integration Service will wait after the action has failed before trying to run the action again. Available when Retry if failed is enabled.